Career

I’ve spent more than a decade building, maintaining, and securing systems — mostly GNU/Linux, mostly open source, and always with the goal of making infrastructure resilient and useful. My career has been shaped by philosophy as much as by technology: I care about autonomy, transparency, and doing the hard work properly.

Profile

I’m a Linux systems administrator with hands-on experience across hosting, networking, and cybersecurity. I’ve architected multi-node Linux clusters, migrated hundreds of client sites without downtime, scaled infrastructure to serve thousands of users, and investigated enough logs to know when something’s about to go wrong.

I’ve worked with Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, and CloudLinux; deployed and maintained ISPConfig, Plesk, and cPanel; scripted automation with Bash; managed ERP backends and SQL databases; and implemented backup and disaster recovery systems. I’m comfortable at the junction where people, processes, and servers collide — keeping systems up, secure, and adaptable.

Professional experience

Executive director — Noiz (formerly Cloud Matrix), South Africa

August 2016 – April 2025

  • Founded and scaled a premium hosting and cloud services provider.
  • Deployed WHMCS billing, performed custom module tweaks, and built managed WordPress systems tailored to client needs.
  • Designed and administered multi-node hosting clusters with monitoring, backup, and disaster recovery systems.
  • Maintained 99.9% uptime across 280+ live websites and 200+ client accounts.
  • Developed websites and applications across a range of stacks.
  • Grew the business through technical partnerships and direct client relationships.

Director of IT — CE Africa, South Africa & regional offices

April 2023 – December 2024

  • Managed IT infrastructure for a 200-staff engineering firm: networking, servers, backups, email, and telecoms.
  • Administered ERP and accounting systems: database tuning, schema management, and user support.
  • Conducted cybersecurity investigations and enforced security across on-premise and cloud assets.
  • Negotiated and managed vendor contracts across hardware, software, and connectivity.
  • Balanced support for Microsoft 365 with open-source platforms for long-term resilience.

Support agent — Virgin Media Ireland, Ireland

September 2020 – June 2021

  • Provided Tier 1 and Tier 2 support for mobile, TV, and broadband customers.
  • Diagnosed Wi-Fi and signal issues, managed equipment dispatch, and handled SIM provisioning.
  • Worked in a high-volume call centre to resolve connectivity issues and ensure smooth customer experiences.

Technical support agent — Afrihost, Johannesburg, South Africa

May 2016 – June 2016 (intensive training)

  • Trained in Linux administration, DNS, cloud infrastructure, and connectivity troubleshooting.
  • Delivered Level 1 and 2 support for web servers, mail systems, dedicated servers, and fibre-to-home services.

Network administrator — Jasper Consultants, Johannesburg, South Africa

February 2014 – July 2015

  • Specialized in website/domain migrations: DNS, hosting, databases, and email.
  • Executed large-scale client transfers with zero downtime and 100% data integrity.
  • Supported Apache/nginx servers and CMS platforms (WordPress, Joomla).
  • Resolved PHP/MySQL issues for ISP clients.

Key skills

  • Operating systems: Debian · Ubuntu · Mint · CentOS · CloudLinux
  • Control panels & CMS: ISPConfig · Plesk · cPanel · WHMCS · OpenStack · WordPress
  • Databases & scripting: MS SQL · MySQL basics · Bash scripting
  • Networking & cybersecurity: TCP/IP · DNS · VPN · Firewalls · Intrusion investigations · Email/telecoms
  • Automation & monitoring: Tactical RMM · Backup & disaster recovery systems
  • FOSS deployments: PeerTube · Mastodon · Matrix · Crypto nodes
  • Customer & vendor management: CRM · Procurement · Vendor negotiations · Stakeholder liaison

Education

South African National Senior Certificate (IEB Matric)
Christian Brothers College, Boksburg | 2004 – 2009

Languages

  • English: Native
  • Afrikaans: Conversational
  • Russian: Beginner

Interests

Philosophy and politics, chess and strategy games, reading (voraciously), powerlifting, scuba diving, open-source software, and cryptocurrency.