Philippe Gagneux · Basel
IT support leadership ad interim: build, stabilise, bridge.
Since 2008 in IT support for pharma, banking and insurance companies in Basel and Zurich, as Interim Head of IT Support, IT Migration Site Lead and Senior IT Support Specialist. I take over support when the lead is missing, the function has to be built from scratch, or a rollout is slipping.
Situations
When something in IT support cannot wait and nobody inside is free. Five situations I have worked in before.
The head of IT support has left or is not yet hired. I lead the team in the meantime, operations keep running, and the succession happens without pressure.
Done at SERV, 2023
The first 30 daysReview the team and the ticket situation, write down critical procedures and emergency paths, weekly report to the head of IT.
A support function from zero: processes, ticketing, emergency concepts, documentation, training.
Done at SERV, 2023
The first 30 daysCapture tasks and volume, introduce ticketing and priorities, document the first processes, onboard the team.
A migration or rollout project is stuck. I take the site lead, stabilise the rollout and lead the team through it.
Done at Actelion / Johnson & Johnson, 2018
The first 30 daysRecord the state and the blockers on site, re-plan the rollout cadence, daily alignment with project and site.
Bringing users and support together after a merger or acquisition without hurting operations.
Done at Bayer, Monsanto to Bayer integration, 2019
The first 30 daysCapture user groups and systems on both sides, define support paths for the transition, answer management's questions.
Support and systems in a GxP environment: SOPs, change control with QA approval, audits.
Done at Roche, 2015 to 2016 and 2023 to 2024
The first 30 daysReview systems, SOPs and open changes, align with QA, set up the change control cadence.
AI enablement
AI enablement is my offer: teaching, advising, building and rolling out. Four examples, all in operation, all with numbers you can check.
One shared workspace for a team in Switzerland and Norway: a plan by month and week, documents with version history, absences, a backlog with an inbox. Each person works in it with their own Claude: 65 tools read and write in the hub.
Live since September 2026, six build rounds in two weeks
A Kubernetes cluster with a GPU, local language models up to 27 billion parameters, and a fleet of AI agents that writes and checks code: 1,771 pull requests since February 2026, every one through an automated gate with tests and mutation tests.
Measured on 10.10.2026
dossier.aptis.ch: 641,458 Swiss companies over ten years, publicly searchable. Around 3,800 market events a week are classified automatically, and aptis.ch/weltmodell turns them into a weekly situation report with no manual work.
Live since July and August 2026
Home Assistant with Zigbee lighting and automations by API. Speech recognition runs locally (Whisper); the voice channel to my own assistant has been in operation since September 2026.
In daily use
Plus training and advice: from the first conversation through the use case to the rollout in the team, with the same tools that run above.
Mandates
Fixed-term mandates are the shape of this work. These are the stations that matter for IT support.
Interim Head of IT Support
Built and led the IT support team, defined operating processes, emergency concepts for the server infrastructure, automated workflows, trained staff, process documentation in BPMN.
IT Migration Site Lead
Stabilised the migration rollout, led the rollout team, brought order to execution and stakeholder communication.
Digital Integration Consultant
Monsanto to Bayer integration for enterprise users, advised senior management in the transition, technical support in the integration phase.
IT/OT System Process Specialist, Quality Business Consultant
Harmonised IT and manufacturing processes in a GxP environment, wrote URS and SOPs, change control with QA approval, audits, aligned stakeholders across sites.
Senior IT Support Specialist
Supported 10,000+ enterprise users, built the knowledge base, on-site training and support in 50+ countries.
Career
Pharma, life sciences, banking, insurance, agro
Contact
Available at short notice for mandates in the Basel region, on site or remote. For providers and agencies the CV is ready as a PDF.