Hire the Best Information Architects in Illinois

I left Google in 2023 to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. In parallel, I consult on Upwork to keep my skills sharp and assist clients of all sizes through their cloud journeys. I’m an experienced cloud solution architect trained in big tech, holding senior customer-facing architecture and engineering roles at both Microsoft and Google. As an expected component of my career, I’ve obtained expert-level certifications in both Google Cloud (GCP) and Microsoft Azure. I also hold an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and believe that it's important for those in technical roles to understand how their solutions fit into an organization’s strategic business goals. If a cloud environment is built incorrectly, it will quickly become a net negative to a business and a drag on profitability. I’ve designed and implemented several production cloud environments, including contributions to a highly regulated Azure landing zone at a globally systemic important bank in New York. I’ve also deployed containerized applications and infrastructure using Kubernetes for multiple national retailers throughout the US. I am a strong advocate for leveraging and teaching best practices for successful cloud deployments at scale including using infrastructure-as-code tooling such as Terraform, defense-in-depth design principles to ensure security at all layers of infrastructure, and incorporating cost management and business KPIs into all of my work. If you are starting or continuing your journey to the cloud, I can advise you on the tradeoffs of your cloud strategy, help you see around hidden corners, and answer questions that are imperative to get correct early to set up your organization for long-term success. In addition to cloud expertise, I will bring you a strong network of talented designers, engineers, and product experts if your vision requires a cross-functional approach. ** Cloud Strategy ** Whether you’ve already started your journey to the cloud or are embarking on a greenfield project, I will help you: - Choose the best cloud vendor(s) and service(s) for your workloads - Determine which workloads are best suited for each cloud, and what should stay in your own data centers (if applicable) - Plan your cloud migration journey with you including enablement activities such as obtaining certifications and building essential team skills - Measure KPIs, build budgets with dashboards that can attribute costs back to departments correctly, and set attainable milestones for each step of your migration - Negotiate with vendors for the best price-to-value ratio for each environment you build ** Cloud Architecture ** After planning your cloud strategy is complete, I can also help you architect your solutions. As a certified professional in both Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, I will help you design resilient architectures for foundational landing zones, along with workload- or project-specific environments that follow best practices from the ground up. This includes templated, infrastructure-as-code, repeatable processes and deployment pipelines that are built with security in mind from the beginning. If this sounds compelling to you and your organization, reach out to me for a consultation and we can get to work!

Whether you are looking for someone to develop a simple application, fix some defects, or design, architect and build complex mission critical applications, I have the skills to get the job done. I have almost 25 years experience in all levels of the software development process. I've designed, built and maintained numerous applications using a plethora of technologies, including Angular 2-6, ASP.NET, WPF, and Flutter. I have also used numerous back-end technologies, including C#, Web API, SQL Server, and ORM tools such as Entity Framework, ORMLite, and LLBLGen. I have designed multiple databases in my career, and am proficient in creating and maintaining relational database structures to optimize application flexibility, performance, and scalability. In addition to the skills I mentioned above, I can quickly learn and synthesize software requirements, document them in clear, concise, unambiguous manner, and turn those requirements quickly into high performing, user-friendly, working software. I am versed in many methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid approaches. I can bring my best practices to your project, or adapt to your preferred methodology; whatever works best for you and for the specific project is what I recommend. I believe in utilizing the best UI tools available to develop working software as quickly as possible, providing demos frequently to obtain and incorporate feedback into the code, and repeating as often as necessary to get the right tool in the hands of the users. I am experienced in many forms of software deployment and hosting approaches, including working with clients to host web and desktop applications on on-premise resources, or using cloud-based platforms such as Microsoft Azure to host database and application services. I use team collaboration tools such as JIRA, Slack, and Trello to help manage requirements, tasks and deliverables. Last but not least, my communication skills are unparalleled. I have managed projects with teams in the US and all over the world, and I am as comfortable "talking techie" with architects, developers, Quality Assurance, and DBAs as I am discussing project budgets, and timelines with executives, business users, and project managers.

As a seasoned Principal Cloud Architect with a deep specialization in cloud automation, I bring over a decade of experience in designing, implementing, and optimizing cloud infrastructures that align with both technical and financial objectives. My expertise spans across major cloud platforms like AWS and GCP, where I have successfully led large-scale cloud migrations, developed robust CI/CD pipelines, and automated complex workflows. My technical arsenal includes Kubernetes, ArgoCD, and Terraform, enabling me to build scalable, resilient, and efficient cloud environments. Fluent in bash, PowerShell, and Python, I excel in automating cloud operations, ensuring seamless deployment processes, and maintaining high standards of infrastructure as code. I am passionate about bridging the gap between cloud technology and financial management, ensuring that my solutions not only meet performance requirements but are also cost-effective and sustainable. Whether you’re looking to migrate to the cloud, optimize your current setup, or implement advanced CI/CD practices, I’m here to deliver results that exceed expectations. Key Skills: Cloud Platforms: AWS, GCP, Azure, DigitalOcean Cloud Architecture & Design: Multi-cloud, Hybrid Cloud, Microservices, Serverless FinOps: Cloud cost management, optimization, and financial governance Container Orchestration: Kubernetes, Docker, OpenShift Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Ansible CI/CD Pipelines: ArgoCD, Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, Github Actions Automation: Scripting in bash, PowerShell, Python Cloud Migrations: Strategy, execution, and optimization Security & Compliance: IAM, VPC design, encryption, policy enforcement What I Offer: FinOps Strategies: Develop and implement financial operations strategies to optimize cloud spending and improve ROI. Cloud Architecture: Design and deploy scalable, secure, and cost-efficient cloud solutions tailored to your business needs. CI/CD & Automation: Build and maintain automated CI/CD pipelines to streamline your development and deployment processes. Cloud Migrations: Seamless migration of on-premise applications to the cloud, with minimal downtime and maximum efficiency. Kubernetes Mastery: Expert in Kubernetes setup, management, and optimization for containerized applications. Cross-Platform Expertise: Extensive experience with both AWS and GCP, ensuring the best tools and practices are applied. Let’s Work Together: If you’re seeking a cloud architect who not only understands the technical landscape but also how to optimize cloud resources for financial efficiency, let’s connect. I’m dedicated to delivering top-tier cloud solutions that drive business success. Rates: Flexible and negotiable based on project scope and complexity. Contact me to discuss your specific needs. Availability: Open to both short-term and long-term projects, remote or on-site. Let’s take your cloud strategy to the next level!

I lead a team of specialists in the areas of Cloud Computing Architecture & Managed Services Data Analytics, AI, ML, ETL, BI, SEO, and Cyber Security at Convergency LLC. Skill sets: * Azure (10 years) * AWS (10 years) * MLFlow (3 years) * Kubernetes (5 years) * KubeFlow (3 years) * Talend (8 years) * Tableau (8 years) * Power BI (5 years) * QlikSense (8 years) * Windows Server (18 years) * Linux Server (8 years) * Active Directory (3 years) * ADFS (3 years) * Cyber Security Risk Management (18 years) * PCI (18 years) * HIPAA/21 CFR 11/Annex 11 Regulatory Compliance (18 years) * ISO 27001 Policies & Standards Documentation (18 years) * Vulnerability Risk Remediation (18 years) * Office 365 (5 years) * SQL Server (18 years) * Amazon Redshift (8 years) * HTML (18 years) * CSS (18 years) * Python (8 years) * R (8 years) * AI (5 years) * ML (5 years) * SEO - Search Engine Optimization (8 years) * AWS IAM (8 years) * IIS (18 years) * ASP.Net (18 years)