St Paul, Minnesota, United States
Technology operations leader with 20+ years experience spanning development, DevOps, release engineering, cloud infrastructure, IT, and security across PE-backed software companies. Currently serving as Director of Development & IT Operations at Grand Avenue Software, a PE-backed SaaS company in the quality management space, where the full development and IT operations organization reports directly to me. Driving strategic initiatives including: • AWS cloud migration and infrastructure modernization, including MAP-funded partner engagement and multi-tenant architecture redesign • AI platform strategy and org-wide deployment, integrating Microsoft Copilot and Claude across the entire organization • DevOps transformation including Jenkins-to-GitLab CI/CD migration and deployment automation • .NET platform modernization (CoreForms), EF Core adoption, and release process standardization • Security architecture, compliance advancement, and vendor/partner management • Org growth through active hiring across engineering, DevOps, and architecture tracks Previously at Solifi (IDS, acquired by Thoma Bravo 2019), progressing from Senior DevOps Engineer to DevOps Manager. Led release engineering and CI/CD operations while collaborating on cloud infrastructure during the company’s rapid growth through multiple acquisitions and transformation to a unified global SaaS platform. Managed distributed teams across North America and India. Core expertise: DevOps transformation, CI/CD & release engineering, cloud infrastructure, infrastructure automation, SaaS operations, security & compliance, AI platform strategy, global team leadership, PE portfolio operations, technology leadership. Passionate about building high-performing teams, driving operational excellence, and delivering strategic value through technology.
Lead technology operations for PE-backed SaaS company in the quality management space. Oversee DevOps, cloud infrastructure, security, IT systems, compliance, and engineering teams supporting growing customer base. Strategic Initiatives: - Infrastructure Optimization - Driving hosting cost reduction and scalability improvements through architecture modernization and vendor optimization strategies - SaaS Operations - Manage high-availability production environment supporting both hosted and on-premises deployment models, maintaining 99.9% uptime - Security & Compliance - Own security architecture, advancing SOC2 readiness, vendor risk management, and penetration testing programs - DevOps Modernization - Implementing CI/CD automation, infrastructure-as-code, monitoring and observability tooling - Technology Strategy - Partner with PE operational team on infrastructure assessments, capacity planning, and technology roadmap development - Team Leadership - Lead engineering resources, foster culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement
Built foundation for DevOps modernization and infrastructure strategy. Promoted to Director based on strategic impact and leadership capabilities.
Led release engineering and DevOps operations for PE-backed enterprise SaaS company (Thoma Bravo Portfolio Company) serving global banking and finance customers. Managed global team and served as voting member of Change Advisory Board during period of rapid growth and M&A integration. Key Contributions: - Release Engineering - Managed complex multi-product release cycles for enterprise customers with strict compliance requirements and coordinated deployment schedules - CI/CD Automation - Built and maintained automated build, integration, and deployment pipelines supporting development teams across multiple products and technology stacks - Global Team Leadership - Managed distributed DevOps team across North America and India, establishing collaboration practices across time zones and cultures. Traveled internationally to build team cohesion and ensure consistent execution - Cloud Infrastructure Support - Collaborated with infrastructure teams on AWS and Azure environments for development, testing, and production workloads; contributed to cloud migration planning and deployment automation - M&A Integration - Coordinated release management and build processes during multiple acquisitions, ensuring consistent DevOps practices across merged organizations - Deployment Tooling - Created automated deployment solutions, installer packages, and configuration management tools enabling reliable software distribution - DevOps Standards - Established best practices for version control, branching strategies, automated testing integration, and release documentation across distributed teams - Cross-Team Collaboration - Partnered with development, QA, infrastructure, and customer support teams spanning multiple countries to streamline software delivery and improve deployment reliability - PE Operations - Operated in fast-paced PE-backed environment with aggressive growth and M&A activity, adapting release and infrastructure processes to support scaling global organization
Note: IDS was acquired by Thoma Bravo in 2019 and rebranded to Solifi in October 2021. This is the same role as Solifi DevOps Manager listed above - company name changed during my tenure. See Solifi section for complete role description.
Focused on build automation, release engineering, and deployment tooling for enterprise secured finance software platform. - Developed automation scripts and tools for build, integration, and deployment of software releases across multiple platforms including client and server environments - Created and maintained deployment strategies for cloud-based product solutions, supporting company's transition to SaaS delivery model - Worked with infrastructure teams on AWS and Azure environments to support development, testing, and production deployments - Built and maintained product installers using Install4J, supporting complex enterprise deployment scenarios - Defined product configuration requirements throughout development lifecycle, ensuring deployment consistency and reliability - Contributed to infrastructure automation using Terraform and PowerShell scripting - Identified and implemented process improvements within DevOps workflows, increasing deployment frequency and reducing release cycle time - Mentored team members on DevOps best practices, established standards and documentation - Collaborated closely with development, QA, and infrastructure teams to setup, deploy, configure, and support test and production environments - Managed bundling and distribution of product releases to enterprise customers This role provided foundation in release engineering, DevOps practices, and cloud infrastructure that prepared me for management position during company's PE-backed growth phase.
Managed IT infrastructure and systems supporting enterprise software development and operations. This role provided foundation in infrastructure management that led to transition into DevOps engineering. Key Responsibilities: - Managed Active Directory infrastructure including user/group management and group policies - Supported VMware environments including VDI deployment and management - Maintained and monitored production and development infrastructure - Worked with enterprise IT services and development teams on infrastructure requirements - Managed incident response and problem resolution through root cause analysis - Performed system provisioning, configuration, and maintenance for hardware and software
Served as primary technical resource and direct report to Director of IT for regional office products distributor. Developed and maintained software solutions, managed IT infrastructure, and provided technical support across all business functions. Key Contributions: - Developed software solutions using .NET and PHP for eCommerce platform and corporate website - Maintained backend systems in UniBasic and created Android applications for logistics (Proof of Delivery systems) - Provided Level 2 customer support for eCommerce platform - Managed IT infrastructure supporting Accounting, HR, Sales, Warehouse, Delivery, and Customer Care departments - Ensured 24/7 operational availability of network systems and eCommerce platform - Collaborated with Marketing on website development, migrations, and product integration Technologies: .NET, PHP, UniBasic, Android development, eCommerce platforms, enterprise IT infrastructure This role provided broad technical experience spanning development, infrastructure, and IT operations that formed the foundation for career in DevOps and technology operations.