Multi-Site Data Center Overhaul
Complete DC architecture with Palo Alto PA-460 HA cluster, Nexus 9500 switching, Hyper-V cluster and centralized NetApp storage. Interconnection of 6+ international sites via IPsec tunnels.
$ whoami
Farid Saïd
Head of IT
I drive IT strategy, design robust infrastructures and automate processes for high-performing organizations in the financial sector and international environments.
About
Experienced and visionary IT professional with over a decade of expertise in digital transformation, cybersecurity and infrastructure excellence in financial services and international organizations.
Currently Head of IT at Gottex Brokers SA, I lead strategic initiatives, manage high-performing teams and implement cutting-edge technologies that align IT with business growth. Certified CISM, PMP, Palo Alto NGFW, CCNP and ITIL, I bring a balance between technical depth and executive leadership.
Passionate about innovation, I ensure systems are secure, scalable and future-ready in today's digital landscape.
Experience
Head of IT
Sep 2024 – PresentGottex Brokers SA — Pully, Switzerland
Defining and executing IT vision and technology roadmap. Leading digital transformation, Zero Trust adoption, DORA/FINMA/ISO 27001 compliance and IT budget management.
IT System Engineer
Aug 2019 – Aug 2024Gottex Brokers SA — Pully, Switzerland
Architecting hybrid infrastructures (Hyper-V, NetApp, Veeam), L3 support in trading-critical environments, market data platform administration (LSEG, Bloomberg B-Pipe) and trading communication systems.
IT Linux Administrator
Feb 2018 – Aug 2019International Olympic Committee (IOC) — Lausanne, Switzerland
IT Linux Administrator
Feb 2017 – Feb 2018Aragon-eRH — Puteaux, France
IT Windows System Administrator
2012 – 2017SNCF • Groupe PSA • Louis Vuitton • Musée du quai Branly — Paris, France
Skills
IT Strategy & Governance
Aligning IT services with business objectives through ITIL, COBIT and TOGAF. Driving value, accountability and innovation.
Cybersecurity
Leading security programs, risk management and compliance with CISM standards and Palo Alto NGFW technologies.
Project Management
Delivering complex IT projects with PMP best practices. Cross-functional leadership in both Agile and traditional models.
Network & Security Architecture
Designing secure and scalable network architectures (CCNP, Palo Alto). Hybrid, cloud and on-premise connectivity.
Infrastructure & Cloud
Hyper-V, NetApp, Veeam, Azure Arc. Managing hybrid environments, backup, DR and infrastructure automation.
Digital Transformation
Digital strategy, service optimization and data-driven decisions. Bridging business and IT to accelerate growth and agility.
AI & Automation
Integrating Claude AI into IT operations: automated infrastructure auditing, AI-assisted algorithmic trading, n8n orchestration and AI-augmented full-stack development.
Certifications
Self-taught with over a decade of hands-on experience, I continuously develop my skills through internationally recognized certifications.
Management & Strategy
- PMP® — Project Management Professional (PMI)
- ITIL® 4 Strategic Leader — Digital & IT Strategy, Direct Plan and Improve, Foundation (AXELOS)
Cybersecurity
- CISM — Certified Information Security Manager (ISACA)
- Palo Alto Networks — Certified NGFW Engineer
Network
- CCNP — Cisco Certified Network Professional (Cisco)
Projects
DRP & Business Continuity
Definition and implementation of a complete DRP strategy with secondary site. Externalized Veeam backup on Azure, ransomware protection, restoration testing and business continuity plan.
Zero Trust Transformation
Deploying a Zero Trust architecture with Palo Alto PA-460/440 on each satellite site, centralized Panorama and DDoS mitigation via F5. DORA, FINMA and ISO 27001 compliance.
Trading Systems & Telephony
CUCM/CUBE migration to modern VoIP solution. IPC and KaceRT (smartTrade Technologies) platform management. LSEG/Bloomberg B-Pipe Market Data administration with RTDS resilience and real-time contribution.
AI-Augmented IT Operations
Claude AI integrated into IT operations with read-only SSH access to production equipment. Automated auditing of Cisco switches, NetApp clusters and Palo Alto firewalls. Autonomous algorithmic trading bot powered by Claude Haiku, Prometheus/Grafana monitoring and n8n orchestration, all self-hosted.
Open Source Stack & DevOps
Proxmox cluster with 14 LXC containers, Gitea Actions CI/CD, full monitoring (Prometheus, Grafana, Loki, Wazuh SIEM). Applications built entirely with Claude Code: SaaS platform, e-commerce, trading bot, websites.
Contact
A project, an opportunity, or simply want to connect?
Message sent!
I'll get back to you shortly.