Engineered AI, Contact Center, Security, and Data Management
Interim technology leadership that engineered lasting security, agility, and cost efficiency for RNL.
The Client
- Company
- Ruffalo Noel Levitz
- Website
- ruffalonl.com
- Industry
- Higher Education
- Headquarters
- Cedar Rapids, US
- Employees
- 1000-2000
About Ruffalo Noel Levitz
Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) is a leading provider of enrollment management, student success, and fundraising solutions exclusively for higher education institutions and nonprofits. Recently acquired by Encoura in 2025, the company serves 1,900+ campuses annually, managing 25 million student search records and generating over $1 billion in philanthropic…
The Challenge
Challenge: For nearly 50 years, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) has supported colleges and nonprofits in enrolling students, improving graduation rates, and building donor relationships. During a recent restructuring RNL faced significant challenges with silos, inefficiencies, lack of strategic alignment, outdated compliance and security practices and an absent comprehensive technology roadmap. These issues threatened their market leadership.
Our Approach
Approach: To address these challenges, Jon Michel Greenwood was hired as an interim CTO | CISO to lead the transformation. Jon conducted a thorough technology assessment, restructured the organization, and developed a strategic digital roadmap. Jon assembled internal and external teams, secured investments in innovative technologies, and created a growth model and budget to support RNLʼs digital transformation.
Key projects included moving to a 100% remote model, IT support through phased RIFs and 2 office closures, streamlining operations, optimizing software licensing for cost savings, rationalizing data centers, CRM consolidation, a data ETL tool pilot, migration to a Call Center as a Service (CCaaS) and ensuring PCI and TX Ramp compliance.
The Impact
Impact: Jon assessed RNLʼs technology landscape, prioritizing technology and operational issues with business stakeholders. Strategic restructuring and a focus on digital transformation, compliance and security transformed RNLʼs organization, ensuring data security and adaptability to digital challenges. A buy vs. build strategy enabled quicker, more cost-effective deployments. The assessment improved client data ingestion processes with AI and rationalized software solutions to reduce costs, and modernized legacy applications, transitioning to cloud-based solutions and SaaS models for better agility and scalability. Jon hired a full-time CTO, CISO and a Chief Data & AI Officer to succeed him.
This engagement with Chameleon Collective provided immediate expertise without the long-term commitment of hiring full-time executives, aligning technology initiatives with business objectives to drive revenue and enhance decision-making. By leveraging Chameleon Collectiveʼs Lead, Deliver, Recruit methodology, RNL achieved greater efficiency, agility, and competitiveness, ensuring sustained success in the evolving landscape of higher education.
Featured Expert
The Chameleon who led this engagement.
“Jon spent 10 months as our Interim CTO | CISO. Our company offers outsourced marketing services enabled by a complicated stack of systems, predominantly managed by a 3rd party overseas contractor. Our company of hundreds of employees also needed to be supported and many of the solutions we provide ”