95 James Street | Barrie, Ontario L4N 6Y1 | (705) 795-2222 | grantmatthews@hotmail.com
Insightful, driven, solutions-focused IT management professional with 15+ years of distinguished experience in leading IT transformations and the implementation and management of infrastructure platforms for turnaround and high-growth organizations. Innovative and creative IT leader with a proven track record of creating technology-based strategies and solutions. Developed, implemented and managed IT operations on a large scale through complete life cycle (inception, development, approvals, deployment, management, maintenance, testing). Repeated success guiding sizeable, cross-functional teams in the launch of leading-edge, on-time, and in-budget technical solutions. Led offshore teams based in North America, Asia, and the Middle East.
Immediate Value Offered:
- Key technical strategist, capable of conceptualizing, implementing, and managing IT structure and solutions to meet immediate, long-term, and changing company goals and visions.
Leads by example, marshaling, resources and creating a professional, energized atmosphere to accomplish objectives. Natural communicator with strong motivational skills and the ability to gain team and project partner support towards the achievement of operational goals and IT/business objectives.
- Solutions advocate, successful at consolidating competing technologies within multiple business units and aligning the overall infrastructure with corporate planning initiatives.
Leadership & Technical Strengths IT Strategy · Solution Architecture · Technology Deployments & Enhancements · Client Relations Team Building & Leadership · Cloud Technologies · Relationship Building · Project Management (PMI.org 4th Edition)
Database Infrastructure Design & Management Training & Mentoring · Application Development · Vendor Relations
Documentation · Internal / External System Security · Penetration Validation
Data Center Design & Relocation · Needs Assessments · SME · Network Design · Unified Messaging
Firewall Deployment & Management · Project Integration · Gap & Root Cause Analysis
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Matthews Information Services 2012-present
IT Consulting and Technical services to all industries. Providing On-Site and remote technical support, project management, system development, management of all IT resources, third party contracts, data center, office relocate, systems security and data integrity, network security and integrity. Based in Barrie, able to provide service and support to a wide range of clients in the GTA, New Market and Barrie areas.
Epsilon, Toronto · Ontario 2011- 2012 Digital Operations Manager
-Change Management
Identified and developed internal Change Control procedures based on KPI metrics to comply with ITIL and COBIT standards for a US based multichannel marketing organization. Analyzed existing software and hardware across several formerly independent divisions residing on UNIX/Windows application servers, used Citrix, virtualization, networking, desktop integration, databases such as SQL, Oracle, Tibco and custom applications in the production, development and internal environments. Provided recommendations for revision to the existing procedures to Executive Level to enhance and update the Change Management system.
Cogeco Data Services, Toronto · Ontario 2011 - 2011 Manager, IT Systems & Support / Security Officer
Orchestrated support and management of 83 servers, 10 appliances to monitor the remote nodes for delivery of data and voice services to end business that supported virtualization and SQL Server databases. Led a team of 3 and worked with SAML Single Sing On and Agile methodologies on software/system development. Initiated the mapping of network from scratch and innovatively created a network architecture blueprint. Systematically evaluated and documented the functions on each individual server
Key Highlights:Conceptualized a high level remediation plan to improve reliability and business continuity and presented findings to the IT Steering committee of Senior Executives. Successfully reviewed and revised the DBA functions for multiple instances, integrated cloud based vendor supported sales databases residing in SQL Server and Postgress.Proactively investigated a security breach that had previously occurred, worked with third party consultants and internal management to develop an appropriate remediation plan, recommended and gained approval for acquisition and implementation of the hardware and software required to address security defects.
Trow Consulting Engineers Ltd., Brampton · Ontario 2000 - 2009 Manager, Information Services · Capacity Planning· Implementation Planning· Root Cause Remediation· Data Center Design· Needs assessments · Client Post Sale Support· Internal Communications· Server Design· Data Center Relocation· Network Design · Client Presale Support· Intrusion Detection· Server/Hosts Documentation· Disaster Recovery Planning· Network Documentation · Corporate Communications· Liaise with all Divisions· Software Development· Firewall Deployment/Mgmt.· Project Integration · Unified Messaging· Vendor Relations· Staff Training/mentoring· Firewall planning· Project Management · Gap Analysis· Root Cause Analysis· Security -Physical & Data· Fiscal Planning· Release Management · Subject Matter Expertise· SwitchGear Implementation/Mgmt.· Cross Functional Training / Support· Managing multiple concurrent Projects· Video Conferencing · Website Implementation
Facilitated the management of the IT Division, grew a team from 2 to 36, built infrastructure, policies and procedures needed for support. Integrated localized systems into core and established state of the art systems during the organizational growth from 20 to 80+ offices globally. Recruited IT team, established different tiers, implemented level 1, 2 help desk, a supervisor for technical support, software development, security, and active directory / email. Managed and serviced PC Desktop/Laptops, Apple Laptops (Leopard), Windows Servers, Unix based Firewalls, Cisco Switching, Cisco Unified Messaging, Cisco Video Conferencing, Tandberg Video Conferencing, building physical security, data center security, nuclear laboratory security, corporate integration, pre-acquisition IT evaluation and costing, budgeting and forecasting for all IT related expenditures including staffing, services, hardware, software and licensing.
Hired and developed a team which operated across North America, China, U.A.E, and K.S.A; created and implemented security, purchasing, DP, policies, a Global Help Desk and directed the team efforts in the support of 3000+ employees around the globe. Conceptualized and developed standard architecture to migrate from isolated offices to unified message architecture. Authored budgets, included existing commitments, resources, capital expenditures, presented feasible solutions, gained approval from the CEO and Executive Committee and reduced the IT budget by 3% in each of the last 4 years. Developed a VPN based security system to support remote office access. This was considered R & D by the Federal Government as it tied in three very different products and suppliers, in combination all three indicated could not work. After successfully developing and deploying this system, the results were submitted to the Federal Governments’ R&D Tax Credit program. After careful scrutiny by the auditors, were provided with the Tax Credit.
Key Highlights:Designed and led the implementation of flexible modules for all newly acquired offices, presented architecture concepts, budgets and project plans for 5 years and 10 years with approval.Championed the implementation of Citrix server farms, directed the evaluation of application software, worked closely with other departmental heads to understand requirements, surveyed market offerings and directed the first line managers in evaluation of products.Oversaw the EMC installation of storage systems to create centralized archival system for email and data files to accommodate the forecasted 15%-25% annual growth driven by constant acquisitions.Led the IT elements of a Highway engineering project in Inner Mongolia China, reviewed architecture, implementation and installation of 3 data centres to gather highway condition data and conducted a sanity check. Instrumental in the creation of security and data centre architecture for an office to support the construction of a city in Saudi Arabia, the inland canal system connected to the Dubai harbour and sky scrapers in the UAE.Integrated legacy systems into overall Corporate structure, allowing for unique requirements of each location while ensuring all core services are available regardless of platform (Windows, Apple, Smart Phones, Blackberry)
Early Career:
1998 – 2000 Manager, Systems at Canadian Cancer Society;
1994 - 1998 Manager, LAN Operations & Network Analyst/Security Analyst at ACC Long Distance Inc.;
Novell Certified Netware Engineer, 6th Novell CNE in Canada; Successfully Managing People, Schulich School of Business, York University; OS/2 at IBM; Several Vendor Specific Courses, Firewall/Gateway Systems, PMI.org PMP Training
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Platforms: Windows 7, 8, Vista Windows 2008/2007/XP/2003/2000/NT, Apple Leopard, MAC, Linux - Redhat/Ubuntu, Novell Netware, SCO UNIX, XENIX, AS400, , ABM, Bank Machines, VMware, Citrix Metaframe
