RONALD  W.  KWONG

Zürich, Switzerland

rwmkwong@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

• International experience in leading and working on many large and global projects that successfully delivered mission-critical enterprise and regional-level business solutions.

• Extensive internal management consulting experience advising on business improvement and transformation through strategy, technology and process engineering.

• Strong analytical skills, combined with a proven ability to connect strategy with implementation and business with technology, to produce high-valued business solutions.

• Proven experience in working with executive management and diverse stakeholders.

• Strong leadership, interpersonal and communication skills

• Fast learning, highly adaptable, and innovative, with a global mindset and an entrepreneurial spirit.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Programme and project management • Business development and strategy • Market analysis and product management

• Business analysis and process improvement • Knowledge and content management • Stakeholder and change management

EDUCATION

2004 - 2005	MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, USA Vienna University of Economics and Business – Vienna, Austria • Global Executive MBA programme focusing on international and corporate finance, marketing, emerging markets and globalisation. • U.S. GPA of 3.9 (maximum is 4.0) and Austrian Grade of 1 (maximum is 1).
1988 - 1993	BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING University of Sydney – Sydney, Australia
1988 - 1991	BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS University of Sydney – Sydney, Australia

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Since 04/2011	VICE PRESIDENT, SOLUTION INTEGRATION Swiss Re – Zürich, Switzerland
2009 - 2011	IT GOVERNANCE PROCESS MANAGEMENT Swiss Re – Zürich, Switzerland • Manage the IT Infrastructure governance process which ensures that Swiss Re’s global Infrastructure architecture and services meet the demands of business, customers, projects and applications, and are aligned with IT Strategy. • Organise the senior management governance board that serves as the steering, standardisation, compliance and escalation body for Infrastructure within Swiss Re. • Oversee the IT project portfolio and other key initiatives that impact Swiss Re’s IT operational environment. Coordinate with stakeholders to ensure strategic and architectural fit, quality, and effective change management.
2004 - 2008	INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT • Providing management and technology consulting services to help companies and international organisations meet business challenges and improve performance. • Services offered include programme/project design and management, strategic and operational planning, business process improvement, change management, international market analysis, IT implementation, and technology for international development.
2004 - 2007	FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR Dragon’s Edge, s.r.o. – Bratislava, Slovakia • Established own company to explore and develop business opportunities within Central and Eastern Europe. • Completed market analyses, business case development, and identification of financing options (including private equity and venture capital) and partnership opportunities in multiple sectors.
1993 - 2003	United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – New York, USA (Headquarters) The United Nations’ global development agency providing financing, coordination, project and advisory services to developing countries worldwide.  Operates in over 160 countries managing multi-billion USD in resources and over 7000 employees.
2002 - 2003	GLOBAL PROGRAMME MANAGER UNDP Business Transformation Programme – New York, USA • Served as business programme manager within the enterprise-wide systems and process improvement programme that underpinned the transformation of UNDP’s business model into an integrated advisory services organisation. • Defined and managed the global implementation projects for the enterprise portal which encompassed knowledge and content management systems, and 17 PeopleSoft/Oracle ERP functional modules (including financial, CRM, project management, procurement and human resources). • Developed enterprise content management standards, policies and business processes, including leading the initiative for taxonomy definition, thereby empowering employees and strategic partners to leverage UNDP’s worldwide knowledge to better serve clients. • Worked directly with senior management and managed demanding project stakeholders, including negotiating their many competing interests to successfully meet tight deadlines. • Directed the full product and project lifecycles, including strategy development, business and requirements analysis, systems integration, global rollout, change management and corporate learning initiatives. • Led process and quality improvement initiatives to reengineer and simplify business processes in line with standardised best practices (e.g. CMMI, ITIL, ERP-defined, content management). • Built and managed global and multidisciplinary project teams, including external consultants and systems integrators. • Managed vendor relationships, contracts and outsourced solutions. • Defined a service-oriented architecture leading to the improvement of performance and quality of business operations and client service.
2001	KEY MEMBER OF CORPORATE STRATEGY TEAM UNDP Headquarters – New York, USA • Member of elite team that developed UNDP’s USD 56 million e-Business strategy aligning the organisation’s business strategy with next-generation business systems through the introduction of an integrated enterprise architecture and IT service management practices.
1995 - 2002	REGIONAL CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS (RBEC) – New York, USA • Led the definition and implementation of business and IT strategies and projects at the request of senior management, supporting RBEC’s corporate headquarters and its 25 country offices. • Defined and built a regional Centre of Excellence to support decentralisation and offshore solutions, resulting in more efficient and cost effective internal operational support and external advisory services across all service lines throughout the region. • Designed corporate financial platform and coordinated the migration of disparate financial systems. • Pioneered the use of internet-based systems and technologies to transform RBEC from disconnected silo-like offices into an integrated regional business operation based on collaboration and information exchange. • Managed business-critical projects that successfully introduced innovative business-driven solutions including internet and intranet websites, online publications, web-based financial and administrative systems and IP-based communications systems, leading to growth and improved collaboration. • Directed the establishment of a regional communications network, including outsourced vendor management, significantly improving RBEC’s business effectiveness throughout the region. • Established working partnerships between the private sector, international donors, governments and non-government organisations, leading to secured financial resources and greater collaboration between UNDP and key stakeholders. • Supervised regional Y2K compliance and contingency planning for all RBEC country offices, encompassing all areas of readiness including financial, security, emergency evacuation, disaster recovery and IT.
1993 - 1995	TECHNICAL ARCHITECT UNDP Division for Administrative and Information Services – New York, USA • Developed and supported the UNDP corporate IT infrastructure, business systems and desktop environments, including architecture, capacity planning, operational and security standards, learning needs assessments, and project management. • Key technical lead on the implementation of a new financial management, investment and treasury system, including secure external banking interfaces with SWIFT.
1987 - 1993	TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Stone Microsystems Pty. Limited – Sydney, Australia Part of Stone Group of China.  R&D and production of IT and telecommunications systems. • Assignments included serving as technical consultant on corporate sales and dealer network establishment for Stone Microsystems’ North American operations based in Silicon Valley.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Languages:	English – Native speaker Chinese (Cantonese) – Competent speaker German – Intermediate, currently learning
Interests:	Long-distance cycling, swimming, hiking, scuba diving, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, travel, culture, gastronomy, financial markets and personal investing.

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