Bob Roark's Story

I didn’t come into technology through prestige or pedigree. I came into it by watching systems fail—and seeing what happens to people when they do.

Early in my career, I learned that when technology breaks, it isn’t just an IT problem. It disrupts learning, erodes confidence, and creates risk leaders didn’t plan for. That lesson has shaped how I lead ever since.

In my career, I’ve been accountable not only for successes, but for outages, staffing gaps, and decisions that had to be explained publicly and corrected quickly. I partner closely with leaders at all levels—from the superintendent and cabinet to department leaders—to ensure technology decisions support enrollment stability, staff confidence, and uninterrupted learning.

Today, my work centers on operational stability, safety, and public trust—especially in environments where reliability is non-negotiable and failure carries real consequences, like public education.

Over the course of my career, I’ve led and advised technology service organizations across K–12 education, federal programs, and regulated enterprise environments.

Despite the differences in scale and structure, the patterns are consistent:

• Systems drift when accountability is unclear 
• Trust erodes when leaders can’t see operational risk
• Teams burn out when service delivery is reactive instead of governed

I’m typically brought in when confidence is low, visibility is limited, and leaders need calm, accountable execution to stabilize operations and restore trust.

After decades of seeing the same failures—and recoveries—repeat across organizations, I formalized what works into The Grove Method for ITSM Excellence™.

The Grove Method focuses on:

• Preventing disruption before it reaches users 
• Making operational risk visible and actionable
• Measuring outcomes that leaders actually care about
• Scaling trust, not ticket volume
   

It reflects real-world leadership, not theory—and it’s grounded in environments where stability and safety matter most.

I’m the author of three bestselling books on IT leadership and service transformation and a frequent contributor to industry publications and conferences.

My writing and speaking focus on:

• Service leadership in high-stakes environments 
• Building trust through operational discipline
• Aligning technology delivery with executive governance
   

These platforms allow me to share practical insights drawn directly from lived experience—not abstract frameworks.

This work isn’t about technology for its own sake.

It’s about ensuring the systems people depend on don’t become the risk—so educators can teach, leaders can govern, and organizations can move forward with confidence.

Wharton Executive CTO Program · MBA · ITIL Expert · PMP · CISA · BRMP · CCXP