Eliot Z.

About Eliot Z.

I spent my early career tracking jaguars in the Brazilian rainforest. I eventually moved into Tech because I wanted a career with less physical danger and significantly more meetings.I specialize in building that balance for growth-stage companies - architecting self-healing IT processes and security layers that scale as fast as the revenue and headcount does. At my core, I’m a builder who enjoys the \"messy\" middle of growth. I’ve had the privilege of scaling teams and systems through significant ARR milestones, and I’ve learned that nothing replaces the foundation: make sure the basics work perfectly every single time. From there, you can start building something great.Outside of work: I’m, unsurprisingly, an outdoors enthusiast who wants to be showing my kiddo how to catch frogs and salamanders in a way that doesn\'t ruin everyone\'s day. I value technical excellence, sustainable effort, and a workplace where we can be both high-performing and high-empathy.

Experience

1. Senior Director, IT Security

   Spreedly

   Jan 2025 — Present

   Currently leading the strategic evolution of Spreedly’s security and operational architecture as we scale past $50M ARR. My current focus is on engineering AI-augmented, self-healing systems that prioritize frictionless security and end-user autonomy for a global, remote and hybrid workforce.* Engineering-Centric Risk Mitigation: Directed a comprehensive vulnerability overhaul resulting in a 99.4% reduction in open vulnerabilities over a nine-month period. This was achieved by removing local administration for endpoints and transitioning to centralized software management—crucially paired with a Just-in-Time (JIT) administrative access model developed in close collaboration with Engineering to ensure zero friction for developer workflows.* AI-Driven Service Transformation: Spearheading the integration of AI-based request deflection and LLM-powered automation to enable comprehensive end-user self-service, significantly reducing manual ticket volume and further reclaiming team capacity for strategic initiatives.* Strategic DLP & Due Diligence Readiness: Strengthened data exfiltration defenses by implementing browser-based Data Loss Prevention (DLP); closed a high-priority control gap to harden our security posture and de-risk the environment ahead of M&A due diligence activities.* M&A and Strategic Due Diligence: Serving as a core member of the 2025 M&A integration team, architecting the technical roadmap to unify security controls and operational systems for a high-value acquisition.* VMO & Procurement Optimization: Institutionalized strategic SaaS governance through the implementation of Tropic as the centralized procurement engine; standardized vendor onboarding and renewals across Technology and G&A teams to streamline the tech-buy lifecycle and ensure 100% security and compliance alignment for all new spend.

Education

• Duke University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Evolutionary Anthropology

  2006 — 2011

• Universidade de Aveiro

  Applied Biology

  2011 — 2013