Recommended expert

Robert Francia

Interim Project Manager

Robert Francia
Kriftel, Germany

Experience

Dec 2024 - Jun 2025
7 months

Interim Project Manager

IT service company of a regional energy provider

  • Carried out various end-customer projects in server and network infrastructure on time, within quality and budget.
  • Project 1: Firewall renewal, replacing an ASA firewall with a Fortinet firewall at an auto supplier.
  • Project 2: Migrated file services from dedicated servers at 5 remote sites to a central managed file service including DHCP, directory, and print services, and decommissioning of old domain controllers.
  • Project 3: Renewed network infrastructure at headquarters and remote sites of a logistics company and moved LAN, WLAN, and firewall environments to a managed network service.
  • Project 4: Network renewal, replacing core and access switches at the headquarters of a medical technology company and moving to a managed network service.
  • Project 5: Firewall renewal, replacing an ASA firewall with a Fortinet firewall at a city.
  • Environment: ASA and Fortinet firewalls, Cisco network components, ITSM Heat/Ivanti, Confluence.
Nov 2024 - Dec 2025
1 year 2 months

Project Manager

IT service provider for financial IT

  • Increased security level through consistent CIS hardening and proof of technical compliance.
  • Hardened about 7,500 IT assets of different technologies in all stages of an end customer according to CIS benchmark guidelines.
  • Defined and aligned project scope with all relevant stakeholders.
  • Set up project organization including governance, processes, and documentation standards.
  • Created and maintained high-level and detailed plans with MS Project.
  • Managed the PMO team consisting of project managers and PMO staff.
  • Ensured quality, deadlines, and resource use.
  • Structured CIs by technology and mapped them to CIS benchmarks.
  • Defined and maintained Qualys profiles and policies.
  • Conducted target-to-target comparisons for non-Qualys controls.
  • Planned, managed, and ensured quality of Qualys scans before and after hardening.
  • Closely coordinated with departments for planning and implementing hardening measures.
  • Supported and coordinated required changes in operations.
  • Provided quality-assured evidence like scan reports, deviation documentation, and target-to-target comparisons.
  • Built transparent reporting on CIs, technologies, and work packages.
  • Regular reporting to committees and C-level management.
  • Ensured acceptance and handover of all project results.
  • Established and maintained risk register including defining and tracking actions, as well as escalation and decision management.
  • Environment: CIS benchmarks / hardening standards, CMDB-based CI structures, Qualys compliance scans, about 7,500 IT assets, hardening of server OS, middleware, databases, and network components, involving about 22 departments and over 130 project staff, traditional and hybrid project management.
  • Tools: MS Project, Excel, SharePoint, Microsoft 365, ServiceNow (CMDB, Change, Workflow), MS PowerPoint, ThinkCell.
Oct 2023 - Jul 2024
10 months

Security Analyst IT Risk / Project Manager

French major bank

  • Ensured security compliance for IT applications in the context of DORA regulation.
  • Designed the end-to-end process to ensure security compliance of IT applications.
  • Reviewed and determined IT application risk profiles based on CIAT criteria (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Traceability).
  • Defined the application security baseline by selecting relevant IT security controls for each risk profile.
  • Conducted security compliance reviews with IT application owners via interviews or workshops.
  • Performed gap analyses to identify risks when IT security requirements were not met.
  • Validated compliance review results and risk findings with security managers and the CISO.
  • Formulated risk mitigation measures and documented them in the bank's GRC tool.
  • Tracked measures and coordinated evidence.
  • Environment: ServiceNow GRC, NIST Cyber Security Framework, ISO 27001, ISO 27005, DORA.
Sep 2023 - Nov 2024
1 year 3 months

Project Manager

Municipal energy provider

  • Further development, upgrades, and migrations of geographic information systems to save costs.
  • Project Lovion consolidation: merging Lovion Netzbau and Lovion Work Management System including project planning, interface management with departments, and coordinating software development and data center service providers.
  • Project Smallworld GIS upgrade: upgrading version 4.3.08 to 5.3.3 including migration management and setting up the new virtual server infrastructure.
  • Project ETRS89 migration: changing the coordinate system from Gauss-Krüger GK2 to ETRS89.
  • Project alarm platform: introducing a central alerting platform based on the FE2 solution from Alamos.
  • Executed eight other small projects in the geo-information environment.
  • Environment: Lovion system, GE Smallworld GIS, traditional and hybrid project management.
  • Tools: Jira, Confluence, Xray, AWS, VMware ESX.
Jan 2023 - Dec 2023
1 year

Project Manager, Coach, Sparring Partner

Financial services provider for securities transactions

  • Upgraded the BMC ITSM suite including switching the infrastructure platform to native cloud (Kubernetes) due to a new release.
  • Ensured the application's supportability through the upgrade.
  • Coached the internal project manager in preparing project proposals and change requests.
  • Assisted in project planning (milestones, resources, costs, budget).
  • Provided coaching in project control, risk management, and escalation management.
  • Supported project status reporting to management.
  • Environment: native cloud (Kubernetes), BMC ITSM suite, BMC Helix.
Jul 2022 - Sep 2023
1 year 3 months

Project Manager

Financial services provider for securities trading

  • Migration of 450 on-premise application servers to the Finance Cloud to reduce costs.
  • Assessment of the technical requirements and cloud compatibility of the application servers.
  • Aligned financial, ordering, and provisioning processes with the IT service provider.
  • Conducted a proof of concept for processes and technical migration.
  • Supported application owners with ordering, technical queries, decommissioning, and disposal of legacy devices.
  • Regularly reported cost savings to management and IT controlling.
  • Introduced a software asset management (SAM) tool to close audit findings.
  • Planned and managed budgets, projects, including milestone, resource, and cost plans.
  • Coordinated internal staff and external vendors for project implementation.
  • Participated in contract negotiations with service providers.
  • Oversaw the implementation of the Flexera SAM tool for automated inventory.
  • Integrated the tool with data sources such as SCCM, AD, and CMDB.
  • Implemented IT service management processes and created operating manuals, security, and test concepts.
  • Operationalized the license/software asset management process by introducing a SAM service.
  • Onboarded vendors and prepared commercial contract and license data.
  • Conducted license reconciliations and tracked actions to close audit findings.
  • Environment: Windows/Linux servers, Finance Cloud, FlexNet Manager Suite (FNMS) by Flexera, SAP CUNO, planningIT, Native Cloud, traditional and hybrid project management.
Jul 2021 - Jul 2022
1 year 1 month
Austria

IT Security Project Manager

Insurance company in Austria

  • Planned and implemented IT security projects to mitigate cyber and information risks according to DORA, VAIT, and FMA guidelines.
  • Managed project planning and control, creating milestone, resource, and cost plans.
  • Coordinated external vendors and provided status reporting to management and steering committees.
  • Implemented an intrusion prevention system (IPS) and introduced PKI certificate management for Active Directory.
  • Deployed a data loss prevention (DLP) system based on Microsoft 365.
  • Introduced certificate validation for client-based VPN access and SSL inspection for encrypted internet traffic.
  • Supported IT compliance audits.
  • Deployed a cloud access security broker (CASB) solution, including RFI, RFP, and proof of concept.
  • Created a ransomware incident response playbook and developed an SOC target operating model.
  • Modeled the security incident response process and integrated it into the group IT incident management process.
  • Designed a concept for implementing a group-wide parent CMDB.
  • Environment: Clarity PPM, Jira, Confluence, Ariba, RSA Archer, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365.
Feb 2019 - Aug 2021
2 years 7 months

IT Project Manager

IT service provider for Finanz Informatik

  • Built and moved a data center, including decommissioning an existing center and migrating customer IT systems.
  • Acted as the main contact for the network department and took responsibility for providing network infrastructure in the new data center.
  • Coordinated around 20-25 team members for network design, planning, and build.
  • Facilitated workshops to develop migration concepts for various networks.
  • Planned network setup in coordination with storage, server systems, and mainframe areas.
  • Organized the relocation of firewalls, load balancers, and network management systems.
  • Managed external vendors for data center interconnections.
  • Implemented IT security measures to address ECB findings in network infrastructure.
  • Deployed link encryption on cross-connections between data centers.
  • Established network segmentation and protection with firewalls as well as secured the stock exchange connection.
  • Tracked measures and provided regular status updates to the client.
  • Environment: data center network infrastructure, DWDM, Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), Fortinet/Cisco firewalls, load balancers, LAN, WAN, MAN.
Nov 2017 - Apr 2020
2 years 6 months

Project Manager / Business Analyst IT Security & Business Continuity / Operating Model

Large French bank

  • Introduced a NIST-based cyber security framework in four German entities to achieve maturity level 3.
  • Conducted control assessments including evidence collection and maturity evaluations for over 1,000 controls.
  • Built a business continuity solution for recovery workstations (business recovery seats), including site evaluation and provider onboarding.
  • Introduced the group-wide IT continuity framework and conducted business impact analyses.
  • Performed application and third-party risk analyses according to BAIT and MaRisk.
  • Implemented a Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) based on NIST.
  • Designed a transversal IT risk management organization and developed the target operating model (TOM).
  • Led the project for the stream operating model, organization, and governance to consolidate IT operations.
  • Developed the target organization in coordination with HR and works councils.
  • Supported the program manager as part of the PMO, including creating business cases and milestone plans.
  • Environment: RSA Archer, NIST Maturity Assessment Tool, ISO 27001, ISO 27005, BAIT, MaRisk.
Jun 2017 - May 2018
1 year

IT Transition Manager

IT service provider for Finanz Informatik

  • Performed a service provider transition to transfer network and desktop services.
  • Served as the primary contact for all transition-related topics.
  • Coordinated and aligned all activities necessary for service transfer.
  • Coordinated resources and monitored contractually agreed support services.
  • Environment: global bank WAN, Cisco network components.
Aug 2014 - Oct 2017
3 years 3 months

Project Manager Cyber Security

Major German Bank

  • Project management for expanding the ArcSight SIEM environment and transferring it to Cyber Security operations.
  • End-to-end implementation of ArcSight content onboarding projects based on security requirement analyses.
  • Led migration projects for ArcSight EMS and Reporting Manager.
  • Optimized the content onboarding process in coordination with the SOC and engineering teams.
  • Led a project to map the onboarding process in the BPM tool TIGGS, including building the CMDB.
  • Resolved audit findings in security event monitoring and vendor governance.
  • Planned content migration from ArcSight to Splunk.
  • Project lead for security hardening: assessing hardening policies, conducting gap analyses for IT governance, and defining requirements.
  • Coordinated assessment and review workshops with subject matter experts.
  • Environment: HP ArcSight Enterprise Manager, TIGGS, MS SharePoint, RSA Archer, Remedy, ServiceNow, Splunk Enterprise, globally distributed virtual teams.
Apr 2013 - Jul 2014
1 year 4 months

Service Transition Manager

Aviation / Air Cargo

  • Managed the operational transition for a new central air cargo logistics handling system.
  • Ensured proper transfer to IT operations.
  • Acted as the single point of contact for the system integration project team regarding service transition.
  • Planned, managed, and monitored the operational transition project in terms of schedule, scope, and budget.
  • Coordinated sub-project managers during the operational takeover.
  • Developed the operational takeover procedure in collaboration with operations teams.
  • Organized and led the operational review boards.
  • Environment: Replacement of a host-based system with air cargo management software, migration of about 50 supplier and acceptance systems.
Feb 2012 - Mar 2013
1 year 2 months

Service Transition Manager / Change Manager

Major German Bank

  • Ensured the proper transition of software developments into operations during a bank integration.
  • Defined the Target Operating Model (TOM) and determined resource requirements.
  • Aligned service level requirements, operating level agreements (OLAs), and service level agreements (SLAs).
  • Monitored quality gates in the waterfall model and delivered the documentation.
  • Advised on creating operations manuals, escalation matrices, and incident classifications.
  • Planned knowledge transfer for support levels 1 to 3.
  • Responsible for operational acceptance tests and reviewing operational readiness.
  • Implemented and operated the SAP high-performance platform Magellan.
  • Monitored changes in the production environment.
  • Organized and conducted change advisory boards (CABs) and approved change requests.
  • Environment: software development in sales/investments, SAP core banking system (UC4, ETL), BMC Remedy.
Jul 2011 - Dec 2011
6 months

Project Manager

International Mobile Service Provider

  • Set up a reporting process for revenue and profit (P&L) between the subsidiary and the parent company as part of a corporate integration.
  • Coordinated all activities to integrate the departments on time and within budget.
  • Conducted a feasibility study with various options.
  • Defined milestones and responsibilities within the project team.
  • Established and integrated the reporting structure into existing systems.
  • Reported to project sponsors as well as global sales and finance management.
  • Environment: ERP and financial systems, international project environment.
Jan 2011 - May 2011
5 months

Sabbatical / Stay Abroad

Personal

  • Sabbatical and stay abroad.
Apr 2010 - Dec 2010
9 months

Project Management / Organization / Coordination

German Major Bank / Application Integration Windows Division

  • Provisioning of application servers for the migration of applications as part of a bank integration.
  • Single point of contact for the Application Integration Windows group to the integration project.
  • Clarification of project requirements for integration services for server applications.
  • Alignment of order acceptance prerequisites and commissioning processes.
  • Resource planning and control to ensure contract fulfillment.
  • Interface to change and release management.
  • Provision of automated applications in test environments for integration testing and production release.
  • Environment: Windows 2003 Server, Active Directory 2003, NetInstall 5.7, MSI technology, Peregrine Service Center 6.1.
Jun 2008 - Feb 2010
1 year 9 months

Project Manager Outsourcing - Transformation Phase

International Telecommunications Provider / Food and Beverage Manufacturer

  • Global network and telecommunications outsourcing at 600 sites worldwide.
  • Implementation of a standardized network environment (WAN, MAN, LAN, WLAN) and IP telephony at two factory locations in Germany as well as in the Baltic and Nordic countries.
  • Facilitating workshops to identify technical requirements and develop migration strategies.
  • Defining site requirements for power, cabling, and climate control.
  • Collaborating with solution architects to determine equipment needs.
  • Monitoring hardware and software deliveries and technical designs.
  • Piloting and rolling out new infrastructure solutions.
  • Negotiating maintenance windows for migrations in 24/7 manufacturing environments.
  • Leading acceptance tests and documenting the new environment.
  • Multi-project management of up to 11 parallel projects.
  • Environment: Cisco network and IPT equipment, MS Project.
Jan 2008 - May 2008
5 months

Release Manager

International IT Service Provider / German Major Bank

  • Transferring the release management processes from the bank to the IT service provider as part of desktop outsourcing.
  • Knowledge transfer of processes and methodologies through interviews and shadowing.
  • Documenting and optimizing release management processes and interfaces.
  • Assuming implementation responsibility as release manager on behalf of the service provider.
  • Aligning with ITIL-based change management processes.
  • Environment: Peregrine Service Center 5.1/6.1, ADIS workflow management tool.
Apr 2006 - Dec 2007
1 year 9 months
London, United Kingdom

Migration Lead (Subproject Manager)

German Major Bank

  • Migrating application servers from an NT 4.0 structure to a Windows 2003 Active Directory structure in the investment banking area.
  • Technical and organizational responsibility for around 250 application servers and 80 banking applications at the London site.
  • Serving as interface between infrastructure, operations, and product owners.
  • Scheduling and status reporting to the overall project management and clients.
  • Provisioning test, pre-production, and production environments via NetInstall 5.7.
  • Preparing and overseeing acceptance tests as well as production support.
  • Designing and optimizing supporting processes.
  • Environment: Active Directory 2003, Windows 2003 Server, NetInstall 5.7, Peregrine Service Center 5.1/6.1.
Oct 2005 - Mar 2006
6 months

Consultant / Analyst

German Major Bank

  • Management consulting to ensure internal and external IT compliance in the enterprise content management area.
  • Creating audit-proof system documentation (operational, security, and disaster recovery plans).
  • Reviewing BSI IT baseline security for newly implemented content management systems.
  • Analyzing and optimizing IT operations processes based on ITIL best practices.
  • Modeling business processes for automated document processing in ARIS.
  • Planning cross-functional separation between development and operations.
  • Preparing training plans, cost estimates, and schedules for project implementation.
  • Environment: AIX, Windows Server 2003, OS/2, MVS host, ARIS toolset, BSI IT baseline.
Apr 2004 - Sep 2005
1 year 6 months
Bad Homburg, Germany

Senior Consultant

ECS Bad Homburg GmbH

  • Established and managed a bid management function for the consulting department.
  • Qualified customer inquiries and developed solution concepts with subject-matter experts.
  • Prepared proposals and conducted price and contract negotiations.
  • Managed resources, including qualification and procurement of external resources.
  • Acquired and maintained relationships with suppliers and staffing agencies.
  • Responsible for project costing, controlling, invoicing, and management reporting.
  • Implemented project management methodologies and tools.
  • Provided pre-sales support and business development.
Jan 2002 - May 2003
1 year 5 months
Germany

Subproject Manager User Survey / PC Rollout

Unisys Deutschland GmbH

  • Led the site and user survey workstream for a Europe-wide PC standardization project at a chemical company.
  • Rolled out 38,000 client PCs across Europe.
  • Collected inventory data manually through user interviews (200 PCs/day).
  • Established an organizational structure with a team lead level and managed up to 120 staff members.
  • Planned and conducted training sessions.
  • Reported status to overall project management and handled escalations.
  • Designed quality assurance measures.
  • Environment: Windows XP, Radia software distribution, Bluecurrent rollout tool, MS Project.
Jun 2001 - Dec 2001
7 months
Germany

IT Consultant / Management Consultant

Unisys Deutschland GmbH

  • Qualified providers for network outsourcing in South America, Australia/New Zealand, and Europe.
  • Prepared tender documents (RFI and RFP).
  • Conducted provider qualification process for a global MPLS network.
  • Evaluated service provider proposals and created a benchmarking matrix.
  • Led service and price negotiations with shortlisted providers.
  • Prepared decision-making documents for management.
Feb 2001 - May 2001
4 months
Germany

Subproject Manager

Unisys Deutschland GmbH

  • Built the network and server infrastructure for a service center handling automated document processing.
  • Planned and designed the data center network infrastructure and WAN connectivity for 11 branch offices.
  • Coordinated suppliers and accepted implementations (UPS, Cisco components, racks).
  • Managed the relocation of approximately 30 server systems and 50 client workstations.
  • Commissioned the environment in collaboration with the client.
  • Environment: Windows NT 4.0/2000 Server, Unisys document scanning lines, Cisco routers/switches.
Oct 1999 - Oct 2000
1 year 1 month

Project Manager

m+s Elektronik AG

  • Managed Europe-wide rollout and operation of securities trading systems for the German stock exchange.
  • Rolled out EUREX, XETRA, and CBOT trading systems.
  • Established a helpdesk for remote monitoring and administration of systems (5 x 18 hrs).
  • Led the nine-person international support and rollout team.
  • Ensured compliance with SLAs.
  • Environment: Windows NT 4.0, Sun Solaris, HP AIX, BMC Patrol.

Summary

Over 25 years of ICT experience, many years as an employed senior consultant and project manager at various IT systems and consulting firms. Freelancing since 2007.

Many years of experience leading IT infrastructure, organizational, and security projects. Extensive knowledge in the areas of service transformation and transition, solution implementation, standardization, migration, and rollout. Fundamental expertise in IT governance, risk & compliance, as well as information, IT, and cyber security, and also in business and IT continuity.

Advising and reporting to top-level management, such as the CIO, CTO, and CISO.

Extensive experience with complex outsourcing and corporate integration projects, including international and overseas assignments.

Leadership experience in projects with more than 130 project staff. Working with globally distributed virtual teams (virtual teaming, nearshoring, and offshoring).

Skills

  • Leading Projects And Programs In It Infrastructure And Networking

  • Leading Projects And Programs In Information, It, And Cyber Security

  • Leading Projects And Programs In Service Transformation And Transition

  • Leading Projects And Programs In Hardware And Software Rollouts

  • It Service Management (Itsm)

  • Information, It, And Cyber Security

  • It Risk Management

  • It Governance

  • Information Security Management System (Isms) Implementation

  • Information System Auditing

Languages

German
Native
English
Advanced
Hungarian
Advanced

Education

University of Applied Sciences of the German Federal Post and Telekom in Dieburg

Diploma in Communications Engineering · Electrical engineering, major in communications engineering · Dieburg, Germany

Certifications & licenses

Certified NIS2 Directive 2.0 Lead Implementer

Certified Information System Auditor

ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer

PECB

CISSP (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional

ITIL Expert In IT- Service Management

OCG / APMG

Certified Project Manager (Level C)

GPM / IPMA

COBIT Foundation Certificate

ISACA

Cyber Security Practitioner

ISACA / BSI

ITIL V3 Intermediate Lifecycle Certificates

ITIL V3 and V2 Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management

Splunk Power User 6.3 Certification

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