Profile
Hi, I'm Matthew Pollock. 👋
Lead Infrastructure Engineer | Cloud Engineer | IT Infrastructure Manager
About Me
- ⚡ I like technology that actually works. Not hype, not complexity for the sake of it – just smart, practical solutions that solve real problems.
- 🎯 My approach to IT is straightforward: learn what’s useful, implement it properly, and make things better.
- 🚀 I don’t follow trends just because they’re trends. If a new technology makes sense, I’ll dig into it, test it, and figure out how to use it in a way that improves reliability, efficiency, and security. If it doesn’t? I move on.
What I Focus On: 🔍
- ✅ Learning with purpose – staying ahead, but only where it counts
- ✅ Making things work – cloud, automation, security, infrastructure
- ✅ Cutting through the noise – useful tech over pointless buzzwords
- ✅ Helping others – sharing knowledge when it actually benefits someone
💡 IT should be effective, not overcomplicated. If something needs fixing, I’ll fix it. If it can be improved, I’ll improve it. And if it’s just a waste of time? I’ll call it what it is.
Contact Me 📬
Resume 🏆
Career 💼
AX Ltd - Cloud & IT Infrastructure Lead
📅 December 2024 - Present
- ☁️ Cloud Operations: Manage and optimize Azure and AWS environments, ensuring secure, scalable, and cost-efficient infrastructure to support business operations.
- 🔐 Identity & Security: Maintain secure identity systems with Azure AD, including MFA, Conditional Access Policies, and Privileged Identity Management.
- 🛡️ Governance & Compliance: Establish and enforce governance policies with Azure Policy, Group Policy, and Defender for Cloud.
- 🔍 Monitoring & Performance: Use tools such as Azure Monitor, AWS CloudWatch, and PRTG Monitoring.
- 🎯 Strategic Planning: Drive innovation and cloud optimization.
- 🤝 Collaboration & Mentorship: Provide mentorship to enhance team expertise and innovation.
AX Ltd - IT Infrastructure Manager
📅 January 2017 - December 2024
- 🚀 Led full-scale cloud migration to Microsoft Azure.
- 👥 Managed and mentored a team of five infrastructure engineers.
- 🏗️ Designed and implemented infrastructure for remote depot sites.
- 💰 Optimized vendor relationships and licensing agreements.
AX Ltd - Senior IT Infrastructure Engineer
📅 November 2011 - December 2016
- 💡 Designed and executed multiple Microsoft Exchange migrations and domain controller refreshes.
- 🔐 Implemented and optimized Azure AD services.
- 🛠️ Deployed Microsoft Intune and the Defender suite.
- 🚀 Led security enhancements, including email hygiene solutions and Active Directory Group Policies.
Certifications 🎓
Cloud Technologies (2021 - Present) ☁️
- 🏆 Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400)
- 🏆 Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500)
- 🏆 Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)
- 🏆 Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
- 🏆 AWS Certified: Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C02)
- 🏆 AWS Certified: Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C01)
- 🏆 Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
Microsoft Server Technologies (2001 - 2019) 🖥️
- 🏅 MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCTS, MCITP
- 🖥️ Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2008/2012
- 📧 Microsoft Exchange 2010/2013
Skills 🛠️
- ☁️ Cloud Technologies: Azure, AWS, hybrid cloud solutions
- 🔧 Systems Administration: Windows Server, Active Directory, Exchange, M365
- ⚙️ Scripting & Automation: PowerShell, Azure CLI, Python
- 🛡️ Security & Compliance: Defender for Endpoint, Intune, Zero Trust security models
- 🌍 Infrastructure Optimization: Networking, DNS, firewalls, SD-WAN, VPNs
- 🔄 DevOps & IaC: Terraform, Bicep, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps