Patrick Castafero | Infrastructure & Security Leader

Infrastructure, Security & End User Services Manager Aug 2023 - Present

Invacare Corporation

Lead North American IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and end-user services operations in FDA- and SOX-regulated environments while remaining hands-on with architecture and escalation.
Own and forecast the North American infrastructure and end-user services operating budget, aligning spend with business priorities while driving ongoing cost optimization.
Manage and mentor a distributed team of 10 engineers.
Administer Windows Server, Active Directory, Entra ID, Azure Virtualization, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, and endpoint security platforms.
Implement IAM controls including MFA, conditional access, and RBAC.
Lead incident response, remediation, and disaster recovery testing.
Reduced Azure spend by $110K annually through optimization.
Insourced Help Desk operations saving $80K/month.
Implemented a proof of concept (POC) for Microsoft Intune Conditional Access to control access to corporate resources and establish a baseline for endpoint asset management.
Azure Infrastucture support for SAP and Oracle workloads.
Redesigned backup strategy to eliminate single points of failure — deploying immutable on-prem and cloud-based backup targets for VMware and Azure environments.
Led full-cycle evaluation, procurement, and deployment of Atera as the organization's unified RMM and ticketing platform — consolidating remote monitoring, alerting, and service management into a single solution and improving technician productivity.

Infrastructure Manager Jan 2023 - July 2023

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC)

Managed enterprise infrastructure and technical services for a large nonprofit public health institute.
Oversaw systems design and data center management to ensure a solid foundation for the enterprise.
Collaborated with leadership and subsidiaries to provide innovative IT solutions that drove business forward.

Senior Engineer Jan 2022 - Jan 2023

The Judge Group

Delivered high-level infrastructure consulting and engineering services for Fortune 500 clients.
Designed and implemented scalable server and virtualization architectures.
Led complex technical migrations and system optimization projects.

Regional IT Operations Director – Americas Aug 2021 - Jan 2023

Phoenix Services Inc.

Modernized international infrastructure for a global industrial services provider across North and South America.
Spearheaded a $2.5M multi-year infrastructure roadmap to replace legacy hardware with hyperconverged systems.
Implemented standardized security protocols and unified identity management (Azure AD) for 15+ remote industrial sites.
Managed multi-million dollar vendor contracts and enforced stringent SLAs for mission-critical connectivity.
Led post-merger technical integration for multiple acquisitions, consolidating domains and cloud resources.

IT Infrastructure & Operations Lead Jan 2020 - Aug 2021

Logan Capital Management

Engineered and executed a zero-disruption corporate HQ relocation, including a greenfield datacenter build.
Designed and deployed a highly available VMware vSphere cluster and Nimble Storage SAN with site-to-site replication.
Developed a comprehensive BCDR (Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery) strategy using Veeam and offsite cloud repositories.
Upgraded the entire security posture including next-gen firewalls, multifactor authentication, and endpoint detection and response (EDR).
Supported a high-performance investment team with low-latency desktop environments and secure remote access.

Senior Systems Engineer / VMware VDI Lead 2017 - 2020

Drexel University College of Medicine

Architected and managed enterprise-grade VMware vSphere infrastructure and VMware Horizon VDI for 850+ users.
Led server modernization initiatives, migrating 400+ physical/virtual servers to a standardized, compliant platform.
Implemented SCCM (MECM) for automated patching, application deployment, and OS imaging across a clinical/academic environment.
Designed and maintained secure clinical application delivery environments for medical students and faculty.
Mentored junior systems administrators and served as the highest escalation tier for complex infrastructure issues.

Client Services Manager 2015 - 2017

Drexel University College of Medicine

Led a team of 12 technical support professionals providing services to medical students, faculty, and clinical staff.
Managed service desk operations, improved ticket resolution times by 30%, and modernized the knowledge base.
Coordinated hardware lifecycle management and large-scale desktop/mobile device deployments.

VDI Systems Analyst 2012 - 2015

Drexel University College of Medicine

Supported the design and deployment of virtual desktop infrastructure (VMware View) for medical education.
Optimized application delivery and endpoint management in a high-compliance clinical environment.
Provided second-tier support for complex system integration and infrastructure issues.

Field Service Technician 2011 - 2012

Drexel University College of Medicine

Delivered on-site technical support for desktop, mobile, and networking equipment across clinical sites.
Collaborated on large-scale hardware refreshes and software deployment projects.

Petty Officer 3rd Class 1993 - 1997

United States Navy

Responsible for the installation and maintenance of shipboard surveillance, radar, and flight deck landing systems.
Managed a technical work center of 7 personnel, ensuring 24/7 operational readiness during active deployments.
Awarded multiple Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and earned an Honorable Discharge.

Strategic IT Leadership for Scale & Stability