Shawn Gifford

I’m a technology executive and information systems leader who builds data-driven cultures, strengthens enterprise governance, and modernizes infrastructure with cloud and AI. I balance innovation with mission alignment and fiscal accountability, translating strategy into systems, processes, and measurable outcomes.

As CIO / IT Director / VP, Information Systems for The Baby Fold, I directed agency-wide technology modernization through cloud migration, AI adoption, and process innovation. I reported directly to the CEO, participated in board committee meetings, and secured board approval for the organization’s first formal AI policy to enable secure, productive use of agentic tools.

I’ve driven major infrastructure and performance gains, including architecting data center consolidation that delivered a 900% reduction in physical infrastructure footprint and an 11x increase in compute and storage capacity. I also improved IT service quality by creating and enforcing SLAs for incident response and introducing AI-assisted sentiment analysis to sharpen ticket reporting and resolution tracking, while building analytics frameworks that reinforced data integrity, KPI measurement, and executive reporting.

Earlier, as an IT Infrastructure Manager at Illinois Mutual Life Insurance, I led multi-cloud, cloud-first hybrid data replication and failover architecture to support 24/7/365 uptime, established a DevSecOps operating model, and launched an RPA program aimed at continuous improvement and future machine learning capability. Before that, as an IT Manager / Team Lead at Heart Technologies, I led compliance-focused consulting across SOX, HIPAA, and PCI, supported EMR conversions, and helped clients through network lifecycle and security work including penetration testing and targeted remediation.