Updated resume Oct 18

1. GARY TALASKA
gary.p.talaska@gmail.com || www.linkedin.com/in/gary-talaska
(630)-470-1060
S U M M A R Y
A results-driven and forward-thinking strategic operations leader with expertise in process evaluation, design, planning
strategy, enterprise technical services, root cause analysis, and enterprise flow. Skilled in role coordination, enterprise
governance, POC, budget management, and team leadership. Leverages dynamic interpersonal and communication
abilities to interact with a variety of team leaders while driving diverse projects to completion. Recognized as a highly
strategic and intuitive problem solver, perpetually driven to achieve objectives in dynamic environments.
E X P E R I E N C E
AIM SPECIALTY HEALTHCARE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 2018-Present
Enterprise Architect
Served as lead Enterprise Architect, focused on directing and guiding enterprise initiatives which involved Infrastructure.
Influenced infrastructure teams on Future State Architecture the enterprise was looking to adopt/migrate and how we
would go about achieving that goal. Directly involved in implement of automation for environmental builds. This involved
leading the DevOps team, coordinating with the leads of the Vcenter platform and vendor integration for a successful
automation platform.
• Lead creation of DevOps process maps.
• Drove creation of an DevOps automation project using the VRealize suite of tools and Urban Code.
• Key individual responsible for bringing the Infrastructure teams into the mainstream of enterprise FSA.
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS (HCSC), Chicago, Illinois 2002-2018
Senior Director Design and Build, Strategy and Planning Area 2015-2018
Led process evaluation, design, improvements, and governance for three separate enterprise flows. Enhanced problem
management teams in root cause analysis (RCA) and in major break fix events. Oversaw pivotal cloud foundry platform.
Mentored new senior directors onboarded into design and build area. Monitored area from low level to strategic
enterprise level. Coordinated roles and responsibilities with architecture strategy and planning area.

2. Gary Talaska, Page 2
• Helped lead creation of Infrastructure roadmaps for future state architecture.
• Recognized as integral to successful transition of middleware support to outsource vendor.
• Served key role in multiple POCs to establish product fit.
Director Enterprise Technical Services (Infrastructure and Reliability) 2013-2015
Set strategy and scope for all middleware on distributed platform. Created and improved all project Infrastructure design,
layout, and processes. Served as tower leader for enterprise license agreement team, focus on cost cutting, future state,
and rightsizing environment. Directed POC to use containers with open source tool sets to reduce dependence on single
vendor for distributed applications. Acted as process lead for three-year strategy roadmap in Infrastructure.
• Ensured relationship development between architecture and infrastructure.
• Led team of four managers and 50 professionals and contractors in middleware support.
• Maintained integrity of enterprise infrastructure while adapting environment to future state architecture.
• Led “SWAT Teams” to resolve enterprise-level outages.
• Held budget responsibilities for cost center.
Senior Manager Infrastructure Architecture (Enterprise Architecture Services) 2003-2013
Directed senior level infrastructure architects on project load, assignments, and career development. Translated direction
of enterprise architects FSA into solid and understandable tools and implementation strategies. Oversaw relationship
development between architecture and infrastructure support groups. Led manager for enterprise backup and recovery,
future state architecture 3.0 project.
• Led several “SWAT Teams” to resolve enterprise-level outages.
• Served key role for all architecturally significant Infrastructure project design and layout.
• Formed and developed roles and responsibilities for infrastructure architect team.
• Served as emerging technology lab Manager.
• Oversaw cost center budget.
Manager Infrastructure Support, 3rd and 4th Level: WAS and MQ Teams 2002-2003
Founded, hired, and managed technical support team. Established system-monitoring tools. Developed, coached, and
counseled direct reports. Led, troubleshot, and corrected production outages. Created process for proper escalation
procedures. Coordinated upgrades to hardware/software and system outages with users, management, and technical
support groups.

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• Established procedures for application turn over to production environment.
• Researched and prepared system documentation.
A D D I T I O N A L E X P E R I E N C E
THE SPIEGEL GROUP, Downers Grove, Illinois, Manager Application Development and System Support, 2000-
2002. Coordinated all application development/support issues with mainframe and distributed technical services.
Established and directed application needs of multi-site distributed system. Led, hired, mentored, and trained open
systems group in consolidation of three IS Enterprise Application Systems Development groups into one. Managed
project delivery. Directed team of 23 developers in daily production support of 69 different applications. Developed and
executed detailed plans for strategic initiatives and cross-team planning in a Matrix system environment.
BANK OF AMERICA – NATIONSBANC – CRT, Chicago, Illinois, Manager Network System Support, 1995-2000.
Oversaw 24 X 7 technical/financial system monitoring desk for major eCommerce corporate site. Directed daily duties of
seven people and managed all related operational and personnel issues. Coordinated and monitored technical needs of
multi-site distributed system. Collaborated with project managers and developers to ensure support requirements were
defined, implemented and met. Worked with networks, including HP UX, Windows/NT, Windows/9x, and AIX. Provided
support and administration of wide range of global real-time trading systems in complex, distributed, multi-vendor
computing environment.
AOIS TRANSACTION TRACKING INC., Downers Grove, Illinois, System Support Analyst, 1993-1995
E D U C A T I O N
DEVRY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Addison, Illinois
BS, Computer Science, 1993
A F F I L I A T I O N S
Technical Leaders Association (TLA)