Toronto, ON, Canada

Implementation Specialist Lead and Professional Services Consultant with 10+ years in IT, cybersecurity, GRC, and cloud deployments. Currently at a leading compliance automation company where I lead customer onboardings, manage a Professional Services team, and drive platform migrations and team enablement — delivering compliance success for mid-market and enterprise clients across SOC 2, ISO 27001, CMMC, GDPR, and other security and data privacy frameworks. Expert in deploying scalable solutions on AWS, Azure, and GCP, automating processes, and turning complex technical challenges into seamless customer experiences.

10+ years spanning IT, Cybersecurity, GRC, cloud services, and project implementation
Expert in AWS, Azure, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, and Linux/Windows server management
Proven track record delivering onboardings, migrations, and complex deployments at scale
Strong communicator — builds lasting customer relationships and mentors junior team members
Committed to documentation quality, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration
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ARR Managed
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Years Experience
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Clients Onboarded
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Playbooks & Runbooks
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Certifications

Experience

Implementation Specialist Lead Current

Leading Compliance Automation Company  ·  Toronto, ON
  • Develop a deep understanding of the platform to effectively guide clients through end-to-end onboarding across a broad range of frameworks — commercial security (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI-DSS), federal & government (CMMC, FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST 800-53), data privacy (GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA), and AI governance (NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act, ISO 42001).
  • Customize platform configurations to meet the specific needs and technical requirements of each customer — including integrations, control mapping, and policy imports.
  • Analyze customer engagement with the product to identify adoption gaps, enhance usage patterns, and drive satisfaction throughout the implementation lifecycle.
  • Serve as the primary post-sale technical point of contact — managing communications, addressing escalations, and ensuring customers achieve successful compliance outcomes.
  • Facilitate seamless migrations for customers transitioning from competing platforms, including competitor data exports, evidence mapping, and zero-loss imports.
  • Monitor implementation projects to ensure timely delivery; continuously refine processes, playbooks, and workflows for greater efficiency and customer satisfaction.
  • Built and maintain the Implementation Tasks Playbook — an internal documentation platform covering North America and EU region workflows, instance provisioning, change requests, and integrations.
  • Designed 50+ standardized email communication processes and automated CRM platform playbooks for CSM task assignment and handoff workflows.
2024 – Present

Professional Services Consultant

Illumio  ·  Toronto, ON
  • Provided technical training for customers and internal teams, enhancing platform usage, knowledge retention, and overall product adoption.
  • Drove complex Zero Trust segmentation deployments — working directly with customers to architect solutions and solve unique infrastructure challenges.
  • Deployed, tuned, and maintained Linux-based, highly available, fault-tolerant web platforms on public cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP); deployed SIEM and SOAR tools for third-party integrations including Splunk, ServiceNow, and IBM QRadar.
  • Automated processes using Bash, PowerShell, and Python to meet customer testing requirements and deliver API integrations.
  • Conducted security audits and health checks for customer deployments; produced detailed technical analysis reports and remediation recommendations.
2022 – 2024

Professional Services Consultant

Proofpoint  ·  Toronto, ON
  • Engaged with Archiving and Governance customers, providing expert guidance and tailored solutions across Proofpoint's compliance product suite.
  • Coordinated with internal teams, partners, and customers to ensure project success and timely issue resolution across multiple concurrent engagements.
  • Delivered technical training and shared best practices to maximize product value and drive user adoption at enterprise scale.
  • Led business analysis and project management for high-profile clients, translating complex requirements into actionable implementation plans.
  • Developed innovative solutions by leveraging cross-product experience and collaborating closely with consulting and engineering teams.
2021 – 2022

Product Support Engineer

Proofpoint  ·  Toronto, ON
  • Troubleshot complex distributed systems across cloud environments (Azure, AWS, GCP) and on-premises infrastructure.
  • Managed OS environments including Windows Server, Exchange, Active Directory, API, IIS, and Linux, with a focus on system integration and performance.
  • Integrated MFA services using SAML SSO; managed virtualization environments with VirtualBox, VMware, and Hyper-V.
  • Produced and reviewed visual training materials and Knowledge Base articles for both internal teams and customer use.
  • Assisted with product setup, configuration, troubleshooting, and integration with third-party solutions via phone, email, and Salesforce ticketing.
2019 – 2021

Security Technical Support

WatchGuard Technologies  ·  Mississauga, ON
  • Resolved customer issues by leveraging available resources and coordinating with Support Engineering to deliver timely, accurate resolutions.
  • Participated in beta testing of new products, providing structured feedback and training new hires on product features and support workflows.
  • Produced visual training materials and video tutorial scripts; assisted customers with product setup, configuration, and troubleshooting.
  • Coordinated testing with Level 2 and Support Engineering to ensure successful product integration across customer environments.
  • Collaborated on product improvements by synthesizing insights from customer interactions and delivering actionable feedback to the product team.
2018 – 2019

Earlier Roles

Teleperformance  ·  Land Authority  ·  Mercy Corps  ·  Red Media Production
  • Teleperformance Canada (2017) — Broadband Technical Support; diagnosed and resolved residential and business internet faults across North America and EU regions.
  • Land Authority, Gaza (2015–2016) — Tech Support & Archive Administrator; managed Oracle systems, Splunk reporting, Active Directory, and Exchange.
  • Mercy Corps (2011–2013) — ICT Programme Coordinator; led technology infrastructure, digital media, and startup development initiatives.
  • Red Media Production (2011–2017) — Founder; web development (WordPress, HTML/CSS), multimedia production, and social media management.
2011 – 2018

Education

University of Palestine

Bachelor of Science — Information Technology

Multimedia and Web Programming

2011 – 2014

New York University

Liberal Arts and Sciences

Entrepreneurship, Journalism and Political Science

2013

Skills

Core Strengths
💬Communication
🔍Analytical Thinking
🧩Problem-Solving
🎯Attention to Detail
🤝Ethical Integrity
🔄Adaptability
⚙️Technical Proficiency
🛡️Security Standards
⚖️Risk Management
📋Project Management
📚Continuous Learning
🌐Customer Success
Technical Skills
🛡️ GRC & Compliance
SOC 2 ISO 27001 PCI-DSS NIST CSF HIPAA ISO 27701 CMMC FedRAMP FISMA NIST 800-53 GDPR CCPA PIPEDA NIST AI RMF EU AI Act ISO 42001 GRC Security Audits Vulnerability Mgmt Risk Management Compliance Platform
☁️ Cloud & Infrastructure
AWS Microsoft Azure Google Cloud Cloud Oracle Google Workspace Windows Server Linux / UNIX macOS Active Directory MS Exchange VMware / Hyper-V VirtualBox Docker Kubernetes
🔒 Security & Networking
Zero Trust (Illumio) Firewall & Secure Access SAML SSO / MFA SIEM / SOAR Endpoint Security Proofpoint WatchGuard Incident Response Data Backup IoT Security VPN
💻 Automation & Development
Python Bash / Shell PowerShell REST API Git Jenkins HTML / CSS / JS WordPress Web Development Adobe Suite
🧰 Tools & Platforms
Salesforce Jira Zendesk CRM Tooling Linear Documentation Tooling Splunk Fathom Power BI Ticketing Systems
🎓 Professional & Soft Skills
Technical Documentation Staff Training Customer Onboarding Change Management Project Planning Time Management Cross-functional Collaboration AV & Digital Media

Interests

⚙️
Process Craftsmanship

Building scalable, repeatable systems that empower teams. I find deep satisfaction in architecting playbooks, designing onboarding workflows, and creating documentation that acts as a genuine competitive advantage.

Playbooks Automation Scalability
🤖
AI & Emerging Tech

Actively testing and evaluating AI and machine learning applications. I follow model releases closely, provide structured feedback to product teams, and explore practical applications in compliance and automation.

LLMs AI Governance ML Tooling
🎬
Digital Storytelling

Former documentary filmmaker and digital media producer. I continue to follow developments in journalism and creative technology — storytelling and visual communication remain a deep part of how I think.

Film Journalism Media Production
🧭
Mentorship

Helping junior professionals navigate careers in tech, cybersecurity, and compliance. I invest time in communities of practice and one-on-one guidance — bridging technical depth with human impact.

Career Dev GRC Careers Knowledge Sharing
🔐
Cybersecurity Research

Beyond day-to-day compliance work, I follow threat intelligence, emerging vulnerabilities, and evolving regulatory landscapes — particularly around AI governance, data sovereignty, and zero-trust architectures.

Threat Intel Zero Trust Regulation
🌍
Global Perspectives

Having worked across multiple continents and cultures, I am drawn to the intersection of technology and geopolitics — how privacy laws, AI regulation, and digital infrastructure differ across regions shapes how I approach compliance.

GDPR Cross-border Policy

Certifications & Awards

Professional Certifications
🛡️ GRC & Compliance
GRC, SOC 2 & CMMC Certificates
Leading Compliance Automation Company · Toronto · 2025
Covers Governance, Risk & Compliance frameworks, SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria, evidence collection, audit readiness, and CMMC Level 1–3 controls for DoD/federal contract compliance.
GRCSOC 2CMMCAudit Readiness
🤖 AI & Privacy
AI Security & Governance Certification
Securiti AI · Toronto · 2024
AI data governance, privacy risk management, regulatory compliance (GDPR, CCPA), responsible AI practices, and securing ML pipelines against adversarial and privacy threats.
AI GovernancePrivacyGDPRML Security
📁 Project Management
Google Project Management Certificate
Google / Coursera · 2024  ·  Professional Certificate
End-to-end project management — initiation, planning, execution, and closure. Covers Agile, Scrum, stakeholder communications, risk management, and change control.
AgileScrumRisk ManagementStakeholders
⚖️ Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Risk Management Framework Certificate
InfoSec / Coursera · 2024
NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF) lifecycle — security categorization, control selection and implementation, assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring.
NIST RMFRisk AssessmentFISMAControls
🔐 Cybersecurity
Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate
Google / Coursera · 2024  ·  Professional Certificate
Foundations of cybersecurity, network security, Linux & Python for security operations, SIEM tools, intrusion detection systems, and incident detection & response.
SIEMIncident ResponseNetwork SecurityPython
🔵 Zero Trust
Illumio Core Specialist Certification
Illumio · Toronto · 2023
Zero-trust segmentation architecture, microsegmentation policy design, workload visibility mapping, and enforcing least-privilege traffic controls across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Zero TrustMicrosegmentationPolicy ManagementCloud
📬 Compliance
Archiving, Compliance, eDiscovery & Supervision
Proofpoint · Toronto · 2019
Email archiving policy, regulatory compliance supervision workflows, legal hold management, eDiscovery search and export, and data retention governance for enterprise environments.
eDiscoveryEmail ArchivingLegal HoldData Retention
🔥 Network Security
Fireware Essentials Certification
WatchGuard Technologies · Toronto · 2018
WatchGuard Firebox configuration and management, firewall policy design, VPN deployment (IPSec, SSL), traffic inspection, threat prevention, and network monitoring dashboards.
FirewallVPNWatchGuardThreat Prevention
Honors & Recognition
🏆
Intel — Potential Program
Selected for Intel's emerging talent and innovation development initiative.
📰
Featured — Filistin Shabab Magazine
Recognized as a notable young professional and community figure.
🌱
Entrepreneurs² / Mobaderoon 2
Welfare Association initiative recognizing entrepreneurial achievement and social impact.
🎬
Palestinian TIFF — Selected Films
Flying Paper documentary selected for Palestinian Toronto International Film Festival.