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Senior Operations & Process Improvement Manager

"I find out what the real problem is,
then build the system that solves it for good."

Michael Bielen

Westfield, NJ  ·  NYC Metro Open to Remote & Hybrid

Nearly 22 years solving complex, undefined operational problems at enterprise scale. My strength is the analytical layer — understanding data, structuring it, and building the reviews, automation, and AI-assisted workflows that keep it reliable long-term.

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22+
Years enterprise ops experience
2B+
Records in DOJ subpoena response
98%
EHNAC score — highest in company history
$15M
Strategic vendor deal negotiated

About

The operator behind the curtain.

My career has been built on taking messy, undefined problems — the ones with no existing playbook — and building the process or system that puts them to rest. DOJ subpoena with two billion records. Azure data center migration with 1,200+ test cases. AI agents that eliminated manual governance busywork. Same pattern every time.

I've led teams of business analysts, project managers, and data scientists, and I'm equally comfortable as a hands-on individual contributor. What's constant is a data-first mindset: I understand how data flows, where it breaks, and how to structure it so decisions are trustworthy.

I'm now bringing that operational depth into high-growth technology and AI infrastructure environments where enterprise rigor and speed of iteration need to coexist.

22+
Years of enterprise ops experience
2B+
Records analyzed in a single subpoena response
98%
EHNAC cert score — highest in company history
$15M
Strategic vendor agreement negotiated

Core Competencies

Skills & Tools

Operations & Process
Process Improvement Operations Management Business Process Management Change Management Program & Project Management Vendor Management User Acceptance Testing
Data & Governance
Data Governance Data Organization & Quality Regulatory & Compliance Coordination Stakeholder Coordination Cross-Functional Leadership Process Documentation
AI, Automation & Tools
AI-Assisted Automation Microsoft Copilot & Copilot Studio Microsoft Excel Smartsheet Azure DevOps SharePoint Tableau Salesforce Aha! Oracle

Experience

Career highlights

Senior Manager, Process Improvement & Data Governance
Cognizant — TriZetto Product House
Nov 2022 – Jun 2026

Led data analytics, then data governance, normalization, and application operations after a group reorganization. Spanned Azure DevOps, Aha!, and Smartsheet supporting release validation, governance intake, and operational reporting.

  • ▸
    Software Governance Intake Ran intake across Security, Architecture, Legal, and Desktop Support — 167 reviews in 2024 and 150+ in 2025 with consistent 24-hour turnaround. Built an AI-evaluated normalized tool inventory replacing years of fragmented data with a single trusted source.
  • ▸
    AI-Assisted Automation Built agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio that streamlined the governance process and measurably reduced manual effort.
  • ▸
    Data Governance Mapping Mapped server data across 800+ Product House systems, creating a verified inventory for enterprise compliance and audit readiness.
  • ▸
    EHNAC Re-Certification Coordinated five third-party site reviews to a 98% score — tying the highest in company history.
  • ▸
    Smartsheet Administration Administered 700+ user accounts; used AI to reclaim ~30 unused licenses per quarter, eliminating need to purchase additional licenses.
Senior Manager, Business Analysis / Project Management
Cognizant — TriZetto Provider Solutions
Jan 2018 – Oct 2022

Led enterprise programs and PMO operations spanning infrastructure migration, regulatory compliance, product commercialization, and business intelligence.

  • ▸
    Azure Migration UAT Managed user acceptance testing for a full data center migration with no existing playbook — 1,200+ test cases across 27 teams, 450 user accounts provisioned, post-migration access issues held to under 3% of users.
  • ▸
    DOJ Subpoena Response Coordinated delivery of 14 complex data requests including analysis of two billion records, meeting every regulatory deadline with zero follow-up requests.
  • ▸
    Compliance Certifications Led 2022 EHNAC and CAQH certifications to 98% — tying the highest in company history.
  • ▸
    Vendor Negotiation Negotiated a 7-year, ~$15M strategic vendor agreement.
Senior Manager, Business Analysis
Cognizant — TriZetto
Jan 2013 – Dec 2017

Led a team of four business analysts across Corporate Applications (Salesforce, Oracle, SharePoint, Hyperion), serving finance, HR, marketing, and product teams.

  • ▸
    Governance Process Design Designed a software enhancement and break/fix governance process tied to ticketing and reporting, replacing ad hoc requests with a ranked, trackable system.
  • ▸
    BA/PM Model Established a formal BA/PM partnership model, embedding business analysis into the project lifecycle and improving requirements quality and delivery outcomes.
Earlier career: Manager, Web Development at The TriZetto Group (2010–2013) — led SharePoint collaboration portal earning a Quality Excellence Award; named to TriZetto Circle of Distinction (top 5% of performers). VP of Technology at The Turnaround Team, Inc. (1997–2004) — built and led a technology division from 1 to 12 people and $100K to $2.5M in revenue, delivering for IBM, Lucent, BASF, and the U.S. Postal Service.
Education
M.P.S., Interactive Telecommunications
New York University
B.S., Computer Science
DeSales University
Recognition
★TriZetto Innovator of the Year Runner-Up (2009)
★TriZetto Circle of Distinction — top 5% of performers (2009–2013)
★Quality Excellence Award — T3 Central SharePoint portal
★Member, Project Management Institute (PMI)

Contact

Let's talk.

Exploring opportunities in operations, process improvement, and AI-assisted workflow infrastructure. If you're working on something where operational depth matters, reach out.

Email
mike@bielen.net
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/michaelbielen
Résumé
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