UCB Portfolio Management

Case Study: UCB, Inc.

Scope: Digital Portfolio • DevOps • Cloud • CMS • Global Migration • Compliance

Client / Organization: Turner Sports in partnership with Sports Illustrated

Role: Technical Program Manager, Digital Strategy

Timeframe: 2015 – 2021

Executive Overview

UCB launched a global initiative to modernize and harmonize a fragmented digital ecosystem spanning websites, mobile properties, and patient platforms hosted across external vendors worldwide.

The transformation required building a Digital & DevOps operating model, standing up a cloud-based enterprise development platform, and migrating more than 100 digital assets into a secure, compliant, and scalable environment.

As Technical Program Manager, I led the end-to-end program through platform design, organizational build, and initial global rollout — driving operating model creation, platform delivery, and early migration and stakeholder adoption efforts until dedicated support teams were established. I subsequently retained direct ownership of product platforms and select corporate and affiliate market implementations.

• 180+ digital assets operated across disparate external hosting vendors

• Technology stacks and CMS platforms were inconsistent

• Compliance and privacy governance were difficult to enforce

• Operating costs were high

• Delivery velocity and scalability were constrained

Program Objectives

• Build a global enterprise digital platform
• Establish a scalable DevOps delivery model
• Consolidate externally hosted digital assets
• Enable multilingual global delivery
• Improve compliance (HIPAA, FDA, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA)
• Reduce operating costs
• Standardize governance and support

Building the Digital & DevOps Organization Challenge

Digital delivery teams were siloed, tooling was inconsistent, and release processes lacked automation.

Leadership Actions

I established and scaled UCB’s Agile Digital Portfolio Office and DevOps operating model.

Key Contributions

• Built and led a 50+ person cross-functional organization

• Established Agile portfolio governance and intake models

• Led Agile and DevOps transformation initiatives

• Implemented standardized delivery frameworks

• Served as Jira Administrator (workflows, dashboards, reporting)

• Streamlined vendor onboarding and QA governance

Impact

• ~20% reduction in time-to-market for digital features

• Increased delivery predictability and transparency

• Scalable operating model supporting global programs

Building the Enterprise Development Platform

Vision

Create a unified platform to power global digital experiences across brands, patients, and affiliates.

Initial Platform Architecture

At launch, the platform included:

• Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure
• Traditional (coupled) Drupal CMS
• SaaS engagement and marketing tools
• Standardized hosting and development environments

This foundation enabled early consolidation and governance.

Platform Modernization

Drivers

As digital demand expanded, new requirements emerged:

• Omnichannel delivery

• Mobile and connected device integration

• Faster front-end innovation

• API-driven content distribution

Transformation Execution

I led the roadmap and delivery of the platform’s evolution to Headless Drupal.

Responsibilities

• Coordinated backend decoupling and API enablement

• Supported front-end modernization initiatives

• Ensured publishing continuity during transition

• Managed risks across live global properties

Resulting Architecture

• Azure cloud infrastructure

• Headless Drupal CMS

• API-first content services

• CI/CD pipelines

• Containerization (OpenShift / Kubernetes)

Outcomes

• Enabled omnichannel content delivery
• Accelerated deployment velocity
• Improved scalability and performance
• Future-proofed the platform

Global Migration & Ecosystem Consolidation
Scope

• 180 digital and web assets evaluated
• Corporate + affiliate properties worldwide

Program Leadership

I led the planning and execution of:

• Platform development

• Global migration strategy

• Corporate and affiliate onboarding

• DevOps operational support

Execution Approach

• Portfolio inventory and classification

• Migration roadmaps (individual + consolidated)

• Compliance and privacy integration

•  QA, accessibility, and performance governance

Adoption Strategy: Voluntary Transformation

A defining complexity:

Migration to the platform was optional — not mandated.

Leadership Actions

• Evangelized platform value to global stakeholders

• Built executive and regional partnerships

• Developed business cases and ROI models

• Addressed regulatory and operational concerns

This required influencing without authority across international markets.

Portfolio Conversion Outcomes

• 124 assets migrated

• 33 assets decommissioned or consolidated

• 84% overall conversion rate

Financial & Operational Impact

Cost Savings

• Legacy initiatives ranged from $75K–$300K annually

• Achieved approximately 50% cost reduction via consolidation

Operational Gains

• Centralized governance and compliance

• Standardized security and hosting

• Streamlined maintenance and support

• Scalable DevOps delivery model

Compliance & Privacy Integration

Embedded regulatory frameworks across the platform:

• HIPAA
• FDA digital regulations

• GDPR

• CCPA / CPRA

Implemented privacy-by-design, documentation, and monitoring processes in partnership with IT Governance.

Technology Ecosystem

Cloud: Microsoft Azure
CMS: Drupal → Headless Drupal
DevOps: CI/CD pipelines
Containerization: OpenShift / Kubernetes
Channels: Web, Mobile Apps, Connected Devices
Scale: 35+ countries, multilingual delivery

Key Skills Demonstrated

• Enterprise Digital Transformation Leadership

• DevOps Organization Design

• Cloud Platform Delivery (Azure)

• Headless CMS Architecture

• Global Portfolio Migration

• Voluntary Adoption Change Management

• Regulatory & Privacy Program Delivery

• Executive Stakeholder Engagement