Maher El Zein

Zein&Co SAL offers a wide range of information technology and cybersecurity training programs and professional services to its clients, integrating management consulting with the digital transformation projects, alongside advisory and technical consulting services for designing and establishing sophisticated information security infrastructures for service providers and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The company‘s main specialization is security operation centers (SOC) and their associated cybersecurity operations facilities, managed services, and processes, while also training teams of engineers, analysts, and digital forensics specialists to effectively manage the Incident Response and Digital Forensics Center.

Directing the IT Solutions and Consulting divisions, managing the overall division and team growth, reduced costs and increased the management effectiveness and profitability by digital transformation restructuring which the project included revamping the partnership alliances as a Value-Added Reseller (VAR) with many vendors as Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, Sophos, etc.., created new value propositions and business model, created new business strategy and Go-To-Market strategy (GTMS), Continuously recruiting talents, aligning the relations between teams, orienting employees, and training them on advanced networking and cybersecurity solutions and implementations; my responsibilities and achievements are the following: - Restructured the company (digital transformation project).
- Designed business and operation strategies, plans, and goals for growth and achieving the business targets
- Prepared the technical and commercial proposal templates for many project scenrios as networking and cybersecurity solutions from SME & Large enterprises as well for Service Providers (SP) for the focused market.
- Set policies and procedures
- Ensured employees working productively and handling projects professionally with customer satisfaction
- Managed a staff of expert engineers, project managers, sales and business managers, and presales/solutions architects
- Established and achieved business objectives
- Established a healthy and effective environment for sharing knowledge, experience, and information - Oversee day-to-day operations

Achievements:  Planned a new business strategy and new business model.  Created new value propositions as revenue streams, which generated multiple services, products and strategic partnerships with new technology vendors.  Designed a new operating model and aligned it with the new enterprise architecture.  Aligned the sales and marketing operations in a unified Go-To-Market Strategy (GTMS) and sales operating model.  Prepared the new sales roadmap and playbook.  Trained the sales teams for the IT Solutions and Software Solutions Divisions on the latest sales practices and developments (From collecting and qualifying leads to closing deals).  Scaled up the channel partnership levels with our strategic partners as with Microsoft, Cisco, SOPHOS, Kaspersky, and many other partners.  Introduced new channel partnership relations with global and regional technology distributors and vendors.  Designed a career development and retaining program for upskilling the engineering, sales, pre-sales, marketing, and support teams.  Increased revenue by 350% and turned the entire invoices/contracts to 100% fresh dollar during the Lebanese economic, financial, and severe Lebanese currency fluctuation, COVID19 pandemic, and skills draining and shortage.  Managed the IT Division’s operations during that period.  Controlled the employees’ salaries and incentives for mitigating the skills draining during the Lebanese native currency value collapse and hyper-stagflation (stagnation and inflation at the same time).  Planned new business projects as turning EDM to a regional and local MSP and MSSP, and scaling to an advanced Value Added Reseller (VAR).

Focusing on the information security/cybersecurity and IoT consulting projects.

Building the consultancy sales roadmap and early team after I built the sales go-to-market strategy.

EQCA sarl is an advisory and consultancy company that is serving tech startups and enterprises, reinforcing value creation, and digital strategies in the businesses.

Responsibilities:
- Innovative sales strategies for Go-To-Market (GTM)
- Preparing products/services for the intended market/s to sell-ability
- Digital strategies
- Digitization strategies
- Value-creating and innovations
- Datacenter IT and OT infrastructures and architectures
- Communication technologies
- IoT and artificial intelligence solutions and architectures
- Cybersecurity solutions and architectures
- Smart-city solutions and architectures

Advising the board of executives and directors on technologies enablement for their strategies, models, and plans. Acting as a digital transformation and cybersecurity SME (Subject Matter Expert).

Advising on the following:
✓ Technical marketing and consultation
✓ Technology-based solutions architecture
✓ Business and technical consultancy
✓ Data center facilities and infrastructures
✓ Cloud and virtualization solutions
✓ Cyber security solutions

FasterCapital, a US venture capital and private equity investment firm in Dubai

For mentoring startups to develop effectively their tech products/services to refine their business models for generating reliable and viable revenue streams.

Directed the IT’s technical and Sales department, managed the overall department and team growth, increased the management effectiveness by partnership alliances with the most pioneer vendors as Cisco Systems, Microsoft, VMWARE, etc.., recruited the talents, aligning the relations between teams, oriented employees, and trained them on advanced networking and cybersecurity solutions and implementations.

Responsibilities:
- Oversee day-to-day operations
- Designed business and operation strategies, plans, and goals for growth and achieving the business targets
- Set policies and procedures
- Ensured employees working productively and handling projects professionally with customer satisfaction
- Managed a staff of expert architects, engineers, project managers, sales and business managers, and pre-sales
- Established and achieved business objectives
- Established a healthy and effective environment for sharing knowledge, experience, and information

Achievements:
- Developed a framework for skills and certifications development for employees and company
- Enhanced the department’s efficiency and competitiveness ability in a saturated Kuwaiti ICT market
- Developed a viable business model and executed it effectively as increased sales 300%, added revenue streams, reduced cost, created value for both company and clients, and achieved the Cisco Gold partnership certification with specializations in dataceneters, services providers (optical and mobility), enterprises, security, routing and switching, collaboration (voice & video), and wireless
- Achieved the Cisco Gold certification for Oraxel in just 6 months from day 1
- Built a solid vision, realistic mission, unified and cohesive team helped achieving impressive results in a short period.

Responsibilities:
• Designing and operating service provider networks
• Designing and operating REN (Research and Educational Network) infrastructures
• Empowering internetwork designs for Service Providers
• IT and ICT service and product management
• Developing and operating the new concepts of service provider infrastructures and operational architectures (Hybrid Private/Public/Community Clouds)
• Designing and operating service-oriented data centres with end-to-end virtualization and scalability
• Designing and operating massive MPLS application-based network infrastructures
• Planning, Designing, Building, Operating and Optimizing Service Provider Companies aligned with PRINCE2 and ITILv3 systems for success and growing
• Designing complicated internetworks, networks and information security infrastructures
• Correcting Enterprise and Service Provider network designs and documentations
• Designing and implementing automated cyber-security networks
• Building operational architectures for Enterprise and Service Provider companies/firms
• Building operational architectures for multi-service REN infrastructures
• Designing service catalogs and product portfolios for Enterprise and Service Provider companies/firms
• Designing service catalogs and product portfolios for multi-service REN infrastructures (From layer-zero and DWDM to layer-4)
• Network and security trainings for Enterprise and Service Provider companies/firms (In-House and Hosted Training)

Projects engagement with Devoteam ME (www.devoteam.com) as a Lead Consultant:
• Project/Program management
• Designed and built an IPv6 migration plan and pilots for a project covering the entire Saudi Arabia
• Designed and created Service Catalog, Service Portfolio Roadmap, Service Schedules (Descriptions), Cloud Services, website contents, and then releasing the services as products for one of the major Managed Service Providers in the Saudi Arabia

Handled Devoteam consulting projects as a lead consultant in the KSA office also the Middle East and GCC regions

✓ Prepared country-scale IPv6 policies, procedures, migration and deployment/enforcement strategy for Saudi Arabia with the CITC (Saudi TRA) and same as an assistant Lead Consultant for the team working on the UAE TRA’s IPv6 migration project for UAE.

✓ Also designed the service and portfolio catalogues, cloud/managed services and selling strategy (Go To Market) for the leading national and regional managed/ cloud-services provider in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) - solutions department.

• Managing the network and security engineering department
• Responsibilities:
- Managing Tier-III and Tier-IV Data Centers
- Designing Data Centers
- Managing four Service Provider class networks (MPLS cores)
- Managing one of the most advanced REN (Research and Educational Network) in the world, called QFREN (Qatar Foundation REN)
- Service Designing
- Product Management
• Board member (Business strategy, trends, services, directions, change board)
• Ensure technical compliance with all business directions and standards through cross organization consulting and direct involvement in service development efforts
• Monitor adherence to corporate standards in product service lifecycle management application of best-practises to technical and process development
• Deliver research and development outputs to Enterprise Architecture
• Drive product engineering process across operational teams (primarily Technical Operations, Strategic Suppliers, Solution Architecture, Service Portfolio Management, Finance) through conceptualization, service development through to service end of life (EOL)
• Analyze potential partner/supplier relationships and technology for existing and developing services
• Maintain a complete, documented technical standard and baseline for their respective discipline
• Provide technical expertise and knowledge to the Service Portfolio and Sales team driving revenue opportunities
• Managing the network infrastructures which are including the following:
- Cisco CRS-1/16 & CRS-1/8 Routers with 40 Gig links and IOS XR
- ASR 9K Routers with 10 Gig links
- Nexus 7000 & 5000 with NX-OS
- Cisco 7609-S Routers with 10 Gig links
- Cisco Catalyst 6513 & 6509-E Switches with 10 Gig links
- Tens of Cisco ONS 15454 MSTP
- Cisco MDS 9509 with NX-OS
- Cisco Unified Computing
- Cisco Firewall Modules and IPS Appliances
- Cisco IP Solution Center and Transport Manager

Responsibilities:
• Influence and execute the product strategy and roadmap for company’s core services
• Manage the product engineering line life cycle from conceptualization to tactical activities for products and services within their technical discipline
• Managing the network engineering team (Leading a team of many specialized Architects, CCIEs and CCxPs)
• Managing the entire projects related to the network engineering
• Managing four Service Provider-class networks
• Acting as Lead Architect for Qatar Foundation and HP-ES Architects and Engineers
• Designing the entire MEEZA Data Centers based on the Cisco DCv2 & DCv3 architectures
• Designing and building operations architecture related to networking and security
• Assisting the solutions architects on designing complicated solutions
• Instruct the Level-2 and Level-3 network and security Engineers

• Designed and implemented one of the advanced REN (Research and Educational Network) in the world which is known in Qatar by QFREN (Qatar Foundation Research Educational Network)
• The MEEZA and QFREN networks are consist of the following gears:
- Cisco CRS-1/16 & CRS-1/8 Routers with 40 Gig links running latest IOS XR for the QFREN LSR routers
- Cisco ASR 9K Routers for the QFREN LER routers
- Nexus 7000 & 5000 with NX-OS and VMWARE
- Tens of Cisco 7609-S Routers with 10 Gig links
- Tens Cisco Catalyst 6513 & 6509-E Switches with 10 Gig links
- Tens of Cisco ONS 15454 MSTP
- Cisco MDS 9509 Switches with NX-OS
- Cisco Security Firewall Modules, ASA firewalls and IPS Appliances
- Cisco Security (MARS, ACS, CSM, NAC, ACE)
- Cisco IP Solution Center, LMS and Transport Manager
- HP NNM and OV

Cisco and networking consultation:
- Implementation and project plans
- Low- & High Level Designs
- Professional Network Documentation
- Responding to RFP/RFI/RFQ
- Remote configuration

Working as Freelance Consultant for many projects in many Arab countries (Lebanon, UAE, Qatar, Syria):
- Planning, designing and Implementing enterprise network projects
- Leading network team
Preparing to take the CCIE Security lab exam to be Dual CCIE

Responsibilities :
• Solution Proposals and Presentations to Customers
• Design/Review and approve Project Implementation Plans
• Provide Technical Professional Services to Enterprise Accounts
• Manage the Security and Pro. Services Team
• Design critical network infrastructure proposals
• Drafted several Network Infrastructure implementation designs, technical and commercial proposals, high-level design documents and detailed technical specifications documents for a number of high profile clients
• Performed advanced implementations of Enterprise Network Infrastructure, involving High-end Catalyst Backbone switches, Internet / WAN Connecting Routers, Firewalls, Load Balancers, Intrusion Prevention Systems, Network Admission Controls, Unified Communication servers and Wireless solutions
• Advanced Implementations of Cisco ASA 5500 Series Firewalls, Catalyst 6500 Firewall Services Module, IDS Module, Cisco 4200 Series IPS Devices and Cisco 3800/7500/7600 series Routers
• Wrote many security policies for many complex setups as (Financial and Governmental sectors and ISPs)
• Deploy and support technical projects across functions to ensure network architecture solutions are solid, well integrated and comply with network and security technology service offerings
• Experience in drafting and evaluating RFPs, meetings with vendors, defining and documenting RFP specs and evaluation criteria
• Develop and maintain enterprise documentation and solution's diagrams
• Designing and deployment of country-wide Private Data Networks of Corporate customers including enterprises and major banks
• Planning, Designing and Provisioning of customer's complex network solutions as technical consultant and making sure that the enterprise customer solutions are deployed on time
• Preparing and deploying the configuration from the customer side
• Designed and Implemented tens of Enterprise projects using Cisco, Fortinet, Foundry, RSA, Juniper and Blue Coat equipments

Responsibilities :
• Imparted learning in the capacities of a university instructor for a multitude of Cisco courses like CCNP, CCSP, CCNA, and networking.
• Formulated curriculum, planned teaching methodology and gathered resources required for the sessions, submitted syllabus to be covered for review and formed curriculum to meet the needs and satisfaction of individual students.
• Supported and encouraged students as they learn to become self-motivated and self-directed learners, communicated effectively with students and ascertained deficiencies.
• Provided academic support to students outside of class, clarified doubts that may crop up in or out of course of an examination cycle or pertinent to daily lessons imparted.

Responsibilities :
- Administered the TRINEC datacenter which consists of tens of Cisco L3 switches, hundreds of servers, Cisco pix firewalls, Internet gateway routers, 4 DSLAM and multi ISDN switches
- Connected the new customers to the TRINEC network in daily basis to allow internet and application accessibility; Managed and monitored the WAN and LAN performance by CA NSM, Cisco LMS and Whats-up Gold
- Designed integrated network solutions across a range of topologies for many companies in Lebanon.
- Configured routers and firewalls for later deploying in many companies and banks in many countries
- Responsible for design and maintenance of corporate Disaster Recovery Plans.
- Handled all operations pertinent to telecommunications, computers and security systems for HQ, remote offices and end-systems and implemented major WAN connection types in Lebanon across a variety of telcos and services.
- Handling pre-sales and network analysis and design.
- Complex Cisco network configurations, packet-level analysis, diagnostic work; ISP Network Diagnostics (TRINEC is an ISP and ASP company connected to more than four large ISPs in Lebanon
- Managed internet and Data-Links for around 600 Companies in Lebanon
- Initiated IGP static and dynamic routing protocols as RIPv2, EIGRP, OSPF and IS-IS in addition to EGP for internal and external BGPv4, oversaw wireless network design and installation
- Wireless installation for indoor and outdoor multipoint and management.
- Responsible for supporting many Microsoft services as ISA firewall, OSs, SQL2000 and SBS
- Supported ISA firewall, Oss, SQL2000 and SBS in addition to CITRIX services on Metaframe Servers implementations with client sotware and tightened end user security using Trend Micro OfficeScan, ServerProtect and ScanMail
- Assembled and configured HP, Dell and Hybrid servers, performed diagnostics and troubleshooting with a view conduct seamless networking operations.

Responsibilities :
- Worked in various types of networking environments from SMB to enterprise networks, designed and implemented networking services, finalized and supported projects
- Implemented network projects from access to core layer and assumed all networking responsibilities as essayed on previous projects
- Used equipments like Cisco AS5300 series & 7500 and Cisco 3700 Routers for huge core networks/Catalyst 6500 switches and Catalyst 4500 for distribution layer switching.
- Responsible for implementing the major WAN connection types which are: ADSLoPOTS, STM ATM, Frame Relay, Leased-line, ISDN PRI & BRI, and PSTN across a variety of telcos and services. Design work on complex VPN networks.
- Continuously monitored progress in terms of the status, budgets and modifications and reported to senior management, anticipated deviations from schedule, managed potential risks and negotiated consensus among team by defining acceptance criteria and aligning them with responsibilities.
- Comprehended relevant methodologies, core processes and transferred knowledge acquired to project team members, generated all requirement specifications, contracts, schedules and status reports in line with set structure for implementation.
- Established IS polices, standards and practices, developed and implemented department SOP's, disaster recovery plan and directed the design and deployment of systems, software and programs.
- Wireless network design, implementation and integration; Wireless installation for indoor and outdoor multipoint configurations.
- Security analysis, designing secure networks with implementation including firewalls, Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems, VPN concentrators SSL/IPSec, AAA Servers, security networks using Cisco and other vendor products.
- Responsible for designing and implementing Secure networks for SMB and large enterprise corporations.

Highlights : \n• Configured and administered MS SQL2000 servers. \n• Designed, implemented and administered SMB networking solutions. \n• Assumed responsibility for a project connecting over 10 sites and exchange databases via secure VPN connections.

Highlights : \n \n- Established internet Cafes & SOHO networks with all equipments and structures. Rendered experience in systems, network administration and support Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000 and High competent in Hardware troubleshooting and repairing. \n- Sharing business with my twin brother “CCIE #23074” \n- Conducted systems administration, including Installation, backup, crash recovery, upgrades, monitoring system performance, system and network security and troubleshooting. \n- Taught MS Office on 2000 and XP platforms in addition to maintenance, repairing and networking courses. \n- Business still running till today as a computer and SOHO networks shop, but managed by others.