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Updated: Aug 2025

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CRAIG HAMILL
Technology Executive • Driving Digital Transformation, Innovation & Enterprise Growth

Location: Chicago, Illinois   Email: craighamill@gmail.com   Phone: +1 (708) 275-6823
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craighamill/   Website: craighamill.com

PROFILE SUMMARY
Visionary technology executive and CTO-level leader with 20+ years of success in directing enterprise technology, digital transformation, and innovation across research, higher education, and logistics sectors. Recognized for aligning advanced technology initiatives with business goals to deliver measurable growth, efficiency, and competitive advantage. Proven track record in building high-performance, cross-functional teams and delivering scalable infrastructure solutions from advanced R&D computing environments to global cloud platforms. Expertise includes AI/ML integration, high-performance computing (HPC), cybersecurity & compliance (NIST 800-171, ISO 27001, SOC 2), and modern cloud architectures (AWS, GCP, Azure). Maintains deep technical knowledge with strong business acumen, excelling at bridging the gap between innovation, enterprise IT, and functional business to guide organizations through growth and change.

CORE COMPETENCIES: Technology Strategy & Road mapping • Innovation Management • Digital Transformation • Enterprise Architecture • Cloud Solutions (AWS, GCP, Azure) • High-Performance Computing • Cybersecurity & Compliance (NIST, ISO, SOC 2) • IT Governance • Cross-Functional Leadership • Vendor Management • ITIL/ITSM & Service Delivery • Budgeting & ROI Analysis • Change Management

EXPERIENCE

UL RESEARCH INSTITUTES – Director of Innovation, Technology & Knowledge Management Mar 2023 – Present
Highlights:

  • Strategic Innovation Leadership: Orchestrating the “Lab of the Future” program – deploying AI/ML and extended reality solutions to modernize R&D for a global safety science organization. Pioneering advanced digital laboratory environments that accelerate innovation and collaboration across scientific teams.
  • Enterprise Transformation (Project Ascend): Key technology and leadership lead in UL’s split into separate non-profit and for-profit entities. Built out new cloud and end-user infrastructures from the ground up by engaging leading service providers. Ensured a seamless separation of IT environments for 500+ employees with zero downtime, establishing a scalable foundation for both organizations’ future growth.
  • HPC & Infrastructure Modernization: Implemented cutting-edge high-performance computing clusters and next-gen infrastructure, boosting research computing power by 200%. These improvements have empowered data-intensive research projects and cut computational runtimes dramatically, enabling scientists to achieve insights faster.
  • Center of Innovation (COIN): Launched ULRI’s first Center of Innovation;an “industrial metaverse” lab that brings together cross-functional experts and emerging technologies (IoT, XR, AI) under one roof. This creative space has already incubated multiple high-impact prototypes and cultivated a culture of innovation enterprise-wide.
  • Executive Technology Advisor: Trusted advisor on ULRO’s top executive committees for technology and innovation. Shapes high-level strategy, champions cybersecurity initiatives, and influences multi-million-dollar R&D tech investments to ensure alignment with organizational vision and risk management.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO – PRITZKER SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR ENGINEERING – Director of Information Technology Jul 2019 – Mar 2023
Highlights:

  • IT Strategy & Leadership: Led a comprehensive IT transformation for UChicago’s premier engineering school. Defined a new IT strategy and vision in partnership with university leadership, focusing on enabling cutting-edge research. Managed a diverse IT team and a significant budget, delivering modern solutions that supported a 50% growth in research output over four years.
  • Cloud & Research Computing: Deployed an innovative hybrid cloud architecture combining on-premises HPC resources with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure). Provided faculty and researchers with on-demand computing power and storage, reducing time-to-resources from weeks to hours. This flexibility drove rapid experimentation and collaboration on projects from quantum computing to materials science.
  • Cybersecurity & Compliance Excellence: Implemented a robust cybersecurity framework with advanced threat detection (CrowdStrike, Rapid7) and strict access controls. Achieved full compliance with federal and industry standards (NIST 800-171, ISO 27001), giving the school a trusted environment for sensitive research data. Notably improved cybersecurity posture, eliminating major incidents and earning commendation from the University CISO.
  • Service Improvement & Collaboration: Introduced ITIL-based service management and a new SharePoint intranet, revolutionizing internal communication and support. Helped drive user satisfaction to an all-time high by fostering transparency, self-service tools, and a culture of responsive IT support.
  • Innovation Projects: Guided high-impact projects such as developing a Salesforce CRM to unify stakeholder relationships (students, alumni, partners) and implementing Mobile Device Management campus-wide. These initiatives streamlined operations and enhanced community engagement, positioning the school as a technology frontrunner within the university.

REDWOOD LOGISTICS (Strive Logistics) – Senior IT Manager Sep 2011 – Jun 2019
Highlights:

  • Enterprise Infrastructure Build-out: Built and managed Redwood’s IT infrastructure through a period of rapid expansion (grew from a regional 3PL to a national logistics provider). Designed resilient networks and virtual server clusters supporting 5 office hubs and 3 data centers, achieving 99.99% uptime for critical logistics platforms and customer-facing systems.
  • Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity: Established a comprehensive DR program with live replication across sites and regular failover drills. Successfully protected the business from multiple potential outages (e.g., weather events) with zero data loss, safeguarding millions in revenue.
  • Operational Efficiency & Cost Control: Streamlined IT operations and vendor management, saving ~$500K through negotiated contracts and cloud optimizations. Introduced ROI-driven project planning and tight cost controls, contributing to profitable growth.
  • Team Leadership: Cultivated a strong IT team and collaborative environment. Mentored junior engineers into leadership roles and fostered close alignment with software development teams – accelerating deployment cycles and boosting product innovation for the company’s proprietary TMS (Transportation Management System).
  • Security Enhancements: Led company-wide security upgrades including network segmentation, endpoint encryption, and enhanced monitoring. These efforts significantly reduced vulnerabilities and ensured compliance with industry best practices, instilling greater client confidence in Redwood’s IT systems.

Additional Experience: Systems engineering and IT management roles at Loyola Press, Bonded Collections, and Rosalind Franklin University (2003–2011). Early career includes IT support and project engineering internships.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

DePaul University – M.S. Business Information Technology,, 2014
Western Michigan University – B.B.A. Computer Information Systems, 2002

Continuing Education & Training

Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management – Technology & Innovation Fellowship (2025); 

New York University (NYU) School of Professional Studies – Artificial Intelligence Strategy Masterclass

ITIL v4 Foundation Certification

COUNCILS & MEMBERSHIPS

  • Contributor, World Economic Forum – Connected Future Initiative – Engaged in advancing global collaboration on digital infrastructure, connectivity, and future-oriented technology ecosystems.
  • Contributor, World Economic Forum – Global CoVillage (Former) – Participated in shaping global dialogues around digital equity, sustainability, and connected communities.
  • Member, Forbes Technology Council – Invitation-only community for senior technology executives recognized for business impact, leadership, and innovation. Contributor of thought leadership articles and insights.
  • Member, Chicago Innovation – 2025 Fellow, Ageless Innovators Mentorship Program; Judge for Illinois Student Invention Convention.
  • Ambassador, Gartner Peer Community – Recognized contributor and thought leader shaping executive-level discussions on enterprise IT, cybersecurity, and innovation strategy.
  • Member, Gartner C-level Communities – Exclusive peer network for CIOs/CTOs/CISOs to collaborate on strategy, technology transformation, and enterprise leadership.
  • Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science – (AAAS)
  • Member, SIM Chicago & AITP Chicago – Actively engage with Fortune 500 CIOs and senior IT leaders through panels, forums, and strategic discussions, contributing thought leadership in innovation, digital transformation, and enterprise technology.
  • Member, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) – Active participant in the global community advancing technology for humanity, with engagement across computing, AI, and engineering domains.

SELECTED SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, PANELS & PODCASTS

  • University of Chicago “IT Matters” Series — Topics: Quantum Computing (Jan 2021) and PME Technology Strategy (Dec 2022)
  • Automox Webinar: “For Fix Sake: IT Trends Set to Shape 2023” (Jan 2023)
  • Podcast Guest: “The Data Diva Talks Privacy” (Episode 141, July 2023)
  • Oracle Industry Lab Workshop (Interactive Roundtable): “No De-Risk, No Reward” (Sep 2024)
  • Oracle Industry Lab Workshop (Case Study): “Mapping Your Digital Product Experience Across the Ecosystem” (Sep 2024)
  • AI Ethics Forum: Oakton Community College & Evanston Township High School (Mar 2025)
  • Frost and Sullivan – Technology Council Executive Series – “Implementing Innovation – Ideation, Incubation, Culture, and Scaled Impact”  (March 2025)