Recorded live at EIC 2026 in Berlin, Jeff and Jim sit down with Thomas Zarnhofer, IAM Architect at a major retail company in central Europe. Thomas shares his experience leading a full IGA transformation from a decade-old on-premise system to a modern cloud-based platform. The conversation covers the shift from a contract-based to a person-based identity model, the importance of cleaning data before migration begins, a three-phase framework of Foundation, Migration, and Adoption, lessons learned from running two systems in parallel, and a look at how AI could make IGA predictive. The episode ends with Thomas's tips for visiting Austria.

Connect with Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tzarnhofer/

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/

Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/

Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and EIC 2026 Setting

02:00 Thomas's Identity Origin Story

04:21 The Catalyst for IGA Modernization

07:43 Contract-Based vs Person-Based Identity Models

09:22 Consolidating Master Data Sources

11:39 Data Quality and Attribute Ownership

13:34 Partnering with HR for Clean Data

16:43 Data Analysis: Why They Chose Excel Over AI

17:53 Clean Your Data Before You Migrate

18:23 The Three Phases: Foundation, Migration, Adoption

20:12 Driving Adoption Across the Organization

21:10 Running Two Systems in Parallel

22:47 Challenge Everything vs Lift and Shift

27:23 Surprises in the Cloud IGA Journey

29:02 Testing Requirements in the Cloud

29:51 AI and the Future of IGA

32:25 AI Chatbots and Role Discovery

35:30 Scoping Business Role Visibility

36:06 Life Outside IAM: Travel and Austria Tips

Keywords:

IAM, IGA, Identity Governance, IGA Migration, On-Premises to Cloud, Identity Model, Contract-Based Identity, Person-Based Identity, Master Data, Data Quality, HR Integration, Joiner Mover Leaver, Cloud IGA, Retail IAM, EIC 2026, AI in IGA, Predictive IGA, Role Management, Access Governance, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Thomas Zarnhofer