About Me

I've been in your IT department's shoes. That's why I can help.

Jonathan Slaven
Based in Grand Rapids, MI
Experience 20+ years in IT
Education International MBA, IT Management
Availability Taking new clients

I've spent my career inside IT organizations — not selling to them from the outside. That matters, because it means I understand what's actually happening on the ground, not just what looks good in a slide deck.

My career started at Great Lakes Naval Base, where I managed a team of 18 technicians on one of the largest computer networks in the world. That's where I learned that technology is really about people — the systems only work if the humans running them are set up to succeed.

From there, I moved into banking at Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, a $92 billion wholesale mortgage bank. I built their first centralized service desk from scratch, then moved into managing enterprise systems in a SOX-governed environment where every change was audited and every decision had compliance implications. I learned how to operate in regulated environments where "move fast and break things" isn't an option.

I spent 12 years at Amway in various technical roles — systems engineering, DevOps, middleware administration, and software engineering. This is where I built deep technical foundations: AWS, Kubernetes, CI/CD, enterprise monitoring, ERP systems. I wasn't managing people during this stretch. I was the one building, automating, and keeping things running at 2 AM.

That combination — strategic leadership and hands-on technical depth — is what I bring to the table.

Most recently, I was VP of IT Infrastructure & End User Support at The Wound Pros, a nationwide healthcare organization. I walked into a situation where 1,100+ users were on unmanaged personal devices, SaaS applications were scattered everywhere, and there was no centralized IT governance. In two years, we transformed the entire operation — managed devices, centralized SaaS, proper security posture, HIPAA compliance, and a high-performing globally distributed team of 20.

Now I'm taking everything I've learned and putting it to work for businesses that need the same kind of strategic IT leadership but don't need (or can't justify) a full-time executive. I don't chase trends or sell you technology you don't need. I implement proven practices that work, build systems that last, and leave your organization stronger than I found it.

Where I've been

2023 — 2026
VP, IT Infrastructure & End User Support
The Wound Pros — Nationwide Healthcare
Led IT transformation for 1,100+ users. Managed globally distributed team of 20. Migrated from BYOD to managed devices, centralized SaaS governance, drove cost optimization saving $750/user annually.
2011 — 2023
Senior Software Engineer → Systems Engineer → Application Admin
Amway — Global Consumer Goods
12 years in progressively complex technical roles. Built automation that saved hundreds of hours annually, managed enterprise platforms on AWS and Kubernetes, and developed deep expertise in DevOps and systems engineering.
2006 — 2009
Manager, Client Technology → Common Services → Service Desk
Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago — $92B Banking
Multiple IT management roles in SOX-governed financial services. Built centralized service desk, achieved 99.9%+ uptime, maintained strict regulatory compliance.
2003
Deployment Team Lead
US Navy — Great Lakes Naval Base
Managed 18 technicians supporting one of the world's largest internal networks. Built deployment tracking systems, led large-scale rollouts under DoD security protocols.

What you can expect from me

🔍
Honest assessment
I'll tell you what's actually going on — not what you want to hear and not a scare story designed to sell you more services. If something's fine, I'll say so.
🗣️
Plain language
I explain things in terms that make sense to business owners. If I can't explain why something matters in business terms, it probably doesn't.
🎯
Proven over trendy
I recommend what works, not what's new. The best IT environments are built on sustainable, well-established practices — not whatever just got hyped at a conference. If something newer is genuinely the right call, I'll explain why in business terms.
🔧
Hands-on when needed
I'm not just a strategy person who hands you a binder. If something needs to get done and I'm the right person to do it, I'll roll up my sleeves.
🤝
Your team, not mine
My goal is to make your people and processes strong enough that you don't need me forever. I build capability, not dependency. And when a project needs specialized skills — networking, security, cloud architecture — I have a bench of trusted people and partners I can bring in.
📊
Measurable results
I track outcomes, not activity. If we can't measure whether something got better, we need to rethink the approach.

The formal stuff

Education
  • International MBA, IT Management — Southern New Hampshire University
  • BS, Computer Science — Western Illinois University
Certifications & Compliance
  • AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
  • HIPAA & HITRUST compliance experience
  • SOX compliance experience (financial services)
  • Department of Defense security protocols

Want to talk about what's going on with your IT?

No pitch, no pressure. Just a conversation about where things stand and whether I'm the right person to help.

Book a Free Consultation