Ivaylo Lazarov

Ivaylo “Ivo” Lazarov is a public-sector technology and change leader with 16+ years of experience driving organizational transformation across government and private industry. In eight years with Cook County, he has delivered strategic technology initiatives with broad cross-functional impact. As Assistant Deputy Bureau Chief, Systems Administration, in the Bureau of Asset Management, he leads technology strategy and governance for more than 19 million square feet of public assets, including the largest technology initiative in the Bureau’s history, the IBM TRIRIGA implementation.

What defines Ivo’s work is that it is built to scale and designed around the people who use it. He pairs enterprise systems with governance frameworks and re-engineered processes, and applies human-centered design so that improvements are adopted across departments and become countywide standards rather than one-off pilots. He has directed the re-engineering of more than 200 processes and was part of the core group directing the pilot of the Workplace Strategy and Design Program, creating people-centered, collaborative, and agile workplaces. He also represents the Bureau on the Cook County Inaugural Data Governance Steering Committee.

Ivo’s work has earned five awards from IBM and the National Association of Counties in 2025 and 2026 for innovation in AI-powered process design, county administration, and change management. He has spoken at IBM MaximoWorld in both years, and his human-centered approach to SOP design was nominated for the Public Sector Facilities Leadership Award. He also serves on the IBM TRIRIGA Global Customer Advisory Board. Ivo holds an M.A. in Economics and has completed programs at Cornell University (Generative and Agentic AI; Blockchain Essentials), Northwestern University (Full Stack Web Development), and the IIT Institute of Design (Design-Driven Innovation).