California State University System – Office of the Chancellor

The Problem

• A prior attempt to consolidate and upgrade 23 universities onto a new version of PeopleSoft had failed.

• Requirements were incomplete or inconsistently gathered across campuses.

• Communication and coordination between workstream leads broke down frequently.

• The lack of project governance, testing structure, and stakeholder engagement stalled progress toward standardization.

Solution 

• Served as Program Director to re-establish project governance and alignment across all campuses.

• Built a project management infrastructure including clear communication workflows, meeting cadence, and decision-making structure.

• Designed and managed testing and training programs to ensure readiness and adoption.

• Fostered a culture of collaboration and transformation, encouraging teams to take risks, share accountability, and break down silos between departments.

The Result

• 23 universities now live on a consolidated recruitment system.

• 15 universities fully live on the upgraded platform.

• 5 additional campuses in active implementation.

• 3 universities in the final wave, scheduled to complete soon.

• The program—once thought to be impossible—is now a recognized success model for complex higher education transformations.