Biography

Shawn SheridanShawn Sheridan is an experienced information technology leader with extensive experience in a range of industries in both smaller, entrepreneurial organisations and large Fortune 500 enterprises.  He is effective in IT turn-around / realignment, strategy development and execution, organisational transformation and development, complex project and programme management, software engineering, information systems architecture, and overall IT management. He is a strong negotiator and consensus-builder who consistently delivers bottom-line value.  Shawn is a passionate and committed leader who fosters solid partnerships, and develops staff through effective coaching and mentoring. Expertise:

  • Innovator and problem-solver.
  • Passionate about technology alignment driving business results.
  • Technical background; able to ‘dive deep’ and guide teams in the resolution of technology issues.
  • Develops staff through effective recruitment, leadership, and mentoring.
  • Fosters solid internal and external partnerships.

Shawn has lead teams of 150 information technology professionals in his career.  In leading his teams, he believes strongly in creating a shared vision that is in line with the organisation's overall strategy, and empowering his staff to achieve.  Not a micro-manager, Shawn works with his teams to ensure clear understanding of the goals, and a plan to achieve those goals.  He monitors progress, and rolls up his sleeves when needed, but nonetheless works to ensure that his team has everything they need to succeed.  "My job as a manager is to get things done through other people.  I have to ensure they know what it is that needs to get done, that they have an effective and efficient plan to get there, have the resources they need, and then get out of their way so they can do it.  At that point, my role is to monitor, mentor, and only intervene if we're going off the rails."

Having been a programmer / analyst, he has a keen understanding of what it takes to design and develop systems, as well as deep understanding of the infrastructure needed to run technology systems.  As a project manager, he has successfully delivered multiple complex projects over the years, involving software development, systems integration, and infrastructure builds.  With a keen eye to quality, successful implementations, Shawn believes in solid planning, process- and discipline-oriented execution, quality reviews from the start, risk management, change management, and effective stakeholder engagement throughout.  Shawn still designs and builds web applications, including coding.  "It helps me stay current in technology, and able to effectively manage a technology team and function."

Shawn spent the first three years of his undergraduate degree studying toward a chartered accountancy designation, so he understands the financial side of the technology business better than most.  "My accounting and financial background taught me that everything needs to have a positive impact — either short-term or long-term — on the bottom line.  Ideally, there will be both.  That means any initiative should be able to show that it can do any one of or any combination of increasing revenue, avoiding revenue loss, cutting costs, or avoiding costs."  His experience as an external financial auditor means he has no trouble in creating and managing budgets, analysing results, and managing all the financial aspects of his area.

When not professionally engaged, Shawn believes in giving back to the community.  He as been involved in a  number of community and charitable causes over the years, including as a board director of Fife House, and Chair of OutSport Toronto, and a member of the Selection Committee for the Toronto Sport Hall of Honour.  An avid athletics enthusiast, he is a rock climber, sailor, horseman, SCUBA diver, and cross-country skier.

For more detailed information on Shawn's background, please refer to his detailed resume.