Promoted from Principal Architect, Hybrid Infrastructure after five months into a newly created director role.
Built and led a fourteen-person architecture practice — twelve architects plus two contract architects, including four CCIEs and four CCNPs with Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet specialisations — embedded across concurrent engagements. Set technical direction, raised design quality through a working review practice, and moved engineers into senior and lead roles.
Owned reference architectures, standards and the design review practice across a client portfolio, so engagements were delivered against one design language rather than individual preference, spanning Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet and Juniper.
Served as senior technical authority and executive escalation point for enterprise accounts — a player-and-coach role in which design direction, escalation and hands-on architecture work sat with the same person.
Projects in this period
- Enterprise Architecture Practice BuildA fourteen-person architecture practice built and led, delivering against one design language rather than individual preference.
- NRI Post-Quantum Cryptography LabA lab built with NRI Japan to prepare clients in both regions for the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography.