Why certifications matter when building your career in 2024 Part 1

Mike Battistella likes to say that he wears a couple of hats.

Mike’s primary role is the President & CTO of Solutions³ LLC, an award-winning IT Service Management & Cybersecurity consulting & training organization. Solutions³ provides full lifecycle IT Management & Cybersecurity solutions in the US federal and commercial markets.

Mike is also one of three Strategic Affiliates for the DVMS Institute having global responsibilities along with a primary focus on U.S. Government Solutions. The DVMS Institute focuses on cybersecurity career development and teaching organizations of any size how to build an Adaptive, Cyber-Resilient Digital Value Management System (DVMS) capable of Creating, Protecting, and Delivering (CPD) digital business value to clients and stakeholders.

Achievements:

• Advisory Board for the College of Business at Seton Hall University
• Advisory Board for the College of Engineering at Fairleigh Dickenson University
• CIOReview Magazine: 20 Most Promising Defense Technology Solution Providers
• Regular Cybersecurity Contributor to the MeadowlandsUSA Magazine
• HP Software Rising Star Award
• HP Software Crystal Globe Award
• The C12 Group Nehemiah Award
• SBA Emerging Leader 2015
• Technical course developer for HPE Software and other software vendor & training partners

Ket is an accredited Change Management Institute Master Practitioner and has over 20 years experience across private and public sector organisations. His specialisms include target operating model design, process improvement and service design initiatives - driven by leveraging new technologies whilst keeping the focus on actions that support the people impacted to realize the intended benefits. 

He is a passionate educator and advocate for exemplary change practice. In his role with the Change Management Institute he works to establish collaboration opportunities with third parties to further the reach of Change Management as a valuable business discipline and to continue to push the boundaries of how we evolve change management practice for the wider community. As the founder of the community - Change Reactions - he works to raise awareness of Change Management tools, methods and behaviours to encourage the next generation of change practitioners to forge a career in Change.

Dr. Chris Müller is an independent educational consultant focused on promoting international-mindedness and global citizenship in the context of international education, as well as effective governance in international schools. He also works as Adjunct Senior Lecturer for the Education University of Hong Kong, teaching courses in international school leadership. He originally hails from Namibia, but is now at home in Cape Town, South Africa. He studied at universities in South Africa and the U.S.A., completing his doctoral studies at Columbia University Teachers College in New York. Most recently, Dr. Müller was the Director of Bonn International School in Germany. Prior to Germany, he spent 5 years in Zambia as Director of the American International School of Lusaka. He has also served as Principal at the United Nations International School in New York, U.S.A., the American International School of Bucharest in Romania, and the International School of Tanganyika in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. He also taught high school Mathematics and English at schools in London, Paris and Cape Town.  

He has served on many boards, including the Council of International Schools (CIS), the International Baccalaureate (IB) Heads Council, and the IB Regional Council. In 2019 he was selected to be a TED Innovative Educator and he now serves on the TEED-Ed Advisory Board. 

Since founding Explosive Learning Solutions with her husband in 2005, Cath has immersed herself in risk, change, and project management. Cath's career spans both public and private sectors, specializing more recently in Contract Management and Procurement Training, with over 30 years of invaluable experience. As a seasoned professional Cath, seamlessly navigates the intricacies of the Contract Management Lifecycle, providing expert advice and delivering comprehensive training—from business case development through sourcing to meticulous contract management. Committed to continual professional development, Cath is not only a practitioner but an avid reader, ensuring her knowledge is ever-evolving.

Cath Convey, founder of a successful Learning and Development company. Cath's proudest achievement, over 30 years of marriage to her husband, both military veterans. They have served globally, raised three children, and run their company for 20 years, impacting clients in both the public and private sectors worldwide. Remarkably, they haven't killed each other!

Ian Clark is a a dynamic and enthusiastic Director, Service Manager, Governance and Management Practitioner and lecturer with over 25 years experience in both the internal and external delivery of IT Management education, consultancy products, services, solutions and projects.  As a business and service orientated leader, Ian has a wide range of European and African experience within multiple industry sectors specialising in drastically improving business productivity, profitability and quality for both the organisation and clients. He is a human and outcome focussed person. Ian hols certifications in ITIL® Master, AgilePM®,BA®,DS®, COBIT® & IT Governance Assessor and Implementation Expert,APMG/CMI® and Change Management. He is also a coach, mentor, advisor and industry recognised speaker. 

Some of Ian's accomplishments include:

• Global ITIL ATO Sub Group Committee Member –African Continent Representative 
• Member – MALC (ITIL Expert) 2011 Global Working Group 
• Member – Official ITIL v3 Publication Review Team 
• Member – ITIL 2011 Reviewer for Introduction to ITIL Lifecycle Publication 
• AgilePM – Global ATO representative and Scheme Committee Member 
• Co-Author and Reviewer of the SIAM (1st Edition) BOK 

From a professional perspective Ian's proudest achievement includes opening and running Fox ITSM SA (11th Year in Business) and still going strong. Ian is also certified as an ITIL Master in 2023, which he is proud of.  Personally, Ian considers successfully raising twin daughters to be decent humans as a matter of pride. 

At HMRC (since Nov 2021), I have led and delivered complex projects (budget £10M), ensuring successful implementation while adhering to regulations. I have fostered a collaborative environment through open communication, knowledge sharing, and feedback workshops. I have also managed vital stakeholder relationships for projects like the Windsor Framework and Northern Ireland protocol. 

Sarah's proudest achievement: I'm particularly proud of achieving two milestones recently. First, I landed my first management position within the civil service, demonstrating my leadership skills and commitment to growth within the organisation. Second, I launched my podcast, showcasing my passion for neurodiversity in the corporate space and a willingness to step outside my comfort zone. Both accomplishments came after feeling stagnant in my previous roles. Taking the initiative to pursue these opportunities opened doors and gave me a sense of accomplishment and validation.