Gerald UGRINA
Montreal,Canada
Summary
Dynamic Senior IT Consultant with over 30 years of experience transforming IT operations for SMBs and mid-market enterprises. Renowned for bridging the gap between technical infrastructure within the network architecture and Microsoft ecosystems and essential business governance, including Law 25 compliance and budget optimization. Proven track record in stabilizing chaotic environments, managing vendor relationships, and delivering secure, high-availability networks. Open to interim mandates, fractional leadership roles, and infrastructure projects that drive organizational success.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Principal Consultant / Owner
NüForce IT
02.2025 - Current
- Helping SMBs professionalize their IT operations and navigate Quebec’s privacy regulations.
- Law 25 Compliance: Conducting gap analyses and implementing governance frameworks to ensure client compliance with Quebec privacy laws.
- Infrastructure Modernization: Leading migrations from legacy systems to cloud-hybrid environments (Microsoft 365/Azure) and Firewall-based security stacks.
- Fractional Leadership: Acting as interim IT Director for clients, overseeing vendor selection and strategic roadmaps.
IT Manager (Contract)
BGO / BentallGreenOak
11.2011 - 02.2025
- Managed the full IT lifecycle for a major real estate investment firm, ensuring 99.9% uptime and user satisfaction.
- Infrastructure Lifecycle: Planned and executed the end-to-end lifecycle of corporate IT assets, reducing hardware costs by [%] through strategic procurement.
- Vendor Management: Negotiated and managed SLAs with external MSPs and telco providers, ensuring strict adherence to response times and cost controls.
- Service Delivery: Managed the IT Service Center (Helpdesk), supporting internal stakeholders from executive leadership to operations staff.
- Network Security: Maintained rigorous security standards across the network, including firewall administration and proactive auditing.
Education
Associate of Science - Computer Information Systems
CÉGEP Du Vieux Montréal
Montreal, QC04-1987
Skills
- Strategic & Financial Oversight: Budget & Investment Management: Develop and control the annual IT budget, leading investment planning to align technology with strategic business goals
- Governance & Compliance: Quebec Law 25 (Bill 25), IT General Controls (ITGC), Risk Assessment, Data Privacy, Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP), Business Continuity (BCP)
- Infrastructure & Security: Fortinet Security Fabric (Gate/Switch/AP), Firewalls, VPN, Zero Trust Principles, Meraki, LAN/WAN Architecture
- Vendor & Contract Management: Lead negotiations and manage all outsourcing agreements, SLAs, and technology partnerships to optimize service value and cost
- Microsoft Ecosystem: Microsoft 365, Azure Active Directory (Entra ID), Intune (MDM), Exchange Online, SharePoint, Windows Server Administration
- IT Management: Vendor Management (SLA Negotiation), Budgeting (CAPEX/OPEX), IT Service Management (ITSM), Change Management, Strategic Planning
EDUCATION & LANGUAGES
English
Native or Bilingual
French
Native or Bilingual
Certification
CompTIA A+
CompTIA Network +
Timeline
Principal Consultant / Owner
NüForce IT
02.2025 - Current
IT Manager (Contract)
BGO / BentallGreenOak
11.2011 - 02.2025
Associate of Science - Computer Information Systems
CÉGEP Du Vieux Montréal