DAVID Metraux
David Metraux
State of Vermont
Career Highlights:
Points of interest: Prior to joining State government I worked in the private sector where I focused, within the ecommerce /manufacturing environment, on project management, business process reengineering, LEAN systems, auditing, and business solutions consulting, predominantly focused on North America and East Asia. Upon joining state government I have worked to incorporate these areas into programs designed to bring more efficiency to both the Agency’s technical operations as well as the corresponding governmental programs and initiatives.
State of Vermont, Agency of Commerce & Community Development, Montpelier, VT Information Technology Manager II 5/2006 to Present
Maintain a fiscally responsible and effective Information Technology organization which includes successful coordination, design, implementation, project oversight, resource allocation and monitoring of the Agency IT functions. Managed team through 40% staff reductions while effectively reducing commitments to a manageable level while increasing overall employee and customer satisfaction. Introduced and maintained standardized project reporting utilizing LEAN management best practices. Led initiative with VMEC to train IT personnel in LEAN manufacturing practices. Customized and implemented a comprehensive PMBOK-based project management lifecycle which include initiation, development / procurement, implementation, closing, resource allocation, cost monitoring and accountability, and ensure adherence to any state or agency policies for contracting or product acquisition. Audited financial and technical systems which resulted in the implementation of significant process changes within to obtain and subsequently maintain PCI compliance.
Member of the ACCD Senior Management Team and multiple statewide steering committees.Established efficient and effective Agency standards for supported hardware, operating systems, and desktop & web applications. Developed and implemented comprehensive refresh programs for PCs, mobile devices, servers, and software.
United Technologies Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, New York 5/1998 to 5/2006 Senior Business Consultant
Led a $2 million application and infrastructure implementation since project inception. Successes include detailed requirements gathering, global project acceptance, vendor negotiations, and application selection. Analyzed technical environment and related business practices of potential merger and acquisition partners. Audited field locations to ensure Sarbanes-Oxley IT audit compliance. Developed and implemented plan to successfully bring locations into full compliance. Managed day-to-day operations, contractual issues, and long-term strategic goals of a $3.4 million annual relationship with a major IT outsourcing partner. Developed, implemented, and documented corporate-wide procedures and guidelines for engaging India-based outsourcing companies. Negotiated and managed contracts and work proposals for multiple engagements. Served as single point of contact for divisions wishing to utilize India-based vendors. Selected to lead $3 million ERP consolidation project across multiple factories and joint-ventures in Shanghai, China. Upgraded Intranet site and web server for Asia-Pacific Headquarters in Singapore to provide more interactive and intuitive features for users around the world. Consulted with managers, technical staff, and users to develop a useful Intranet presence for corporate office in Hong Kong. Served as single point of contact for web hosting projects originating in Europe, Asia, and South America. Provided 24/7 technical support for applications and infrastructure within a Unix / Windows-based hosting center. Developed extensive test environment for determining future hardware and software standards for corporate Intranet. Benchmarked and documented performance levels for all server products.
Community Involvement:
Prior to moving to Vermont I was quite active with the American Red Cross (I was a volunteer as well as the documentary photographer) and completed many projects, including a firefighter’s calendar which won 2nd place in an international competition. My experiences with the Red Cross drove me to refocus my career towards one of public service. I moved to Vermont in 2006 in order to pursue a career in the public sector in a small, yet thriving state where a government position has positive interactions on both the statewide and local levels. On the local level, I was elected as a Trustee for the Greensboro Free Library where I am an active member. More info here: www.greensborofreelibrary.org/about.htm Personal Interests: Prior to becoming a father I traveled the world extensively, having visited over 40 countries. (My goal was to always have visited more countries than my age). I have also had many of my travel photos published in multiple venues.
Favorite part of job?
As the workforce in state government is small yet the responsibility is large, no two days are the same and it is very hard to predict how the day will go. Over the course of a day I get to work on business process reengineering, both technical and organizational policies, technical support / problem solving, and strategic planning. The days go by fast and since the stated goal of our Agency (Commerce & Community Development) is focused on improving quality of life while building strong communities I always leave work fulfilled, knowing I’m working towards a mission I believe in.
Most inspiring mentor?
No particular person, per se, but an entire corporation: United Technologies. I had the good fortune to work for UTC (parent company of Carrier, Otis, Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, among others) for nearly a decade during and after college. Now I know it may sound odd to name an entire company as a mentor but I have never seen an organization that practiced what it preached in regards to corporate citizenship, consistent business growth, and employee development. UTC gave me the tools, exposure, experiences and, most importantly, a success-driven mindset, that I’ve use to succeed in many of life’s challenges.
Who is your living hero?
I’m not one for heroes, so if you mean “who do I look up to” I would say my family as they instilled within me the character, experiences, support, and (most importantly) love that I needed to be successful in life. If you mean “where do I get my inspiration” that would easily be my 4-year old daughter, Madeleine. If you press me for a hero or role model that I’ve never met, that’d be Bill Gates. Now of course you might think that it is a given my career choice I’d have to choose him. However, he’s not my hero for his technical achievements, rather how he used his fortune and acumen to improve the lives of countless people around the world and has inspired others to do the same.
Favorite downtime activity?
I just love to be outside and in motion. I love distance running and cycling and rarely a day goes by when I’m not out doing one or another. I’m not sure it counts as ‘downtime’, however! My daughter and I have a bike/trailer combo which we practically live in during the warmer months. We’ve ridden over 1000 miles together each year for the past three years.
Favorite Vermont Escape?
Stowe - Since we live so close to it I think most Vermonters forget that we’ve got a world-class destination literally right down the road. Rarely does a weekend go by that I’m not in Stowe riding the bike path with my daughter, running the park trails, skating at the arena in the winter, or just pretending I’m a tourist while enjoying the myriad events going on throughout the year.
Favorite social network?
Perhaps since I work with technology all day probably the last thing I want to do at night is work on the computer. So, I’m going to have to say that actually talking to people face-to-face is my favorite form of social networking.
Favorite website?
Slate.com – I appreciate the non-traditional angles that are used to report on and explain topics relevant to everyday life. A close second is Lifehacker.com which is a blog dedicated to making everyday tasks just a little more efficient.
Vermont Business Person you would most want to network with?
The senior leadership team at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. They’ve done the improbable and have taken a small, locally-focused operation and through a strong business acumen and shrewd acquisitions and have grown it into one of the fastest growing companies in the country. I would love to understand how the developed their strategy and what major hurdles they faced along the way.
VBM's Publisher John Boutin, David Metraux and Lt. Governor Phil Scott.