Benjy - Rajeshkumar Singh
Senior Level Management Professional
Halfway Gardens, Midrand,GP
Summary
IT Manager / Senior Executive / CIO / CTO within Johannesburg or International (willing to relocate).
I am an accomplished Senior Level Management Professional. Offering in excess of 25 years’ experience within the Information Technology Industry in various industries: Research & Development | Manufacturing | Technology | Breweries | Finance | Retail, and Telecommunications. Furthermore, extending experience to successful management of multiple projects and consistently sustaining commitment to high quality standards with a competitive edge for excellence. Additionally, I developed an across-the-board proficiency within the following business environments: IT Infrastructure | IT Management | Consolidation and Cost Recovery | Design, Execution and Control of Strategies, Vision Definition, Systems and Policies | Leadership and Skills Development. Equally possesses an advanced ability to build strategic partnerships and focus on productivity sharing, as well as the organisational transformation. I Maintain an outstanding career track record of growing company’s profitability, driving results and providing tangible IT and Operational solutions to organisational challenges.
Professional Affiliations: Enterprise Architect Network | IT Professionals South Africa | TOGAF for Architecture.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
2017
2017
years of post-secondary education
3
3
Languages
Work History
Senior Manager II: Networks
Massmart
01.2024 - Current
- Spearheading the enterprise-wide network strategy, aligning technology investments with business goals and digital transformation initiatives.
- Leading the network architecture, design, and implementation of modernised network platforms including SD-WAN, cloud connectivity, hybrid networks, and secure remote access.
- Directing complex multi-country network programmes involving cross-functional teams, OEMs, and service integrators.
- Developing the long-term roadmap for network infrastructure evolution, incorporating cost-efficiency, security, scalability, and operational excellence.
- Champions the adoption of automation, observability, and AI-driven monitoring tools to enhance network intelligence and self-healing capabilities.
- Owning executive reporting and stakeholder engagement for critical network transformation projects and operational risk mitigation.
- Overseeing the full lifecycle of network services, including budget planning, financial forecasting, cost optimisation, and contract governance.
- Establishing and led a high-performing Network Engineering team, focusing on skills development, operational excellence, and cross-team collaboration.
- Developing and executing the network operations strategy, driving resilience, uptime, and alignment with business SLAs.
- Building and maturing the network monitoring capability, enabling real-time observability, proactive alerting, and root cause analysis through integrated tools and dashboards.
- Directing the resolution of complex infrastructure issues through OEM TAC case management, ensuring timely escalation, RCA, and permanent fix implementation.
- Representing the network function at enterprise architecture and IT governance forums, contributing to infrastructure alignment, compliance, and innovation across the group.
Project Manager
Aspen Healthcare FZ LLC - Dubai
05.2023 - 11.2023
- Defined and led the implementation of Aspen’s Technology Enablement Shared Services (TESS) strategy and transformation roadmap.
- Developed and executed a regional approach for TESS rollout across business units.
- Integrated TESS with Aspen’s group-wide processes, applications, data, and technologies.
- Led the scoping, planning, and budgeting of major transformation projects for submission to executive governance bodies.
- Held full end-to-end accountability for approved projects, from initiation to closure.
- Established and governed project structures, including steering committees and operational teams.
- Directed the sourcing, selection, and contracting of implementation partners, including defining assessment criteria, negotiating agreements, and managing service provider performance.
- Ensured adoption of agreed implementation methodologies and adherence to delivery frameworks.
- Oversaw cross-functional project streams: Project planning and execution, Budget and cost control, Resource allocation and performance management, Risk and issue management, Solution and project quality, Business process and architecture, Data migration and information management, Testing, validation, security, and controls, Infrastructure, integration, and operations, Change management, training, and communications.
- Maintained detailed project plans, tracked milestones, monitored dependencies, and updated governance documentation.
- Facilitated stakeholder engagement, prepared presentations, and chaired regular meetings.
- Ensured sustainable solutions through implementation of service management capabilities and governance tools.
- Provided leadership and guidance to cross-disciplinary teams and third-party partners.
- Delivered regular project status reports to executive stakeholders and governance forums.
- Actively promoted alignment with group standards, compliance, and integration requirements.
Senior Manager I: Networks & Communications
Massmart
09.2019 - 09.2021
- Led the enterprise network operations across Massmart’s retail, distribution, and corporate environments, ensuring high availability and stability of all critical infrastructure.
- Managed WAN, LAN, WLAN, and Internet connectivity across 400+ sites nationally, maintaining optimal uptime and performance across stores, warehouses, and head office locations.
- Oversaw network support and incident response, ensuring alignment to ITIL processes and rapid resolution of store-impacting issues.
- Delivered major infrastructure upgrades across Cisco, Fortinet, and SD-WAN platforms to enhance resilience and support business continuity.
- Collaborated with key internal teams and external service providers to ensure smooth operations and vendor performance, including SLA adherence and cost control.
- Introduced proactive network monitoring and alerting tools, significantly reducing unplanned outages and improving MTTR.
- Provided mentorship and leadership to a national network support team, driving technical excellence and high service quality.
- Supported retail expansion projects and relocations, ensuring timely and robust network connectivity for new and refurbished stores.
Consultant
IT Consulting Café (PTY) LTD
09.2019 - 09.2021
- Delivered end-to-end consulting services for enterprise clients, focusing on IT strategy, network transformation, and infrastructure modernisation.
- Advised organisations on aligning technology investments with business objectives, enabling scalable, secure, and cost-effective IT environments.
- Led assessments and road mapping exercises for digital transformation, including cloud migration, SD-WAN adoption, and hybrid network design.
- Supported RFP development, vendor evaluations, and contract negotiations for network connectivity, security, and data centre services.
- Collaborated with client IT teams, OEMs, and service providers to design and implement fit-for-purpose solutions tailored to business needs.
- Conducted technical due diligence, risk assessments, and gap analyses to inform IT governance and investment decisions.
- Enabled clients to adopt automation, AI-driven monitoring, and observability platforms to improve network operations and reduce MTTR.
- Produced executive-level documentation, business cases, and board presentations to support stakeholder engagement and decision-making.
IT Operations Manager SSA
PepsiCo South Africa
01.2019 - 09.2019
- Responsible for all IT Operations Management for PepsiCo Sub Saharan Africa.
- Remediate IT Operations environment for PepsiCo Sub Saharan Africa.
- Establish - IT Service Management and increase Service Management maturity in PepsiCo.
- IT Information Security.
- Vendor Management & establish a Vendor Management Governance framework.
- Financial Management – Management of Operational budget.
- Remediate failing Applications Controls and IT General Controls.
- Move critical business applications to Microsoft Azure.
- Work with Sector teams to deliver operational projects.
- Reporting to Sector on progress of projects.
- Asset Management & Asset Disposals.
IT Manager
JLT South Africa
08.2017 - 01.2019
- Responsible for the overall IT Management for JLT Group South Africa including the following: IT Operations, IT Service Management, IT Information Security, Enterprise Architecture, Solution Delivery, Project Management Office, Strategy and Architecture, Design, Vendor Management & Governance.
- Reporting to two business Executive Committees Boards.
- Reporting to the Global CIO for MEA on IT projects in South Africa.
Enterprise Architect: Communications / Manager: Solution Architect Lead - Network
SABMiller - ABInBev
09.2010 - 04.2017
- Enterprise Architect: Communications [April 2012 to Date]: Ultimately responsible for possessing a sound acumen and equally advocating and supporting the enterprise's IT strategies.
- Proficiently directs all efforts to define architecture standards that are aligned with business goals.
- Plays an instrumental role in IS strategy and enterprise architecture visions globally.
- Responsible for leading the contribution to the definition of conceptual and logical communication architecture specifications for IS globally, in addition to developing the business case for future global communication requirements.
- Ensures that architecture decisions are consistent as well as leverage opportunities for customary approaches.
- Predominantly accountable for approving all global communication architecture designs and ensuring that global communication technology is aligned with the company’s global architecture and design policies.
- Actively tracks and manages business benefits delivered by strategic communication architecture.
- Facilitates the in-depth process of innovation opportunities and initiations.
- Ensures a systematic approach within the organisation toward examining new technologies and utilising core IS assets that address both the fundamental business goals and persistent business needs.
- Contribute to the definition and maintenance of domain-specific architecture roadmaps and associated architectural standards, ensuring alignment with the Enterprise architecture roadmaps and standards, to ensure the creation and evolution of IS solutions that will meet business needs and requirements and exploit emerging technology trends and developments.
- Research, investigate and evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends and best practice, and vendor solutions, to inform the development of roadmaps and support the improvement of the development lifecycle.
- Assess the domain specific IS solutions needed to address business demand and requirements, producing associated estimates, documenting assumptions and resourcing requirements and ensuring proposed solutions are aligned with relevant architecture roadmaps.
- Manage activities to design IS solutions, in line with relevant processes and making best use of allocated resources, to ensure designs will meet business requirements, are sustainable and supportable, and aligned with all relevant architecture roadmaps, standards and controls.
- Review and approve design specifications to ensure they will address business and Service Delivery requirements and align with all relevant architecture roadmaps and standards.
- Apply relevant controls to their allocated tasks, taking responsibility for their own actions and reporting relevant information as required, to support the effective governance of Solution Delivery's activities and outputs.
- Identify, escalate and contribute to dealing with any risks that could impact SABMiller's operations, customers or staff.
- Apply relevant solution development lifecycle methodologies, approaches, practices and standards to ensure the achievement of high levels of quality and compliance.
- Contribute to the setting of expectations and supervise, monitor, coach and support project team members to ensure that they maximize their performance, meet the required standards, and continuously develop their capabilities and experience.
- Take personal responsibility for understanding and agreeing performance expectations, completing the necessary training and developing the levels of capability and competence necessary to be effective in the job.
- Engage with selected vendors, managing delivery from them where necessary, to ensure we are controlling costs, monitoring that they are following relevant standards and controls and meeting agreed service levels, fully leveraging their capabilities, knowledge and services, and realizing maximum value from working with them.
- Encourage and support colleagues to work effectively together and demonstrate the behaviours needed to embed a collaborative, high-performing, customer-orientated and commercially aware working environment across Solutions Delivery.
Network Technical Manager / Service Delivery Manager / Technical Manager: COF Region
SA Breweries Ltd
08.2003 - 09.2010
- Network Technical Manager [September 2006 to September 2010]: Conceptualised strategies relating to Network technologies, and furthermore designed and architected solutions to support these strategies. Likewise, implemented these strategies by way of projects.
- Defined and implemented Network standards in addition to the consolidation and standardization of suppliers, services and service levels.
- Oversaw the operational management of the services for all network devices, security devices, remote access and optimisation nationally through key service providers who provided day to day operational support.
- Strategy & Architecture: Primarily accountable for leading and developing the Integrated Infrastructure Technology Strategy for SAB Ltd.
- Delivered technical direction to the business pertaining to all Network technologies.
- Proficiently acted as the divisional single point of contact and as a single decision point with respect to all Network technical strategies, architectures and issues.
- Responsible for the design, development and implementation of the architecture required to support all Networks. Managed the implementation of this architecture through service providers.
- Predominantly ensured that all requisite documentation was in place with regard to Network architecture, service level agreements (SLA‘s).
- Proactively planned future hardware and support requirements and managed the implementation thereof.
- Divisional custodian of intellectual property related to Network technologies and oversaw the research and development in the field of Network technologies. Moreover, proficiently drove motivations for CAPEX to support strategies.
- Vendor Management: Performed the same duties as at SAB Miller, pertaining to measuring performance/delivery [SLA’s], monthly management reports, negotiating and managing of service provider contracts, and procurement strategies.
- Standardisation & Consolidation: Performed the same duties as at SAB Miller, pertaining to developing and documenting standards and operational procedures, testing of Network applications, and furthermore the planning and integration of all dependent components in the Network environment.
- Operational Support: Administered the operation of all Networks through outsourced vendors where appropriate, or determined by broader Network strategies e.g. ABI, BIS, SAB regions.
- Defined, implemented and maintained IT general controls in accordance with ITIL best practice.
- Perfunctorily ensured that the relevant change control procedures were adhered to with respect to any changes to the Network, including infrastructure applications.
- Commercial Management: Predominantly accountable for managing OPEX expenditure related to services providers (R35m per annum), as well as CAPEX expenditure (Differing on the project, but up to R120m).
- Provided comprehensive input into the administration of regional recharges/costs.
- Project Management: Carried out the implementation of Network strategies and architectures by the service providers through projects and accepted operational ownership once these projects had been implemented. Furthermore, was responsible for all transition and transformation programs.
- Acted as technical lead to all BIS project teams for all technical requirements pertaining to Networks.
- Governance: Performed the same duties as at SA Miller pertaining to IT statutory and legal audit requirements, as well as Occupational Health and Safety.
- Global Collaboration: Performed the same duties as at SAB Miller pertaining to input into Global IT Strategies and Standards. Additionally participated in local Technical Authority.
IT Manager
European Telecom Africa (Pty) Ltd
06.2000 - 12.2002
- Company Overview: The environment was built on a NT 2000 environment and was in the process of moving over to Active Directory.
- Successfully built an innovative Network for the organisation, whilst maintaining the IT infrastructure, Budgets, and the current IT Support and Development staff.
- Responsible for ensuring that all IT Solutions were correctly implemented and correct Policies, Procedures and change control processes were in place.
- Instrumental in the development of the Web Site and Intranet.
- Ensured that all backups and business continuity procedures were adhered to, and employed sound experience in Exchange 5.5 and 2000, Sql 6.5, 7 and 2000, IIS, ISA Firewall, Cisco Pix Firewall, Mail Marshall, Web Marshall, Anti-Virus Solutions, Front Page 98 and 2000, Dream Weaver, Publisher 2000, Key Master Lite and Pro, Proxy 2.0, DHCP, DNS, Wins, Routing and Switching.
- Possesses reliable acumen of the .Net Platforms and constantly remains abreast of latest technologies including wireless technologies.
- Project involvement: Planning a new infrastructure for European Telecom Africa, Building the infrastructure, Managing the infrastructure, Planning a high security warehouse environment, Building the environment, Managing the security environment, Auditing the security (both IT and Distribution) with Cell C Fraud and risk and Econet Lesotho Fraud and Risk Divisions, Planning a fulfilment (Quality Control, Kitting and Combo) process for Cell C and Econet Lesotho, Developing the software and process flow for the above processes, Implementing and managing the process.
- Directed various IT operational functions within these projects e.g. maintained software licensing, asset inventory, quality control, and building an SMS Gateway, and furthermore developed a bulk SMS Program.
- The aforementioned projects were successfully completed and fully operational.
- Consistently utilized an experienced acumen in planning practical IT solutions suitable for European Telecom Africa, to ensure the cost effectiveness and provide expert knowledge in the telecommunications environment whilst culminating a high production environment.
- The environment was built on a NT 2000 environment and was in the process of moving over to Active Directory.
Education
Business Information Systems - Diploma - Information Technology Management
Business Information Systems Diploma - undefined
Computer College of South Africa
Business Information Systems Diploma - Computer Networking
Microsoft Certification - Software Application
Dynamic Training Solutions
Senior Certificate / Matric - undefined
ML Sultan Glencoe Secondary
Skills
IT infrastructure administration
IT Strategy
Infrastructure Architecture & Design
Vendor Management
Commercial & Governance
Project Management
IT Operations & Operational Support
Hardware maintenance and refresh
Development tactical plans
IT SLA and contract negotiations
LAN and WAN technologies
Server and storage technologies
Project facilitation and implementation
Contact centre telephony technologies
Employee talent development
Professional Highlights
- Successfully completed the first Network Architecture for SAP Single Instance Template in South Africa, Latin America and Poland. 2010
- Completed the Architecture and development of the first Global Data Center's and Disaster Recovery sites in Germany for SAB Miller in 2011
- Achieved first successful deployment of Cisco IP Telephony in SAB Ltd.
- Received the MD’s Award and Gold Award, in 2007
- Attained the Cisco Award for best Data Centre Design of the Year 2008
- First successful national roll out of an MPLS Network for SAB Ltd.
- Successfully built the first Hosted Contact Centre in South Africa with Cisco and SAP CRM integration for SAB and ABI.
- Developed the Network and Telecommunications Strategy for SABMiller., 2014 - 2016
- Architected, Designed and implemented the first Cloud Based Connectivity for Microsoft Office 365 using Express-Route., 2016
- Implemented the first Cloud Instant Messaging and Presence platform for SABMiller Globally., 2015
- Architected the network connectivity for Cloud Services for SAP for the divestment of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa from ABInBev., 2017
- Developed the network integration architecture for ABInBev and SABMiller after the acquisition of SABMiller., 2017
Former Employment
- Radiospoor Cellular | Autopage Cellular, Network Manager / Training Coordinator, 03/97, 05/2000
- Lancet Laboratories, Supervisor, 01/96, 02/97
- Telkom South Africa, Telegraph Officer, 02/91, 12/95
Areas Of Expertise
- IT Infrastructure Management
- Network Management
- IT Strategy
- Infrastructure Architecture
- Vendor Management
- Project Management
- IT Operations and support
- Hardware maintenance and refresh
Professional Affiliations
- Enterprise Architect Network
- IT Professionals South Africa
- TOGAF for Architecture
Personal Information
- Available: 2 Month Notice
- Date of Birth: 01/17/72
- Nationality: South African
- Driving License: Code 08 & International Drivers License
- Marital Status: Married
Cycling
I participated in 5 x 94.7 cycle challenges and successfully completed them. I enjoy being on the road during the weekends and I cycle for fun.
Timeline
Senior Manager II: Networks
Massmart
01.2024 - Current
Project Manager
Aspen Healthcare FZ LLC - Dubai
05.2023 - 11.2023
Senior Manager I: Networks & Communications
Massmart
09.2019 - 09.2021
Consultant
IT Consulting Café (PTY) LTD
09.2019 - 09.2021
IT Operations Manager SSA
PepsiCo South Africa
01.2019 - 09.2019
IT Manager
JLT South Africa
08.2017 - 01.2019
Enterprise Architect: Communications / Manager: Solution Architect Lead - Network
SABMiller - ABInBev
09.2010 - 04.2017
Network Technical Manager / Service Delivery Manager / Technical Manager: COF Region
SA Breweries Ltd
08.2003 - 09.2010
IT Manager
European Telecom Africa (Pty) Ltd
06.2000 - 12.2002
Business Information Systems Diploma - undefined
Computer College of South Africa
Business Information Systems Diploma - Computer Networking
Microsoft Certification - Software Application
Dynamic Training Solutions
Senior Certificate / Matric - undefined
ML Sultan Glencoe Secondary