Ghent Metropolitan Area
I enjoy working with people and making technology work for the business. I'm a quick learner and not afraid of getting my hands dirty with technical issues, but I'm equally happy when I can deliver longer-term deliverables with larger project teams, or even help out an end-user with a software issue they're having. I consider myself to be hard-working, eager to learn, loyal and flexible. My ideal workplace is a fast-paced technology environment with different disciplines, different cultures, and a great team spirit. Specialties: I enjoy working across a broad range of IT technologies, with strengths in Linux and Windows Server, cloud, networking, and automation/scripting. I'm also routinely involved in IT project management and planning. At the moment, I'm diving into the magical world of Docker & Kubernetes and automated deployments, with special focus on security and enterprise-readiness.
Briging my previous IDP expertise towards expanding and running the newest BASF Internal Developer Platform (IDP) using terraform, CDKTF w/Python, GitHub Enterprise, Azure AKS, DataDog & Backstage
Building, running, and supporting an Internal Developer Platform (IDP) "AppStore" - for Web and Data science applications - using Kubernetes, GitLab, bespoke Infrastructure APIs, Ansible, Python, Terraform, Microsoft Azure, OpenSearch
Moving Docker+Kubernetes into production and scaling up. GitLab CI/CD pipeline automation & tooling, GitOps, Docker, Ansible, Python, Kibana, Terraform, Microsoft Azure.
Continuing in my role as IT Systems Manager, now for BASF Plant Science's Nevele site. ▪ Leading further IT infrastructure consolidation and application migration in the server (Windows | SUSE Linux | VMware ESXi | NetApp | HPE Helion | Azure) and (Cisco) LAN areas. ▪ Driving security improvements (LAN segregation | Check Point firewall) ▪ Joined new team with focus R&D Systems Infrastructure (DevOps; Containerisation / Docker; Kubernetes)
"Filling in the gaps" of standard support in specialty areas: special purpose PCs, handheld devices, networks, label printers, software, 3rd line end-user support & escalations. Involves troubleshooting both processes & technical issues. Also involved global-local alignment of central projects, local project planning, internal communication, and security topics.
As Systems Manager I've led a small team for many years, being the main responsible for management and maintenance of a heterogeneous network of both Linux and Windows servers, and a varied IT client landscape including IP telephony. Our team also provides end-user advice through the labyrinth of IT procedures and tools typical of a large organisation. I've played a pivotal role in growing CropDesign from a 1 server, 30 employee start-up company in 2001, towards a multi-rack server room, and afterwards towards an outsourced model running on VMWare. Our servers run various bespoke applications for over 150 local users - ensuring reliable and error-free operations. In 2006, after the acquisition of CropDesign by BASF Plant Science, our team was on the front line taking care of secure site interconnection, and in the following months and years migrating users to BASF standards such a Lotus Notes, implementing central Novell, later DFS, Fileservices, standardizing client systems, and working towards various other corporate standards in the fields of Identity Management, Security, and so on. In recent years, I've also been involved in server consolidation - making sure to meet expectations of both the end-users and the central project and service teams. I'm a firm believer in simplification (at least keeping things simple from an end-user perspective) and in good documentation relating to IT infrastructure.
As local Information Manager for CropDesign I was responsible for managing and forecasting IT costs, participating and leading IT projects, as well as in aligning local IT policy with the BASF Group strategy, and communicating around such topics with staff and upper management. Aside from internal contacts (working in collaboration with other BASF Information Managers and interacting with IT colleagues from other departments) I was usually the main contact towards IT vendors.
Everything with a cable attached to it ;-) Administration, automation, scripting and maintenance of Linux servers, all the way down to projectors, keyboards & mice.
Front-end development in HTML, "DHTML", Javascript, Photoshop on Mac OS. Some design work.