Matthias Lepka - Manager with IT expertise, strategist and doer, diverse industry experience

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Ettlingen, Germany

Experience

May 2021 - Dec 2025

4 years 8 months

Head of IT System Architecture

Internal IT service provider

Industry: metal processing industry
Revenue: 740 million EUR
Employees: 4,400
Budget: 7 million EUR, 15 staff
Designing and operating technical services
Ensuring IT security
Managing the central support organization (first, second, and third level)
Digital transformation: strategic support / project management for OT platform and OT security
Developing and introducing ITIL processes (incident management, problem management, service request fulfillment, change management, access management, service level management)
Supporting and coordinating external service providers (provider management)
Project management: planning and delivering IT services for a new main plant
Promoting IT-OT convergence / OT asset management / OT security
Organization: mediating and supporting reorganization

Achievements:

Improving IT operations maturity (introducing and stabilizing processes, KPIs, ensuring transition)
Replacing the ticket system with ServiceNow
Stabilizing and developing IT security / ensuring resilience
Successfully introducing OT segmentation (architecture, remote access control, micro-segmentation, OT asset management)
Supporting introduction of manufacturing execution system (technical services / SaaS provider management)
Integrating foreign sites (rollout of central IT services)
Migrating on-premises server environment to MS Azure
Rolling out Windows 11
Supporting migration of on-premises SAP environment to SAP RISE
Creating planning basis for IT network infrastructure of the new main plant
Planning web shop
Organizational development "From Operating to Designing" (target SIAM organization)
Supporting BCM

Apr 2020 - Nov 2021

1 year 8 months

Head of overall operations for the strategic cloud platform

State IT service provider

Industry: public authority / government agency
2,430 connected offices, 3 data centers with 5,100 servers, 105,000 mailboxes, 71,000 PCs, 7,815 network components
Revenue: 255 million EUR, employees: about 1,800
Budget: 2.5 million EUR, 10 staff
Managing the provisioning platform (hyperconverged infrastructure based on Nutanix / VMware)
Responsible for operational management and strategic development of the cloud platform (IaaS)
Managing the central support organization (2nd and 3rd level support)
Analyzing service delivery and service quality (staff, processes, portfolio, partners)
Introducing a service relations model and service interface
Ensuring high-quality and cost-efficient cloud operations
Developing ITIL processes (incident, problem, service request fulfillment, change, access, service level management)
Coordinating external service providers
Contributing to the security concept and product development
Supporting & coaching department management during transition and takeover
Supporting the change process

Achievements:

Stabilizing the launch and operation of services
Implementing a model for taking over and developing operations (service orientation)
Structuring and modeling processes for IT operations control and technical management
Improving efficiency and agility of service request fulfillment
Designing, creating, and rolling out new and enhanced services
Prioritizing and supporting automation and self-service solutions
Developing and communicating the strategic direction of the service provider and service portfolio
Successfully operating services, including incident resolution
Improving project work and staff management through Scrum and Jira

May 2019 - Apr 2020

1 year

Head of IT client management and IT service management

Internal IT service provider

Industry: mechanical engineering, revenue: 675 million EUR, employees: 4,200
Budget: 2 million EUR, 12 staff
Supporting about 4,000 users and 5,000 devices
Responsible for operational management and strategic development of client management and IT service desk
Managing central support organization (service desk, field service, device provisioning)
Analyzing service delivery and service quality
Ensuring a high-quality and cost-efficient IT service desk
Responsible for user management and client endpoint security
Introducing ITIL processes (incident, problem, change)
Introducing ITSM/ESM tool ServiceNow
Coordinating external service providers
Supporting & coaching department management

Achievements:

Stabilizing the service organization through appreciative measures
Introducing a single point of contact
Implementing KPIs to manage the service desk
Reducing the ticket backlog through successful problem management
Identifying automation potentials
Leading IT/enterprise service management and privilege access management projects
Introducing a major incident process including escalation steps
Successfully rolling out Windows 10
Stabilizing the endpoint infrastructure through standardization measures

Jun 2018 - Mar 2019

10 months

Head of Service Desk

Internal corporate IT service provider

Industry: high-tech mechanical engineering, revenue: 3.57 billion EUR, employees: 13,420
Budget: 23 million EUR, 21 staff
Supporting about 5,000 employees and 6,000 devices at the main site
Leading the central support organization (service desk, field service, device provisioning, service request fulfillment groups)
Analyzing service delivery and service quality
Ensuring a high-quality and cost-efficient IT service desk considering sourcing aspects
Managing external service providers
Conducting quality assurance measures with service providers
Managing the transition to outsource IMAC service delivery
Embedding ITIL processes (incident, problem, change)
Preparing for digital transformation (DevOps)
Conducting interviews and staff development
Supporting & coaching department management

Achievements:

Stabilizing the service organization
Reducing the ticket backlog to normal levels
Improving device provisioning (reducing delivery times from 2 months to 8 days)
Relieving staff by separating project work from operational tasks
Initiating an Operational Excellence program
Supporting ITSM/ESM implementation projects (ServiceNow)
Establishing clear roles and processes to improve efficiency
Building service provider management and service catalog
Standardizing SLAs and implementing KPIs
Introducing a change management process with a change advisory board
Introducing a major incident process

Jul 2016 - May 2018

1 year 11 months

Head of Endpoint Infrastructure Division

Internal corporate IT service provider

Industry: education and healthcare, group revenue: 908.4 million EUR, employees: 12,600
Budget: 6 million EUR, 45 staff across multiple sites
Managing about 36 group companies with 12,500 endpoints and 30,000 learners
Leading a decentralized support organization and site managers
Ensuring a high-quality 1st-level IT service desk
Leading system and support engineers in endpoint, patch, and security management
Harmonizing processes (software packaging, on/offboarding)
Operating and supporting all IT endpoints throughout their lifecycle
Leading cross-functional ITIL projects
Consolidating and migrating IT endpoint components
Evaluating new technologies (desktop virtualization, cloud services)
Collaborating with application and infrastructure teams and client IT managers
Managing external service providers and representing in IT committees

Achievements:

Designing a strategic IT service management landscape
Introducing standards (ITIL, Prince2)
Replacing and implementing an ITSM system with crisis and escalation management
Optimizing processes and ITSM tools
Introducing a process modeling tool (Sycat)
Modernizing and automating endpoint management
Introducing architecture and change advisory board
Building virtual teams
Optimizing service desk performance and metrics
Collecting a service catalog and skill profiles
Introducing project, process, and transition management (P&PM office)
Implementing hardware and software asset management
Driving digital initiatives (Education 4.0, Healthcare 4.0, Clinic 4.0)

Jun 2014 - Jun 2016

2 years 1 month

Head of IT Infrastructure and IT Service Division

IT Service Provider

Revenue: EUR 61 million, 400 employees
Budget: EUR 5 million, 50 employees across multiple locations
Managed about 800 customers with heterogeneous system landscapes
Responsible for delivery (planning, design, professional services, documentation/training), consulting, and operations (managed services infrastructure, monitoring, helpdesk, repair)
Responsible for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-level support
Enhanced competitiveness in collaboration, processes, service and product portfolio
Stabilized and reorganized specialist teams
Integrated additional sites and built virtual teams
Aligned strategy with the parent company and co-developed strategic products
Introduced project and transition management (project office)
Implemented customer service portal (SharePoint) and ITSM tools
Led cross-site project management and supervised external service providers
Represented in IT committees and promoted cross-department collaboration

Achievements:

Implemented a strategy process (leadership culture, structure, efficiency, systems)
Improved project and service quality
Expanded cloud service solutions (XaaS)
Standardized solutions and service portfolios
Improved ITSM, collaboration, and monitoring tools
Increased efficiency through updated structures and processes
Developed a strategic product presented at CeBIT

Jan 2009 - Jul 2013

4 years 7 months

Head of IT Operations; Head of Support Department "Strategic Outsourcing"

IT (Managed Services) Provider

Revenue: EUR 10 million, 130 employees
Budget: EUR 3.0 million, 28 employees for IT operations; EUR 1.5 million, 15 employees for strategic outsourcing
Responsible for about 150 customers with 2,000 servers and 100 customers with 1,000 servers
Advanced monitoring, software distribution, virtualization, backup, antivirus, and network/firewall technologies
Service delivery manager for managed services (2nd and 3rd level)
Process optimization (incident, request fulfilment, problem, change management)
Developed company organization and service management

Achievements:

Optimized and shifted processes, reducing support workload
Restructured 2nd/3rd-level support, reducing turnaround time by 15%
Increased department performance by 20%
Standardized IT solutions and created a service catalog
Stabilized staff turnover from 80% to almost 0%
Executed successful transition projects
Built cloud platform and remote management platform
Introduced process management tools and product standards

Mar 2000 - Present

25 years 11 months

Managing Director, Senior Consultant, Interim Manager, Trainer & Coach

VOTRON GmbH

Mar 2000 - Jan 2009

8 years 11 months

Managing Partner

IT Service Provider

Revenue: EUR 400k
Trainer in Microsoft technologies (operating systems, Exchange, MS clusters)
Consulting for industry, trade, financial service providers, and public authorities
Developed unified communication, monitoring, software distribution, virtualization, backup, antivirus, and network/firewall technologies
Implemented VMware infrastructure including SAN
Designed and rolled out hardware and software
Project planning for high-availability solutions (SQL Server cluster)
Migration projects (NT4 to ADS, Exchange versions, OS/2 Warp)

Feb 1994 - Feb 2000

6 years 1 month

Founder, Partner, and Consultant

Management Consulting, Project Management

Revenue: EUR 1 million, 8 employees
IT consulting for companies
Established the company's own structure and IT/telecom infrastructure

Achievements:

Exclusive sales, implementation, and training of leading project management software products

Jan 1991 - Jan 1994

3 years 1 month

Owner

IT service provider

Revenue: EUR 200k
Trading in hardware and software
Teaching in PC and operating system environments
Training and coaching sales and support staff
Conducting product sales and sales training sessions

Summary

Graduate engineer in electrical and information engineering, manager with IT expertise, strategist and doer, diverse industry experience

Skills

Corporate Leadership

Supporting And Motivating Employees
Coaching Executives (Transformational Leadership)
Strategic Realignment Of Business Areas With Customers And Suppliers, Business Development
Planning And Achieving Profit, Revenue, And Budget Targets
Creating Business Plans
Developing New It Concepts, Products, And Strategies
Strategic Consulting For Clients And Partners
Improving Competitiveness (Including Blue Ocean Strategies)
Developing Strategic Products And Solutions
Mergers And Integration Of Companies
Identifying Synergies And Optimizing Collaboration Between Business Units
Leading Acquisition Talks And Preparing An Ipo
Negotiating Contracts With Suppliers, Managing External Service Providers

Consulting

Coaching And Advising It Managers And It Departments
Capturing, Developing, And Optimizing The It Landscape Architecture
Mapping And Implementing Core And Support Business Processes With Suitable It Solutions
Consulting Managed Service Providers (Contract Design, Processes, Slas)
Developing Topics Like Unified Communication, Monitoring, Software Distribution, Application And Server Virtualization, Backup, Antivirus, Network And Firewall Technologies
Implementing A Virtual Infrastructure Platform (Vmware) Including San Setup
Designing And Implementing A Decentralized It Infrastructure Solution
Planning And Leading Hardware And Software Rollouts
Designing And Implementing A High-availability Database Solution (Sql Server 2005, Ms Cluster, San)
Upgrading An Sbs 2000 To A Dedicated Ads 2003r2 Environment
Designing And Implementing Security Policies In Mid-sized Companies
Introducing A Patch Management Solution For Distributing Security Updates
Designing And Implementing A Virtual Environment For Server Consolidation
Planning And Implementing High-availability Solutions (Clusters)
Carrying Out Various Migration Projects For Different Clients (Nt4 To Ads On Windows 2003r2 With Branch Connections; Ads, Exchange, Isa Server; Exchange 5.5 To Exchange 2003; Replacing Midrange Data Tech With Ms Windows Nt4; Windows 3.x To Os/2 Warp)

Project Management

Project Manager (Prince2)
Responsible For Introducing It Service Management Collaboration Platforms, Itsm And Process Modeling Tools, And Endpoint Management Systems
Leading And Supporting It/enterprise Service Management Systems Projects (From Tender To Operation)
Leading Strategy And Change Projects
Leading Migration Projects
Responsible For Convergence Of Operational Technology And It (Ot Platform And Ot Security) As Part Of Digital Enterprise Transformation
Leading Hardware And Software Rollouts
Planning High-availability Solutions (Clusters)
Preparing And Presenting Business Cases

Process And Service Management

Itil Process Design And Implementation (Itil Expert In It Service Management)
Transition Management
Escalation Management
Efficiency Methodologies
Service Delivery Manager Responsible For Managed Services (2nd And 3rd Level Support)
It Process Management And Optimization (Incident, Request Fulfillment, Change, And Problem Management)
Monitoring Kpis And Slas
Supporting Service Management In Sla Design And Customer Acquisition
Managing About 150 Clients With 2,000 Servers (Managed Services)
Supporting 800 Clients In Servers, Storage, Virtualization, Cloud Services, And Professional Services
Developing And Establishing Product And Process Standards
Introducing Operating Models (Relational Service Model)
Standardizing It Solutions
Developing Product And Service Catalogs

Organizational Management

Restructuring (Support Organization With 100 Employees)
Change Management, Turnaround Management
Leading And Planning The Reorganization Of Support And Service Operations
Applying Bottleneck Strategies And Methods
Implementing Modern Leadership Cultures (Talent Development, Trust And Error Culture)
Restructuring And Optimizing 2nd And 3rd Level Support (It Operations)
Building And Leading An Outsourcing And Outtasking Organization (Managed Services)
Building And Leading A Service-focused Company (Professional Services, Cloud Services)
Mediating In Conflicts And Crises
Increasing Department Performance And Effectiveness

Seminars / Training

Microsoft Official Curriculum Courses (Microsoft Certified Trainer)
Training System Administrators And It Architects
Training Support Staff
Training It Operations Center Staff
Designing Seminars And Training
Seminar Didactics And Teaching Methods

Talents (Soft Skills)

Strategist, Curious, Performance-oriented, Confident, Creative And Resourceful, Strong Social Skills

Industry Experience

Healthcare (Acute Clinics, Rehabilitation Clinics, Medical Centers)
Education (Universities, Technical Schools, Vocational Rehabilitation, Schools)
Industry, Mechanical Engineering, Financial Services (Banks And Insurance), Government Agencies
It Service Providers (Outsourcing Providers, System Integrators, Service Providers)
Mid-sized And Corporate Environments
Publishing, Textile Industry, Catering And Facility Management
Optical Industry, Medical And Office Technology, Optimized Print Service Providers