Vladimir Popovski

About Vladimir Popovski

I help companies build and scale secure, high-performance cloud infrastructure — from data centers and automation frameworks to global cloud rollouts across hybrid and multi-cloud environments (Zadara, AWS, Azure, GCP).With 30+ years in technology leadership, I’ve designed and deployed 500+ global clouds, led multi-continent DevOps and operations teams, and delivered platforms that power mission-critical workloads across industries. My expertise spans networking, storage, compute, Kubernetes, observability, and cost-efficient infrastructure design.At Zadara, I’ve architected global On-Prem-as-a-Service platforms, built centralized tools like OpsPanel, and led our AI platform strategy — including a private RAG/GPT system for clients and internal use. I’ve driven operational excellence, CI/CD modernization, and tight integration with Salesforce, Zendesk, GitHub, and financial platforms.I connect strategic vision with engineering execution — partnering with CxOs, supply chain, and product teams to align infrastructure with business growth. I’m known for navigating complexity, leading transformation, and building high-performing teams across the US, UK, Israel, India, and Japan.

Experience

1. Chief Services Officer

   Zadara

   Sep 2019 — Present · Irvine, CA, US

   Lead Zadara’s global DevOps, Cloud Operations, and Professional Services teams, driving strategy and execution for Zadara’s Compute and Storage clouds across both On-Premise-as-a-Service (OPaaS) and multi-cloud deployments (Zadara, AWS, Azure, GCP). Oversaw the full lifecycle of global infrastructure deployment — from data center layout planning, power and cooling considerations, and network architecture to automation frameworks, observability, and operational readiness.Spearheaded the design and deployment of a comprehensive ecosystem supporting 500+ global cloud deployments, including zero-touch provisioning, automated lifecycle management, and centralized operations. Partnered with supply chain, facilities, and automation teams to align hardware designs and deployment workflows with Zadara’s platform goals for performance, security, and availability.Led the development of the RAG AI platform, a private GPT-style system leveraging Zadara’s IaaS, to deliver a private AI solution for both Zadara and its clients/partners. Developed robust CI/CD pipelines and scalable Kubernetes infrastructure to deliver secure, agile, and resilient cloud services across hybrid and public cloud environments.Designed and deployed Zadara’s centralized operations platform (OpsPanel), integrating observability, ticketing, billing, and customer data across Salesforce, Zendesk, NetSuite, GitHub, and other systems. Delivered professional services projects for global clients, leading data migrations and developing custom automation tools and deployment strategies.

Education

• Moldova State University

  MSc, Computer Science / Applied Mathematics

  1991 — 1996

• Liceul D. Cantemir

  Mathematics & Informatics

  1989 — 1991

Skills

• Distributed Systems
• Kernel
• Unix
• Linux
• Multithreading
• Replication
• Nas
• Solaris
• Software Engineering
• Openstack
• Storage Virtualization
• Nova
• Software Development
• Kernel Programming
• Virtualization
• San
• Cloud Computing
• C
• Programming
• Cinder
• Storage
• Device Drivers
• Tcp/Ip
• Enterprise Storage
• Cluster
• High Performance Computing
• Iscsi
• Storage Area Networks
• Fibre Channel
• Raid
• Algorithms
• Scsi
• Debugging
• Shell Scripting
• High Availability
• Operating Systems