NPact

Advisor

At NPACT, I led the organization through a critical post-acquisition transformation, driving substantial improvements across engineering, AI, infrastructure, and product teams. My focus was on aligning technology and business strategies to fuel growth, resulting in a significant expansion of the customer base and a marked increase in SaaS assets under management. I spearheaded the modernization of the technology stack, enhanced cross-departmental collaboration, and played a pivotal role in key initiatives such as product strategy, KPI development, and M&A activities.

Selected Accomplishments:
•	Doubled the customer base and increased SaaS AUM from $50B to $100B by leading the post-acquisition transformation and guiding engineering, product, AI, and infrastructure teams.
•	Reduced ticket resolution times from 2-3 weeks to 48 hours, saving $200K in the first year by implementing a new escalation process and integrating support with bug-tracking systems.
•	Engineered an innovative organizational model for product and engineering, driving significant improvements in cross-functional collaboration, communication, and strategic planning.

Chief Product and Technology Officer

JVZoo

At BBC Systems, I oversaw the development and transition of key products and technology infrastructure, focusing on enhancing user experience and streamlining operations. My leadership encompassed managing UI/UX engineering and product teams, driving the implementation of modern development processes and technologies that supported the company's growth. I partnered closely with third-party providers to ensure compliant and efficient financial transaction processes, which significantly improved revenue distribution and operational efficiency.

Selected Accomplishments:
•	Reduced production rollbacks 78% by implementing innovative development processes and streamlining the software development lifecycle, significantly enhancing product stability.
•	Directed the transition of the company's technology infrastructure, adopting modern development technologies and Agile methodologies to support future growth.
•	Overhauled the UI/UX design of the company’s products, addressing critical usability issues and improving customer satisfaction and retention.

Head of Client Technologies

projectLD, LLC

At ProjectLD, I was instrumental in building and leading the engineering, product, and infrastructure teams responsible for developing a learning management system (LMS) and suite of SaaS products serving healthcare and special needs communities across 170 countries. My strategic leadership focused on reducing global infrastructure costs, driving revenue growth, and securing intellectual property through innovative software development. The company's impact was widely recognized, including national media attention, for its contributions to the healthcare and special needs sectors.

Selected Accomplishments:
•	Achieved 75% reduction in global infrastructure costs by migrating the product line to a cloud-based architecture, enhancing scalability and operational efficiency.
•	Increased revenue 30% through the development and implementation of a digital ad strategy, including in-product partnerships.
•	Secured three U.S. patents for groundbreaking software development and content encoding technologies, establishing the company as a leader in innovation.

Chief Technology Officer

Multiple Organizations

Engineer, manager and executive at organizations including Halliburton, Toyota, and Weatherford.

Early Career

Hi! I'm Kevin Howren.

I'm a technology leader with over 15 years of experience and a passion for leading scale-ups, hypergrowth and transitioning (lots of change) organizations.

This is how Claude summarizes quotes about me from an array of former colleagues and team members:

Kevin embodies exceptional leadership through a rare blend of technical expertise, interpersonal warmth, and strategic vision. His genuine care for each team member creates a foundation of trust, while his remarkable ability to maintain composure during crises provides stability when it's needed most. Team members consistently rely on Kevin's decisive judgment and technical insights to overcome complex challenges and roadblocks. What truly distinguishes his leadership is how he transcends traditional technical roles by collaborating effectively across the entire organization, breaking down silos that typically hinder progress. His business acumen complements his technical knowledge, enabling him to contribute strategically at the executive level with perspectives that integrate technology with broader organizational goals. These combined qualities make Kevin not merely valuable but essential to the executive leadership team, someone who elevates both his immediate team and the organization as a whole.

I believe in:
  - Servant leadership
  - Transparency
  - Clarity in communication and expectations
  - Accountability
  - Collaboration
  - Clear business alignment and impact
  - Continuous improvement and innovation
  - Operational excellence
  - Consistency
  - Positive cultures
  - Mentoring while leading by example

Some of my career highlights:
  - Grew startup from 0 to over 170 countries
  - Doubled customer base and SaaS AUM to $100 billion
  - Led teams of 60+
  - Cut infrastructure costs by 75%
  - Slashed support TTR from 2.4 weeks to 48 hours
  - Reduced production rollbacks 78%
  - Multiple exits
  - Filmed for NBC Today Show segment on innovation
  - Appeared in multiple national publications for industry work
  - Partnered on three patents
  - 1 of 15 hired for Halliburton Global Executive Development Program

#CTO #CPTO #ChiefTechnologyOfficer #Leadership #TechLeadership #SaaS #AI #OpenToOpportunities #OpenToWork

I went to raise my desk 15 mins before an important call.  One side went up, the other didn’t.  This is my desk by meeting time.

The dreaded E08 message!  I tried all the suggestions from the interweb machine.  Nothing worked.

Sometimes the unexpected happens.  As leaders, the key is to stay calm and make the best of the situation.  The tone you set is amplified and multiplied.

Still waiting on a response from Herman Miller 😡

Kevin Howren

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Scaling Teams and Transforming Organizations through Servant Leadership

As a CTO and product-driven person, I‘m constantly thinking of design, iteration, and improvement.  Soap dispensers are my enemy #1.

I bet 90% of bathroom counter soap dispensers are designed like the one in the picture - with the pump tip pointing almost perpendicular to the bottle.  Push even slightly hard or struggle to get something out when the bottle is almost empty and you end up with soap on your arm, shirt - anything but your hands.

UI may be great.  UX is usually terrible.

I love buying from companies, and hiring people, who think through the details.

Anyone else constantly looking at things and working out in your head how they could be done better?

(I bet you can guess from the post how my morning started!)

Taco Tuesday rules.  Taco Tuesday is terrible.  Long live Taco Tuesday!


I love tacos.  I would take a taco over ice cream.

I read a post from a leader humblebragging about bringing in tacos once a month.  They went on to talk about their great culture.

The typical comments came in applauding the action - with others raging that tacos aren’t culture.

They’re both right.  Things like Taco Tuesday are, or should be, an expression of a great culture.  A piece of the pie that makes the org a great place to work.  People love it not just because of the free food, but because they love to socialize with their colleagues.

It’s not a band-aid.  Not a placater.  Not a benefit replacement.

Happy Tuesday.  May it include lots of tacos!

Are your people begging for your attention?  Organizational awareness is a close second to self-awareness when it comes to leadership superpowers.

It’s easy to get caught up in strategy and the day-to-day.  While leaders often think they are firing on all cylinders because they’re personally accomplishing what they need to accomplish and the ‘numbers’ are looking good, often their people are suffering.

The signals are being sent.  The warning signs are there - team members overstretched, culture eroding, people leaving the org.

Attempting to keep the org’s temperature isn’t enough.  Problems can become insidious long before you detect them.  This is where culture, emotional intelligence, and transparency are firewalls.

The systems to keep the org healthy have to be in place before the problems begin.

Too often, it’s an all-hands effort to fix issues after the case:  And that often makes things even worse.

Any stories of the building burning while leadership is none the wiser?

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