Hello and Welcome!

IT Lead

Feb 2022 - Current

Pinnacle Advertising and Marketing 

General Responsibilities

• Responsible for oversight of IT supporting Pinnacle Advertising, and all its sub-companies.

• This position's primary responsibility is ensuring organizational effectiveness by providing leadership for the organization's IT.

• Working with all departments that contribute to the development and implementation of organizational strategies, policies and practices.

• Interact with senior management as well as all staff.

• Improve IT systems, processes, and policies in support of organizations mission -- specifically, support, information flow and management, technology process and planning.

• Manage and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of IT and Building functions, through improvements to each department as well as coordination and communication between IT and Building functions, as well as all other business functions.

• Participate in planning for all IT.

• Oversee financial management, budgets, planning, systems and controls for IT.

• Development of individual project budgets.

• Regular meetings with CEO around IT planning.

• Supervise and coach any IT staff.

Coordination and Supervision 

• Coordinate, manage and monitor the workings of the IT in the organization. 

• Manage IT staff, preparing work schedules and assigning specific duties.  

Financial Management

• Develop and manage project budgets to ensure that they efficiently and effectively provide needed services while staying within budgetary limits.

• Assisting Controller in monitoring cash flow of IT.

• Ensure that vendors and service provider invoices are accurate and timely requests are made to the Accounting Department to be paid. • Manage the negotiations of new and existing maintenance contracts.

• Control IT inventory and asset management.

Organizational Effectiveness

• Manage IT department.

• Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of Support Services through improvements to IT, as well as coordination and communication between departments.

• Develop and oversee annual plan and forecasts of organization's IT needs.

• Ensure IT projects are completed on time and with as little disruption to other departmental functions as possible. 

• Improve IT processes and policies in support of organizational goals. 

• Formulate and implement departmental, and organizational policies and procedures to maximize output.

Accomplishments

• Decreased monthly IT expenditures by over $15,000/month

• Decreased Yearly IT expenditures by over $50,000

• Built an in house IT Team so that IT help desk and Systems Administration can be brought back in house and managed internally.  An overall monthly savings of over $10,000

• Implemented a MDM for our Apple and Windows devices

• Elimination of our physical phone systems and implemented Teams Voice, a savings of approximately $1,5000/month.

Regional IT Manager

Oct 2020 – Feb 2022

CMIT Solutions of Chicagoland North

• Manage a team of IT professionals who support our business clients

• Performing ongoing relationship management

• Triaging client service-related issues

• Initiating and overseeing client projects

• Providing IT compliance and security risk management assessments 

• Triaging Client Service Issues

• Line Management of Local Staff 

• Project Management of Client Initiatives 

• Consulting on IT Compliance & Risk Management 

• Account Management of Local Client Base 

• Building Brand Awareness through Networking in the Community • Providing Local Sales Support for Prospect and Referral Opportunities 

• Networking in the local community 

• Providing local sales support for new prospect and referral opportunities alongside other dedicated sales resources. 

• Direct line management over the local resources that deliver service to clients with responsibility for day-to-day employee management, employee scheduling and utilization, annual employee performance reviews and compensation decisions. 

Director of IT & Managed Services

July 2018 – Sept 2020

IMAGETEC L.P. 

• Manage and support the corporate and branch offices IT infrastructure, system security, building security, backup, phone systems, technology contract administration and supporting systems to ensure optimum performance. 

• Responsible for staff of IT department, and training/certification updates as required. 

• Manage IT budget, expenses, and projections on Managed IT Services 

• Design, build, configure, and administer Windows Servers, Hyper-V, and VMware environment. 

• Oversee all IT initiatives involving infrastructure, applications, communications, and security. 

• Work with sales in development and growth of Managed IT services and software solutions. 

• Manage all users and access to corporate systems as required by their specific job duties. 

• Regularly performs system and security reviews of all users with executive management team, to determine their business requirements and develop a plan for implementation. 

• Manage and directs pre/post sales IT personnel and activity including assignment of project manager for software/equipment installations. 

• Performs complex customer project management including pre-sales demonstrations and post sales installation and training. 

• Generates sales and revenue from IT professional services as well as software and solutions programs offered by IMAGETEC. 

• Maintains all company technology contracts with approved vendors. 

• Research and recommends new technology programs to enhance company efficiency and productivity. 

• Administer and maintains company CRM software and ensures user training has been conducted on a regular basis. Provide enhancements to CRM when requested and approved. 

• Provide reporting and other operating system enhancements upon request. 

• Establish and maintains operating systems security per company policy. 

• Provide system review and analysis for ongoing growth and updates as well as cost projections and estimates. 

• Perform related operational and administrative assignments as required. 

• Maintain effective relationships with customers, vendors, and fellow employees 

Managed IT Services Director / Owner

June 2014 – July 2018

Aquarius Technology Solutions, Inc. 

• Project management which includes research, planning, and implementation 

• Manage all aspects of the infrastructure, which includes the technical and daily operation support for all systems. 

• Recommend and manage the implementation of information technology strategies and directions. 

• Provide system review and analysis for ongoing growth and updates as well as cost projections and estimates. 

• Oversee the daily performance of computer systems. 

• Ensure proper installation of cables, operating systems and software. 

• Train users in the proper use of hardware or software. 

• Create and maintained databases, network accounts and programs for specific department needs. • Evaluate and conduct technical and functional research and analysis. 

• Participate in special projects, external audits, evaluations and process improvements. Implement and administer advanced Microsoft technologies. 

• Implement new services into production. 

IT Operations Manager

Dec 2013 - June 2014 

Blue Star Tec, LLC. 

• Provided technical leadership to IT staff. Managed IT staff, prioritizing daily tasks, projects, and end user issues. 

• Managed and budgets and lowered operating expenses. Project management including research, planning, and implementation. 

• Managed all aspects of the infrastructure, which includes the technical and daily operation 

• Project management which includes research, planning, and implementation 

▪ Managed all aspects of the infrastructure, which included the technical and daily operation support for all systems. 

▪ Recommend and managed the implementation of information technology strategies and directions. 

▪ Configured and maintained systems, ensure network connectivity, Active Directory, Exchange Server, user accounts, volume usage and security. 

▪ Installed and configured virtual/physical Windows servers, workstations, firewalls, routers, and switches. 

▪ Maintained all corporate IT systems and ensures they are operational at all times. 

▪ Identified and provided file backup methodology for networks. 

▪ Regularly performed system and security reviews. 

▪ Maintained operating system security per company policy. 

▪ Provided system review and analysis for ongoing growth and updates as well as cost projections and estimates. 

▪ Performed related operational and administrative assignments. 

• Developed and approved all technical specs for new projects 

▪ Provided and maintained Cloud based solutions for active and backup purposes. 

Manager of IT Operations

Sept 2009 - Dec 2013

2iAmerica, LLC.

• Provided management oversight for business objectives. 

• Managed technical team, partner, and vendor relationships. 

• Provided daily oversight on job progress/success. 

• Provided technical leadership to IT staff 

• Developed and approved all technical specs for new projects 

• Served as the Senior Technical Advisor to staff and customers 

• Provided technical assistance in field as staffing/skills/workload demands 

• Managed all aspects of the infrastructure for the Information Technology department, which includes the technical and daily operation support for all systems. 

• Recommend and managed the implementation of information technology strategies and directions. • Configured systems, ensure network connectivity, and install and test hardware and software. 

• Installed and configured the firewalls, routers, and switches. 

• Identified and provided file backup methodology for networks.