Amjad Urshad

Previous Locations for Cognizant:

USA - Between March 2014 and December 2019

India - Between Oct 2010 and Mar 2014

Managed complex Azure migration projects, effectively reducing the runtime by 30%
Built a robust security infrastructure, resulting in a 20% decrease in security incidents
Optimized Azure Cloud applications, saving $500K in annual costs
Implemented new DevOps practices, increasing the code deployment speed by 40%
Automated cloud deployments using CI/CD pipelines, improving efficiency by 50%
Led the design of a modern data platform using Azure, increasing data processing speed by 35%
Implemented containerization in application deployment, reducing the deployment time by 40%
Designed and established disaster recovery solutions, reducing the recovery time by 30%
Performed the migration of on-premise applications to Azure, reducing operational costs by 35%
Designed secure infrastructure solutions using Azure Security Center, decreasing security issues by 25%
Advised on best cloud practices to improve system performance, increasing system uptime by 30%
Mentored junior team members, resulting in a 20% increase in their performance metrics
Modified cloud environments using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, improving reusability by 45%Transformed traditional IT infrastructure into Azure cloud, reducing infrastructure costs by 40%
Streamlined the transition of enterprise applications to the cloud, improving application performance by 30%
Leveraged Azure DevOps tools to accelerate delivery cycle times, increasing productivity by 20%
Trained over 30 staff members on cloud concepts, enhancing team performance by 25%
Advised businesses on implementing Azure services, optimizing their cloud investment by 35%
Introduced Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) for container orchestration, reducing application downtime by 30%

Designed, deployed, and managed Azure/AWS on-premise infrastructure for multiple clients.
Implemented and configured Azure Entra ID to manage user identities and access controls.
Monitored and optimized Azure resources for performance and cost efficiency using Azure Monitor and Azure Advisor.
Automated administrative tasks using PowerShell scripts and Azure Automation to improve operational efficiency.
Implemented backup and disaster recovery solutions using Azure Site Recovery, Commvault, and Azure Backup.

Maintaining security frameworks and standards - ISO 27001, CIS, SOC2, etc.

Build and maintain tools and services used to secure our corporate fleet of endpoints.

Build security tools for critical infrastructure protection, monitoring, and remediation.

Contribute towards improving internal log aggregation methods and champion Security Alerting and Monitoring for internal services and infrastructure.

Identify gaps in apps and services lacking proper security scans.

Assisted in the migration of on-premises workloads to Azure and AWS, ensuring minimal downtime and data loss.

Maintaining situational awareness of cyber threats (current and evolving), trends, and technologies across the organization and driving the appropriate or commensurate response activities, where necessary.

Reviewing security events, searches for targeted attacks, and zero-day exploits, understanding and connecting threats to the risks of the organization to provide appropriate capabilities and action plans.

Conducted security assessments and implemented security controls, including RBAC, Azure Security Center, and Azure Key Vault.
• Administering, Managing, Deploying, monitoring, and troubleshooting Windows Active Directory
• Managing Windows DHCP, DNS, DFS, and other Roles
• Design and implementation experience with Multiple VMware VCenter, VMs, ESXi Hosts.

Managed and maintained on-premises infrastructure, including servers, network devices, and storage systems.
Administered Active Directory and implemented security controls to manage user access and permissions.
Monitored and optimized server performance, and implemented proactive maintenance strategies.
Implemented backup and disaster recovery solutions to ensure data protection and business continuity.
Assisted in the planning and execution of infrastructure upgrades and technology refresh cycles.
Resolved technical issues and provided end-user support for hardware, software, and network-related problems.

• Developed scripts to automate routine tasks.

Managed Domain, AD, DNS, Exchange, and DHCP.

Managed IT functions to support hardware, software, and network systems.

Maintained and monitored technical support mailbox for 500+ users.

• Monitored system performance and conducted troubleshooting activities to resolve technical issues.
• Provided technical assistance for end users regarding hardware and software related problems.