Consul-IT

Independent enterprise architecture · Utrecht

Architecture that connects strategy to delivery.

I'm Frank Groot, an independent enterprise and solution architect with more than 30 years in IT. I help organisations in regulated and complex environments shape their target architecture, govern their application landscape and keep programmes on course from strategy through implementation.

Available for new assignments

Discuss an assignment View services
Consul-IT services across the three ArchiMate layers BUSINESS Strategy Capabilities Compliance DORA · Wwft APPLICATION Portfolio Integration Identity & access TECHNOLOGY Public cloud Event-driven platforms
Where I work, drawn as an ArchiMate layered view.

Services

What I deliver

Interim and project-based architecture for organisations that need clear direction across business, application and technology, often under regulatory pressure.

BusinessApplication

Application portfolio & roadmaps

Structuring the application portfolio, rationalising the landscape and prioritising investment across domains, backed by realisation and portfolio-management processes that hold.

BusinessApplicationTechnology

Enterprise & solution architecture

End-to-end target architectures, Project Start Architectures (Novius, TOGAF) and architecture repositories that teams actually use.

Business

Architecture governance & leadership

Leading and maturing domain architect teams, setting up governance and decision processes, and advising senior management on key choices.

BusinessApplication

Regulatory & compliance architecture

Architecture for DORA and Wwft / sanctions-screening programmes in insurance and financial services, with processes you can demonstrate to the regulator.

ApplicationTechnology

Integration & data architecture

Enterprise-scale integration with OpenAPI, event-driven messaging and microservices, and canonical data models such as TM Forum SID.

ApplicationTechnology

Identity & access management

Consumer-scale identity, single sign-on and authentication / authorisation for B2C and B2B, designed for multi-country rollout.

Approach

How I work

From boardroom to build team

I explain architecture and its trade-offs to C-level and business stakeholders, and work just as comfortably with engineers on API definitions, data and message models.

Compliance by design

Business strategy and functional and non-functional requirements become solution designs that are demonstrably compliant with what the regulator expects.

Models that communicate

As a certified Open Group ArchiMate trainer, I make models a shared language for decisions, never shelfware. I also train and coach architect teams.

Experience

Selected track record

Insurance, telecom and financial services, across multi-country and multi-cultural organisations.

  1. 2023 – 2026

    Lead Domain Architect

    DELA · Office of the CIO

    Coordinated the domain architect team for relationship management, insurance and funerals across the Netherlands and Belgium. Project Start Architectures for Wwft / sanctions and DORA compliance programmes; strengthened portfolio management of the application landscape.

  2. 2017 – 2023

    End-to-End Solution Architect

    Liberty Global

    Owned the integration architecture for mobile apps and customer, CPE and network-management portals on AWS for four operating countries, including OTT consumer network-security services.

  3. 2011 – 2017

    Architecture Domain Lead

    Liberty Global · Corporate CIO

    Led the architects for identity & access management, mobile applications and WiFi roaming, setting pan-European IT strategy for 12+ operating countries. Established the TM Forum SID-based canonical data model.

  4. 2021 – now

    ArchiMate Trainer

    The Unit

    ArchiMate 3 Foundation and Practitioner training as a certified Open Group trainer and proctor.

  5. 1997 – 2011

    Co-founder & CTO, architect, designer

    MORSE · Lost Boys · Inpact · UPC Broadband

    Co-founded MORSE, delivering data-exchange products to clients including Shell and Railtrack, followed by architecture and application-design roles in digital agencies and at UPC's corporate CIO office.

Certifications & education

  • M.Sc. Electrical Engineering, University of Twente
  • TOGAF 9 Certified
  • Open Group ArchiMate 3 Trainer & Proctor
  • TM Forum Frameworx & SID Information Framework
  • Certified ScrumMaster

Methods & technology

  • Novius, TOGAF, ArchiMate, UML, TM Forum SID
  • Scrum and Scaled Agile delivery
  • AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, Kafka, OpenAPI
  • Archi, Sparx
  • Dutch (native) and English (fluent)

Contact

Planning a programme or need an interim architect?

I take on freelance (ZZP) assignments in the Randstad, on site or hybrid. Send a short description of the role or challenge and I'll respond within one working day.

Emailfrank@consul-it.nl
Phone+31 6 11012433