ADEEL LAKHO

IT Infrastructure, Operations & Project Lead | Data Centre, Virtualization, Cloud Expert

Dubai, AE.

About

Highly accomplished IT Infrastructure, Operations, and Project Lead with over 18 years of expertise steering multi-billion USD projects across Banking, Government, and Oil & Gas sectors. Specializes in Data Centre Operations, Virtualization, SAN Storage, and Cloud Technologies, consistently delivering large-scale deployments, migrations, and robust disaster recovery solutions. Proven leader in strategic IT planning, financial controls, and supplier performance, driving efficiency and optimizing IT expenditure.

Work

China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation

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Lead IT Infrastructure, Operations & Projects - Gulf Region

Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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Summary

Currently leading IT infrastructure and operations for corporate and EPC projects in the Gulf region, driving strategic planning, project execution, and financial oversight for a major EPCM contractor.

Highlights

Developed and implemented robust IT strategies and policies, managing comprehensive IT operations for corporate and EPC projects across the Gulf region.

Led critical IT project implementations, establishing and monitoring Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure adherence and optimal service delivery.

Directed IT procurement, technology selection, and budget planning, optimizing resource allocation for new technologies and ongoing operations.

Oversaw IT operations across multiple offices (remote, satellite, onshore, offshore), managing a diverse team of IT administrators, engineers, and support staff.

Implemented industry best practices for IT operations, ensuring compliance with security protocols, data privacy regulations, and evolving industry trends.

Wasl Asset Management

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Senior Infrastructure Engineer

Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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Summary

Engineered and managed critical IT infrastructure components, overseeing data center operations and implementing robust backup and disaster recovery solutions for a leading asset management firm.

Highlights

Led the design and administration of virtualized infrastructure (VMware & Hyper-V) leveraging industry-standard orchestration and automation tools for cloud environments.

Managed multi-vendor SAN Storage systems (HPE, NetApp, Huawei, Dell EMC, IBM) and orchestrated comprehensive backup solutions (EMC Data Domain, Veeam, HPE Data Protector, Veritas).

Oversaw and optimized operations of WASL Productions and Disaster Recovery Data Centers, ensuring continuous availability and performance.

Successfully implemented HPE Hyper-Converged System CS250 and deployed Veeam Backup and Replication integrated with EMC Data Domain for VMware workload backups.

Managed Asset & Infrastructure Change Management, including CAB approval processes, report generation, and SOP updates to ensure compliance and operational integrity.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

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Technology Consultant - Virtualization & Storage

Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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Summary

Provided expert technology consulting for HPE clients, specializing in architecting and implementing high-performance virtualization and storage environments, with a focus on robust disaster recovery solutions.

Highlights

Architected and implemented high-performance Virtualization and Storage environments for HPE clients, enhancing system reliability and performance.

Engineered highly available Virtualization and SAN platforms, developing robust Disaster Recovery solutions for critical business continuity.

Executed complex migration strategies, including Physical-to-Virtual (P2V) and Virtual-to-Virtual (V2V), ensuring seamless transitions with minimal downtime.

Configured and deployed diverse Virtualization Platforms, including VMware, Hyper-V, VDI, and Cloud solutions, and authored comprehensive technical documentation.

Successfully implemented HPE 3PAR 8200 SAN Storage, NetApp migrations, Huawei Hyper-Converged System E9000, and HPE Synergy 1200 for various client projects.

Allied Bank Limited

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System Administrator

Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

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Summary

Administered critical IT infrastructure for a major banking institution, managing data centers, virtualization, storage, and server operations to ensure system stability and performance.

Highlights

Successfully migrated over 150 physical banking servers to a virtualized infrastructure, significantly enhancing efficiency and scalability.

Managed and optimized operations for Production and Disaster Recovery Data Centers, ensuring business continuity and high availability.

Administered Virtualization (VMware & Hyper-V), SAN Storages (HPE & EMC), and key Microsoft Products (Exchange, AD, SharePoint) for critical banking systems.

Led the installation and configuration of IBM Blade Center and Cisco UCS Blades, optimizing server infrastructure and performance.

Implemented EMC VNX5500 Storage for both Production and Disaster Recovery sites, ensuring robust data integrity and availability.

Bank Al Falah Limited

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IT Officer

Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

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Summary

Supported banking operations by installing and configuring IT applications and managing network infrastructure, ensuring seamless connectivity and security.

Highlights

Installed and configured critical banking applications, ensuring operational readiness and system functionality.

Managed essential IT services including Exchange Server, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and McAfee security appliances.

Provided comprehensive technical support for LAN, WAN, IP Phones, and Video conference systems, ensuring seamless communication.

Delivered efficient remote IT support to branch officers, minimizing downtime and enhancing productivity.

SKP Consulting Limited

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Technical Support Engineer

Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

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Summary

Provided 24x7 technical support and troubleshooting for Bank Alfalah Limited, ensuring continuous system availability and customer satisfaction.

Highlights

Provided 24/7 technical support for Bank Alfalah Limited, ensuring continuous system availability and operational efficiency.

Conducted in-depth troubleshooting to identify root causes and resolve complex technical issues, minimizing system downtime.

Implemented, configured, and supported AV Servers for customers, enhancing service delivery and user experience.

Delivered comprehensive physical and telephonic technical support to remote branches, maintaining seamless operations.

Education

Institute of Information Technology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro

Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
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Bachelor of Science Electronics Grade: 3.64 CGPA

Awards

Client ADNOC Group Appreciation

ADNOC Group

Received appreciation and recognition for significant contributions to IT infrastructure and project success within the client portfolio.

CPECC Project Management Recognition

CPECC Project Management

Received rewards and recognition for impactful contributions to project management and successful IT initiatives.

Certificates

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate

Microsoft

Effectively Leading Digital Transformation

Not specified

Project Management Skills for Leaders

Not specified

SQL Essential Training

Not specified

VMware vCloud Director

VMware

VTSP-Cloud Foundation

VMware

VSP - NV (Network Virtualization)

VMware

VSP Foundation

VMware

Veeam VMSTP

Veeam

NSE 2 Network Security Associate

Fortinet

Project Management Foundations

Not specified

Ethical Hacking: Vulnerability Analysis

Not specified

Scrum: The Basics

Not specified

Agile Product Owner Role: Foundations

Not specified

VTSP-SDS (Software-Defined Storage 2015)

VMware

VTSP-VMware Cloud on AWS

VMware

VSP - SV (Server Virtualization)

VMware

Veeam VMSTP

Veeam

AWS Technical Professional

AWS

NSE 1 Network Security Associate

Fortinet

Skills

IT Infrastructure Management

Data Centre Operations, Server Administration, Network Security, IT Project Management, Virtualization, SAN Storage, Cloud Technologies, Backup & Disaster Recovery, Large-scale Deployments & Migrations, Strategic IT Planning & Execution, Financial Controls, Supplier Performance Management, ITIL, Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management.

Virtualization Platforms

VMware vSphere, ESXi, vCenter, vSAN, VRO, VRA, Log Insight, vIDM, Hyper-V, VDI, Cloud Solutions.

Storage Solutions

SAN Storage, HPE 3PAR, NetApp FAS, Huawei OceanStor, Dell EMC, IBM, EMC Data Domain, EMC Recover Point, Veeam, Veritas, Networker, NetBackup.

Cloud & Microsoft Technologies

Microsoft Azure, Azure Active Directory, ADFS, MS Exchange, Teams, AWS Technical Professional, VMware vCloud.

Networking & Security

Cisco, Brocade, Huawei Switches, FortiGate, Firewalls, Security Appliances, NSE 1, NSE 2.

Hardware Management

HP Servers, Dell Servers, Huawei Servers, Hyper-Converged Systems, Blade Chassis, Blade Servers, Rackmount Servers.

Project & Financial Management

IT Project Management, Procurement, Budgeting, Financial Controls, Supplier Performance Management, Tendering, Client Interaction, Contractual Document Preparation, SLA Management, Stakeholder Engagement.