Gartner Expert

Rob Schafer

Sr Director Analyst

Rob Schafer is a Sr. Director Analyst in the Sourcing, Procurement and Vendor Management group. Mr. Schafer covers the financing of IT and cloud computing, lease/purchase analysis, IT asset disposition (ITAD: data sanitization, environmental disposition, etc.), IT asset management, cost optimization, IT hardware and software procurement and financing, and contract terms, conditions and negotiations. He has more than 25 years of experience in the financing and running of IT as a business, first with IBM, and subsequently with META Group, the Corporate Executive Board and Burton Group.

Previous experience

Mr. Schafer has a broad and deep background in IT management, the financing of IT, asset management, and infrastructure and operations, with a combination of skills and experience spanning information systems and the economics of IT.

Professional background

Burton Group, Senior Consultant, 2 years

Corporate Executive Board, Research Director, 2 years

Meta Group, Senior Research Director, 15 years

Areas of coverage
  • Sourcing, Procurement and Vendor Management Leaders

  • IT Contracts Negotiations

Education

B.A., Cum Laude, Harvard University

Read More Read Less

Top Issues That I Help Clients Address

01

Financing of and accounting for IT assets, lease vs. purchase, lease agrmt. review, running IT as a business

02

IBM software contract negotiations, audits, T&Cs (terms and conditions), ELAs, RFP and pricing review

03

IT asset disposition (ITAD): Data sanitization, environmental disposition, ITAD economics

04

IT asset management (ITAM)