John Donovan

Objectives: Syensqo is a global leader in advanced materials and specialty chemicals, with €18B in revenue and a presence in 61 countries. In 2023, the company decided to split into two separate entities, requiring the demerger and migration of all IT assets to AWS and GCP cloud hosting within 18 months. In addition, the programme introduced several Identity and Access changes that required new services to be built in Azure. This complex separation involves decoupling key enterprise systems, including SAP, ITSM, and critical Data Ocean infrastructure. As Programme Lead, my responsibility was to ensure the successful outcome of the Cloud Migration strategy, reporting directly to the Programme Director and the CIO, with a focus on ensuring seamless execution within the tight timeline. Responsibilities:

• Drive Lean / Agile Transformation: Implement Lean and Agile methodologies, integrating tools and processes to streamline delivery and optimize efficiency across workstreams.

• Highly performant cross-functional teams: Collaborate and coordinate with incumbent vendors and third-party specialist to provide highly skill resources to deliver this extremely challenging Programme of work.

• Business Case Development: Lead the review of the business case, including a comprehensive gap analysis, to secure funding and ensure alignment with organizational goals.

• Vendor Management: Provide technical domain expertise to support contract awards and statement of work creation and implementation.

• IT Infrastructure Analysis: Engage with technical domain experts to conduct a detailed analysis of the existing IT estate, ensuring a clear understanding of migration requirements and dependencies.

• Architectural Planning: Collaborate with Architects to ensure the delivery of the architectural design and implementation of AWS , Azure and GCP Landing Zones, ensuring scalability, security, and alignment with best practices.

Objectives: DWP is the UKs biggest public service department responsible for the welfare of every citizen in the UK. As custodian of the largest data set in Europe, it's critical that the infrastructure that support these services is highly available, resilient, and extremely secure. As part of DWP's continuous improvements strategy, the HCS team constantly review best practice and new products to ensure services are maintained to the hights standards. My role was to manage a high-priority project to evaluate AWS Landing Zone Accelerator (LZA) as part of DWP's strategy to modernize and secure one of Europe's largest data infrastructures.

• Led a cross-functional team in collaboration with AWS architects to assess the feasibility of LZA for enterprise-wide cloud infrastructure standardization.

• Conducted a comprehensive Well-Architected Review to analyse operational states and identify gaps for integration with LZA and Control Tower.

• Managed time-critical deliverables within strict central government funding cycles.

Key Results:

• Delivered a detailed LZA technical review and gap analysis, providing actionable recommendations.

• Produced a business case that secured funding approval for cloud transformation.

• Enhanced DWP's understanding of industry-compliant, scalable cloud infrastructure solutions.

Objectives: EMIS Health are one of the UK's largest Healthcare service providers, supporting over 60% of UK's GP practices. As part of their Cloud First strategy, my role was to lead the overall transition to AWS, exiting their primary datacentres by the end of 2023. Key objectives for the programme were to realise the multimillion-pound cost savings that underpin the business case outcome.

Key success factors included the transfer of all clinical data securely with zero data loss to AWS, retirement, and recycling of on prem infrastructure, reduce YoY operational costs. As part of the first 90 day Migration Acceleration Programme ( MAP ), objectives included, recruit and onboard the cross-functional Agile teams, built and implemented GitHub & Terraform CI/CD pipeline, building new Landing zone in AWS to support the secure transfer of Clinical Data, migrate 100+ early adopter GP practices.

Key Results:

• Migrated 100+ phase 1 GP practices to AWS including the secure transfer of clinical data

• IT infrastructure discovery and 7r analysis completed.

• MAP (Migration Acceleration Programme), Migration strategy and Wave Planning completed.

• AWS Landing zone built, phase 1 Target Operating Model completed.