ABOUT BostonCIO�S RICHARD COHEN

Richard focuses on delivering senior-level, IT and business operations consulting services, providing companies with the necessary strategic and tactical IT leadership to meet present needs while reducing the risks and costs of an individual hire.

His professional services range from serving as an interim/part-time Chief Information Officer to project-based engagements.

Accomplishments:

• Developed a data center strategy for one of the largest behavioral health care providers in the US. Successive phases of the project included the design of multiple, high-availability data centers, re-provisioning hardware, network and security appliances and managing the multi-phase physical move.
• As an interim CIO/COO, managed the acquisition and integration of three companies specializing in electronic medical records, medical records workflow management systems and release of information services.
• Performed data center acquisition due diligence and integration planning engagements for major data center providers and private equity organizations.
• Implemented a mental and behavioral health care billing system across 13 states and 18 business units for a complex national organization.
• Developed an applications integration roadmap, future-state footprint and strategic direction for a merged hospital group that found itself as the post-acquisition owner of more than 225 separate applications.
• Performed a market and technology assessment for the introduction of online delivery and management of continuing medical education (CME) credits. The client is the largest issuer of offline CMEs to US primary care physicians.
• Designed, sourced and implemented several large, high-performance, technically complex, hosted web infrastructure and network deployments.
• Assessed all aspects of IT operations for a $40 million human services agency; analyzed internal business processes, external and regulatory requirements, voice and data communications needs, and internal staff capabilities. Provided clear, actionable direction with project priorities, risk assessments and bottom-line operational savings.
• Transformed the internal IT, medical records workflow and billing systems for the largest not-for-profit human services/behavioral health organization in Massachusetts.
• Realigned internal processes and integrated the medical record and billing system with an outsourced pharmacy supply network for the largest hospice group in RI.
• As an interim COO, developed all aspects of P&L, staff recruiting and management, benefits and HR, IT and physical infrastructure and business development for a 15-person, $2.5 million, start-up web applications engineering firm.
• Defined requirements, developed specification and information architecture and project-managed the development and deployment of a content-centric website advancing the use of new health care technologies.

Prior Experience:

Zentropy Partners, Cambridge, MA
August 1999-December 2000
Chief Information Officer

Zentropy Partners was founded as a spin-off professional services firm of the Interpublic Group (IPG), McCann Erickson, and Hill Holiday Interactive. As CIO, Richard Cohen’s mandate was to build world-class IT systems and infrastructure for a 2,500-person firm supporting 17 offices in five countries within one year.

As a new entity, Zentropy had no existing staff, infrastructure or applications. Many of the offices needed to be carved out of existing companies with the associated technical, political, logistical and staffing complications. Richard served as the operations and technical lead on the acquisition and due diligence team for both domestic and international targets.

Accomplishments during the start-up and rollout year included:

• Implementation of PeopleSoft HR and Financials in seven locations under an ASP arrangement
• Design and management of the technical build-out of five domestic and four international office and purpose-built data center locations
• Selection and preliminary implementation of Novient PSA application
• Design, provisioning and implementation of a global VPN, messaging and state-of-the-art domestic and international networked PBXs to support follow-the-sun call routing around the globe
• Developed client data center requirements, sourced providers, negotiated contracts/SLAs and managed build-outs and deployments
• Deployment of the core infrastructure servers into a 7x24 third-party hosting environment
• Development of an employee intranet and knowledge management system to support service delivery and merger/integration activities

Swarovski North America, Cranston, RI and Zurich, Switzerland
December 1994-July 1999

Vice President of Business Systems � North American Operations Center, Cranston, RI
December 1994-June 1999

As the lead IT professional for the nine Swarovski operating companies in North and South America, Richard was responsible for all IT operations within the shared services organization as well as the coordination of local projects within the global structure. Project accomplishments:

• Management of all operational and IT aspects of the merger of three operating companies, reducing operating costs by over $1 million per year.
• Reversal of a troubled 35-agent customer service call center and order processing group. Increased call center efficiency through training, supervision and the implemented, state-of-the-art PBX and call-center technology.
• Development and implementation of a consumer goods Sales Force Automation/CRM system, improving accuracy and increasing field sales rep efficiency by 25%. The resulting, reformatted sales call increased retail sell-through, high-margin products by seven percent.
• Construction of the North American WAN, integrating the global Frame Relay WAN and Internet VPN communications.
• Designed and implemented 100 percent outgoing merchandise verification, resulting in a 400 percent reduction in shipping shortages and violations.
• Redesigned the product and sales forecasting approach and tools, as well as developed and implemented the physical and IT aspects of a warehouse management system. These combined new processes reduced finish goods inventory levels by 22 percent.
• Designed and patented a unique packing product and packing methodology.
• Designed and patented a crystal-marking process for the tracking of international �grey market� trans-shipments.
• Introduced CAD/CAM technology and re-engineered the product development process, lowering product development costs, while shorting the product development cycle by four months.

Swarovski Retail Technology Competence Center, Zurich
May 1996-June 1999

As a result of corporate reorganization of the IT functions that served the 77 business units in 28 countries, a Strategy Board was formed in place of the traditional CIO position. Meeting quarterly with the CFO and the divisional controlling staff, the board managed the strategic planning, budget oversight and policy development for all aspects of information technology within the corporation. The efforts of the four regionally based operations centers and 10 functionally based competence centers were directed by the board. The board also had the responsibility for the global SAP implementation. The board oversaw the efforts of 450 IT professionals with an annual operating budget of $90 million.

Arley Corporation, Taunton, MA
Vice President of Business Systems
April 1990-December 1994

The lead IT and operations executive directly responsible for the IT, order processing and telecommunications functions at this textile and home fashions manufacturer and distributor. Spearheaded dozens of process improvements, acquisitions, facility mergers and customer-facing projects. Accomplished the following:

Implemented pick, pack, verify operations for weekly replenishment shipments to mass merchants resulting in a 17 percent reduction in inventory levels and a 200 percent reduction in shipping errors.

Developed and implemented a strategic systems rightsizing plan for corporate-wide open systems-based computing for greatly improved service levels in the legacy applications and introduced client server-based applications, thereby reducing system operating cost by 52 percent.

Developed a commodity fabric supply chain management system resulting in a 12 percent raw materials cost reduction and drastically reduced stock-outs.

Led the design, physical construction and implementation of a direct-to-customer catalog fulfillment system generating $2.1 million in service revenue in the first nine months of operation.

Turned around an outsourced re-automation project that had gone 300 percent and 11 months over budget, stabilized the various aspects of this MIS group in crisis and achieved first-year savings in excess of $1.7 million.

Working with the major US mass merchants, developed an EDI function rated as �best in business� by both Sears and Kmart, reducing manual order processing volume by 91 percent.

Designed and implemented a point-of-sale inventory modeling system for more than 1,950 Kmart stores.

Led operational and administrative due diligence teams evaluating two successful acquisitions.

New England Book Components, Inc., Hingham, MA
Systems Manager
April 1986-April 1990

Provided NEBC with the design, project management and information systems expertise required to oversee the selection, purchase, implementation and management of a comprehensive accounting, manufacturing and shop floor data collection system.
Designed and developed the first-in-the-industry barcoded job tracking system and a pre-internet, job-status collaboration system between customer and supplier.

Touche Ross & Co., Boston, MA
Management Consultant
August 1984-April 1986

As an associate consultant, Richard performed operational reviews and recommended and implemented process and system improvements for a series of clients in the public and private sector. While there, he developed a comprehensive set of consulting, analysis, project management and presentation skills.

Computer Associates Inc., Cumberland, RI
Senior Analyst
June 1982-July 1984

As the head analyst for this growing software vendor and systems integrator, Richard provided systems analysis, design, programming, training and implementation services to clients in a variety of industries.

Direct Data, Boston, MA
Principal
January 1980-April 1990

While a full-time student, Richard founded this company to provide contract programming services to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and several private sector clients. Eventually the service offering grew to include system design and configuration, due diligence and general business and consulting. In the 1987-1990 timeframe, Direct Data worked in association with several national consulting and venture capital organizations.

Education
Bachelor of Arts in Business
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
January 1979-July 1982
Areas of study: Accounting, general business/finance and information sciences
Awards: Magna Cum Laude, Phi Kappa Phi (a business honors society), Commonwealth Scholar degree status

Professional Development
SAP training in implementation process, infrastructure, order processing/distribution, accounting (SAP20, ASAP91, ASAP95, LO150, AC010, BC400, BC305)
CIO Enterprise Value Retreats (1996-2000)
Softworld Accounting and Finance � seminar presenter of �Vendor Selection and Implementations with ASPs� (2000)

Memberships and Affiliations

• Board of Trustees � Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School (1998-2001)
• Customer Advisory Board � Corio (2000-2001)
• Boston CIO roundtable
• Microsoft Certified Partner Program
• Society of Information Management International. Active in the Boston Chapter networking and educational programs

Patents

• US and PCT patents held in the area of jewelry packaging and distribution processes
• US patent(s) pending in 2D barcode symbology and computer-vision-based code reading

Interests

Public education, kayaking, reading, woodworking, cooking and Limoncello making