Innovation • Execution • Governance
I’ve led major technology programs inside banks, carriers, and scientific societies. Now I help leaders make AI safe to scale.
Twenty-five years as a CEO, CTO, CIO, and COO owning P&L results across telecommunications, financial services, pharmaceuticals, energy, construction, and professional societies. I founded a technology firm, sold it to private equity, and led it for five more years. I bring that operating experience to boards and executive teams adopting AI.
Open to CEO, CIO/CTO, and Chief AI Officer roles, and to advisory engagements.
Hire me for a leadership roleWork with me as an advisor
RBFortune 50025+ years of executive technology leadership at every scale
- Telecommunications
- Financial services
- Pharmaceutical
- Energy & process industries
- Scientific societies and professional associations
- Construction (AECO)
- Consulting
Roles I’m pursuing
Three lanes, one thread: technology leadership that earns trust. Download the resume that fits the role.
Association, non-profit & mission-driven leadership
I founded and bootstrapped a firm to $2.5M, led its sale to private equity, then ran it for five more years to a $5M+ run rate. Certified Association Executive and past president of two affordable-housing non-profit boards.
Enterprise technology, security & modernization
From CRM, ERP, and data warehouse programs at national telecom carriers to managed services and AI-enabled delivery. CISSP, with P&L ownership of technology businesses.
AI governance, risk & assurance
Founder of cimbiotic, an independent AI assurance firm. Hands-on with NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, the EU AI Act, OWASP, and AIUC-1, and builder of the cimassure AI testing platform.
How I help
Strategy to Execution
AI assurance & governance
Independent testing of AI assistants, trust-readiness scorecards, board-level reporting, and human-in-the-loop policy that stands up to scrutiny.
Executive & board advisory
A seasoned CEO/CTO perspective on technology strategy, risk, vendor oversight, M&A, and organizational design.
Fractional & interim leadership
Stepping into a CIO, CTO, or COO seat to stabilize, modernize, and hand off a stronger organization.
About me
I’ve spent my career where technology meets the people who have to use it. I started inside large enterprises, including telecom, banking and pharma, then founded and bootstrapped my own firm and led it through a private equity acquisition. That mix gives me an operator’s view on both sides of the table: the discipline of a Fortune 500 and the urgency of a startup. Outside work, I’ve led two affordable-housing nonprofits, spent time working with NGOs focused on vulnerable children in Tanzania, and I’m learning Spanish, one conversation at a time.
My story
It started in telecommunications, where uptime and scale are not optional.
- 1996–2003
Building technology at telecom scale
Vice President and Director roles at Verizon Wireless (then PCS PrimeCo), Pagenet, CapRock Communications, Rhythms NetConnections, and Iron Mountain’s FORTRUST data centers. I led IT strategy, CRM, ERP, data warehousing, 24×7 infrastructure, and a Managed Services business unit P&L.
- 2003–2011
Interim executive across regulated industries
As an independent management consultant I stepped into portfolio companies as an interim executive, advising on business planning, capital formation, technology deployment, and operations. The work took me into financial services, pharmaceutical compliance, and refinery operations.
- 2011–2015
COO / CTO, Bross Group
Joined the senior management team of an IT staffing and consulting firm, responsible for strategic planning, operations, practice development, risk management, and managed services.
- 2015–2026
Founder and CEO, Cimatri
Founded a technology and digital transformation consultancy, bootstrapped it to $2.5M in revenue, and led its sale to private equity acquirer Blue Cypress. I then ran it as CEO for five more years, growing it to a $5M+ run rate across consulting, managed services, and enterprise AI, with 90% revenue retention and a team of 20+ delivering 100+ engagements. I closed the chapter with a planned nine-month transition as strategic advisor to Blue Cypress. Along the way I served as virtual CIO to scientific and professional societies and the construction industry.
- Today
Independent AI assurance and advisory
After years of advising boards on human-in-the-loop AI, I founded cimbiotic, an independent AI assurance firm. We help organizations verify that their AI actually does what they think it does, with independent testing and governance that boards can rely on. I’m also open to the right full-time CEO, CIO/CTO, or Chief AI Officer role.
Credentials & Community
Certifications
CISSP
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional is ISC2’s flagship credential for security leaders, covering eight domains from security and risk management to security operations and software development security. It requires at least five years of paid experience, a rigorous exam, and a commitment to a code of ethics.
Certified Association Executive (CAE)
Created by ASAE in 1960, the CAE is the highest professional credential in the association industry and is held by more than 4,600 professionals. Earning it takes work experience, 100 hours of professional development, and a comprehensive exam, and it must be renewed every three years.
Association AI Professional (AAiP)
A certification built for the association sector that validates practical knowledge of AI through a series of courses and exams. It stays current only through ongoing AI education, since it must be renewed every year.
AI: Implications for Business Strategy
An executive education program from the MIT Sloan School of Management and MIT’s Computer Science and AI Laboratory. It covers machine learning, generative AI, robotics, and the effect of AI on business and society, with a focus on strategic decisions rather than code.
Certified AI Consultant
An eight-week online program in AI advisory, covering business strategy, AI readiness and governance and risk frameworks, implementation, and project delivery. Completion requires finishing every module and passing a final exam.
Telecommunications Executive Management Program
An executive management program from SMU’s Cox School of Business for leaders in the telecommunications industry. I completed it in 1999, during my years leading technology at telecommunications companies.
AI governance frameworks I work with
Education
- MBA, IT Administration and Management (in progress), Western Governors University
- B.S. Business Administration, Finance and Management, Regis University (cum laude)
Giving back
- Past President, Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity
- Past President, Cape Fear Housing Land Trust
- ASAE Technology Advisory Council
- ASAE International Association Advisory Council
Industries I’ve worked in
Consulting is how I got in the door. The depth came from carrying real responsibility inside these sectors.
Multiple technology leadership roles
Verizon Wireless innovation and IT operations, plus VP roles at Pagenet, CapRock, and Rhythms.
NationsBank / Bank of America
Architecting technology solutions during a period of major upheaval in the banking industry.
Warner-Lambert
Compliance and operator certification during an FDA consent decree.
Chemical, petrochemical, and refinery
Operator training and certification in partnership with the American Petroleum Institute.
Physics and Healthcare
IT strategy for the American Institute of Physics and virtual CIO for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
Construction Specifications Institute
Virtual CIO, building technology that embeds industry standards in design and construction platforms.
My book
Ethical AI for Associations
I wrote this guide in 2025 for association executives and board members who want to adopt AI without compromising trust, transparency or mission. It covers what ethical AI means in practice and how it can strengthen credibility and member engagement. It is free to download on the Sidecar website.
Download the free guideMy writing
I write practical guidance on AI governance, from vendor contracts and risk classification to testing AI agents and knowing who is accountable when they cause harm. Every post is written for organization leaders rather than AI specialists.
Read my latest articlesLet’s talk
If you’re weighing how to adopt AI responsibly, need seasoned technology leadership, or want a second opinion at the board level, I’d like to hear about it.
rick@bawcum.netLinkedIn