Jonathan Merrill

About Jonathan Merrill

TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION SECURITY ARCHITECTURE | NETWORK AND SYSTEM ENGINEERING | DATA CENTER | PROTECTIVE POSTURESHigh Beam Information Technology Leader with an indelible reputation for delivering in the most difficult situations. Recognized for transforming low performing teams to values-based goals-driven professionals with a solid eye on hitting business objectives.Experience building start-ups to working with established companies, mobilizing top talent, creating a business conscious risk-aware information security culture. Diverse industry experience: banking, healthcare, and telecommunications.Key Strengths- Strategic Technologist – Results Focused- Protective Postures, Security Forward Mindset- Risk Management and Performance Metrics- Business Process & Technology Systems Development- Simple, Creative, Effective Solutions- Cross-Organization Influencer & Collaborator- Self-Starter, Go Getter, Get It Done AttitudeManagement Experience-• Accomplished information technology and security program implementer with governance and compliance focus, using practical knowledge of HIPAA, High Tech, PCI, SOC 2, SOX, and ISO 27001.• Develop and execute business continuity through disaster recovery and incident response. Experience with security breaches. Experienced consulting, identifying gaps, implementing corrective and preventative policies based in data.• Trained in Healthcare Six Sigma Lean techniques, as well as total quality management, analysis, measurements, and benchmarking. Deep focus on patient and employee safety, identifying risk, defense in depth.Mission Statement-Making Impossible Missions Possible. Starting with people.

Experience

1. Sr Director of Information Technology

   Pinnacle Group, Inc.

   Jan 2022 — Present · Dallas, TX, US

   Strategic IT Leadership: Develop and execute IT strategies that align with the organization\'s overall objectives, overseeing technology implementations that drive efficiency and competitive advantage. 95% complete year one. 100% completed year two.• International Infrastructure: Manage and optimize all IT infrastructure in the US and India, including servers, storage systems, networks, and virtualization environments to ensure high availability and performance. Eliminated 360k of data center spend year two.• Team Management: Direct and develop the IT team, fostering a culture of high performance and continuous improvement. Establish clear team goals and KPIs that align with the organization\'s IT strategy. SLA targets reached by year two.• Budget and Resource Allocation: Manage the IT budget effectively, ensuring optimal allocation of resources to projects and operations that yield the best ROI.$3M budget year one.$2.25M budget year two.• Security and Compliance: Implement comprehensive IT security policies and procedures to safeguard company data and IT assets. Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Managed SOC2 audit and controls. Obtained ISO 27001 certification at year 3.• Vendor Management: Negotiate with technology vendors and service providers to secure software, hardware, and consulting services that meet the company\'s needs at favorable terms. Significant cleanup reducing overhead.• Innovation and Improvement: Stay abreast of new technology trends and IT best practices, incorporating innovative solutions into the IT framework to enhance business operations. • Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with senior management and cross-functional leaders to ensure IT strategies and projects align with business needs and deliver tangible results.

Education

• University of the People

  Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

  2014 — 2016

• San Antonio College, Law Enforcement Training Center & School

  Police Sciences Coursework

  1994 — 1996

• Capella University

  Completed coursework towards Bachelor of Science, Information Technology degree

  2004 — 2007

Skills

• Computer Network Operations
• Citrix Certified Administrator
• Information Technology
• System Deployment
• Strategic IT Management
• Servers
• Itil
• IT Strategy
• Data Center Architecture
• Business Process Improvement
• Outside the Box Thinker
• Cisco Technologies
• Leadership
• IT Management
• Troubleshooting
• Network Operations
• Management
• Strategic Planning
• Dell Solutions
• Data Center
• Technical Documentation
• Networking
• Technology Alignment
• Maintenance & Repair
• Thinking Outside the Box
• Server Management
• Virtualization
• Cisco Systems Products
• Enterprise Software
• Microsoft Technologies
• Enterprise Storage
• Microsoft Exchange
• Cisco Security
• Staff Mentoring
• Vendor Management
• Active Directory
• Windows Server
• Citrix
• Technology Evangelism
• People Management