Ellis Mechallen

Technology executive with 10+ years of progressive experience across enterprise IT leadership, cybersecurity and risk, cloud/SaaS delivery, project management, software development, and artificial intelligence. Former IT Director with hands-on responsibility for strategy, infrastructure, security, budgets, vendors, business continuity, and modernization in a legal-services environment.

GenAI Technical Researcher at Keywords Studios (Amazon) (2025-01 – Present)

• Evaluate generative AI outputs through structured HITL methodologies, identifying hallucinations, prompt failures, factual inaccuracies, safety concerns, and quality defects.
• Perform prompt engineering, prompt validation, RAG reviews, and structured QA testing; analyze failure trends and collaborate across teams to support AI governance and continuous improvement.

Cybersecurity Analyst (GRC) at B.O.A.T. (2024-01 – Present)

• Conduct PCI DSS and NIST-based risk assessments, evaluate controls, identify compliance gaps, and support remediation across enterprise environments.
• Support audit readiness through evidence collection, control validation, governance documentation, risk registers, remediation tracking, and executive reporting.

Project Manager at Cisco (2023-01 – 2024-12)

• Led cross-functional cloud and SaaS initiatives while managing scope, schedules, budgets, risks, stakeholder expectations, and executive communications.
• Produced governance documentation, compliance reporting, executive dashboards, and metrics supporting operational and strategic decision-making.

Technical Project Manager — Cybersecurity/GRC at RSI Security (2021-01 – 2023-12)

• Managed cybersecurity consulting engagements supporting PCI DSS, NIST, HITRUST, and SOC 2 assessments across diverse client environments.
• Coordinated vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, remediation tracking, compliance reporting, client communications, and governance deliverables.

IT Director at FP Management (2019-01 – 2021-12)

Legal-services technology leadership

• Directed technology strategy and IT operations supporting approximately 50+ attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, and professional staff across the primary law firm and external legal-services operations.
• Led a five-person IT team responsible for infrastructure, cybersecurity, end-user services, networking, enterprise applications, IAM, and technology support.
• Managed an approximately $75K annual IT budget and 12+ vendors, overseeing procurement, contracts, licensing, hardware acquisition, renewals, third-party services, and vendor performance.
• Managed three independently networked office environments within a multi-floor facility, including servers, Wi-Fi, firewalls, switching/routing, Microsoft 365, Active Directory, Exchange, and SharePoint.
• Planned and led modernization of approximately eight-year-old network infrastructure, including Fortinet/FortiGate security, routers, switches, and cabling; scheduled implementation after hours and on weekends to reduce business disruption and risk.
• Improved network performance and productivity, including faster SharePoint access, file transfers, uploads, downloads, and collaboration.
• Led cybersecurity, compliance, disaster recovery, and business continuity activities, developing policies, SOPs, POA&Ms, governance documentation, and audit-ready processes supporting HIPAA, PCI DSS, and client security requirements.
• Presented technology proposals, business cases, and executive briefings to committees and leadership to secure approval for investments and modernization initiatives.
• Supported legal technology and information services, including multiple LexisNexis services, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, attorney research, collaboration, information management, and legal operations.

Technical Certificate in Software Developer – Pennsylvania State University