Leads the full IT engineering team, including the systems, network and telecom teams.Oversaw the implementation of a new phone system for 250+ stores and 600+ internal users saving the business $150K per year while gaining new features and preparing the business for a remote workforce.Oversaw the implementation and maintenance of the disaster recovery and business continuity plan ensuring all systems are protected in the event of an incident. Worked with key business stakeholders to determine an acceptable recovery time for systems and data.Managed external vendor relationships including purchasing contracts and negotiation of cost and terms, while overseeing the planned infrastructure technology roadmap.In conjunction with the security department, oversaw the implementation of Prisma Access, a product to better protect corporate assets while people are working remotely.Oversaw the digital transformation to AWS

Oversaw the restaurant technology relationship between the IT team and other departments within CKE to ensure IT projects were implemented efficiently, on time, and according to external stakeholder standards.Led a data center migration from the cloud back to other systems, saving the business $900K per year, while leading the network and telecom team in ensuring network and telecom systems are available and reliable.

Led and mentored junior level engineers to ensure performance and productivity standards were met to meet organizational and project goals. Architected the implementation of a full-stack Meraki SD-WAN solution for 1000+ domestic restaurants utilizing MX65/MX68 firewalls, MS-120 switches, and MR33 access points. Re-architected the internal restaurant IP addressing scheme to provide segmentation for enhanced security.Architected the store-level security policies to reduce the likelihood of a malicious attack, along with a DR strategy with geographically diverse data centers for quick failover.Utilized Palo Alto 3220 firewalls in HA pair, Cisco Nexus 9300 switches, OpenGear 7200 OOB management, and Dell VxRail in each data center.Pivotal in significantly enhancing quality, and safety in deploying new capacity to networks while ensuring the right resources and structure is in place to proactively stay ahead of capacity demands.Managed successful external MSP relationships essential for the procurement and installation of the Meraki solution and connectivity.Utilized dual-homed Internet connections with BGP to provide high availability, implemented GlobalProtect VPN client utilizing Okta for secure remote access.Designed a web portal utilizing Python, Flask, Palo Alto APIs, Meraki APIs, and Solarwinds APIs that allowed for network automation and a streamlined workflow when installing Meraki equipment in stores.

Led junior and mid-level network engineers in maintaining and supporting LAN/WAN network infrastructure for the corporate office, data center operations, and over 500 remote facilities, ensured stable network operations which enabled the staff to deliver better patient care. Re-designed Cisco DMVPN deployment for connectivity to remote locations resulting in a more stable infrastructure.Configured and designed Cisco firewall, router, and switch implementations including Cisco 1900, 2900, and 3900 series routers, 2960S, 3750X, 3850, and 4906, series switches.Configured and maintained Palo Alto and ASA firewalls in two data centers and the corporate office. Configured Palo Alto and ASA firewalls to accept remote VPN connections from the Cisco AnyConnect and Palo Alto GlobalProtect VPN clients.Integrated remote VPN access with Microsoft’s Active Directory utilizing LDAP. Designed and implemented a certificate-based authentication wireless network to better secure the wireless infrastructure utilizing 802.1X, PKI, and Microsoft’s RADIUS server.Designed and implemented Viptela SD-WAN solution for 150 facilities utilizing the vEdge 100 and 1000.

Provided leadership to junior and mid-level network engineers to effectively maintain and support LAN/WAN network infrastructure for four corporate offices, data center operations, and over 400 remote clinics to ensure stable network operations which enabled the staff to deliver better patient care. Researched available technology options, making recommendations of solutions that were in optimal alignment with the company's long-term strategy.Configured and designed all Cisco firewall, router, and switch implementations including Cisco 1900, 2900, and 3900 series routers, 2960S, 2960XR, 3750X, 3760X, Nexus 5696 and 5672 switches, Fortinet 90D, 140D, 1000C.Designed, implemented, and maintained IPsec site-to-site VPN tunnels to remote clinics, designed and oversaw the implementation of new network technologies.Collaborated with the Premise Health security team to monitor and evaluate security policies and practices, ensuring the security of patient data, partnered with major circuit providers on the installation and configuration of new circuits in remote clinics.Proactively monitored the network for reliability and stability utilizing Nagios and Riverbed technologies, implemented NetFlow monitoring on all remote and datacenter firewalls for network monitoring.Designed, implemented, and maintained the Cisco ASA 5525X high availability firewall deployment in the core datacenter that all remote clinics communicate through.Implemented Cisco’s Sourcefire IPS to defend against internal and external threats, redesigned firewall rules to better secure the edge of the network and designed and implemented a proper DMZ strategy.

Meet with clients to discuss technology needs. Designed technology plans for clients on how to streamline their operations and boost profits utilizing the latest technologies. Lead team to implement and maintain LAN/WAN topologies utilizing Cisco hardware, security camera systems, and Microsoft Windows client/server networks.

Designed and maintained network connections in main office and two branch offices. Utilized Cisco hardware for VPN connections for secure data sharing and remote access between offices. Performed maintenance, upgrades, installation, updates, and repairs on Microsoft Windows XP workstations and Microsoft Server 2003 servers. Responsible for backups and security of servers and network infrastructure.

Project manager for web based application development. Developed, managed, and maintained Salon Director, a web based salon management suite running on IIS and SQL server. Technology consultant in Georgia and Eastern Tennessee for Mail Boxes Etc. Responsible for onsite support calls and new store network and computer setup. Designed, implemented, and maintained technology plans for small and medium sized businesses including Cisco LAN/WAN network design and Microsoft Active Directory design.

Handled desk side support with the building products division.