Hello, I'm
Ayaz Patel
IT Infrastructure Project Lead · Senior Cloud Architect · Azure Specialist · Infrastructure Engineer
IT Infrastructure Project Lead
London, England, United Kingdom
// About
Who I Am
I'm Ayaz Patel, an IT Infrastructure Project Lead at Trident Energy based in London, United Kingdom. Over the last decade I've grown from MSP support engineer to Senior Cloud Architect, designing and delivering enterprise-scale infrastructure across globally distributed sites.
My focus is on Microsoft Azure, hybrid cloud architecture, Infrastructure as Code with Terraform, identity and access frameworks, hybrid networking (ExpressRoute, Azure Virtual WAN, site-to-site VPN), zero-trust security, and automation with PowerShell. I also work across AWS, Google Cloud and the wider Microsoft 365 stack.
I lead cross-functional project teams to deliver cloud migrations, datacentre modernisation, disaster recovery and cybersecurity hardening — on time, in scope, and aligned with the business. If you're hiring for a cloud architect, infrastructure lead or technical project manager in London or remote across the UK, let's talk.
// Experience
Where I've Worked
Trident Energy
6 years 7 monthsIT Infrastructure Project Lead
- Leading end-to-end IT infrastructure projects across multiple global locations, ensuring delivery on time, within scope and budget
- Driving cloud migration and hybrid infrastructure strategies, optimising workloads across Azure and on-premises environments
- Managing cross-functional project teams and coordinating with international counterparts to deliver complex technical solutions
- Defining project roadmaps, resource plans and risk mitigation strategies for infrastructure modernisation initiatives
- Overseeing the design and implementation of enterprise networking, security hardening and disaster recovery frameworks
- Establishing governance and compliance standards for infrastructure deployments across geographically distributed sites
- Collaborating with senior leadership to align IT infrastructure strategy with broader business objectives and growth plans
- Mentoring and developing team members, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence
Senior Cloud Architect
- Architected and delivered enterprise-scale Azure cloud solutions, including landing zones, networking topologies and identity frameworks
- Implemented Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices using Terraform and ARM templates to standardise cloud provisioning
- Designed and enforced Azure governance policies, RBAC structures and cost management frameworks company-wide
- Engineered hybrid connectivity solutions including ExpressRoute, site-to-site VPN and Azure Virtual WAN across global offices
- Developed automated monitoring, alerting and remediation pipelines using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics and PowerShell runbooks
- Conducted cloud security assessments and implemented zero-trust architecture principles, improving the organisation's security posture
- Provided technical leadership and architectural guidance to engineering teams, acting as the escalation point for complex cloud challenges
Senior System Administrator
- Architecting, Deploying and Managing a large network of Linux / Windows Servers in three parts of the world
- Technical Lead on all IT Projects
- Working as a large team with counterparts in other countries
- Resolving technical challenges with deploying solutions in difficult locations
- Architecting, Deploying and Managing Azure company-wide
- Enacting policies and policing them to ensure Cybersecurity Compliance
- Curating PowerShell scripts for management / automation purposes
Livedrive
10 monthsSystem Administrator
- Working in a small team managing a large infrastructure environment
- Managing the Windows environment as the sole engineer (100+ Servers)
- Optimising performance on the servers to handle more requests
- Ensuring systems are up and meeting service requirements
- Deploying and building new storage nodes to extend the storage pool based on CentOS
- Rebuilding the Active Directory environment for a Datacenter move
- Working with AWS
Fitzrovia I.T. Limited
9 monthsTechnical Delivery Engineer
- Deploying solutions to clients across Servers, Clients, Networking, Cloud and web frontend
- Planning the implementation of solutions for customers
- Servicing and maintaining infrastructure on Azure, AWS and Google Cloud
- Scripting and automating tasks using PowerShell
- Implementing networking solutions (Sonicwall, Meraki, Aerohive, pfSense, Sophos UTM, Watchguard)
- Managing projects and ensuring timely delivery to clients
- Migrating users to new infrastructure (Office 365, Active Directory, DFSR, SharePoint, Azure)
- Securing customer environments with pentests (Sophos, SentinelOne, GFI)
Acuutech
6 monthsSystem Administrator - Level 3
- Managing a Private Cloud / Managed Service environment for multiple clients
- Working with Storage Spaces Direct, Citrix (PVS and local storage), BackupExec
- Working with the full Microsoft stack (Azure, Office365, On-Prem Directory, Clustering)
- Handling all Linux based calls (CentOS, Ubuntu) hosting websites and file services
- Rebuilt entire client environment from scratch after hard drive failure
Timico
2 years 10 monthsOnsite Engineer
- Troubleshooting issues with users face to face on a daily basis
- Working across 5 customer sites in London on a rotating rota
- Gaining experience with SCCM, MDT, VMWare ESXi, Hyper-V, Cisco ASA, pfSense and more
- Security pentesting and implementing security headers, DMARC, SPF, SSL
- Building relationships with customers as the acting face of the company
IT Support Engineer
- Working within an MSP for 80+ clients
- Managing Windows Server 2003-2016 and Exchange 2007-2016
- Working with Office 365 and Azure cloud platforms
- Exceeded KPIs month on month
- Training the team and other departments on new technologies
- Deployed solutions at scale for clients
Zenzero Solutions Ltd
4 monthsIT Support Analyst
- Managing a large volume of tickets daily using Autotask
- Maintaining Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2012 environments
- Managing Exchange 2007, 2010, 2013
- Networking troubleshooting — TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, LAN, WAN, VPNs
- Building computers from scratch for business deployment
// Skills
Technologies & Tools
Cloud & Infrastructure
Operating Systems
Networking & Security
Automation & Scripting
Services & Applications
Security
// Credentials
Certifications & Education
Certifications
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Microsoft
ITIL
AXELOS
Education
Leyton Sixth Form College
BTEC National Diploma in IT, Information Technology
2008 - 2011