Technical Engineer
IT Services 💻
June 2008 to May 2012
I began my career as a Technical Engineer for a local IT service company, working within the Service department. In this role, I was responsible for providing phone, email, and on-site technical support to external clients. This position exposed me to a wide range of IT products and solutions, catering to both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as large organizations. I had the opportunity to enhance my technical skills and expand my knowledge through various training sessions, product launches, and bootcamps. While the learning curve was challenging, it was also incredibly rewarding. Eventually, I was designated as the subject matter expert (SME) for Storage and Backup solutions, allowing me to further specialize in this critical area of IT infrastructure.
IT Consultant
Manufacturing 🏭
August 2008 to February 2012
During my time as a Technical Engineer, I was assigned by my manager to one of our clients as an in-house IT Consultant. The client was a global manufacturing company, where I was responsible for managing their local network and Active Directory infrastructure. In this role, I led several projects, collaborating closely with international counterparts, vendors, and external partners to ensure seamless operations and successful project execution. In addition to technical responsibilities, I occasionally conducted training sessions for users, focusing on IT trends and security best practices, helping to enhance their understanding of evolving technologies and reinforce cybersecurity awareness.
Systems Administrator
Oil and Energy 🛢
May 2012 to January 2014
I was hired as a System Administrator for a multinational oil and energy company, which proved to be my most engaging and challenging role to date. In addition to my daily responsibilities of administering the IT infrastructure, I was actively involved in several high-level projects. These included the deployment of Active Directory, migration of MS Exchange, design and implementation of file servers, disk and file encryption, and the rollout of a client management system. I also took on the task of designing the IT service desk portal, which streamlined support operations and enhanced user experience. These projects allowed me to collaborate with various stakeholders and apply advanced technical skills, driving significant improvements across the organization's IT environment.
IT Security - IAM
Financial Services 🏦
January 2014 to March 2022
As my career progressed, I was hired by one of the largest investment companies to work within their Identity and Cybersecurity division. I am part of a global team responsible for managing access control and the identity lifecycle. This role involves overseeing user access management (UAM), privileged access management (PAM), and actively participating in ongoing security reviews and audits. Additionally, I focus on reviewing and enhancing UAM processes, writing and documenting procedures, and providing advisory support to educate the business on security standards and policies. My contributions help ensure the organization maintains strong security practices while staying compliant with industry regulations.
User Access Specialist
Financial Technology 🏦
April 2022 to present
My responsibilities include offering expert advisory support on the user access components of cybersecurity, developing and maintaining comprehensive security strategies and policies related to Identity and Access Management (IAM), and leading initiatives to define and implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) across the organization. These efforts have enhanced access management, strengthened security controls, and ensured alignment with regulatory and industry standards.
For my complete professional profile, you can check my LinkedIn account.
A little more about me
Personal Bio
Here’s a brief history of who I am: I grew up in a small town (now a city) called Alaminos, Pangasinan, about four hours from Manila. I was raised by my grandparents in a home surrounded by fruit trees and rice fields. It was a laid-back, simple place, where malls, cinemas, and bars didn’t exist. I lived there until I finished grade school, then moved to Caloocan City to join my parents and siblings for high school. In my second year, my parents bought us a personal computer—a Pentium 4, Windows XP machine—which sparked my interest in computers. Later, I attended Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila, where I earned my Bachelor's degree in Information Technology. After graduation, I landed my first job at a local IT services company, and I’ve been working as an IT professional ever since.
When I’m not glued to a computer screen, I enjoy reading books, watching films, and listening to music or audiobooks. In my free time, I also love playing badminton and bowling, going to the gym, or traveling and exploring new food spots with friends and colleagues.
Life is short, and the world is wide...
Ever since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of a life filled with adventure and exploration. ✈️ I would immerse myself in adventure films, devour travel shows, and pore over geography books. I had a fascination with memorizing the capital cities of countries, learning their flags, and pinpointing their locations on a map. 🗺️
Traveling has become one of my greatest passions. It’s the best investment you can make—not just for the experiences and memories, but for the lessons it teaches you about life. Each journey offers something new: it teaches perseverance, pushes you to adapt to unfamiliar environments, and helps you discover your own strength. Traveling builds self-confidence, especially when you’re faced with unexpected situations and need to make quick decisions.
It’s more than just visiting new places; it gives you a profound sense of freedom and accomplishment, a reminder of how vast the world is and how much there is to explore. It sparks creativity, challenges your resourcefulness, and constantly encourages personal growth. 🏆
Where else to find me