APAC Service Desk Transformation & Governance Manager

We are seeking an experienced APAC Service Desk Transformation & Governance Manager to lead the implementation, coordination and governance of the programme.

This role will act as the central point of coordination between the global and regional IT teams, the selected vendor, and the various Maisons and Divisions across APAC. The successful candidate will drive the transformation programme, secure stakeholder alignment, manage risks and dependencies, and ensure a smooth transition towards the new Service Desk organisation.

Responsibilities

Programme Leadership & Governance

• Lead the APAC deployment of the new Service Desk operating model across all subsidiaries.
• Establish and maintain programme governance, reporting, risk management and escalation mechanisms.
• Define, monitor and secure the implementation roadmap, milestones and dependencies.
• Ensure alignment between Group IT strategy and local business requirements.

Vendor Management

• Act as the primary regional counterpart for the selected Service Desk provider.
• Coordinate vendor activities across APAC markets and entities.
• Monitor implementation progress, deliverables, service readiness and operational risks.
• Ensure vendor commitments, timelines and quality standards are met.

Transition & Change Management

• Lead the transition from the existing support organisation to the new Service Desk model.
• Develop and execute transition plans, including knowledge transfer, operational readiness and governance setup.
• Identify and mitigate operational, organisational and business risks throughout the transition.
• Facilitate adoption and stakeholder engagement across the region.

Stakeholder Management

Service Management & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure the new Service Desk service is established according to ITSM and ITIL best practices.
• Define and monitor KPIs, SLAs and operational performance indicators.
• Identify service improvement opportunities and support continuous optimisation initiatives.
• Promote standardisation and harmonisation of support processes across APAC.

Profile

• Master's or Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in IT Service Management, IT Operations or IT Transformation.
• Proven experience leading Service Desk or End User Support transformations in multinational environments.
• Strong programme/project management experience involving multiple countries and stakeholders.
• Experience managing large-scale outsourcing or managed services engagements.
• Experience working within luxury, retail, consumer goods or international matrix organisations is highly desirable.
• Technical & Functional Skills
• Strong knowledge of:
• ITIL / IT Service Management
• Service Desk and End User Support operations
• Service Transition and Service Introduction
• Incident, Request, Problem and Change Management
• Vendor and contract governance
• PMO methodologies and programme governance
• Familiarity with ServiceNow or equivalent ITSM platforms.
• Leadership Competencies
• Excellent stakeholder management skills at executive level.
• Strong communication and influencing abilities.
• Ability to work across diverse cultures and business entities.
• Strong organisational and risk management skills.
• Ability to manage ambiguity and drive complex transformations to completion.
• Certifications (Preferred)
• ITIL Foundation or higher
• PMP, Prince2 or equivalent Project Management certification
• Agile or Scrum certification (desirable)