Benjamin Custer

About Benjamin Custer

Technology is my passion! I grew up in rural Pennsylvania with a father that was a quadriplegic. I observed how technology allowed him to control his environment and overcome the challenges of his disability. This ignited my passion to learn more about technology that empowers every individual and every organization on the earth to accomplish more. My parents demonstrated hard work and how to overcome adversity. I enjoy working on all things Technology, Cybersecurity, and Network Security. There is a constant battle in cyberspace and my experience in Information Security Management, Technical Program Management, and Technical Consulting is crucial to keeping your data safe. I take pride in being a hard worker and I have been selected to attend courses only offered to the top 50% of my peer group. I have been recognized with numerous awards and consistently rated above my peers. The CEO of the United States Army’s Network Technology Command ranked me as the #1 Chief Operating Officer he had evaluated over his decades of work. His organization had more than end users. I am a proven manager of Information Technology and Cybersecurity professionals with more than 23 years of leadership experience and a record of getting results. I hold a current Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. I have project management experience in logistics, budgeting, and acquisitions. I have been the Chief Operating Officer implementing Strategic Satellite Communications for the military members on the ground and afloat to the President of the United States. I oversaw the construction of a $50 million communications facility and upgrade of Strategic Satellite Communication infrastructure while maintaining a 99.99% uptime sites in two different states. One of the links was known as the \"Washington to Moscow\" hotline. Additionally, I was the Chief Operating Officer for an Organization that provided communications, networking, and cybersecurity to military bases across the United States and an underground nuclear bunker. I provide clear oral and written communication to a variety of business and technical audiences. and make decisions as if I were the owner of the organization (decisions most beneficial for the organization and profitability of the company). Teamwork is a passion of mine and I have managed teams up to 365 personnel and have been consistently rated above my peers. I have a unique ability to build relationships and solve problems.Let\'s connect and see if we can help each other!

Experience

1. Principal Technical Program Manager

   Microsoft

   May 2024 — Present · US

   I lead global AI infrastructure delivery programs within Microsoft’s Cloud Operations + Innovation (CO+I)—the organization that plans, builds, and operates one of the world’s largest cloud infrastructures powering Microsoft’s online services and Azure.Key Responsibilities & Impact• Drive end-to-end execution for AI capacity landing, including permitting, contracting, construction, network deployment, and physical security.• Partner across engineering, networking, security, and operations teams to design and implement integrated solutions that meet complex technical and business needs.• Review and approve architecture and design proposals; ensure governance and compliance with standards across large-scale programs.• Translate customer and market signals into actionable plans; establish metrics and deliver executive reporting to accelerate time-to-capacity.• Support strategic partnerships and pre-sales engagements to align infrastructure readiness with customer demand.Scope & Scale• Operate across Azure’s global footprint of 70+ announced cloud regions, applying resiliency patterns such as paired regions and availability zones.• Align delivery with Microsoft’s sustainability commitments to be carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030, supported by a growing renewable energy portfolio.Community & Leadership• Advocate for veteran talent through participation in Microsoft’s Hiring Our Heroes fellowship program.• Contribute to Microsoft GIVE and local Kansas City employee community initiatives.

Education

• Central Texas College

  General Studies

• United States Army Schools & Centers

  Signal Captains Career Course

  2016 — 2016

• Jefferson Community College

  Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

  2001

• U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Master's Operational Studies

  2021 — 2022

• United States Army Schools & Centers

  Signal Officers Basic Course

• Old Dominion University

  Master's Computer Science Concentration in Computer Information Systems

  2017 — 2018

• Indiana University of Pennsylvania

  Bachelor's Computer Science

  2007 — 2010