Business Technology Professional
Kitchener, Canada Area
- Current
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- Enterprise Architect at The Economical Insurance Group
- Past
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- Director, Enterprise Architecture at Sun Life Financial
- Applications Architect at Clarica
- Senior Technical Architect at Cooperators Insurance
- Technical Architect at Maritime Life
- Senior Systems Designer at Manulife Financial
- Systems Designer at Dominion Life Assurance
- Education
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- Conestoga College
- Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions
- QRS
- University of Waterloo
- Recommended
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20 people have recommended Rick - Connections
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246
connections
- Industry
- Information Technology and Services
- Websites
Rick Schroeder’s Summary
Rick has a wide depth and breadth of experience in Business Technology within the Insurance industry. He started in the development of applications then progressed to productivity and developer utilities (writing such tools as email and change control systems). Rick quickly moved into senior system design and analysis roles. For the last 15 years he has been working in various architecture roles including technology architecture, application architecture, and Enterprise Architecture (EA is concerned with the strategic alignment of IT activities to business goals).
Rick firmly believes that all significant IT activity should be strategically aligned to long-term business objectives, even when under pressure for short-term value delivery. Rick has extensive experience acting as IT Project architect / Solutions Architect, and working closely with project managers and sponsors to develop and implement projects that are indeed strategic, well implemented, and meet tactical objectives, in order to provide competitive business value.
Rick enjoys hands-on opportunities where he can use his experience and skills in the design and implementation of superior IT solutions. He has also contributed successfully in the roles of Solutions Architecture, Technology Architecture, and IT Project Architecture or leadership.
Rick Schroeder’s Specialties:
Strategy, Enterprise Content Management (ECM), Enterprise Records Management (ERM), Business Process Management (BPM), Systems Management, Technical Architect, Application Architect, Solutions Architect, Enterprise Architect, Solutions Design, IT Governance, Collaboration, Facilitation, Metrics, International experience.
Rick Schroeder’s Experience
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Enterprise Architect
The Economical Insurance Group
(Privately Held; Insurance industry)
September 2009 — Present (4 months)
The focus for this role as been in re-establishing an effective Enterprise Architecture Practise at The Economical Group. Activities have included: Creation of an EA Practise Charter, Facilitating Technology Strategy Development, Progressing Enterprise Architecture Strategic Planning, EA Repository and tool acquisition, and the creation of a forward looking EA Governance process.
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Director, Enterprise Architecture
Sun Life Financial
(Public Company; SLF; Insurance industry)
August 2001 — February 2009 (7 years 7 months)
Rick gained very valuable experience working as an Enterprise Architect. He was charged with reviewing and assessing all of Sun Life's proposed application and infrastructure project architectures (some 400 projects a year).
As an Enterprise Architect with Sun Life, Rick also provided oversight to the Enterprise Content Management and Enterprise Systems Management technology domains. Accomplishments included setting the strategy for Enterprise Content Management, selecting an Enterprise Records Management solution, participated in setting content management direction for Web 2.0 tools; and providing solutions architecture support for the companies ITIL systems management solution.
He designed and implemented the global IT Governance process, using BPM technology. This review process ensures the quality delivery of IT solutions and their alignment to approved architectures, compliance, security, and infrastructure technology.
Rick has had many opportunities to work at project level as well as the strategic level. Opportunity to not only function on tactical technical and consultative support level, but to also develop methodologies, best practices and frameworks for other architects to consume. The rich experience gained in content management, collaboration, and records management projects and tools will be a strong asset for the future. -
Applications Architect
Clarica
(Public Company; CLI; Financial Services industry)
August 2000 — August 2001 (1 year 1 month)
As Applications Architect Rick ensured that all applications in the Canadian Business Services area (such as finance, facilities, corporate, audit, image and capture, tax, etc) meet architecture principles, good design practices, adherence to privacy, confidentiality, security and language standards.
Rick's leadership extended to business continuity planning, disaster recovery planning, application renewal, impact analysis of technology change, architecture costing models, technology & problem support, system and application design. He worked with leadership to ensure the alignment of IT application strategy to business strategy. This included the development of architecture vision, principles, and guidelines for IT team of 100. Application portfolio included in-house developed, 3rd-party developed, shrink-wrap, and ASP hosted applications. -
Senior Technical Architect
Cooperators Insurance
(Insurance industry)
1998 — 2000 (2 years )
Rick conducted over 40 architectural assessments while with the Cooperators. Examples include: Credit card authorization system; Training management software; G/L reconciliation system; Scitor project management software; Hardware order and asset management system; Client Information System (CDS); A/R system; Business Objects; Electronic Corporate Directory, and Domino based Helpdesk system.
Rick was Chief Architect for many significant projects. Examples include: The Enterprise design and deployment of Lotus Domino S/390 and Domino NT; Electronic Publishing Project; Enterprise organizational call center; Enterprise Wide Technical Architecture; Internet/Intranet/Extranet Communications project; Federated e-Commerce project (common communications and application infrastructure across five "sister" companies).
Rick acted as project manager in extending Domino email services and Intranet connectivity projects as well as the project to build a Domino based mail hub to provide secure mail routing with business partners and Cooperator sister companies.
Rick also provided much consultative and mentoring support for team mates and aspiring Architects dealing with the: PeopleSoft Financials Implementation; Y2K Planning; D/R; Remote Access strategy and design; LAN/WAN strategy and design; and Corporate fileserver server strategy. -
Technical Architect
Maritime Life
(Public Company; Insurance industry)
1985 — 1998 (13 years )
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Senior Systems Designer
Manulife Financial
(Public Company; Insurance industry)
1984 — 1985 (1 year )
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Systems Designer
Dominion Life Assurance
(Public Company; 501-1000 employees; Insurance industry)
1980 — 1984 (4 years )
Rick Schroeder’s Education
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Conestoga College
Home Inspection Certificate , Engineering Technology , 2008 — 2010 (expected)
Rick is enjoying the pragmatic and relevant content being presented by actual Home Inspectors and industry experts. Residential buildings are a system like any other in which all components are inter-related. Rick's skills in the assessment and review of systems and his ability to communicate technical matters in layman's terms will support his interest in residential home inspection.
Rick has completed the following modules: Communications and Professional Practice; Heating 1 & 2; Plumbing; Structure; Insulation and Interior; Electrical, and Exteriors. He has an A+ average with 4.0 GPA, -
Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions
2009 — 2009
Career assessment, coaching, organizational and leadership development, and career management and transition training.
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QRS
TOGAF , Enterprise Architecture , 2009 — 2009
QR Systems Inc (“QRS”) is a North American leader in dedicated enterprise architecture education and consulting.
I have completed the Enterprise Architecture practitioners course and certification based on The Open Group Architecture Framework (“TOGAF”). -
University of Waterloo
BMath , Computer Science , 1977 — 1981
Additional Information
Rick Schroeder’s Websites:
Rick Schroeder’s Honors:
Sun Life Financial CEO Award of Excellence, 2007
Rick Schroeder’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- job inquiries
- expertise requests
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
