Referrals:
I have been exceptionally fortunate to have worked with some outstanding people in my Career as a Technology Leader over the years. Their talent, skills, and passion have been largely the reason for any measurement of success that I have had. For that I have always been grateful.
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But I’m even more thankful of those that have been kind enough to speak about their experiences as reports, peers, and fellow leaders that I reported to. It's been my observation that I have found no single greater predictability of future success than the outspoken respect of those that you have worked with, at all levels, in the past. |
"Many
would call his implementations bleeding edge, however I
disagree. He supports a global infrastructure, with many
divisions time zones, and cultures. When a new solution is
launched it is Michael {that} has already read, studied and
conversed with the industry experts on his next vison. So
while others wait to be told to be innovative and improve
processes, Michael is delivering competitive capabilities to
his company. - John Bloom, Currently Sr. Datacenter Consulting Engineer, Dell Technologies |
I first met Michael... when I started working for Cook
Medical. At that time, he had recently been hired as the
manager of an IT infrastructure team which didn't yet exist,
in an environment with only a handful of servers and a
problematic network. He was presented with the enormous task
of creating an entire IT infrastructure that could properly
support a large, globally dispersed company. Michael faced
this challenge with incredible skill and dedication. In just
a few short years, we had created a true data center with
200+ servers and state-of-the-art technologies being
accessed 24/7 from around the world. These amazing
accomplishments were made possible by Michael's knowledge,
leadership, and commitment to moving the company forward.
His hands-on system designs in the beginning put everything
on the right track. Throughout the years he always provided
proper direction and never stopped looking ahead to future
advancements. These were all critical building blocks in
making Cook's Information Technology what it is today. - Chris Creech, Currently Manager Server Support, Farm Bureau Insurance |
 Michael
and I worked together at Saint Joseph's College during an
extremely challenging time. Michael was a significant
contributor and leader both while working to improve the IT
infrastructure when the College was working to turn around
its financial position… He has a hands on approach and was
able to serve in many different roles wearing many different
hats while planning a path for the College's future.- Spencer Conroy, Currently VP Finance, University of St. Thomas (TX) |
In our time at CompuSource, Michael displayed a keen
awareness of IT strategy and customer service. He took great
pains to fully understand the customer's technology needs
and develop a plan that best suited their needs in a cost
effective way. Making sure the customer got what they needed
and understood the process they were going through were very
important to him. - Jeffrey Gabbard, Currently Sr ITSM Analyst, CNO Financial |
Based on my 40+ years’ experience in higher education
administration, Michael Kohlman is an outstanding Chief
Information Officer...
In many areas, Michael is brilliant and his intelligence and
expertise regarding the different areas of Information
Technology is amazing. - Bill Hogan PhD , Former VP, St Joseph’s College |
My first interaction with Michael was when I was invited to
assist in a project negotiation meeting that he had called
in Tokyo, in which we were able to get answers to his
questions about what had been planned by a domestic vendor
for Cook’s Tokyo office consolidation and move, something
that is quite hard to do across timezones and languages...
His extensive knowledge becomes almost a given when you work
with him…
-
Rick Cogley, CEO, eSolia |
 Michael
is brilliant. A client of mine had some issues, I gave a
call and fixed in a day what their IT managed to create
causing huge problems. He left teaching them and making them
feel great about trying. Michael is a great leader has
ethics getting the job done and going home.- Lee Prinkkila, CPA CGMA, CFO, CPA, Tax Preparer and EOS Integrator |
Michael started with a vision... at a company that did not
truly understand the role that technology can play in a
company's growth and industry leadership. He did his
homework and through his ability to communicate
non-technically to business leaders he was able to convince
executive leadership to move forward with his plan.
- Dave Muncie, Select Account Manager, Cisco Systems |
{Michael’s} positive energy and optimistic attitude coupled
with his openness to find flexible pathways for all with
whom he works are integral to Michael’s professional
approach. His openness to colleagues’ ideas and enthusiasm
in developing critical learning experiences for students and
faculty are key components for his success. His success in
working with others reflects the ideals and values that are
critical in any educational setting. Michael understands the
need to look critically at the innumerable dimensions that
evolve as an educational setting seeks to keep abreast of
technology and the impact for the whole campus.
- Dr. Thomas J. Ryan, Vice President for Academic Affairs -
Emeritus, Saint Joseph’s College |
Michael was able to institute dramatic changes within a
short period of time while working for me.
Michael grasps the fact that Leadership is about
relationships and communication, and was able to effectively
form strategic partnerships required for both his and the
greater institutional success.
- Scott Gilreath, Currently Chief Information Officer,
Indiana Wesleyan University |
 I was given the mission of negotiating our debt which led to the suspension of operations of the College in May of 2007. My other mission was to form a team to help discern a possible pathway for Saint Joseph´s to “rise from the ashes” in a new form. This was when I met Michael who was... at the College when I arrived. I maintained him as part of the “Phoenix Team” and later renewed his contract. Mr. Kohlman proved to be an indispensable member of our team and showed great skills in his field of technology. I found him to be very creative and always willing to rise to a new challenge. He did so in an unassuming way. He put in many extra hours when needed in order to achieve the needs that had to be addressed. Michael’s expertise will positively impact the entire campus by supporting various entities to meet future demands. I admired his dedication to his job and his willingness to stay on and be a player in the mission of bringing the College back, which many thought was an “impossible mission". - Fr. Barry Fischer, C.PP.S., Former Rector, Saint Joseph's College |
 {Michael was} an excellent strategist. He stood strong to present and represent our team to the business and enhance communication between IT and the company which led to better productivity and efficiency of projects. Michael brought cohesion to our team when there was none prior. I look up {to} and respect him as leader. - Kaci Duke, Currently Technical Change Manager, Zulily |
 It
was a great opportunity to work with Michael at Restaurant
Technologies, Inc. Reporting to Michael was more along the
lines of a learning experience, each and every time.- Kyle Koopman, Currently IT Contractor, Enbridge |
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- Annaka Sikkink, Currently Student Employee Development and Success Specialist, NC State |
Michael has brought his considerable energy and positivity
to his volunteer work at HIRED by helping our students
prepare for interviews and better understand the world of
work. Michael has a very generous spirit and has always been
enthusiastic about opportunities to share his knowledge and
expertise with others. He has consistently been responsive
when communicating with me, and I can count on him to help
out.
 I
worked under Michael for 2 years and I must say it was the
best 2 years of my professional life. He makes you feel
comfortable in your role. I know that i would not be where I
am today if it wasn´t for his guidance.- Odd Waller, Currently Information Security Manager Intraservice Göteborgs Stad |
Since coming on board at SJC, Michael has been a great
leader and mentor. I personally have learned more about IT
leadership and management in the last year from working with
Michael than in any previous position in my career.
- Richard Calhoun, Senior Network Manager,
Girtz Industries
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I began working with Michael when I was still in college,
working for Cook Medical as an intern in the summer between
semesters. I owe the majority of my career success to him as
he was the best mentor I could imagine.
- Kyle Hopkins, Unified Communications Administrator,
Cook Medical
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