Every company is becoming a data company—or risks falling behind. Migrating to the cloud is one of the most effective ways to future-proof operations and unlock the true value of data. But cloud migration is complex, and without the right people in place, it can lead to downtime, data loss, or reduced efficiency.
We’ve covered the cloud migration lifecycle and its benefits before. Here, we focus on the human side: the roles and responsibilities that make a migration project run smoothly and ensure long-term success after the move.
The Migration Project Team
A well-structured project team is critical. Missing or unclear roles are among the most common reasons migration projects stall, underdeliver, or fail outright. While every organization is different, the following structure provides a strong blueprint.
At the highest level, you’ll need:
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The Migration Team – responsible for delivery.
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The Project Committee – providing oversight, guidance, and escalation support.
Ensuring clear communication and alignment between these groups is essential, as are connections with business users and stakeholders.
Key Leadership Roles
Executive Sponsor
A senior leader who champions the project, secures resources, and acts as the final escalation point. Typically filled by a CTO, CDO, or similar.
Program Manager
Responsible for overall execution and alignment with corporate initiatives. Tracks progress, manages risks, and keeps the migration on course.
Project Manager
Handles day-to-day operations, communication, and coordination between the Migration Team and the Project Committee.
Technical Leadership
Cloud Architect & Migration Tech Lead
This role (sometimes split into two) combines architectural design with migration expertise. The Architect ensures scalability, governance, and cost-effectiveness, while the Migration Lead manages the unique challenges of moving data and applications. Together, they balance rehosting versus rebuilding strategies and resolve complex trade-offs.
The Project Committee
The Project Committee brings together representatives who monitor risks and provide expert input across domains. Members advise each other while keeping responsibility for their respective areas.
The Migration Team
Migration Team Lead
Manages the specialists executing the migration and ensures their work aligns with the overall plan.
Migration Specialists
Engineers who perform the migration tasks—configuring, moving, validating, and optimizing data. They need a deep understanding of both source and target environments as well as the tools involved.
Critical Supporting Roles
Business Team DRI
The business-side point of contact who ensures requirements are clear, priorities are understood, and business logic is preserved in the migration.
Network DRI
Handles networking dependencies, ensures permissions are in place, and helps identify application dependencies via traffic analysis. Plays a vital role in avoiding hidden issues during cutover.
Security DRI
Oversees data protection, compliance, and governance considerations. Depending on the industry and scope, this could be a senior engineer, CISO, or CIO.
Bringing It All Together
Cloud migration is not just a technical challenge—it’s an organizational one. By clearly defining roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths, companies can avoid misalignment, reduce bottlenecks, and maximize the value of their cloud investment.
In smaller projects, one expert may cover multiple roles. In larger, complex migrations, these functions often require dedicated specialists. Either way, thinking through the team structure before you begin is essential to long-term success.
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