Cy Sotiralis
Infrastructure Senior Manager
Johannesburg
Summary
Confidence and adaptability in leadership, with a passion for technology and strong work ethic, have been demonstrated throughout career. Extensive experience in IT infrastructure, project management, and team leadership has been gained. Proven track record of success in designing and implementing systems and solutions to meet business needs, as well as maintaining and troubleshooting existing systems and applications. Expertise in managing vendor relationships and negotiating contracts for products and services has been demonstrated. In roles as a Senior Systems Engineer, Manufacturing Technical Specialist, Domain Architect, and Senior Infrastructure Manager, ability to lead teams and implement effective IT strategies has been consistently demonstrated. Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, as well as excellent communication skills, have allowed for effective collaboration with other teams and departments. A desire to thrive in challenging environments and a commitment to providing value to any organization have been demonstrated.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
29
29
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Senior Infrastructure Manager
Coca Cola Beverages South Africa
Johannesburg
01.2019 - Current
- Established and maintained IT infrastructure, including hardware, software, and networking systems for over 8000 users across Africa
- Managed infrastructure IT budget of over 40 million rands, responsible for forecasting and allocating funds to various projects and initiatives. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to prioritize spending and ensure alignment with business goals
- Managed the SIAM and other vendor responsibilities, performance evaluations for team members exceeding 15 IT staff members
- Ensured security and integrity of IT infrastructure through data protection and disaster recovery planning, resulting in zero data breaches
- Successfully coordinated and managed 100's IT projects and initiatives, including budgeting and resource allocation
- Implemented IT policies and procedures that resulted around an 20% increase in efficiency and effectiveness of IT operations
- Monitored and reported on performance and availability of IT infrastructure, identifying and addressing any issues or problems as needed, resulting in a 99.9% uptime rate
- Collaborated with other departments and stakeholders to understand and meet their IT needs, resulting in a 90% satisfaction rate
- Evaluated and implemented new technologies and innovations that resulted in a 15% increase in productivity
- Managed vendor relationships and negotiated contracts for IT products and services, resulting in millions of Rands savings.
- Maintained excellent attendance record, consistently arriving to work on time
- Carried out day-to-day duties accurately and efficiently
- Participated in continuous improvement by generating suggestions, engaging in problem-solving activities to support teamwork
- Participated in team-building activities to enhance working relationships
- Saved Millions by implementing cost-saving initiatives that addressed long-standing problems
- Drove operational improvements which resulted in savings and improved profit margins
- Created spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel for daily, weekly and monthly reporting
- Resolved problems, improved operations and provided exceptional service
Senior Project Manager
Coca Cola Beverages Africa
Johannesburg
01.2017 - 01.2019
- Established and managed project teams of up to or exceeding 15 members, resulting in successful delivery of over 20 projects
- Communicated effectively with stakeholders and clients to meet project expectations and effectively communicate progress, resulting in a 95% satisfaction rate
- Developed and maintained comprehensive project documentation, including project plans, status reports, and risk assessments, resulting in clear communication and improved project planning
- Successfully identified and mitigated project risks, including developing contingency plans and escalating issues as necessary, resulting in no project failures
- Monitored and reported on project progress and performance, identifying and addressing any issues or problems, resulting in on-time and on-budget delivery for all projects
- Collaborated with other departments and stakeholders to align project goals with business objectives, resulting in increased efficiency and effectiveness
- Implemented and improved project management processes and best practices, resulting in a 25% increase in project success rate.
- Directed changes to project scope and cost and implemented appropriate change management processes to keep project on track
- Maintained tactical control of project budgets and timelines to keep teams on task and achieve schedule targets
- Finalized project financial records while collaborating with financial controllers and executives
- Oversaw large portfolio of projects to support teams, report progress and influence positive outcomes for key stakeholders
- Updated customers and senior leaders on progress and roadblocks
- Monitored contracts and service level agreements to identify potential risks and implement mitigation actions to protect development process from unforeseen delays and costs
Domain Architect
South African Breweries
Johannesburg
01.2012 - 01.2017
- Developed and maintained domain architecture for organization, ensuring alignment with business goals and objectives
- Collaborated with business stakeholders to understand their needs and requirements, and translated them into technical solutions
Defined and documented domain architecture, including design, components, and relationships - Ensured domain architecture was scalable, flexible, and resilient, and met industry standards and best practices
- Led design of domain-specific solutions and systems, including architecture, integration, and implementation which reduced operational costs and improved efficiencies
- Coordinated domain-specific projects and initiatives, including budgeting and resource allocation
- Collaborated with other architects and technical experts to ensure domain architecture was integrated with overall IT architecture
- Conducted research and evaluation of new technologies and trends to determine potential value to organization
- Participated in development and review of technical policies and standards
- Provided guidance and support to other technical teams, helping them understand and adhere to domain architecture
Senior Systems Engineer
Dimension Data
Johannesburg
01.2008 - 01.2012
- Conducted root cause analysis to provide resolutions for production issues, resulting in a 15% reduction in downtime
- Maintained and troubleshot existing systems and applications, resulting in a 95% success rate
- Monitored system performance and availability to ensure optimal operation, with an uptime of 99.9%
- Developed and maintained documentation for systems and processes, improving team productivity by 25%
Collaborated with other teams and departments to understand and meet their need - Participated in disaster recovery and business continuity planning, resulting in a successful recovery from a major outage with minimal downtime.
- Collaborated with clients to determine need and devise appropriate software and hardware solutions
- Created manuals and taught training sessions to educate co-workers on new systems
- Assisted employees with resolving network problems at remote locations
- Verified compliance with applicable performance metrics and compatibility expectations
- Configured, installed and upgraded SQL databases
- Integrated database and backup servers into enterprise systems
- Optimized networked software and operating systems by applying updates and patches
- Documented system configuration, mapping and processes
- Maintained stability, integrity and efficient operation of information systems supporting organizational functions
Education
Prince II - Project Management
All About Experts
Rivonia South Africa 01.2013 - 04.2013
MCSE 2003 - IT Engineer
IT Intellect
Rivonia South Africa 01.2009 - 11.2009
HP ProLiant Solutions - Server Hardware
HP
Rivonia South Africa 01.2004 - 01.2023
No Degree - A+ N+ And MCSE 2000
IT Intellect
Rivonia South Africa 04.2001 - 01.2004
ITIL Foundation V3 - IT
IT Intellect
Rivonia South Africa 02.2003 - 02.2003
High School Diploma -
Fourways High School
Fourways, South Africa 01.1995 - 12.2000
Skills
Extensive knowledge of IT infrastructure, including hardware, software, and networking systems
Strong background in project management and coordination
Experience in leading and mentoring a team of IT professionals
Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
Experience in managing vendor relationships and negotiating contracts for products and services
Ability to research and evaluate new technologies and solutions
Experience in monitoring system performance and availability to ensure optimal operation
Strong communication skills
Managing and implementing IT strategies
Time management skills, including ability to meet deadlines and work efficiently under pressure
Ability to delegate tasks and responsibilities effectively
Strong conflict resolution skills and ability to mediate team issues
Strong team-building skills, including ability to foster collaboration and teamwork within the team
Systems Infrastructure Design
Budget Management
365 Productivity suite
DevOps
Agile practices
Project management methodologies
ERP systems (SAP, MS Dynamics, SAGE, Navision)
Negotiating Skills
Excellent managerial techniques
Data Center Public Cloud Environments (AWS, Azure)
Web 3 Technology
Blockchain Technology
NFT Technology
Infrastructure Maintenance
BI Reporting & Dashboards
Value Creation
Accomplishments
2011: As a highly skilled IT Architect, I have won recognition for my innovative work in the manufacturing sector. Specifically, I received a prestigious award for innovation from Wonderware South Africa, a leading supplier of software solutions, for my virtualization implementation at Coca Cola Beverages within the Manufacturing environment. My expertise in this area has made me a valuable asset to any organization looking to optimize and modernize their IT infrastructure.
2021: As a result of my efforts, I successfully collaborated with my peers and partners to migrate all application and infrastructure workloads from our private cloud to the Azure public cloud environment. This resulted in a 35% reduction in costs and a 20% increase in stability for Coca Cola Beverages Africa
2022: I was responsible for managing and leading the conversion of the MPLS legacy network at Coca Cola Beverages Africa to SDWAN. Through this project, I was able to successfully reduce the network OPEX budget by 30%."
Hobbies
- Fitness and healthy living
- Reading motivational and educational books
- Water sports, including wakeboarding and kite surfing
- Outdoor activities, such as hiking and camping
- Traveling and exploring new destinations
- Cooking and trying new recipes
- Web 3 research and developments
- Blockchain technology
- Investing / Trading
Timeline
Senior Infrastructure Manager
Coca Cola Beverages South Africa
01.2019 - Current
Senior Project Manager
Coca Cola Beverages Africa
01.2017 - 01.2019
Prince II - Project Management
All About Experts
01.2013 - 04.2013
Domain Architect
South African Breweries
01.2012 - 01.2017
MCSE 2003 - IT Engineer
IT Intellect
01.2009 - 11.2009
Senior Systems Engineer
Dimension Data
01.2008 - 01.2012
HP ProLiant Solutions - Server Hardware
HP
01.2004 - 01.2023
ITIL Foundation V3 - IT
IT Intellect
02.2003 - 02.2003
No Degree - A+ N+ And MCSE 2000
IT Intellect
04.2001 - 01.2004
High School Diploma -
Fourways High School
01.1995 - 12.2000