Meet David Braun
Enterprise-level CTO, CISO & COO leadership for companies navigating growth, acquisition, or operational reset—aligning technology, cybersecurity, and execution discipline to accelerate enterprise value creation.
David works alongside founders, CEOs, Boards, and investment partners when growth begins to outpace structure. He is brought in not to manage technology, but to restore operational clarity, impose financial discipline, and ensure infrastructure and risk posture can support the next stage of scale.
With deep experience leading enterprise transformation, post-acquisition integration, global team expansion, and full-scale cloud modernization, David aligns technology investment, cybersecurity governance, and operating execution to measurable business outcomes. His focus is simple: protect valuation, improve margin, and create infrastructure that performs under investor scrutiny.
By integrating capital allocation, engineering oversight, risk management, and cross-functional accountability into a cohesive operating framework, he converts complexity into control. Technology stops being an expense to manage and becomes a structured lever for performance, scalability, and long-term enterprise value.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Fractional CTO
• Enterprise Architecture Strategy & Platform Modernization
• Scalable SaaS & Cloud-Native Infrastructure Design
• Engineering Organization Build-Out & Governance
• DevOps Transformation & Secure SDLC Integration
• Technical Due Diligence & Architecture Risk Assessment
• AI & Automation Strategy Integration
• Technical Debt Remediation & Platform Resilience
• Global Distributed Engineering Leadership
• Product-Technology Alignment & Roadmap Discipline
• Security-Embedded Development & Compliance Alignment
Fractional CISO
• Enterprise Cybersecurity Strategy & Risk Governance
• Board-Level Cyber Risk Communication & Reporting
• Regulatory & Compliance Framework Alignment (SOC, ISO, HIPAA, GDPR)
• Incident Response & Breach Readiness Leadership
• Third-Party & Supply Chain Risk Management
• Cloud Security Architecture & Zero Trust Implementation
• Security Program Build-Out for Growth & Scale
• Cyber Risk Quantification & Valuation Protection
• M&A Cyber Due Diligence & Remediation
• Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Program Design
Fractional COO
• Enterprise Operating Model Design & Execution Discipline
• P&L Ownership, Cost Rationalization & Margin Expansion
• Post-Acquisition Integration & Stabilization
• Technology-Enabled Operational Scale
• Global Team Build-Out & Leadership Alignment
• Cross-Functional Governance & Accountability Cadence
• KPI Architecture & Performance Management Systems
• Vendor Rationalization & Strategic Sourcing Optimization
• Risk-Aware Operational Infrastructure
• Board & Investor Operating Transparency
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Enterprise Operating Model & Value Creation Leadership
• Led enterprise-wide technology and operational transformation in a Fractional Capacity at United Airlines, TD, Scotia, and Wells Fargo Banks, ServiceMaster, and global life sciences organizations, redesigning operating models to align cost structure with revenue and margin targets.
• Delivered 30%+ structural cost reduction through vendor consolidation, infrastructure rationalization, and disciplined capital allocation—directly improving EBITDA and free cash flow performance.
• Managed and governed $17M+ technology P&L, embedding financial transparency and KPI/OKR-driven accountability across global teams.
• Stabilized and scaled distributed organizations from early-stage execution to enterprise-grade operating cadence—improving predictability, governance, and investor confidence.
M&A Integration & Synergy Realization
• Directed post-acquisition technology integration across healthcare, fintech, and enterprise services environments—accelerating synergy capture, eliminating redundant systems, and consolidating platforms within first-year integration windows.
• Led technical and cybersecurity due diligence for acquisition targets—identifying architecture risk, remediation exposure, and cost optimization opportunities—protecting valuation and strengthening deal confidence for PE and Board stakeholders.
• Standardized integration playbooks and governance frameworks to support repeatable portfolio-level execution discipline.
Cybersecurity & Enterprise Risk Governance
• Elevated cybersecurity from IT function to Board-level enterprise risk governance—implementing structured programs aligned to SOC, ISO, HIPAA, NIST, and global regulatory frameworks.
• Built formal incident response, risk quantification, and third-party risk programs—reducing enterprise exposure while improving audit readiness and customer assurance posture.
• Strengthened investor and Board reporting transparency through measurable cyber risk metrics and governance dashboards.
Cloud & Infrastructure Modernization
• Led full-scale enterprise digital transformation for a global life sciences organization, transitioning operations from 100% on-premises infrastructure to 100% cloud-based architecture across multiple divisions and countries.
• Reduced annual infrastructure spend by 34%+, equating to more than $30 million in recurring annual savings, through data center elimination, hardware decommissioning, licensing optimization, and disciplined cloud migration strategy.
• Directed cloud modernization initiatives across AWS, Azure, and hybrid ecosystems—improving scalability, performance resilience, and global availability while reducing operational overhead.
• Repositioned infrastructure investment from capital-intensive burden to scalable operating model aligned with growth and acquisition readiness.
Technology as a Scalable Growth Engine
• Transformed technology organizations from reactive support functions into structured value-creation engines—aligning infrastructure, engineering, and security investments directly to revenue growth and margin expansion.
• Scaled global teams from 4 to 75+ professionals, implementing governance discipline, KPI/OKR transparency, and leadership alignment across distributed markets.
• Improved service reliability to enterprise-grade performance standards while accelerating delivery velocity and reducing technical debt exposure.
WHY I WORK AS A FRACTIONAL EXECUTIVE
Companies don’t struggle because they lack opportunity. They struggle when growth outpaces operational discipline, technology outpaces governance, and risk outpaces visibility. I step in at that exact moment.
I work alongside SMB leaders, founders, CEOs, venture-backed teams, and private equity operators who need executive-level clarity across operations, technology, and cybersecurity — not incremental IT support. My focus is straightforward: build the operational backbone that supports scale, protect enterprise value, and ensure capital is deployed with discipline. Founders and CEOs call when:
• Technology spend is rising but ROI is unclear
• Infrastructure can’t support the next stage of scale
• Cybersecurity posture threatens customer trust or investor confidence
• An acquisition needs structured integration and synergy realization
• Operational execution lacks cross-functional accountability
Private equity firms engage me when portfolio companies need stabilization, cost rationalization, risk remediation, or exit-readiness discipline. Venture-backed leaders engage me when their architecture, governance, and operating cadence must mature as quickly as their revenue.
My leadership philosophy is simple: operational rigor creates predictability, predictability protects valuation, and disciplined technology execution drives scalable growth. I embed measurable KPIs or OKR’s, financial transparency, secure-by-design architecture, and cross-functional alignment into organizations that have outgrown their informal structures. I operate at the intersection of operations, technology, and cybersecurity — because at scale, they are inseparable.
You don’t bring me in to “manage IT.” You bring me in to:
• Align capital allocation with enterprise priorities
• Convert infrastructure from cost center to leverage point
• Quantify and reduce enterprise risk
• Create operating discipline across Finance, Engineering, and Operations
• Prepare the organization for funding, acquisition, or sustainable scale
I lead with the mindset of an owner and the discipline of an operator. When I engage, complexity becomes structured, risk becomes governed, and growth becomes controlled — the kind that stands up to Board scrutiny, investor diligence, and long-term expansion.
If the objective is scalable performance with accountability, resilience, and measurable value creation, I am the executive brought in to deliver it.
Enterprise Value Creation
EBITDA Expansion
M&A Integration
Technical Due Diligence
Cyber Risk Governance
Capital Allocation
Cost Structure Optimization
Operational Transformation
Cloud Modernization
Performance Governance
Organizational Scaling
Contact David for a complete list of executive skills
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Where I Invest My Time
The work I care about most happens outside formal engagements — helping leaders grow, sharing experience, and building real community.
• Partnering with founders and CEOs navigating the transition from rapid growth to structured scale
• Advising on when and how to formalize operations, technology leadership, and cybersecurity governance
• Coaching CIO / CTO / CISO leaders stepping into enterprise-level accountability
• Aligning infrastructure investment with capital discipline and long-term value creation
• Preparing organizations for investor scrutiny, technical due diligence, and funding readiness
• Elevating cybersecurity from technical function to enterprise risk strategy
• Building cross-functional operating cadence across Finance, Engineering, and Operations
• Investing deeply in family, long-term relationships, and the leadership legacy that extends beyond titles
Where I Support Clients
• Fractional CTO | CISO | COO Leadership
• Helping founders turn rapid growth into disciplined scale
• Aligning technology investment with capital efficiency and margin expansion
• Building infrastructure that withstands investor and customer scrutiny
• Leading cloud modernization that reduces cost and increases agility
• Elevating cybersecurity to enterprise risk strategy
• Structuring operating cadence across Finance, Engineering, and Operations
• Guiding M&A integration and technical due diligence
• Preparing organizations for funding, acquisition, or next-stage expansion
Work with David
I step in when growth demand’s structure, discipline, and executive control.
Organizations engage me when:
• Environments cannot sustain the next stage of scale
• Technology spend lacks measurable EBITDA impact
• Cyber risk threatens valuation or customer trust
• An acquisition requires disciplined integration and synergy capture
• Cloud environments are costly, fragmented, or under-governed
• Founder-led execution must evolve into scalable operating cadence
• Cross-functional alignment between Finance, Engineering, and Operations is weak
• Boards or investors need an experienced operator to restore control
If you need CTO, CISO, or COO leadership without the delay of a full-time hire, I deliver clarity, governance, and performance that stands up under scrutiny.
