Kashif Karim

Lead Global Cloud & Infrastructure Solutions Architect/Technical Advisor with 20+ years leading enterprise platform strategy across Azure, AWS, hybrid data centres, VMware, SAN, NAS, Hyper Converged technologies. Proven experience designing and operating multi-cloud platforms supporting global business operations across the world.

Proven ability to partner with C-level stakeholders (CIO, CTO, CDO) to translate complex technical architectures into measurable business outcomes, including ROI, cost optimisation, and competitive advantage. Strong leadership background managing global infrastructure teams, service providers, and multi-million-pound technology estates, ensuring availability, operational resilience, and secure identity services. Expert in multi-cloud architecture, infrastructure automation, disaster recovery, and global platform lifecycle management, with responsibility for service availability, cloud governance, and infrastructure strategy.

Track record of delivering large-scale cloud transformation, global infrastructure modernisation, and cost optimisation programmes. Vast experience in IT, Retail, e-commerce, Law Firm, Media, Construction, Payroll/Tax, Pharmaceutical (HIPAA and GCP Compliance) and Energy sectors

Strada Global Aug 2025 - Present

Senior Cloud/Infrastructure Architect

 Architected and Design Azure Data Factory

 Applications Data Migrations to Azure Storage

 AWS to Azure Migration Project

 Azure Governance

 Azure Well Architected Framework

 Cloud and Infrastructure Cost savings

Mundipharma (NAPP Pharmaceuticals Life Sciences) Jan 2022 -July 2025

Lead Cloud Solution Architect (Azure) Technical Advisor

 Led Architecting of Azure IaaS Migrations form On-Premises/AVS to Azure Native Platform

 Architected and Design Azure IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, BaaS, DBaaS Solutions

 Architected and Designed Azure Site Recovery ASR, Backup projects to protect critical services including Rubrik Ransomware Protection for Cloud and On-premises

 Implemented cost cutting measures to keep Azure/Cloud budget under control saving £££s

 Implemented PBI dashboards for Azure Cost Tracking

 Helped in yearly Cloud Budgeting and vendor management

 Defined standards and best practices for Microsoft Azure Services HIPPA/GCP Compliance

 Explored MultiCloud provider platforms and suggested best cloud solutions

 Led Azure Governance and Architecture Review Board

 Designed Azure Site Recovery (DR) Solution

 Designed Azure File Storage Solution

 Helped business in making decision on cloud strategy

BMI (Global) May 2019 – June 2021

Global Infrastructure Lead/Architect

 Led global Cloud, Storage, VMware, Backup, and Wintel teams (onshore/offshore)

 Acted as Infrastructure Service Owner and key decision-maker for IT projects and data centre operations

 Delivered large-scale data centre consolidation and designed a secure 3-tier Azure infrastructure

 Achieved significant multi-million-pound cost savings through strategic IT solutions

 Defined infrastructure strategy, CAPEX/OPEX budgets, and product roadmaps

 Designed and implemented Azure Backup, DR, BCP, and technology refresh solutions

 Partnered with Head of Operations and CTO to align architecture with business goal

VMware/TfL (Global) Feb 2018- Apr 2019

Senior PSO Lead Consultant/Architect VMware/vSAN/SDDC

 Designed and implemented HLD/LLD for HCI environments using VMware vSAN, VxRail, and enterprise storage (VNX, DMX, XtremIO, Data Domain)

 Led vSphere 5.x to 6.5 migration for Transport for London (TfL)

 Directed cross-border data centre migration (Limburg to Basel), covering infrastructure, databases, and applications using vSphere Replication, RecoverPoint, and storage/database-level replication

 Delivered capacity planning, infrastructure optimisation, and adoption of best practices

 Developed technical designs for new vSphere 6.5 and 6.7 environments

Marks and Spencer (M&S Global) Feb 2017-Jan 2018

Global Infrastructure Lead Consultant/SME/Architect

 Led (onshore/offshore) team of 10 managing infrastructure operations and Azure cloud

 Designed 3-tier (Web/App/DB) infrastructure on Azure, focusing on cost efficiency, security, and governance (Policies, Blueprints, Conditional Access)

 Delivered vSAN 6.6 and VMware 6.5 solutions integrated with EMC VNX, Isilon, XtremIO storage

 Directed infrastructure migrations (Windows, Linux, SQL, Oracle) from SAN to VMware VSAN

 Designed POCs and implemented AWS Storage Gateway for on-prem provisioning

 Led Azure migration pilot and defined performance benchmarks for SAN/VSAN environments

 Collaborated with senior architects as SME for storage, virtualization, and infrastructure

B.E. Computer Science