​​​​Brian Yablon, ITIL​

Brian Yablon is a results-driven IT executive with a distinguished career spanning over two decades and across a broad portfolio of business verticals and roles within the digital space.  From his humble but fast-paced beginnings as a cyber security engineer at the New York Life Insurance Company Brian worked his way through the ranks and various roles within the public, private, academic, and government technology space before joining Sandow Media in 2005 as Director and ultimately Vice President of Information Technology.

 

While at Sandow Media he was responsible for the day-to-day digital frontier for the startup juggernaut and oversaw technical, operational, and financial acquisitions and integrations of twelve ultra-exclusive brands, ecommerce startups, and retail initiatives propelling Sandow from a small startup to a multinational powerhouse spanning two continents.  During his tenure the company experienced exponential growth.  This visionary digital leader transformed the infrastructure and operations space to a cloud first resilient landscape, streamlining operations, increasing efficiencies across Sandow’s key towers, and paving the way for rapid expansion and integration of new corporate properties.

 

Over the last twenty years Brian has focused his career on the creation and leadership of high-performing digital organizations.  Using his extensive technical background to drive meaningful outcomes he not only has a deep understanding of the technology that drives business but as a dynamic thought leader and servant leader he is able to motivate, mentor, and support those in his charge; especially in times of great stress and pressure to deliver.  During the height of the Covid 19 pandemic Brian continued to lead core elements of Otis Elevator’s separation from United Technology, delivering over 43,000 user migrations and more than 3,000 server migrations ahead of schedule and under budget.  Brian’s unique ability to talk tech with digital teams while translating complex technical strategy to be consumed by a variety of executive audiences positions him as a strategic partner alongside business functions including finance, legal, sales, marketing, and communications.  He is a seasoned talent scout and has built exceptional delivery teams focused on all core aspects of IT from workplace services, networking, cyber security, and service delivery.  Having led teams from 5 to 400 resources he is comfortable managing complex projects and delivering with urgency and at pace.

 

 

Describe what you are most proud of throughout your career.  In other words, what would you consider your greatest accomplishment(s)?

 

Brian is proud of the career he has built over the last twenty-five years.  He considers himself lucky to be able to spend each day growing his passion for technology and using focusing that passion to drive innovative solutions, deliver with confidence, and drive business outcomes.  He enjoys sharing his energy with his teams, colleagues, and fellow leaders to mentor, inspire, and drive those around him to reach out and achieve more!

 

Brian considers completing the Otis Elevator separation from United Technologies one of his biggest professional accomplishments.  The scale and circumstances of this effort were staggering; not just spinning off a 165-year-old, $14B portfolio business to an independent Fortune listed company but completing separation across a global stage during a pandemic that also saw a transition from 15% remote workforce to almost 100% remote during a two-week period.  “The feeling of being told I was done was profound, emotional, and not something I will ever forget”.  Brian is also proud to have the organization’s Covid task force and was able to work with global partners to reconfigure network and connectivity as well as deliver thousands of laptops to new remote workers across the globe.  With news that the pandemic would not stop the separation Brian was able to accelerate user migrations 375% and server migrations 1800% while maintaining business as usual operation of over 265 corporate applications.  Otis’s success during the four years since separation is a testament to the work Brian and his team performed under the most extreme circumstances no one imagined.  Ultimately Brian would achieve the coveted CEO’s award from the Chair and CEO.  Brian would later go on to lead several executive task forces including the Russia/Ukraine taskforce, and data center separations in the US, Europe, China, and Asia PAC, again earning him a CONNECT award from the digital leadership.  “I am most proud of the opportunities and trust the organization has placed on me and it is truly an honor to be a part of the stewardship of Otis”.

 

What was your greatest learning in your career?

​

Brian has built his career on these premises.  1. Under promise and over deliver – never lose track of the art of the possible.  2. Full transparency to peers and leadership.  3. Speak truth to power and work together to solve complex issues.  4. Always honor your commitments and deliver with the highest ethical standards.  5. Lift up those around him – everyone has a story.  Brian is no exception.  6. Practice gratitude and be an intentional leader every day.  7. Approach career situations with a solid sense of ethics, focus on safety, integrity, and service.

 

Why should our client be interested in your candidacy?  Tell us what would make you a good return on their investment, or a good fit for this opportunity.

 

Brian has a deep appreciation for the culture and ethics adopted by Coastal Waste; having spent the last eight years serving in an organization that puts how business is conducted above “winning” the business.  These “absolutes” guide how he approaches every situation every day and ensures guidance given and decisions made are in line with the highest of ethical and moral standards.  Brian is not a “check mark manager” but an intentional leader who approaches art of team leadership with the gravatas that is due.  He looks for opportunities to expand the value of IT outside the world of IT and support business functions with concise roadmaps and tactical plans which deliver results.  He is a global leader, able to interface with internal resources and strategic partners across the globe and can easily cross cultural and geographical boundaries with while articulating strategy that can be understood and executed at pace.  Brian brings both the business acumen and technical chops to the boardroom, understanding how technical strategy drives business outcomes.  He can effectively communicate up and down the chain to drive clear objectives and priorities across a multitude of audiences.  Lastly Brian is an expert at driving cost savings and building efficiencies through technology innovation.  When Otis announced an initiative to reduce costs by $150M in 2023 Brian’s organization was responsible for a significant budgetary task.  Over the last year his team was responsible for delivering several cost restructuring initiatives including a forensics exercise and partner restructuring.  As an organizational leader, digital transformation innovator, and business governance executive Brian is well positioned to bring maximum value and a unique energy to the role of CIO of Coastal Waste & Recycling.

 

What activities, community involvement, etc, outside of your career have you, or are you now, participating in?

 

Brian is involved with his family foundation, supporting worthy causes from children’s cancer research and childhood developmental disorders to being a named contributor to Big Dog Ranch Rescue, sponsoring treatments for injured rescues and funding the build of the senior sanctuary in Royal Palm Beach.  He, along with his wife, is a registered mentor for the American Heritage FIRST Robotics team and coaches’ middle school and high school students with various aspects of the annual FTC and FRC robot builds, project management, and community outreach and service.  Since joining the team in 2023 the team has twice earned the privilege of competing in the world competition held in Houston. 

 

Tell us something about yourself that is not on your resume?  Family, hobbies, etc. 

​

Brian is a husband and father of two boys, one with special needs.  He is an advocate for those who cannot speak and always willing to help those in need.  He is a bit of a car buff and enjoys yard projects and car detailing – anything where the results give him a sense of pride in a job well done.  He adopted two rescue dogs over Covid: Cooper the golden retriever from China and Willow the Great Pyrenees from Alabama.