Rod Gula

IT Services Professional | Cyber Security | Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) | ITSM | IT Project Management

Los Angeles, CA, United States

Details

Experience: 2020 : Present

Financial Services Industry Sector

Senior IT Professional, Information Security Compliance

Identified, managed, and reported on the company’s compliance regulatory, legal, and contractual requirements. Responsibilities included performing reviews, assessments and audits, conducting research, and facilitating communication to internal and external stakeholders where necessary. Monitored, coordinated, and implemented policies, standards, procedures, controls, and guidelines to support security, compliance, and audit requirements based on SEC guidelines and industry best practices.

2018 : 2020

American Realty Advisors

Assistant VP Information Security Compliance

1996 : 2018

American Realty Advisors

Director Of Information Technology

Company: Financial Services Industry Sector

Years of Experience: 28

Skills Argus, BCM, Cisco Meraki, Cybersecurity, Groupwise, Incident Response, IT GRC, ITIL Service Operations, Lean Six Sigma, Linux, Linux command line, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, Office 365 Administration, Python (Programming Language), Salesforce.com Administration, Security frameworks and controls, Security hardening, SIEM tools, Splunk, SQL, Telecommunications, Threats, risks and vulnerabilities, Training & Development, VMware Infrastructure, Zenworks

About Rod is an experienced IT professional with over 25 years of expertise in developing, managing, and maintaining information technology while implementing innovative solutions to drive business results. He has built his career in the financial services industry, including a significant role at American Realty Advisors, where he contributed to the company's growth from $500M to over $10B in managed assets.

His expertise includes IT Infrastructure & Operations, ITSM, Application, Data/BI, and Project Management. Rod has extensive experience in IT Strategy, Governance, and Compliance and has implemented CyberSecurity, Risk Management, and GRC compliance programs to ensure SEC regulation compliance.

As a senior IT professional, Rod develops solutions supporting business objectives, focusing on guiding continuous improvement projects, optimizing IT systems, enabling growth, increasing value, and improving executive decision-making. He manages complex tasks with cross-functional teams, ensuring successful outcomes using critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and project management oversight.

Rod mentors and supports IT staff, front-line, and executive-level employees, equipping them with technical knowledge to contribute to the company's success. He tailors communication to specific needs and derives satisfaction from solving challenges that inhibit employee productivity.

Rod's successful project management includes major initiatives such as large-scale infrastructure and telecom system implementations, enterprise applications, multiple branch, regional, and corporate office expansions, and areas of digital transformation. He is confident in his ability to bring value to any organization by leveraging his expertise to drive business success, enabling employee contributions to company growth, revenue generation, market awareness, customer attraction, employee happiness, and process efficiency.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Spearheaded IT Governance & Risk Management (GRC) aligned with NIST/ISO 27001 CSF guidelines & best practices with year over year improvements in governance maturity measured by risk management tracking, independent 3rd party audits and SEC compliance audits.

• Revamped old-school Cybersecurity Awareness Training into a centrally managed AI-driven program with targeted automated distribution of training activities tailored to role, job function that enabled user/IT partnership in threat prevention and response.

• Implemented formal Project & Portfolio Management processes that resolved a multiyear project inventory backlog.