K. M. Peterson

Professional Biography

K. M. Peterson works across traditional boundaries in Information Technology, with a passion for listening and teaching, and a focus on helping those who use technology in an organization work more productively and efficiently. His experience spans over twenty years in all facets of Information Technology, across academic, scientific and commercial environments. He is a technical leader, with hands-on expertise in infrastructure: computer servers, network technologies, data management, and deployment and management to Public Cloud. He has built data centers and managed teams of systems administrators, database architects, network engineers, and end-user support specialists. A lifelong learner, he has attained successive proficiencies in mainframes, client-server environments, and Internet, Open Source Software, Information Security, and cloud-based IT.

Currently, Mr. Peterson is responsible for operations for the AVOKE Analytics business of West Corporation. Originally part of BBN Raytheon Technologies, his team managed all aspects of the infrastructure powering the product, which provides services on a web-based platform involving Internet telephony, machine learning, and a data pipeline. In 2015, the business identified a goal of attaining a PCI Level 1 assessment, and Mr. Peterson led the entire process from qualifying an assessment firm to the on-site audit, developing process and policies to meet PCI requirements. He had signature authority for the attestation and reports on compliance. He sat for and attained the CISSP in 2018.

After the acquisition of AVOKE by West, Mr. Peterson was assigned a leadership role as the business undertook migration of the service to Google Cloud Platform and Google Kubernetes Engine. His background and ability to adapt enabled him to drive the successful completion of the migration in February, 2021.

Prior to his position at BBN, he worked as a consultant, and continued building his technical portfolio. He worked on several projects after leaving Basis Technology Corporation, where he had managed a small but capable team architecting a number of new applications, and providing backstop support in a complex and fast-paced environment.

Previously, he was at John Snow, Inc., a global public health consulting firm, and was Manager of Information Technology Operations for the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research. At the Genome Center, he architected the production systems and managed teams that supported the largest contribution of data to the Human Genome Project, crucial to the overall success of one of the largest scientific efforts yet completed.

His interest in science formed the initial core of his undergraduate education, but his focus on the human elements in business and the underlying connections with technology led him to broaden the scope of his studies, culminating in an undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Boston University. He maintains a vital interest in new technologies, and continues to advocate for technological literacy in the community.

Resume

Current as of January, 2023:

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Recent Selected Projects and Initiatives PDF

Please feel free to contact me! Thank you.

K. M. Peterson
40 Stanton Road
Brookline, MA 02445-6839
+1 617 731 6177

Summary

Information Technology leader accomplished in building scalable systems, growing capable teams, and developing secure and reliable processes using expertise in multiple fields of Information Technology infrastructure.

Hands-on, innovative problem-solver. Technology architect focused on consultative approach to projects. Polished and professional writer and presenter.
Technical leader with broad experience, bridging “big picture” impacts of technology to real costs, practical benefits, risks and contingencies.
Adaptable – lifelong learner, skilled at translating technology into results; supporting individuals, handling problems, training, services, security, and compliance.

Career Highlights

Tailoring Information Technology to solve problems with an eye on technical and business opportunities.

Planned and led migration of physical data centers, design, and technical architecture, for three orders of magnitude processing and storage increases for a major scientific project. Led evolution of production systems for a web-based analytic service through multiple data center moves into Public Cloud. Contributed management and oversight of physical facilities, office space, networks.
Managed environments subject to U.S. Government security protocols, PCI, and other regimes. Initiated, planned, and managed project to drive an organization from self-assessed PCI to PCI Level 1 Service Provider Attestation, re-authoring policies, managing assessors, implementing processes, and responding to customer requirements.
As an individual contributor, completed projects to implement and upgrade applications such as databases, telephony, and networks; managed teams implementing IT services such as ticketing, monitoring, and collaboration. Upgraded and introduced automation for systems management to increase responsiveness and cost savings by deferring personnel requirements for business growing 30%/year. Numerous projects mastering technologies to improve and update productivity for small and medium-sized business units and companies.

Experience

Director of Operations, AVOKE Analytics, Intrado (formerly, Raytheon BBN Technologies, Cambridge, Mass.) 2014-Present

Responsible for all systems and network management for a business providing call center analytics including points of presence in U.S. and U.K., and Asia/Pacific region. Essential deliverables: telephony services, security/compliance, services monitoring.

“Critical resource” for business unit sale and acquisition due to breadth of responsibilities, knowledge and expertise.

Led virtualization DevOps for public cloud deployment (“bare-metal”, multiple virtualization technologies, to Kubernetes). Managed continuing information security assessment and monitoring processes, primary customer contact for network and telephony implementation projects and service providers.

Responsible for strategic direction for hybrid and multiple-cloud, network architecture and information security for business unit, and customer requirements for connectivity and security.

Independent Consulting 2010-2014

Utilized communication skills and deep technical knowledge to provide solutions for individuals and organizations; expanded competency in key areas through independent projects and development. Domains included Asterisk, IPv6, Linux, Network Monitoring (Zabbix), and email implementation (Postfix, DMARC, DKIM, Mailman) Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3, EC2, Glacier, and Route53. Delivered projects including Web Services integration, Windows Server and Macintosh networking, publishing systems, Internet security. Produced technical presentations on multiple topics. Writing at kmpontech.wordpress.com.

Director of Information Technology, Basis Technology Corp., Cambridge, Mass. 2006-2010

Upgraded IT for software and services company in Linguistic/Text Analysis market. Focused on highly technical, tailored solutions for network and systems infrastructure. Customers included commercial software and web services companies and U.S. Government. Managed a lean team providing engineering and support.

IT Manager, John Snow, Inc., and World Education, Boston, Mass. 2004-2005

Managed enterprise headquarters information technology team for $150M global public health consulting firm and literacy organization. Consulted with African field offices on Windows/network security issues (firewall, virus, spam) and negotiated Internet connectivity.

Consultant, MIT Network Security Team, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., 2004

Recruited to assist in management of emergencies relating to worm infestations. Managed team responses through volunteers and IS&T staff; supervised response, researched and tested protocols for recovery, consulted with faculty, staff, students, and researchers on hardening strategies.

Manager, Computer Systems Operations, Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research (now The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT), Cambridge, Mass. 1998-2003

Staffed and managed 16-person department providing all functions of IT/Infrastructure including Database Administration, Systems Administration, Desktop Support teams for largest publicly funded genome sequencing center in U.S. with research grant revenue of approximately $80M per year. Set direction, formulated requirements, and negotiated purchase of hardware/software over a 4-year period with market value of $13M. Reported to CIO, developed policies, set service levels, managed personnel and budgets, oversaw all aspects of operations.

Senior Systems Administrator, Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research, Cambridge, Mass., 1996-1998

Implemented new practices and systems: RAID storage systems, Advanced File System, integrated backup/ archive system; redesigned namespace, redeployed website.

Technical lead on Windows NT workstation/server issues; implemented NT domain, researched and evaluated NT/Unix integration strategies

Manager, Systems Support, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Mass. 1994-1996

Top-to-bottom support of Macintosh in complex, mixed Mac-Unix computing environment and TCP/IP network in intense and fast paced research-based company. Managed customer satisfaction through education, one-on-one support, responsiveness, and communication of IS goals and responsibilities. Founding member of IS consulting practice.

Technology

Platforms: Linux, Macintosh; Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform (Google Kubernetes Engine, Google Cloud Identity, Stackdriver, SDK), Docker, RHEV/KVM, SELinux, FreeIPA, MySQL, Elasticsearch/Logstash/Kibana (ELK), Nessus Cloud, Jira, Terraform, Puppet, Dell, HPE servers, Gemalto HSM, Windows.

Programming: Python, bash, shell scripting/utilities, Perl, C.

Applications: Microsoft Office, Adobe CC; Zabbix, Bacula, Apache HTTPD, Git, R.

Communications: TCP/IP, IPv6 applications, PKI, SSL/TLS implementation; VoIP (Asterisk, Freeswitch - SIP telephony; ITSPs in North America, Europe, Asia), DNS, Postfix, Juniper ScreenOS, Cisco IOS/ASA; GPG, Kea DHCP.

Education

B.L.S., Philosophy, Boston University, 1993

CISSP, 2018-2021

Personal

Hobbies include graphic design, bicycling, reading, travel, the arts, food. Trustee of the Stanton Condominium, Brookline.

This resume is available online: http://kmpeterson.com/resume