Saad Ashfaq Email & Phone Number

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

As part of regional team and CTO office, looking after technical pre-sales for Huawei Backbone Routing and Security solutions in the Middle East and Central Asia (ME&CA) Region.With expertise in backbone infrastructure routing and security, promoting Huawei's innovative SRv6, SDN technologies and security portfolio. Representing Huawei at public forums, events and speaking on unique value that Huawei technologies and solutions bring in for customer benefits. Acting as regional expert and helping local countries with project bids, solution designing, customer presentations, act as trusted advisor for customers, manage sales and revenue pipeline, work with R&D for new feature development, train new and current sales staff on new products and features, act as mentor for new joiners and take overall ownership of assigned business.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

► Responsible for architecting ICT solutions for Cisco’s Enterprise market across Middle East Region covering a wide range of technologies including ICT Infrastructure, Security and Data Centers. ► Guide the customers to take architecture decisions, ICT design changes, upgrades, migrations and digital transformation projects.► Act as an advisor to the customer and build relationship as trusted technology advisor to C-Level executives, VPs and Directors.► Polished to stand in-front of the customer, lead a team of Network Consulting Engineers and Customer Support resources to articulate the ICT Design decisions and drive resolution to operational issues.► Advocate and contribute towards Cisco’s success in the region as the prime ICT technology provider in the designated domain

United Arab Emirates

Etisalat is regional leader in Communications Services Provider providing fixed, mobile and broadband services across the middle east and Africa.Working with Etisalat government clients on mega scale ICT infrastructure and Digital transformation projects from conception to design, deployment and operationalize.► Worked as Technical Leader in developing the ICT infrastructure for Abu Dhabi Government sponsored state of the art USD 1.2 Billion New Al Ain Hospital. Managed several ICT vendors to design and deploy Cisco ACI based Data Center, Security solutions Cisco ISE, Fortinet, SD-Access capable Access Network switching infrastructure, Wireless LAN with Location Services (RTLS), Wireless Intrusion Prevention, AV and Collaboration, IPTV, CCTV, IP enabled BMS and Access Control systems.► Managed several ELV, MEP and Medical Equipment vendors in integrating their systems into ICT Infrastructure.► Hiring and managing the project staff► Supporting the commercial manager in budgeting, forecasting and managing costs► Managing project stakeholders in gathering requirements and translating them into tangible deliverables► Assisting Project Managers in reporting progress to Director and VP level management in Etisalat► Providing overall technical leadership to ICT partners, vendors and 3rd party vendors for collective collaboration

United Arab Emirates

NETS International group is an IT and Telecom solution provider for Telcos, Enterprise and SMEs with coverage in Middle East and Africa. We help Customers to plan, build, support and manage their ICT networks. With over 130+ resources, and 30 years of System Integration experience NETS International has served more then 100+ clients across the globe in the field of Collaboration, Network Security, Routing and Switching, Data Centers and Virtualization, Broadband Networks (FTTH/GPON), Mobility Services.As NETS CTO, my prime responsibility is to ensure that company's technology strategy serves its business strategy. Besides, do the additional fun stuff as following:► Lead the design and development of UAE's first SDN based Packet Broker solution for Etisalat in 32 Data Centers across UAE for stringent Cyber Security Monitoring solution, Etisalat fixed and mobile data services monitoring and service assurance.► Lead the deployment of KPMG's first Cisco HyperConverged Server Infrastructure for KPMG's CyberSecurity Forensics Research and Analysis.► Lead the development of Mycom SQM (Service Quality Management) solution based on Big Data analysis and provide Etisalat a proactive edge in detecting and mitigating service quality issues.► Monitor, assess and investigate new technologies, opportunities and develop NETS capabilities in sales, solution design and support services to increase revenues.► Set the direction, best practices and strategy for technical operations. Develop business model to reduce costs and achieve operational excellence.► Externally serve as an advocate of NETS for customers and internally advocate for the technical team and technology base before the management. ► Translate technical jargon into plain English for top executives helping them make better strategic decisions.► Give the company strength, credibility and visibility into various market segments.► Make the final technical decisions.

Abu Dhabi, Uae

NYU Abu Dhabi is a research and higher education institute with a fully integrated liberal arts and science college. It draws students from around the globe and prepares them for the challenges of the new interconnected world.► Designed, deployed and managed the IT infrastructure of state of the art campus at Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. Collaborated with various vendors architects to build up comprehensive integrated IT infrastructure to support Data Center, comprehensive Campus Security systems, Campus TV, CCTV, wireless, IT Security Designs (Firewall, Intrusion Detection/Prevention, VPN Solutions, L2/L3 security) to name a few.► Managed various vendors such as Cisco, IBM, HPE, GBM etc. to deliver IT projects contributing to expanding business needs.► Managed collaboration with other architects to develop new business and technology services designed to meet future business growth and community needs► Assist change managers to coordinate IT operational and architectural changes that ensure system integrity and keep alignment to architectural principles and service levels.► Conducted stakeholder management duties.

Abu Dhabi, Uae

► Managed network operations team to ensure achievement of standards.► Improved operational efficiency by implementing ITIL processes and by continual service improvement initiatives.► Documented support services as part of change process.► Communicated with management and presented the operational state of the IT environment, highlighted new services and projects and handled escalated issues.► Coordinated with vendors ensure timely deliverables, POCs, project designs, and evaluations.► Carried out planning for IT systems capacity, team skills development and technology road maps.► Implemented team skills development to address future technology support needs.

Abu Dhabi

GBM is an ICT solution provider established originally by IBM. GBM is sole distributor of IBM products and leading Cisco Gold partner in the Gulf region.► Designed and deployed IT infrastructure projects in banking, government, health care and retail businesses.► Managed various network and data center migration projects to improve IT services and performed technology refresh upgrades leading to better business performance.► Supported pre-sales teams to develop competitive customer solutions and participated in client discussions to facilitate solution buy in.► Conducted various trainings for GBM clients to enable the client’s staff operate and manage the delivered IT solutions.

Lahore, Pakistan

Emircom is an ICT subsidiary company of Emirates Holding Group in UAE and is a Cisco Gold partner.► Managed Pakistan’s largest telecommunication company PTCL countrywide IP/MPLS backbone expansion project. Managed team of engineers, technicians and vendors to build telecom facilities (including power connectivity, air conditioning, copper/fiber cabling, civil works, earth pits) in PTCL exchanges across 30 cities of Pakistan and deployed the telecom equipment for expanded core IP/MPLS bandwidth capacity.► Designed, deployed and managed large scale IT projects in service provider and enterprise markets.► Managed and led Emircom’s branch technical staff for customer support and project implementations.► Established new accounts and business development.

Lahore, Pakistan

National Engineers is an ICT integrator and Cisco Silver Partner providing ICT solutions in various sectors of Pakistan and UAE.► Managed Warid and Wateen Telecommunications IT and IP/MPLS project deployment across the country in Pakistan developing the company’s IT data center, IP based call center and several telecommunications facilities across the country.► Managed various vendors such as Cisco, CyberNet (ISP), Nortel for integration of various network segments to deliver a comprehensive mobile network.► Headed the ANS group (Advanced Network Services) for designing and deployment of various enterprise projects.► Designed and deployed Nayatel’s converged Data and Voice IP/MPLS metro Ethernet solution providing diverse MPLS services with QoS and Traffic Engineering, MPLS VPN, VPLS, IS-IS, Security with FWSM and IDSM and network management systems.► Conducted various customer training workshops to enable customer for managing the deployed networks.

San Jose, Ca, Usa

Cisco is global leader in networking equipment and provides the networking foundation for some of the largest service providers, commercial businesses and enterprise customers in the world, including corporations, government agencies, utilities and educational institutions.Worked at Cisco Systems with different business units contributing towards the BU’s objectives in the following capacities:Advanced Services Lab Engineer (2003 – 2004)► Besides my studies towards MSEE, worked part-time with Cisco Advanced Services Lab operations for complex network designs for validation, proof of concepts and intricate technical problems investigations.► Managed the advanced services Lab environment by keeping track of inventory, equipment check-in/check—out, enforcing Lab access policies and procedures.Test Engineer (2001 – 2002)► Being part of Multiservice BU (MSSBU), conducted various technology tests on the Cisco routing platform for product improvements, bug fixes and new IOS releases.► Supported development test engineering group for bug recreates, fixes and validation testing.► Developed testing environment for testing new features and technologies.TAC Customer Support Engineer (2000-2000)► As part of Access support TAC group, provided remote support to Cisco’s global customers on Cisco ISP dial solutions and products.► Assisted other team members for timely resolution of escalated TAC cases► Collaborated with Cisco BU for software and hardware bugs fixes and releases to customers.

Karachi, Pakistan

► Designed and deployed the country wide Internet Service Provider network.► Managed network team, customer support team, architecture development and operations.

Karachi, Pakistan

► Provided customer support services with Cisco Premier Partner. ► Completed various networking LAN and WAN projects.

Master'S Degree, Electrical Engineering

Master Of Business Administration (Mba), Marketing/Marketing Management, General

Bachelor'S Degree, Telecommunications Engineering