Michael T. Mikelas

1000 Greenhill Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15209-1335

412.897.5037

mmikelas@gmail.com

IT Leadership: Accomplished IT professional with well over a decade of industry experience in

progressively responsible and challenging roles. Highly accomplished project leader with repeated

success leading both technological and organizational change including full life-cycle technology

solutions, enterprise level infrastructure upgrades, and organizational transitions. Technically

sophisticated IT leader with a well-earned reputation for strong decision-making, effective

troubleshooting, and administration of mission critical systems. Innovative technology professional

with a proven ability to control costs, foster continuous improvement, and add value. Proven ability to

both lead and develop followers while building and managing synergistic relationships with internal

and external stakeholders.

CAREER PROGRESSION

Axiall, a Westlake Company (Formerly Axiall Corporation) – Pittsburgh, PA

2014 - Present

IS Security Architect

Position is responsible for the strategic architecture and implementation of security

information systems and design to enable Axiall Corporation business to operate in a safe and

secure environment. Functional duties include: establishing and implementing an information

security framework and technical architecture for all Axiall locations; designing, developing

and implementing information security products; gaining organizational commitment for all

systems plans; leading efforts in evaluating and selecting all security technologies required to

complete the systems plans; providing information security expertise and consulting to

Network, Systems, Application and Process Control Network teams; interpreting laws &

regulations and establishing security technologies that meet industry best practices and align

with ISO and NIST Security standards while providing technical leadership across the Axiall IS

organization.

Overview of recent accomplishments:

• Contributed to the evaluation of Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP) resulting in

the selection and implementation of Dell SecureWorks as the vendor of choice for Axiall

•

Provided a working architectural design for the delivery and collection of logging data for

the MSSP

• Evaluated multiple Network Access Control (NAC) solutions, recommending ForeScout as

the most appropriate fit for Axiall’s unique set of requirements

• Evaluated a variety of endpoint defense vendors, and working with the infrastructure

team, selected Intel Security/McAfee as an initial solution to replace Microsoft System

Center Endpoint Protection (SCEP)

• Evaluated multiple multi-factor authentication and SSO solutions, ultimately

recommending SecureAuth as a best-fit option for Axiall

•

•

Provided a review and recommendations on improving the operational health and efficacy

of the organization’s Palo Alto Networks NGFW environment

Provided a review and recommendations on improving the organization’s Cisco

AnyConnect VPN and Cisco Cloud Web Security environments

• Evaluated various “next-gen” endpoint defense solutions, ultimately recommending

Cylance as the best fit for Axiall. Completed a thorough POC effort with the vendor to

demonstrate value to the Axiall infrastructure team. Currently deploying the solution into

the Production environment.

• Continue to review, evaluate, and introduce Security related vendors and solutions in an

effort to both streamline and improve the organization’s overall Security maturity level

and posture

Highmark Inc. – Pittsburgh, PA

2009 - 2014

Senior Architect

Productive member of a lean group responsible for supporting a complex, rapidly growing,

network infrastructure, in a highly regulated industry that is required to comply with strict

audit and security mandates. Responsibilities include installation, configuration and

management of a variety of Cisco platforms including firewalls, routers, switches, wireless,

and management products. Have served as the project leader, technical subject matter

expert or key contributing member to a wide variety of initiatives including, but not limited to:

the establishment and emergence of the Allegheny Health Network; the sale and

disengagement of the Medicare business to Novitas Solutions Inc.; connectivity solutions for

teleworkers, satellite offices and business partners; annual disaster recovery drills; and much

more.

Overview of recent accomplishments:

• Led the integration of Highmark’s former subsidiary, EBDS, into the business and

technology environments of the parent company, including the transition of business

processes and technology infrastructure, throughout the first year of employment.

• Leading the network effort to disengage and transition the Medicare business to its new

owner Novitas Solutions, Inc.

• Coordinated and led an effort to stabilize and refresh the organization’s NICE call recording

solution resulting in improved reliability and performance.

•

Played a key role in the RFI/RFP effort to refresh the organizations IVR/CTI solution.

• Led the implementation of the Avaya Secure Access Link (SAL) implementation enabling

secure vendor support of the organization’s Avaya voice environment.

• Transitioned a significant number of smaller satellite offices away from traditional leased

line connectivity solutions to broadband-based VPN solutions resulting in significant cost

savings and increased productivity.

• Participated in the organization’s annual disaster recovery drills.

• Support organizational and business partner required remote access solutions through

Cisco ASA firewalls and AnyConnect SSL VPN solutions.

• Coordinated and prepared the virtual server infrastructure for the Avaya Modular

Messaging implementation.

• Contributed to a proof-of-concept implementation of a carrier based SIP voice solution

using ACME Packets session border controllers.

• Contributed in the implementation of Microsoft Office Communicator for organizational

unified communications including conferencing, desktop sharing, instant messaging, and

call control.

•

Aid in supporting Cisco Wireless solutions, 802.1X authentication efforts, IOS code

upgrades, infrastructure deployment, day-to-day troubleshooting, maintenance, and more.

Employee Benefit Data Services, a Highmark Company – Pittsburgh, PA

2008 – 2009

IT Operations Manager

IT Team Lead / Network Administrator

Managed a team responsible for the supervision, design, implementation, support, and

training of the voice, network, and data systems for this Highmark subsidiary. A technology

infrastructure comprised of Cisco based networking solutions; HP blade, SAN, and backup

solutions; Avaya VoIP telephony; Microsoft Windows as well as VAX and Alpha/Itanium based

VMS servers. Responsibilities included key roles in a variety of high profile, business critical,

time-sensitive projects. Many required focused interaction with the parent company,

Highmark.

Nominated for an ISG Team Excellence Award by Highmark in 2008

Overview of accomplishments:

• Migrated company’s flat, 3COM, broadcast-based network over to a properly segmented

and managed Cisco network dramatically improving performance and manageability

• Replaced an aged WatchGuard firewall and VPN solution with a properly secured,

maintained, and managed Cisco ASA5520 device cluster supporting both VPN and IPS

traffic inspection

• Introduced the company’s first DMZ network segment eliminating direct access to LAN

servers directly from the Internet

• Implemented a Cisco ACS 3113 appliance cluster for proper access restriction and logging

for VPN authentication and access to the both the core and access switches throughout the

network

• Upgraded several Windows 2000 domain controller servers, to Windows 2003 then

upgraded domain functional level to native 2003 format

• Replaced a mis-configured and ineffective Computer Associates antivirus solution with a

mutli-tiered, managed, Trend Micro solution

• Deployed GuardianEdge hard drive encryption across all laptops throughout the

organization

• Implemented IPSwitch What’s Up Gold for monitoring of the IT infrastructure

• Worked with SecureState to help perform and analyze a penetration test of the EBDS IT

environment

• Transitioned numerous stand-alone, tower based servers to HP Blade servers

• Implemented an HP EVA 4400 SAN for improved disk based storage performance and

redundancy

• Transitioned the company from using more than a dozen stand-alone tape drive units and

numerous copies of Symantec Backup Exec to a centralized HP Data Protector solution

utilizing disk to disk to tape rotations via a HP Virtual Tape Library and Autoloader

• Implemented company’s first VMWare ESX Server cluster, subsequently virtualizing the

majority of the company’s servers

• Implemented WebSense Internet Content Filtering to manage Internet usage throughout

the organization

• Deployed the company’s first Blackberry Enterprise Server while working with Highmark to

ensure device policies remained aligned with those of the parent company

• Worked directly with Highmark to transition the EBDS InterTel voice solution to an Avaya

VoIP solution, including call recording, in only four months with zero post-implementation

issues

• Implemented Microsoft WSUS server to ensure proper, timely patching of all Windows

systems throughout the organization

• Implemented Altiris Client Management, Patch Management, and Service Desk solutions

• Transitioned existing Exchange 2003 environment to Exchange 2007

• Transitioned and standardized all Microsoft Office installations throughout the organization

to Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007

• Coordinated a transition from the Genifax fax server solution to a solution provided by

Highmark

• Help coordinate and complete a software licensing “true-up” resulting in an Enterprise

Agreement with Microsoft and better accounting of EBDS software across the organization

• Implemented a Barracuda Anti-Spam filtering solution via an multi-appliance cluster

• Worked directly with Highmark to transition EBDS into the Highmark’s MPLS networking

solution

• Coordinated and performed the relocation of the entire EBDS IT Infrastructure out to the

Highmark managed Data Center located at Bretz Drive

• Worked with Highmark to prepare for, and activate, a viable DR scenario at the

Harmarville location during the G20 Summit event held in Pittsburgh

Tube City IMS Corporation – Glassport, PA

2004 – 2008

Manager of Information Technology

Managed a team responsible for design, implementation, support, training, and management

of a global wide-area network. A rapidly growing network included thirty-two (32) servers

(Windows/Sun Solaris) and 600 workstations (Windows 2000 Pro/XP Pro) located across two

data centers and seventy (70) sites throughout the US and abroad. Duties required heavy

involvement in projects related to both business continuity/DR and Sarbanes-Oxley regulatory

compliance.

Overview of accomplishments:

• For nearly the first year of employment, worked as both the IT Manager and Systems

Administrator

• Implemented DHCP throughout the enterprise eliminating time consuming, tedious

administration of machines with static IP addressing

• Implemented a multi-layered, centrally managed enterprise antivirus solution from

Symantec eliminating the near weekly virus outbreaks within the organization

• Implemented Symantec’s Ghost system imaging solution which reduced the time required

to rollout or update workstations from days to mere hours

• Implemented and managed a Blackberry Enterprise Messaging Server for 250 handheld

devices

• Rebuilt and secured the organization’s Lotus Domino implementation including a complete

systems migration from version 5.x to version 6.5.3 – both server and client

•

Played role in negotiating a new voice and data services contract with Qwest

Communications, replacing AT&T, resulting in tremendous cost savings

• Over a six month period, worked with Qwest engineers to migrate all existing voice and

data circuits at all locations over to Qwest including the migration of many frame circuits

to Private Routed Network (PRN) circuits for reduced cost and better performance

• Replaced the company’s aged Cisco equipment with Adtran resulting in an annual cost

savings of more than $20K in maintenance/support charges

• Implemented new PBX systems at the corporate headquarters and several other remote

locations

• Implemented VoIP networking between several of the new PBX systems between locations

• Quickly learned and rebuilt the organizations Nokia IP350 Checkpoint firewall configuration

bringing the device current in terms of OS and software versions

• Worked with US Steel to re-design and re-implement a site to site VPN connection to

provide secure data transmission between the corporate data center and a US Steel site in

Kosice Slovakia, completed a similar connectivity solution with AK Steel

• Implemented client to site VPN solution as an alternative to a costly, administratively

heavy Citrix implementation

•

Eliminated the use of costly and insecure dialup RAS access to the data center at several

remote site through VPN solutions

• Migrated the organization from Lotus Domino 6.5.3 to Microsoft Exchange 2003 over a

single weekend with zero post implementation issues

• Completed a complete domain migration (both servers and workstations) over the same

weekend

• Replaced Gateway with Dell as the vendor of choice for IT equipment resulting in

considerable cost savings and improved support and system reliability

• Retired, replaced, and/or consolidated multiple servers running legacy hardware or found

to be inadequately sized for their function

• Deployed NAS devices for dedicated file sharing at several remote sites significantly

reducing WAN traffic improving overall network performance

• Worked with ADP to upgrade the organization’s payroll implementation – initial

implementation was severely dated and no longer supported by ADP

• Over a six month period standardized all client systems and eliminated all legacy Windows

OS installations. 130 machines replaced, all systems standardized on Windows 2000

Pro/XP Pro, and all systems running Office 2003 Pro

• Deployed CIS ScaleCOM software a multiple sites to serve as a software interface between

weigh scales and the company’s ERP system

• Implemented a centrally managed keycard entry system at multiple sites with Sonitrol

• Worked with the Director of MIS to eliminate the organization’s long history of dependence

on third-party outsourcing – the cancellation of two long standing contracts saved the

company over a million dollars annually

• Have compiled detailed documentation of the WAN including numerous Visio diagrams

• Implemented a Biscom Enterprise Fax Server solution first under Lotus Domino then

migrated the deployment to support Microsoft Exchange

• Standardized and upgraded all Windows data center servers to Microsoft Windows 2003

Server

• Implemented in-house network monitoring using Woodstone’s ServersAlive product

providing real-time alerting and notifications to MIS staff

• Updated the data center network backbone to dedicated, managed gigabit switches

• Reviewed then updated all power protection and backup needs within the data center – all

equipment now protected with networked UPS devices for monitoring and reporting

• Designed, coordinated, and implemented LANs at several new sites

• Have designed and proposed a WAN infrastructure overhaul – moving remote sites away

from traditional leased line circuits to cost-effective site to site VPN deployments where

favorable.

• Replaced the company’s Checkpoint firewall with a SonicWall for significant cost savings in

annual maintenance as well as to lay the ground work for the proposed WAN changes

• Enabled Sonicwall's Unified Threat Management (UTM) systems on the firewall providing

Gateway Antivirus, AntiSpyware, and Intrusion Prevention at the gateway further

strengthening network security

• Deployed a SonicWall CF3200 Internet Content filtering device to ensure productive use of

the Internet for business purpose.

• Following merger, job responsibilities significantly increased as the number of remote

locations instantly rose from 22 to 68 and the company gained a second data center –

network continues to grow and expand internationally

• Worked to unify the WAN infrastructures of both companies – heavily leveraged the

Internet to accomplish this goal by deploying hardware site-to-site VPN connectivity

• Leveraged an Internet-based WAN infrastructure significantly reducing costs and further

bolstering network security by leveraging Soncwall's UTM systems on the hardware at

each remote location

• Further expanded the use of VPN technologies through the deployment of SSL based

hardware VPN solutions.

• Completely documented then refreshed all servers at the second data center

• Worked with IT staff to ensure company software standards were deployed across all

systems in the organization

• Developed and currently deploying a DR/Business Continuity program for all business

critical systems – program utilized CA/XOSoft's replication software and VMWare's ESX

Server product to replicate primary data center servers to the secondary data center then

failover to those servers as needed

• Worked with an independent auditing firm to achieve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance – firm

helped identify areas of non-compliance, assisted in finding solutions, and helped

implement changes required to achieve and maintain SOX requirements

• Deploying Computer Associates email archiving solution along with the Discovery add-on

module for increased Microsoft Exchange efficiency as well as to meet legal and regulatory

compliance requirements

Schroeder Industries LLC – McKees Rocks, PA

2001 – 2004

Network/Systems Administrator

Was responsible for design, implementation, support, and training of a small, global network

comprised of seven (7) servers (Windows NT 4.0/DG-UX) and 130 workstations (Windows 9x,

2000, NT 4.0 and XP Pro) located throughout the domestic United States and the United

Kingdom. Responsibilities included the management of the telecommunications infrastructure

(PBX and Voicemail). Supervised projects to implement network faxing, VPN connectivity, and

bandwidth upgrades for the organization.

Overview of accomplishments:

• Documented entire network including Microsoft Visio diagramming

• Created and continue to maintain detailed network inventory database in Microsoft Access

97

• Designed and implemented a standardized workstation naming scheme

• Standardized and organized NT/Unix account naming conventions and groupings

• Organized the Exchange 5.5 recipients store to include department level groupings and

distribution lists within the Global Address List (GAL)

• Brought all server operating systems to the same operating system patch revision level

resulting in 99.999% uptime

• Standardized client application software used throughout the organization

• Created standardized system build utilizing Norton Ghost imaging software promoting

rapid deployment of new or refreshed PCs

• Implemented desktop faxing utilizing FaxBack’s NetSatisFAXtion product

• Assisted in integrating AdvancedWare’s AWFORMS package with ERP system in order to

eliminate all pre-printed paper forms

• Helped integrate desktop faxing and Exchange email with the company’s ERP system

eliminating a lengthy, cumbersome, manual invoicing process

• Assisted in a project to implement laser check printing for Accounts Payable eliminating

another manual process which utilized expensive, pre-printed checks

• Assisted in the complete redesign of the company’s Intranet to achieve a goal of anytime,

anywhere connectivity to company data

• Implemented a robust, Intranet based Help Desk system at no cost to the company

utilizing a freeware package from Liberum.org

• Implemented and maintain enterprise-wide managed virus protection using McAfee’s

ePolicy Orchestrator

• Worked with Cisco Systems to reconfigure the company’s PIX firewall to provide VPN

connectivity for remote sales personnel

• Customized an installation package of the Cisco Universal VPN Client software to provide

automated VPN software deployment and configuration to authorized remote personnel

• Implemented Internet content filtering using St. Bernard Software’s iPrism device

• Assisted with a 56k to 128K bandwidth upgrade for the dedicated WAN connection

between the McKees Rocks, PA and Cumberland, MD plants

• Implemented shared resource booking through Microsoft Outlook

• Update and create IT related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• Contributed to the company’s written Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity plans

• Assisted in developing a project to perform a Windows 2000 migration for the entire

company – (project never implemented due to rumors of company buyout)

• Deployed Virtual Network Computing (VNC) software throughout the enterprise to allow IT

to provide remote desktop support anywhere within the organization

International Academy of Design and Technology - Pittsburgh, PA

2000 – 2001

Assistant Network Administrator

Was responsible for troubleshooting, maintenance, user and software management of 1200

user, 400-workstation network comprised of Windows NT, Win95, Novell Netware, and SCO

UNIX.

Overview of accomplishments:

• Assisted in documenting the network

• Wired and rewired new and existing computer labs

• Maintained all wiring closets - activating/deactivating ports, upgrading/replacing

equipment

• Utilized Windows Policy Editor to standardize and restrict PC desktop environments and

available configuration options

• Each quarter, created system image builds for each lab based on course scheduling using

PowerQuest DriveImage software

• Used PowerQuest DriveImage software to deploy system images to each lab prior to the

start of each new quarter

• Created and maintained all student and faculty network accounts

• Monitored network activity for unauthorized peer to peer (P2P) file sharing or gaming

activity

• Regularly scanned all lab hard drives for unauthorized software installations

•

Provided hardware and software support for both students and faculty

• During two week Christmas break of 2000, completely reorganized, upgraded,

standardized and re-deployed all eight school labs

• Tutored students as needed

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

Duquesne University

Master’s Degree in Information Technology Leadership

ITIL Certification

IT Service Management Foundation

University of Phoenix

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

International Academy of Design and Technology

Associate Degree in Specialized Business, Computer Information Management

2001

2007

2008

2012