Stephen White
Charlotte, NC
I am a driven individual and enjoy a challenge. I am interested in how things work and how they can be improved. I need to produce results and make things progress forward. Some of my strong points are problem solving, leadership, honesty, prominent technical abilities and an engaging attitude. I have very strong logic capabilities and I thrive in complex situations. I have worked for very technical companies and I am consistently one of the main technical leads the company turns to.
I am currently employed with Charter Communications, as the Director of IT Operations.
Experience Summary:
I been dedicated to IT since 1994, with years of dedicated computer professional experience. I have managed many fast paced environments and high stress situations. I understand the necessity of quality service and the importance of fully comprehending interdependent system relationships. Leadership is a developed talent, helping others find success and grow is very rewarding. I can troubleshoot situations and locate errors in logic flow and help provide alternative options for complex problems. I have great logical aptitude and problem solving skills. I have years of experience with Microsoft, Unix/Linux Networks, Security, process management, IT strategies, best practices and leadership. I can steward an IT department to continual improvements and achieve uptime.
Charter Communications – Jan, 2005 – Current
Managing Data Centers, upgrading all aspects of every server based system, backup processes, monitoring tools and environments, building/managing a 400+ host VM infrastructure. I have made many improvements within Time Warner Cable; change management, customer issue tracking, root cause, risk containment, corrective action documentation and progressive continual system improvements. Various teams utilize my leadership skills, knowledge and experience. Helping others overcome challenges beyond the technical nature has been very rewarding. Supporting a teamwork environment and challenging every project to be as successful as possible with passion I won’t relinquish. I am always analyzing the long term impact, every IT decision, and how to best stage my department for reliability, accuracy and efficiency.
- SOW, Vendor relations, budgeting for projects and YOY growth
- Develop and instill PM schedules and procedures
- 5000+ Servers including Unix,Linux,Windows and AS/400 Physical and Virtual
- Exchange 5.5/2003/2010 and Nt4.0/2003/2008/2012 Active Directory migrations
- P to V of 500+ servers running on 200+ Vmhosts with shared storage
- SOX, PCI Security, Firewalls and lab vs. production separation
- 1000+ TB of EMC and NetApp SAN storage
- Migration from ATT to internal Cable Modem provisioning
- Multi Datacenters with 2000+ servers and numerous headends with 200+ servers
- Millions of customers dependent on Video, Phone and Cable Modem services
- HA and DR planning and testing
- System Monitoring, graphing, trend analysis reporting
Internet Dominator 2003 – 2005
Partner/Owner – (Louisville, KY)
This startup was an ASP/”outsourced IT department” company. We focused on smaller businesses that needed full IT support but could not justify hiring full IT staff or resources. We helped smaller companies through the growth period until they were able to convert and build an in house IT department. We provided application and file server support, technology planning and website, email, electronic marketing and server co-location. We installed, supported, managed and built solutions around the Internet, Windows and Linux servers, network connectivity and security systems.
bCatalyst – 2001 – 2003
IT Manager – (Louisville, KY)
This startup, bCatalyst, was a Venture Capital business incubator. We provided funding, leadership, office space, Information Technology advertising assistance, etc. I provided the IT services for the many startup companies and helped them plan their initial years of budgeting and general infrastructure development and expansion strategies. Desktop, Application and File servers, VoIP, Internet, Email and Internet presence were part of the core services we provided. I also educated and developed the startups’ IT staff. We made every effort to allow the “hosted entrepreneur” to focus on their business model and keep the passion moving forward while we managed “everyday” business needs.
HSA – High Speed Access 1998 – 2001
IT Manager – (Louisville, KY)
I was hired as one of the original employees of this start-up as the Network Administrator. This position increased in responsibilities as the company grew. I eventually managed all aspects related to internal computer (Desktop/Servers) and network related elements. Starting with one office leading to over 6 branch office locations. This was a very fast growing company and I was able to guide and provide quality technical solutions for HSA from the beginning to the final sale to Charter Cable. This was a great place to work and the team spirit was enthralling. The challenges this provided were fundamental in my long term IT capabilities. I grew the IT staff from 1 to 7 employees and provided HSA with the necessary technology to become the leader of cable modem turnkey solution providers.
Henry Vogt Machine Company 1996 – 1998
Sysadmin – (Louisville, KY)
With Henry Vogt, I migrated the Tube-Ice division off the multidivisional IBM mainframe and onto a Windows NT based network. I was responsible for building servers and desktops that provided IT network solutions to support the financial, computer aided drafting, manufacturing, shipping, remote worker, web presence aspects of the company. Henry Vogt was a very old industrial campus with typical manufacturing requirements and challenges. It was here that I learned how a business depends on and can grow from Information Technology. I utilized my customer support skills to educate and host classes that educated the office employees through the Dumb Terminal to PC transition.
Comsol 1995 – 1996
Partner/Owner – 7 Employees – (Champaign Urbana, IL)
Comsol provided “white box”/”clone” desktops and servers for businesses exclusively. Focusing on businesses, we could provide the lowest cost and fastest turnaround for large orders. We grew from a 2 person shop into a 5 person tech staff before I left the company. Comsol was a great place to work as it was full of “team” workers and we always provided the very best possible service and results. We regularly filled 20-40 quantity orders and helped to install the desktops in the business locations after hours. This was an exciting time in the industry as things were moving fast and progressing in dynamic steps.
Apex Systems 1994 – 1995
Tech Lead – (Champaign Urbana, IL)
I was the lead PC technician for Apex Computers. We provided new PC builds and break fix repair for walk-in customers. This was an integral learning experience on both the computer side and in customer support etiquette. We would work with customers that had various emotions ranging from the pain of complete data loss to the joy of new PC upgrades. I was responsible for the system builds and I provided requirements for testing procedures. I managed the inventory and RMA process for the hardware along with opening or closing the storefront as needed. I enjoyed working here as I was able to “flex” my troubleshooting abilities and work with customers.