Professional Experience
Ankur J. Chaudhari
Senior IT Project Manager
FEB
2024
NBA (National Basketball League) | Chicago, IL | Feb 2024 – Present
- Work directly with business and technology leaders to drive programs from iniHaHon through delivery, providing daily support for managing project tasks, acHviHes, milestones, and resource allocaHon acrossenterprise iniHaHves.
- Develop, maintain, and manage comprehensive project requirements, plans, Hmelines, issue registers, risk assessments, and challenge miHgaHon strategies - ensuring visibility and alignment across all project stakeholders while adhering to ITSM governance standards.
- Support Senior Associates and Managers in driving large enterprise programs and mulHple concurrent projects, demonstraHng capability to coordinate complex delivery efforts across distributed teams and organizaHonal boundaries with integrated service management oversight.
- Act as the primary liaison between business units and technical teams to drive consensus on complex requirements; successfully navigated conflicBng agendas and resource constraints to deliver large-scale programs on Hme and under budget.
- Manage large programs and complex IT projects involving mulHple parHes, organizaHons, and business units with conflicHng agendas and prioriHes - establishing governance frameworks that align stakeholder interests and ensure predictable delivery with minimal service disrupHon.
- Own budget management and financial forecasHng for assigned projects, monitoring actual spending against plans, opHmizing resource allocaHon, and idenHfying cost efficiency opportuniHes while maintaining quality, scope integrity, and service level compliance.
- Develop and maintain detailed project and program plans (schedules, resource forecasts, risk registers, change logs, governance documentaHon), adjusHng Hmelines, resources, and prioriHes based on emerging risks, stakeholder feedback, business changes, and service delivery impacts.
- Establish and operaHonalize comprehensive ITSM governance framework leveraging ServiceNow for enterprise-wide incident management, problem management, change management, and service request fulfillment - ensuring structured resoluHon pathways and audit trail compliance.
- Design and implement incident management processes that establish severity classificaHons, escalaHon procedures, and response Hme SLAs - reducing Mean Time to ResoluHon (MTTR) and improving firstcall resoluHon rates across IT operaHons teams.
- Establish and monitor Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with technology partners, internal support teams, and infrastructure providers - tracking upHme, availability, performance metrics, and compliance to drive conHnuous service improvement.
- Define problem management protocols that idenHfy root causes of recurring incidents, conduct impact analysis, and implement permanent fixes - reducing incident volume and improving long-term system stability and service reliability.
- Arrange change management procedures leveraging ServiceNow workflows that govern all IT infrastructure, applicaHon, and service changes - implemenHng change advisory boards (CABs), impact assessments, and rollback conHngencies to prevent service outages.
- Build and acHvate Change Advisory Board (CAB) forums with business stakeholders, technical teams, and IT leadership to evaluate change requests, assess business impact, authorize releases, and coordinate cutover acHviHes across compeHng prioriHes.
- Establish and operaHonalize program communicaHon plans across business units, regional teams, IT support organizaHons, and technology development groups - ensuring consistent messaging, transparent progress visibility, and escalaHon awareness during incidents and major changes.
- Prepare and present comprehensive progress reports and execuHve dashboards to senior management, highlighHng milestone achievement, budget status, emerging risks, miHgaHon acHons, program health metrics, service performance KPIs, and incident/change metrics.
- Lead cross-funcHonal coordinaHon between business units, technical development teams, and IT support organizaHons to align delivery Hmelines, resolve dependencies, manage technical constraints, and ensure service conHnuity throughout project implementaHons.
- Arrange IT infrastructure projects (cloud plaSorms, on-premises systems, hybrid architectures) from capacity planning through producHon cutover - ensuring seamless integraHon, security protocol alignment, SLA compliance, and minimal service disrupHon throughout transiHons.
- Implement knowledge management and documentaHon standards (ServiceNow knowledge base, runbooks, operaHonal procedures) that enable faster incident resoluHon, support organizaHonal learning, and reduce dependency on individual team members.
- Drive Agile and hybrid delivery pracHces, facilitaHng daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospecHves, and backlog refinement while integraHng ITSM checkpoints to accelerate delivery velocity and improve team visibility into work progress and service impacts.
- Facilitate comprehensive system tesHng cycles (UAT, integraHon tesHng, load tesHng, stress tesHng) with business stakeholders and IT operaHons teams to validate funcHonality, performance, stability, and operaHonal readiness prior to producHon release.
- Coordinate vendor selecHon, contract negoHaHons, and performance management for technology providers and operaHonal partners - securing favorable terms with SLA guarantees, support escalaHon procedures, and service credits for non-compliance.
- IdenHfy and miHgate project risks through structured governance processes, dependency mapping, proacHve escalaHon, and conHngency planning - maintaining on-Hme delivery despite compeHng business prioriHes, resource constraints, and service conHnuity requirements.
- Partner with IT security and compliance teams to ensure all technology iniHaHves align with data protecHon standards, regulatory requirements, security audit expectaHons, and IT service governance frameworks.
- Develop comprehensive project and service documentaHon (charters, requirements matrices, risk registers, change logs, governance reports, ITSM runbooks, incident playbooks, SLA matrices, escalaHon procedures) supporHng PMO oversight and post-implementaHon lessons learned.
- Drive process improvements and automaHon opportuniHes (ServiceNow workflow automaHon, selfservice portals, incident categorizaHon, change scheduling) that reduce administraHve overhead for IT and business teams, enhance operaHonal efficiency, and improve service delivery quality.
- Establish enterprise-wide IT metrics dashboards tracking incident volume, resoluHon Hmes, SLA compliance, change success rates, availability, and customer saHsfacHon - providing data-driven insights for conHnuous service management improvement.
DEC
2022
Hightower Advisors | Chicago, IL | Dec 2022 – Jan 2024
- Developed and executed CRM change management strategy aligned with Hightower's business goals, conducHng comprehensive change impact assessments and organizaHonal readiness evaluaHons across all advisor Hers (high-net-worth, insHtuHonal, emerging); idenHfied adopHon risk factors and designed miHgaHon protocols.
- Built and acHvated Change Agent Network comprising 25+ senior advisors and operaHons leaders to champion adopHon, address peer resistance, cascade messaging to their teams, and provide real-Hme feedback on user pain points and opHmizaHon opportuniHes; held bi-weekly change governance forums.
- Designed and delivered targeted communicaHon plans and advisor-specific training programs creaHng three persona-based onboarding journeys (Tech-Forward Advisors, Process-Focused Advisors, Tech-Hesitant Advisors) with tailored learning paths, quick-reference guides, and role-based cerHficaHon assessments.
- Tracked and reported on change KPIs including system adopHon rate (achieved 92% acHve usage within 90 days), user proficiency scoring, training compleHon rates, and support Hcket trends; maintained realHme adopHon dashboards and monthly execuHve readiness reports informing course correcHons and targeted intervenHons.
- Established Change Governance Framework with execuHve sponsors, program managers, and plaSorm owners; facilitated monthly steering commitee sessions addressing adopHon barriers, user feedback integraHon, and schedule opHmizaHon for feature rollouts.
- Conducted structured advisor readiness and training sessions (30+ workshops) with sales teams, operaHons, and IT; documented success metrics Hed to advisor producHvity (transacHon speed, client data accuracy, advisory tool uHlizaHon) and created post-implementaHon opHmizaHon roadmap.
- Coordinated complex plaSorm integraHon and cutover across Salesforce, financial planning tools, and porSolio management systems; managed data migraHon tesHng, parallel-run validaHon, and phased rollout strategy minimizing advisor workflow disrupHon and client impact.
- Owned project budget ($2.5M), vendor invoice reconciliaHon, and financial forecasHng ensuring spending remained within allocaHons while idenHfying cost opHmizaHon and process efficiency opportuniHes that improved delivery ROI.
- Partnered with compliance and legal teams to ensure all CRM enhancements and training materials met FINRA/SEC regulatory standards, data handling protocols, and fiduciary obligaHon frameworks; embedded governance checkpoints throughout change lifecycle.
- Drove process opHmizaHon iniHaHves by idenHfying workflow botlenecks in advisor operaHons, recommending automaHon opportuniHes within Salesforce (workflow rules, process builder, lightning components), and documenHng process-redesign benefits enabling 15% reducHon in data entry Hme per advisor.
DEC
2021
LTI – Larsen & Toubro Infotech | Chicago, IL | Nov 2021 – Dec 2022
- Directed delivery of complex enterprise applicaHons and infrastructure projects for Fortune 500 clients, coordinaHng onshore and distributed offshore engineering teams across mulHple Hme zones and cultural contexts.
- Partnered with client C-suite and technical leaders to define project scope, capture business requirements, establish technical architecture, and align technology deliverables with strategic business outcomes.
- Managed daily project operaHons by overseeing development sprints, QA test cycles, infrastructure provisioning acHviHes, and change management - ensuring synchronizaHon and predictability across workstreams.
- Conducted comprehensive weekly status reviews with client leadership, highlighHng milestone progress, risk miHgaHon acHons, criHcal dependencies, and correcHve measures for emerging issues.
- Led end-to-end user acceptance tesHng (UAT) for mission-criHcal applicaHons, coordinaHng test case development, issue prioriHzaHon, stakeholder sign-offs, and producHon readiness validaHon.
- Collaborated with architecture and security teams to ensure system designs adhered to client security policies, compliance mandates, performance benchmarks, and scalability requirements.
- Conducted retrospecHves and lessons-learned sessions, idenHfying process improvements and best pracHces that enhanced delivery predictability and quality for future client engagements.
- Supported account expansion by providing execuHve insights into client strategic prioriHes, upcoming technology needs, resource requirements, and opportuniHes for program expansion and upselling.
NOV
2018
AON | Chicago, IL | Nov 2018 – Nov 2021
- Spearheaded delivery of high-stakes enterprise projects supporHng Aon's risk management and insurance plaSorm ecosystem, ensuring alignment with global strategic iniHaHves and client service commitments.
- Orchestrated a major ServiceNow transformaHon iniHaHve to modernize IT service delivery; led the migraHon of legacy workflows into ServiceNow ITSM modules, automaHng change management approvals and reducing incident resoluHon Hme by 25%.
- Established project governance, defined scope, and developed comprehensive plans with execuHve stakeholders - ensuring clear objecHves, success metrics, and alignment on deliverable Hmelines and quality standards.
- Managed criHcal vendor relaHonships across soeware providers, infrastructure partners, and managed services firms - negoHaHng SLAs, monitoring performance against metrics, and resolving service delivery issues.
- championed the adopHon of ServiceNow for project porSolio visibility, creaHng real-Hme dashboards for senior management that tracked budget variance, resource allocaHon, and milestone progress across the risk management porSolio.
- Developed detailed project schedules, resource plans, and financial forecasts, ensuring on-Hme delivery within budget parameters while maintaining flexibility to address emerging client needs and market changes.
- Led structured risk management iniHaHves across project porSolios, idenHfying potenHal delays, quality issues, or budget overruns and implemenHng proacHve miHgaHon and conHngency strategies.
- Delivered execuHve leadership updates on program health, business value realizaHon, resource uHlizaHon, and key performance indicators - building confidence and transparency with C-suite stakeholders.
- Arranged comprehensive UAT sessions with business units, validaHng system funcHonality against requirements, capturing user feedback, and ensuring regulatory compliance and operaHonal readiness.
- Championed rollout of advanced data analyHcs plaSorms, enabling Aon's clients to enhance risk assessment capabiliHes, improve decision-making speed, and drive operaHonal efficiency improvements.
- Introduced lessons-learned frameworks and conHnuous improvement processes, capturing best pracHces from successful projects and applying them to subsequent engagements to drive consistent delivery excellence.
DEC
2017
Takeda Pharmaceuticals | Deerfield, IL | Dec 2017 – Oct 2018
- Directed digital transformaHon programs supporHng commercial field teams, research and development, and corporate operaHons - ensuring iniHaHves aligned with Takeda's long-term technology roadmap and compeHHve posiHoning.
- Coordinated plaSorm upgrades and feature enhancements for paHent engagement portals, field representaHve collaboraHon tools, and internal business applicaHons - improving user adopHon and operaHonal efficiency.
- Conducted structured needs-assessment sessions with business partners to define digital capability requirements, prioriHze user experience improvements, and idenHfy integraHon opportuniHes.
- Oversaw mulH-vendor development and integraHon acHviHes, managing technical deliverables, quality standards, and Hmeline adherence while ensuring compliance with Takeda's security and data governance policies.
- Led comprehensive system validaHon and GxP/CSV tesHng cycles for clinical and commercial plaSorms, ensuring regulatory compliance, data integrity, and audit trail completeness per FDA 21 CFR Part 11 requirements.
- Facilitated cross-funcHonal coordinaHon between IT, QA, regulatory affairs, and business teams - streamlining governance reviews, approval processes, and change management for accelerated Hmeto-value.
- Partnered with cybersecurity and privacy leadership to ensure all digital iniHaHves incorporated data protecHon, access controls, and regulatory compliance measures from incepHon through producHon.
- IdenHfied process automaHon opportuniHes and user experience improvements that simplified workflows for field teams, reduced administraHve burden, and improved data quality in criHcal business systems.
MAR
2016
Abbott Laboratories | Abbott Park, IL | Mar 2016 – Dec 2017
- Directed delivery of enterprise IT soluHons ensuring compliance with FDA, HIPAA, and healthcare regulatory mandates across Abbot's global manufacturing, research, and commercial operaHons.
- Managed enterprise system implementaHons and upgrades (ERP, CRM, compliance plaSorms) ensuring technical funcHonality, business requirement alignment, and regulatory adherence per 21 CFR Part 11 and HIPAA standards.
- ensure compliance with FDA regulaHons and site safety standards across Abbot’s global manufacturing and research operaHons.
- Developed and executed structured risk management plans addressing IT system vulnerabiliHes, data security gaps, and compliance exposures - miHgaHng regulatory audit findings and operaHonal risks.
- Led IT governance and validaHon iniHaHves, ensuring systems met validated state requirements, maintained data integrity, and supported regulatory evidence collecHon for FDA and healthcare audits.
- Owned project scheduling, budget management, and resource forecasHng to ensure predictable onHme, on-budget delivery while accommodaHng evolving compliance and business requirements.
- Arranged integraHon of advanced compliance features into legacy IT plaSorms, enhancing data security controls, regulatory reporHng capabiliHes, and audit trail funcHonality.
- Conducted post-implementaHon reviews, documented lessons learned, and embedded process improvements into Abbot's IT project governance framework for future compliance projects.
- Established strong working relaHonships with quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and operaHons teams to ensure IT soluHons enabled operaHonal excellence and regulatory compliance simultaneously
JUL
2012
Global Integrated Networks | Chicago, IL | Jul 2012 – Mar 2016
- Directed a diverse porSolio of infrastructure modernizaHon and network technology projects for 30+ mid-sized enterprise and corporate clients, ensuring alignment with business prioriHes and IT strategic objecHves.
- Conducted structured client discovery sessions to understand technical requirements, business pain points, architecture preferences, and success metrics - translaHng needs into acHonable project plans.
- Managed daily project execuHon acHviHes across support teams, field deployment engineers, and infrastructure architects - maintaining schedule adherence, quality standards, and stakeholder communicaHon.
- NegoHated and managed relaHonships with hardware vendors, telecommunicaHons carriers, and managed services providers - securing favorable pricing, managing contracts, and monitoring service quality against agreed terms.
- Led system cutover events and producHon deployments, coordinaHng technical sequencing, validaHon tesHng, user training, and rollback conHngencies to minimize operaHonal disrupHon and ensure firstHme success.
- Improved project delivery processes through process documentaHon, communicaHon standardizaHon, and lessons-learned integraHon - enhancing predictability and client saHsfacHon across engagements.
- Tracked project financials, vendor invoices, and resource uHlizaHon to maintain budget discipline and profitability while delivering high-quality outcomes and client retenHon.
NOV
2009
Wrigley (Mars, Inc.) | Chicago, IL | Jan 2009 – Jul 2012
- Directed IT projects supporHng manufacturing plants, distribuHon centers, and corporate operaHons across Wrigley's U.S. footprint - ensuring iniHaHves aligned with business prioriHes and Mars' global technology standards.
- Managed criHcal IT infrastructure upgrades within acHve manufacturing plants, coordinaHng closely with plant managers to ensure zero safety incidents and strict adherence to Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) protocols during equipment deployment.
- Delivered supply chain and producHon control system enhancements while maintaining 24/7 operaHonal conHnuity, successfully managing deployment windows to align with plant producHon schedules.
- Led infrastructure modernizaHon programs including server replacement cycles, network upgrades, and data center opHmizaHon - improving system performance, reliability, and support efficiency.
- Managed project budgets, staffing, and vendor relaHonships to ensure cost efficiency and quality delivery while maintaining strict alignment with Mars corporate governance and compliance requirements.
- Partnered with global IT teams to ensure local projects adhered to Mars enterprise architecture standards, security policies, and technology strategy guidelines.
- Improved communicaHon and collaboraHon between plant operaHons and IT by establishing structured change request processes, prioriHzaHon frameworks, and escalaHon procedures - reducing fricHon and improving responsiveness.
- Conducted post-implementaHon assessments and developed standardized project templates and best pracHces adopted across the Wrigley manufacturing IT organizaHon.
OCT
2003
Northrop Grumman | Rolling Meadows, IL | Oct 2003 – Jan 2009
- Directed technology and engineering projects supporHng Northrop Grumman's defense systems division - managing internal operaHons projects and customer-specific programs requiring rigorous compliance and security controls.
- Supported configuraHon management acHviHes across criHcal systems, ensuring changes were formally documented, approved, and compliant with defense contractor standards and customer requirements.
- NegoHated and managed vendor relaHonships for specialized hardware, soeware soluHons, and technical services - maintaining quality standards while opHmizing procurement costs and delivery Hmelines.
- Developed detailed project schedules, budget esHmates, and execuHve-level progress reports - providing leadership and customer stakeholders clear visibility into program status and miHgaHon of emerging risks.
- IdenHfied and managed technical risks, schedule constraints, and system dependencies through structured risk processes - prevenHng delays and ensuring mission-criHcal system reliability.
- Arranged system deployments and upgrade acHviHes for defense applicaHons, coordinaHng technical teams, security vexng, and customer acceptance to ensure zero-downHme transiHons.
- Streamlined project documentaHon pracHces and cross-team communicaHon processes, establishing templates and procedures that improved project predictability and organizaHonal knowledge retenHon
