Gerry Schmidt

Key Skills and Abilities
Program/Project Management * Needs Assessment * Streamlining Operations * Proactive Planning * Team Leadership *

Motivation * Infrastructure Support * Integration of Acquisitions * Data Security * Hiring, Training, Coaching/Mentoring *

Relationship Building * Expanding Services * Collaboration * Problem Solving * Decision Making * Communications

Liaison * Disaster Recovery Testing w Audit & Compliance * Migration of Claims * Networking/Desktop Support

Work Experience and Achievements

Phoenix Data Center Hosting Services, an Aetna Company, Phoenix, AZ

01/2016 – 07/2017

Director, Operational Support

Directed and supervised team of 25 engineers, including Network Operations. Hired and reviewed performance of 10 staff members. Managed daily support of Aetna affiliates’ data, which was transferred to a new Aetna-owned data center, including disaster recovery planning and testing. Collaborated with partners to evaluate present and potential needs for development and growth. Contributed toward the design and formation of those needs with directors of architecture and build. Ensured operations and expansion of services ran efficiently, which included data security, service operations, audits and compliance (SOC1, SOC2 and customer mandated), project management. Made sure uppermost management stayed up-to-date, and pleased with operational results.

Assumed responsibility for total operational support of 2 affiliate companies’ infrastructure, and primary support of 4 additional affiliates, migrating into data center.

Achieved 7 disaster recovery trials for 3 affiliates, and internal operations.

Executed on-call roster and initiation of after-hours support for affiliates.

Earned promotion to this position from previous one.

Meritain Health, an Aetna Company, Minneapolis, MN

01/2007 – 12/2015

Director, Systems Engineering, 03/2012 – 12/2015

Promoted into position from prior position. Headed group of 19 engineers who provided infrastructure support. Collaborated with software development, app support and project management to provide unified IT support to operations. Worked with operations to confirm range of capabilities, preparation, and expansion were provided for. Formulated budget and management ($20M – $30M) for infrastructure group.

Guided successful application, establishment, and testing of data center disaster recovery for affiliate.

Supervise migration of data from obsolete storage to new, Aetna-owned, cutting edge storage facility. (Moved hundreds of terabytes of data and virtual servers over one weekend, leading to everything back online the following Monday.)

Systems Administration Manager, 01/2007 – 03/2012

Managed and supported infrastructure services team and needs for Windows and Unix servers, local telecom, networking and desktop support for 500 users based in Minneapolis. Offered feedback for budget and management, of approximately $10M. Presided over all major infrastructure projects and integration of acquisitions. Supported requirements of new acquisitions as they affected infrastructure needs.

Transitioned company’s infrastructure from physical to virtual.

Managed projects for migration of claims system, including all of Minnesota’s data/solutions, to the new centralized data center in Buffalo, NY; then managed transfer of data from data center in NY to a new, hosted co-location facility in Buffalo.

Principal IT liaison with acquired companies; ensured relocation of data and solutions was successful. (Acquired 5 separate companies throughout the years.)