Previous Role: Systems Specialist / Administrator

Kamloops, BC · 2008 – 2022 (14 years)

Over 14 years at Gold Business Technologies — a leading provider of managed IT services, document management solutions, and multifunction office equipment across British Columbia — I served as a core member of the IT team, delivering hands-on systems administration, network infrastructure support, and field service for clients.

Key responsibilities and achievements included:

• Administering multi-branch network infrastructure across client sites and internal operations: performing proactive monitoring, rapid troubleshooting, detailed documentation, and ongoing optimization to ensure reliable connectivity and performance.
• Leading a major firewall migration project from Cisco to pfSense — handling full planning, configuration migration, testing, validation, cut-over execution, and post-migration stabilization with zero major disruptions during transition.
• Managing virtualization environments (hypervisors, VMs, resource allocation), storage systems, and comprehensive disaster recovery planning — including backup strategies, testing, and recovery procedures to safeguard critical data and minimize downtime.
• Overseeing patching cycles, incident management/response, and automation scripting to improve efficiency, reduce manual effort, and enhance system security and reliability.
• Gaining broad hands-on experience with leading cloud platforms — including Microsoft Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, and Digital Ocean — for infrastructure deployment, migration, hybrid setups, and client cloud transitions.
• Serving as a field service technician for multifunction devices (MFPs/copiers/printers): installing, configuring, troubleshooting, maintaining, and repairing networked office equipment at client locations to ensure optimal print/scan/copy/fax functionality and uptime.
• Providing Windows systems administration and support for Microsoft Office 365 environments — including user management, email configuration, security policies, licensing, and integration with on-premises infrastructure.
• Collaborating with clients across industries to deliver tailored IT solutions, from on-site support to proactive maintenance, contributing to long-term client relationships and operational efficiency.

This role built a strong foundation in enterprise Windows ecosystems, cloud technologies (especially Azure and Office 365), open-source networking (pfSense), virtualization, disaster recovery, and hands-on hardware/service for multifunction devices — blending deep technical expertise with client-facing field work over a rewarding 14-year period.