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At Fortium Partners, we believe that strategic technology leadership is paramount to navigating today’s complex business landscape and driving significant growth. Our unique Technology Leadership-as-a-Service® (TLaaS™) model reinvents the traditional technology leadership approach, combining the best of operational leadership with the immediacy and flexibility of consulting. Our Partners are an elite group of the world's foremost technology leaders, each bringing over 25 years of technology experience, often in CIO, CTO, or CISO roles.
Today, we're honored to sit down with Fortium Partner Kevin Sauer, a seasoned IT leader with a proven track record in driving IT strategy and execution to accelerate growth for businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Kevin brings a diversified background and international exposure to corporate strategy and project management engagements, having led cross-functional teams across the US, Asia, Mexico, and Europe.
Join us as Burke Autrey, CEO of Fortium Partners, delves into Kevin’s insights on leveraging technology for business success.
Burke Autrey: Kevin, welcome. Your extensive experience across various industries, including healthcare, education, business services, manufacturing, and aerospace/defense, is truly impressive. For CEOs and C-level decision-makers considering how to best optimize their technology investments, how does your broad background enable you to quickly assess IT effectiveness and align resources for organizational success?
Kevin Sauer: Thank you, Burke. My diversified background allows me to make a quick and thorough assessment of IT effectiveness and take swift action to align resources. Having worked with growth-oriented businesses globally, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, I’ve seen firsthand the unique challenges and opportunities across different sectors and geographies. This experience enables me to understand the specific needs of organizations and lead cross-functional teams to continuously improve processes that drive revenue. One thing that I have learned over the years is that every organization is different and so you cannot go into a situation with the mindset of a “one size fits all” mentality. Whether it’s integrating acquisitions, identifying best practices, or streamlining processes, my focus as a CIO has always been on working closely with CEOs to achieve these strategic objectives. My background in information technology, engineering, quality assurance, and operations provides a holistic view, ensuring that technology initiatives are always tied directly to business outcomes.
Burke Autrey: That comprehensive approach is exactly what our clients seek. You've held CIO roles at several prominent companies and are known for leading significant initiatives in IT governance, enterprise resource planning, and digital transformation. Can you elaborate on how you approach these critical areas to deliver tangible results, especially when managing large teams and substantial budgets?
Kevin Sauer: Absolutely. As a CIO, I’ve directly led IT governance, enterprise resource planning (ERP), digital transformation, program management, and business intelligence initiatives. My leadership involves championing efforts to stabilize key systems, close security gaps, and introduce performance metrics. I’ve managed teams of up to 200 global professionals and budgets as high as US$20 million, always with an emphasis on accountability and measurable results. For example, in a previous role with a home healthcare company, after rolling out a new technology I would personally go on a “ride-along” with the nurses to observe and confirm that the new technology was meeting their needs. I required my staff to do this as well. My approach involves not just implementing technology, but ensuring it supports the voice of our customers with real-time data and process management tools. Establishing clear performance metrics, as I did with our internal intranet, can set a high standard that is even benchmarked by other companies (including NASA’s Mission Control). This dedication to operational excellence and strategic alignment ensures that technology investments yield the desired business outcomes.
Burke Autrey: Your focus on measurable results and operational excellence is clear. Many CEOs are deeply concerned about data privacy and security, especially in sensitive sectors like healthcare. With your deep knowledge of healthcare privacy and data security, how do you advise organizations to build resilient frameworks in this critical area?
Kevin Sauer: Data privacy and security are non-negotiable, particularly in healthcare where I have direct experience developing applications for patient care and have deep knowledge of healthcare privacy and data security. My focus is on identifying and closing security gaps proactively. This isn't just about compliance; it's about building trust and protecting valuable assets. This involves comprehensive strategies that encompass IT infrastructure, application development, and information security. The goal is to create frameworks that are not only robust but also scalable and adaptable to evolving threats and regulations. Implementing strategies to stabilize key systems is crucial, as is continuous monitoring and improvement of security postures. It's about instilling a security-first mindset across the entire organization.
Burke Autrey: Beyond your operational leadership, you also bring significant consulting experience, including turning around dysfunctional IT departments and salvaging failed projects. For executives facing an IT department that isn't performing optimally, or a project that's gone off track, what initial steps do you recommend, and how does Fortium's TLaaS model provide a distinct advantage in these situations?
Kevin Sauer: When encountering dysfunctional IT departments or troubled projects, the first step is always a thorough assessment to understand the root causes. This involves examining the current IT roadmap, meeting with internal customers of IT, identifying misalignments with business growth, and pinpointing operational inefficiencies or skill gaps. My consulting work has involved creating IT roadmaps to support business growth, identifying and implementing outsourcing solutions to support scaling, and managing these critical turnarounds.
This is where Fortium’s Technology Leadership-as-a-Service (TLaaS) truly shines. Instead of a traditional, long-term consulting engagement, TLaaS provides the immediacy and flexibility of engagement needed for rapid intervention. We provide operational leadership with decision-making authority and responsibility for outcomes. This allows us to swiftly stabilize systems, bring in top talent, if needed, and directly lead the efforts to course-correct, unlike pure consulting models that might only provide recommendations. Whether it's an interim CIO role for a regional home and senior care organization or an aerospace/defense manufacturer, we integrate quickly to drive results. We work to build a team and an IT infrastructure that supports the organization's needs, as demonstrated by past feedback where I was noted for building “the best IT team” someone had worked with.
Burke Autrey: Finally, Kevin, you've been actively involved with industry associations like the Society for Information Management (SIM), serving as President of the Arizona Chapter and as a member of the SIM International Board of Directors. How does this engagement with the broader IT leadership community enrich the value you bring to our clients at Fortium Partners?
Kevin Sauer: My involvement with the Society for Information Management (SIM) has been invaluable. SIM is an association of senior IT executives, academicians, and thought leaders who come together to share and enhance their rich intellectual capital. This continuous engagement ensures I remain at the forefront of industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies. It provides a platform for sharing and validating new approaches and allows for collaboration with peers on common challenges. This collective knowledge and network mean that when I engage with a Fortium client, I bring not just my 25+ years of global experience, but also the aggregated wisdom and insights from a vast community of leading IT professionals. It reinforces my ability to provide strategic development skills and a direct, insightful approach to leadership. This ensures our clients receive highly informed and cutting-edge solutions tailored to their specific needs.
Burke Autrey: Kevin, thank you for sharing your profound insights today. Your dedication to driving business outcomes through strategic technology leadership is a testament to the caliber of our Partners at Fortium.
Kevin Sauer: It was a pleasure, Burke. Thank you.
Kevin Sauer is a Partner in Fortium Partners’ Northwest Region, serving healthcare, education, business services, and manufacturing clients. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP), and in Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Six Sigma. His career highlights include leadership roles as CIO for Preferred Homecare, LMI Solutions, Merchants Information Solutions, and Corporate Vice President, IT for Suntron Corporation.
