Allen CIO supports manufacturing companies as their virtual chief information officer (CIO) and partner. This means we can take on very specific roles for as little or as long as you would like.  Working closely with both the business end of your organization and your IT, we help align your technology spending with your big picture objectives.

In general it doesn’t matter what technology you have in place, it is about how you use it.  We are senior-level CIOs and multi-faceted technology executives that can be utilized to greatly improve your business systems.

Ben Allen, Principal

Soon after graduating from DePauw University Ben joined the Price Waterhouse office in Chicago as one of two help desk technicians for 900 employees.  Within five years he was promoted to the role of Audit Business Unit Technology Liaison, which is the IT director for

the 35,000-person worldwide audit department reporting to the global CIO.  Ben led technology projects for 5 of the top 20 audit client engagement teams.  These projects included creating worldwide communication solutions for United Bank of Switzerland, Pepsi, and NCR and a worldwide audit system for Walt Disney manufacturing.  Internally, Ben founded Technology Bytes, the technology newsletter across the 67,000 person firm, and also built the Business Unit Technology Request system, which was designed to define, budget, and approve technology projects worldwide.

Ben left Price Waterhouse in mid-1998 to establish Allen Technology Advising, an outsourced technology department for manufacturing, public safety (first responders), and non-profit clients. For over 20 years he mentored 30 employees and provided technology management services to 88 clients before selling the company to Platte River Networks.  His departure allowed him to launch Allen CIO, which offers part-time technology leadership services to Private Equity companies having 75 to 300MM manufacturing companies within their portfolio.

In 2015 Ben’s business successes allowed him to take a seven month sabbatical to Arusha, Tanzania.  While there, he volunteered at local IT companies and coached them on selling managed services, like outsourced backup, to their clients which resulted in reoccurring revenue streams.  He resides with his wife, Kathleen, in Arvada, Colorado and has 4 grown children and a grandchild. His activities include road and mountain biking, golf and hiking.

Helmut Oehring

Helmut Oehring has extensive experience leading information technology supporting manufacturing, healthcare, global supply chain management, and marketing.  He currently delivers fractional CIO services including strategy development, readiness assessments, technology evaluations, and team development from start-ups to $500M enterprises.  His current initiatives include ERP quick-start programs, HCM selections, and cloud migrations for discrete manufacturers, food processing companies, and professional services organizations.  Helmut has experience pursuing global customers with CRM solutions, supporting LEAN manufacturing with ERP deployments, automating shop floors with AI & Industrial IoT innovations, delivering cutting edge Business Intelligence solutions, and managing IT transitions through M&A activities.

Previously, as the CIO for Ascend Clinical, Helmut established a CRM strategy leveraging Salesforce, fully automated the lab floor with Siemens technology, and delivered an innovative digital product that retained customers.  Formerly, he was Executive Vice President with Asteelflash, envisioning and implementing technology strategies to grow revenue and improve profitability.  He was responsible for the Integration and IT divisions for the company including staff with locations across North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia with headquarters in Paris, France.  Helmut was also a Vice President at CoorsTek with broad responsibilities for Business Transformation through IT, manufacturing ceramic materials, and purchasing raw materials globally from a portfolio of suppliers.  He managed three operating facilities in the US supplying ceramic materials for customers worldwide.

 

 

Helmut earned a MBA from Indiana University after spending his undergraduate years at the University of Illinois graduating with a B.S. degree in Computer Science.  After growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Helmut and his wife Vicki enjoy family-life with four children in the Denver, Colorado area.  Broncos, scuba, and skiing are household favorites.