Michael Varis

CTO

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States14 yrs 11 mos experience

Most Likely To Switch

Key Highlights

Over 20 years of experience in IT service operations.
Led major incident management program reducing MTTR by 18%.
Achieved ISO27001, GDPR, and PCI compliance frameworks.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Fintech Infrastructure Executive with extensive experience in cloud and compliance management.

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Skills

Core Skills

Cloud InfrastructureIt Service OperationsIt StrategyCompliance ManagementCloud StrategyTechnology AdvisoryCybersecurityInfrastructure ArchitectureMessaging SystemsCollaboration ToolsCollaboration EngineeringTechnical SupportInfrastructure SupportCompliance

Other Skills

AWSAzureDataOpsAutomationIncident ManagementCloud GovernanceISO27001GDPRPCI ComplianceInfrastructure ModernizationCloud MigrationTechnology StrategyCybersecurity ArchitectureDisaster RecoveryO365

About

As a senior technology leader with over two decades of experience, I focus on optimizing IT service operations, cloud environments, and incident management. Currently serving as VP of IT Service Operations at Confidential Financial Services, I lead transformative initiatives to enhance system resilience, operational efficiency, and SLA compliance through advanced DataOps and automated workflows. My career spans IT infrastructure, cloud-native platforms, and cybersecurity in regulated environments. I am dedicated to delivering real-time insights and driving impactful technology strategies that empower decision-making and ensure business continuity. Currently exploring how spec-driven agentic architectures can transform vendor risk and compliance workflows in financial services.

Experience

14 yrs 11 mos

Total Experience

2 yrs 1 mo

Average Tenure

2 yrs 4 mos

Current Experience

Confidential financial services

VP IT Service Operations

Dec 2023 – Present · 2 yrs 4 mos · Charlotte, NC · Hybrid

Lead platform reliability and infrastructure operations for a global hybrid cloud ecosystem spanning AWS, Azure, and legacy on-premise infrastructure supporting regulated financial systems across 500+ cloud accounts and 12,000+ servers.
Direct operational strategy for large-scale cloud infrastructure underpinning mission-critical financial platforms serving millions of end users.
Implemented centralized observability and automation frameworks that improved infrastructure visibility and reduced cloud spend by millions annually.
Established enterprise cloud governance standards enabling scalable infrastructure management across 500+ multi-account cloud environments.
Led enterprise major incident management program, reducing MTTR by 18% and meaningfully improving platform availability and resilience.
Partnered with engineering teams to drive improvements in reliability, observability, and deployment consistency across hybrid cloud platforms.
Elevated DataOps capabilities through advanced automation and monitoring, improving SLA adherence to 99%+.

AWSAzureDataOpsAutomationIncident ManagementCloud Governance+2

Quintevents

IT Director

May 2022 – Dec 2023 · 1 yr 7 mos · Charlotte, NC · On-site

Led global IT and infrastructure strategy across North America, Europe, and Australia for a high-profile global events company.
Built enterprise compliance program from the ground up, achieving ISO27001, GDPR, and PCI compliance frameworks.
Reduced audit non-conformities by 95% through automation and structured compliance processes.
Negotiated enterprise SaaS and vendor agreements, reducing annual technology spend by 17–20%.
Directed infrastructure modernization and security architecture improvements supporting rapid global growth.

ISO27001GDPRPCI ComplianceInfrastructure ModernizationIT StrategyCompliance Management

Rsm us llp

Manager

Mar 2021 – May 2022 · 1 yr 2 mos · Charlotte, NC · Hybrid

Served as strategic technology advisor to executive leadership across a portfolio of mid-market clients, functioning as an embedded CTO/CIO.
Advised C-suite and board-level teams on cloud migration, infrastructure modernization, and long-range technology strategy.
Delivered enterprise Azure migration program improving platform reliability and hybrid cloud resilience.
Led endpoint modernization initiative using Microsoft Intune Autopilot across 250+ devices.
Conducted executive risk reviews aligning technology investment roadmaps with business growth objectives.

Cloud MigrationTechnology StrategyAzureCloud StrategyTechnology Advisory

Lpl financial

Architect, Technology Soutions

Apr 2016 – Mar 2021 · 4 yrs 11 mos · Charlotte Metro

Designed and operated cybersecurity and infrastructure architecture across one of the largest independent broker-dealer platforms in the U.S.
Designed cybersecurity and compliance architecture supporting 400+ independent financial advisor offices.
Directed enterprise incident management across environments spanning 6,000+ virtual servers.
Mapped 425 critical applications into business continuity and disaster recovery frameworks, ensuring regulatory alignment.
Implemented monitoring and automation programs driving sustained improvements in enterprise SLA compliance.

Cybersecurity ArchitectureDisaster RecoveryComplianceCybersecurityInfrastructure Architecture

Xpo logistics, inc.

IT Messaging Engineer II

May 2015 – Apr 2016 · 11 mos · Charlotte, North Carolina Area

Oversaw messaging and collaboration systems for a global enterprise with 6,000 seats.
Managed O365 licensing, compliance, and eDiscovery functions using PowerShell.
Led a significant 12TB email migration project from legacy Exchange 2010 environments.

O365PowerShellEmail MigrationMessaging SystemsCollaboration Tools

Avanade

Collaboration Engineer

Apr 2013 – May 2015 · 2 yrs 1 mo · Charlotte, North Carolina Area

Served as a senior escalation point for a global NOC, supporting Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync environments for 1.3 million users.
Delivered L2/L3 support for clustered Windows servers, Exchange 2003–2013, and SharePoint farms.
Maintained high availability infrastructure utilizing F5, SQL Server, NetApp/EMC/Nimble storage, and VMware.
Mentored junior engineers and played a key role in client onboarding and project delivery.

ExchangeSharePointLyncCollaboration EngineeringTechnical Support

Eze castle integration

Field Systems Engineer

May 2011 – Apr 2013 · 1 yr 11 mos · Greater New York City Area

Provided infrastructure support for a 1,000-endpoint investment banking advisory firm, ensuring compliance with industry standards.
Managed Active Directory domains, Exchange 2007/2010 DAGs, and enterprise print/file services to enhance operational efficiency.
Migrated SAN infrastructure using NDMP copy and Veeam across NetApp environments, improving data management capabilities.

Active DirectoryExchangeSAN MigrationInfrastructure SupportCompliance