ANDRE ABED

Glendale, CA – (818) 502-0496 – andre.abed@yahoo.com

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP

 Senior Information Technology executive with 20 years of increasing responsibility and experience in
several industries including Media, Entertainment, Broadcasting, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Engineering,
Retail and Distribution.
 Visionary and results-driven with demonstrated experience in obtaining buy-in, planning, developing, and
maintaining cutting-edge solutions to address business opportunities. A strategic and creative thinker with
the ability to balance short-term operating needs with longer-term strategic imperatives.
 In core management positions have closed the gap between business and technology and delivered unique
solutions that transformed corporate goals into reality, built effective Technology and Operations teams,
reduced operating costs and fostered rapid and sustained business growth.

 Enterprise Architecture
 Corporate & Web Infrastructure
 Business S/W Applications
 S/W Development Life Cycle
 Project Management (PMO)
 Data Center Operations
 Intellectual Property / Security
 Technology Help Desk / Call
Center Operations
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
 Data Warehouse and BI
 Broadcast, Mobile, Online, VOD
 Digital Multimedia Technologies
 Media Production & Distribution
 Internet / Intranet / Extranet
 Disaster Recovery Planning
 Sarbanes-Oxley Compliancy
 ERP, CRM, Digital Rights/Asset
Management, & more
 Strategic & Operational Planning
 P&L Responsibility
 Operating & Capital Budgets
 Process Re-engineering
 Change Management
 Mergers and Acquisitions
 International Business
 Vendor Negotiations &
Management

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Promoted twice based on performance and merit. Scope of responsibility expanded to include technology
management of the company’s international operations in addition to US.
 Reduced operating costs by 40% through system restructuring and consolidation, vendor and contract
renegotiations, and implementation of control procedures for capital expenditure.
 Increased profitability and efficiency by 25% through implementation of digital media production and
distribution technologies, restructuring and consolidating technical services.
 Increased production and delivery by 35% without any additional resources through business process re-
engineering and implementation of improved and streamlined workflow and methodologies.
 Delivered multi-million dollar project from zero resources position to completion on time and under budget to
increased profitability in excess of 20% in distribution.
 Transformed stagnant IT departments into a highly functional and performing teams by reorganizing the
infrastructure and providing focus and clear vision in partnering with the business units.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Playboy Enterprises – Los Angeles, CA 1999 - 2008

Vice President of Technology – CIO (2003 – 2008)
Director of Technology (1999 – 2003)
Brand-driven, international multimedia entertainment company that publishes editions of Playboy magazine
around the world; operates television networks and distributes programming globally; owns Playboy.com and
other leading men's lifestyle and entertainment web sites; and licenses the Playboy trademark internationally for
a range of consumer products and services.
Andre Abed Page 2

Responsible for the planning, implementation, and operations of all aspects of IT including project management
office (PMO), enterprise architecture, corporate network and web infrastructure, software development and
support, vendor system deployment, help desk/call center operations as well as media technologies for
Broadcast, Online, Mobile, and VOD. Work closely with other senior executive team members to identify,
recommend, develop, and support cost-effective technology solutions for all aspects of the organization for
domestic and international operations. Successfully executed the technology integration of three business
acquisitions and mergers.

 Consolidated and upgraded disparate data centers and legacy systems across various company locations
to centrally manage company’s IT and communications infrastructure for domestic and international
businesses.
 Delivered large-scale, enterprise-wide solutions including ERP, CRM, Financial Systems, Broadcast
Management System, Intellectual Property Management (IPM), Rights Management, Digital Asset
Management (DAM), Content Management System, Document Imaging, E-Commerce, B2B and B2C web
portals, Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence (BI) solutions, Point-of-Sale (POS), Handheld/PDA for
mobile users.
 Completed the build out of the company’s new fully-digital US television studios utilizing emerging digital
media technologies supporting Broadcast Operations, Video On Demand (VOD), Master Control, Production
and Post-production environments. Later built a similar facility in the UK for international distribution.
 Completed the implementation of systems, workflow, and business rules for a digital end-to-end media
management solution managing company’s multimedia assets from creation to multi-channel distribution.
Built systems and services to promote increased production without additional human resources and
reduced operating costs while creating new channels of distribution (Cable and Satellite TV, Online, Mobile,
PDA, iPod) in monetizing existing content.

CLS, Inc. – Sherman Oaks, CA 1999

Director, Information Technology
A leading provider of healthcare and advanced laboratory testing services, customized project management,
and clinical research expertise to biotechnology companies, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Joined this organization on a short-term assignment basis to lead the completion of a project that was severely
delayed and over budget. The launch of this mission critical system had to be completed prior to year 2000
replacing the company’s legacy systems. Successfully reorganized and directed the team in completing the
project objectives in time for Y2K. Improved operational stability, systems reliability, and availability and
properly positioned the organization for transition to new technology management.

Teledyne – West Los Angeles, CA 1995 - 1999

Project Manager - Software and Product Development
Provider of electronic components and subsystems, instrumentation and communications products, including
defense electronics, monitoring and control instrumentation for marine, environmental and industrial
applications, data acquisition and communications equipment for air transport and business aircraft, and
components and subsystems for wireless and satellite communications. It also provides engineered systems
and information technology services for defense, space and environmental applications, and manufactures
general aviation engines and components.

Responsible for managing software engineering functions covering the Software Development Life Cycle
(SDLS) as well as customer support and project management. Managed the software engineering, quality
assurance, technical documentation, system integration, vendor and partner relations, technical support and
training. Reduced production time by establishing and implementing policies and procedures to manage all
systems, environments, and software changes. Improved production quality by deploying enhanced test
procedures and methodologies. Developed tools to enhance the process of testing, QA, and data analysis.
Andre Abed Page 3

Birch & Cook Industries, Inc. – Van Nuys, CA 1993 - 1995

Manager of IT and Operations
Birch & Cook Industries, Inc. together with its subsidiaries provides engineering and manufacturing services for
aerospace, power generation, general industrial, and automotive markets.

Responsible for the planning, implementation, and operations of IT solutions including application development
and support, network and desktop support, help desk/call center and technical operations. Managed hardware,
software support as well as vendor relationships and contract negotiations. Improved operational stability,
reliability, and availability of technology and support services through implementation of IT Management
Framework including best practices in change management.

Office Depot, Inc. – Van Nuys, CA 1990 - 1993

Business & Technology Services Manager / District Trainer

Office Depot, Inc. supplies a range of office products and services in the United States and internationally. It
offers an assortment of merchandise through its chain of office supply stores, direct mail catalogs, contract sales
force, and Internet sites. The company also provides graphic design, printing, reproduction, mailing, shipping,
and other services.

Responsible for the planning, implementation and support of technology solutions including back office systems
as well as imaging and graphics technologies. Implemented best practices in delivering technical solutions and
support in order to improve the team’s performance in customer support and project management. Promoted to
replicate the results we achieved at the local level to the entire district.

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

California State University Northridge

Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science

Professional Associations and Certifications

 Member of Computer Science Association (CSA)
 Member of International Who’s Who of IT Professionals
 Continuing education on leadership and organizational development, communication and negotiations skills
 Microsoft Certifications updated to Server 2008 including:
o Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
o Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA)
o Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MSCE)
o Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
o Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
o Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)