Ricardo Nel

Ricardo Nel Chief Technology Officer | Software Development Manager | Senior Solutions Architect Professional Profile Rietvalleirand Pretoria SA--www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo -nel-040bab14/ An accomplished and solution-driven professional with years of experience leading all phases of diverse technology projects while aligning business goals with technology solutions to drive process improvements, competitive advantage, and bottom-line gains. Excels at liaising between business and technical areas to achieve on-time, on-budget, and on-spec project completions. Able to merge customer and user needs with business requirements, budgetary restrictions, and logistical considerations to meet project deliverables. A well-presented team player with an excellent work ethic, a can-do attitude, and the ability to adapt to new environments quickly. A reliable and supportive leader capable of coaching and developing individuals to enable them to fulfil their potential and add value to the organisation. Areas of Expertise Project Management | Solution Architecture | Software Development | Software Development Cycle | Strategic Planning | Continuous Improvement| Systems Engineering | System Migrations/Integrations | Enterprise-wide Implementations | Requirements Analysis | Costing & Budgeting | Project Scheduling | Testing/QA/Rollout/Support | Cross-Functional Supervision | Team Building & Mentoring | Client Relations & Presentations | Business & IT Planning | Vendor Management | Quality Assurance | Customer Service | Communication | Problem Solving | Flexibility/Adaptability Languages: English & Afrikaans Technical Skills • Server: Microsoft Azure Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure DevOps Server, Team Foundation, GitHub • Methodologies: SDLC, SCRUM, Agile • Patterns & Practices: CQRS, Mediator, Repository Pattern, Proxy Pattern, Factory Pattern • Programming: C#, Java, OO, .Net Core, RESTful API, Microservices, Enterprise Service Bus, Entity Framework, Linq/Lamda Expressions, Unit Testing, Windows Workflow, Reporting Services, Smart Client Software Factory, Delphi, K2.Net • Web Development: Angular, Web Services, ASP.Net, ASP.Net MVC • Databases: MS SQL Server, MySQL Career Summary Senior Solutions Architect Q LINK Ltd July 2023 – Current KEY ACHIEVEMENTS • Designed and executed payment and collection solutions for clients. • Crafted a roadmap to modernize legacy systems. • Implemented ongoing enhancements to the payment and collection systems. RESPONSIBILITIES • Developing high-level solution architectures based on client requirements and business goals. • Providing technical leadership and guidance to development teams throughout the project lifecycle. • Collaborating with stakeholders to gather and analyze requirements, translating business needs into technical solutions. • Designing and overseeing the integration of various systems and components to ensure seamless communication and interoperability. • Documenting solution architectures, design decisions, and technical specifications. • Identifying technical risks and proposing mitigation strategies to address them. • Researching and evaluating new technologies, frameworks, and tools to enhance the capabilities of the solution architecture. • Optimizing the performance and scalability of systems by identifying bottlenecks, analyzing resource utilization, and implementing performance-tuning strategies. • Ensuring that solution architectures comply with security standards, regulations, and best practices. Senior Solution Architects assess security risks, implement security controls, and oversee security testing to protect sensitive data and systems from vulnerabilities and threats. • Engaging with clients to understand their needs, present technical solutions, and address concerns. • Collaborating with external vendors and partners to leverage their expertise and resources in delivering solution components. Including evaluating vendor proposals, negotiating contracts, and managing vendor relationships to ensure successful project outcomes. • Driving continuous improvement initiatives to enhance solution delivery processes, methodologies, and tools. Including analyzing project performance metrics, soliciting feedback from stakeholders, and implementing process enhancements to optimize efficiency and quality. Chief Technology Officer / Director Numeral - Fintegrate Ltd March 2022 – June 2023 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS • • • • • • • Implementation of Scrum methodology. Implementation of CI/CD DevOps across the organisation. Developed and implemented Insurance Advisor and Client portals. Developed and implemented FNA (Financial Needs Analysis) solution. Astute integration with the FNA offering. Create Project Template for all new projects to be used within the company (enforcing standards). Implementation of the Lending Client Portal with White labeling. RESPONSIBILITIES • Create and lead the technology strategy for the company and its clients. • Identify, compare, select, and implement technology solutions to meet current and future needs. • Manage and optimise infrastructure assets to satisfy internal financial targets. • Consolidate our current technology platforms and create maintenance and growth plans for each. • Track, analyse and monitor technology performance metrics. • Oversee all system design and changes in system architecture. • Keep abreast of new trends and best practices in the technology landscape. • Create timelines for the development and deployment of all technological services. • Maintain a consumer-focused outlook and aid in the delivery of IT projects to market. • Creating Technology policies and procedures and organisation compliance. • Create overall technology standards and practices regarding advancement, including Security, and ensure adherence. • Deliver code that is well tested and consistently error-free. • Create, adjust, and effectively manage the Technology Budget. • Build solid and long-lasting relationships with all stakeholders and our Senior Management team. • Network Planning and Design. Lead the Architects and Senior Managers in the right direction. Make sure all vendor design submitted is compliant with the overall network strategy. • Regulatory Compliance. Ensure that the Licence obligations and compliance for the Network are adhered to by the General Managers. • Represent the Business at various touch points, especially to Clients. • Product management and implementing the product roadmap. Software Development Manager Clientele Ltd Oct 2017 – Feb 2022 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS • Received best Delivery Manager Reward (2020). • Played an instrumental role in the design and implementation of IT systems while continuously streamlining operations and applications to improve functionality and efficiency. • Successfully delivered enterprise standards and assisted with architecture specifications, development, and integration. • Actively engaged in crafting solutions that align business requirements with system capabilities. • Fully exploited all technical resources required for final solution design. • Leveraged leadership skills by managing four teams of IT professionals, including business analysts, to ensure software development. • Oversaw the successful migration of the D3 legacy system by developing new architecture and standards for all development teams. • Ensured excellent customer services by enabling accessibility for Clientele Products for clients. • Effectively developed all web API services required by the Mobile Team using exceptional technologies. • Successfully developed all Clientele communication and documentation gateway by collaborating closely with a team of analysts and developers. RESPONSIBILITIES • Expertly designing, implementing, and managing various IT Systems. • Overseeing the recruitment and selection of employees, including developing personal growth opportunities for junior employees. • Leading initiatives to monitor progress and ensure the team does not encounter obstacles. • Collaborating closely with all teams to ensure all teams make and stick to their clear goals. • Keenly monitoring and measuring technical ability to suggest personal growth. • Planning, delegating, monitoring, and ensuring all build projects are deployed through the development system for traceability. • Regularly performing system maintenance and upgrades to identify areas for automated testing. • Ensuring uninterrupted services by regularly reviewing the codes. • Utilising exceptional communication and interpersonal skills while engaging with business owners to collect business requirements. • Carrying out strict supervision on multiple projects simultaneously while determining project scopes and facilitating timely delivery of projects. • Developing comprehensive documentation on all deliverables, keeping an eye on what constitutes a successful project completion. • Employing exceptional communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills while engaging with external vendors and stakeholders. • Managing delays and problems and delivering comprehensive reports to the IT Director on the executive board. Solutions Architect/Senior Developer Hollard Group Risk Ltd Feb 2012 – Sep 2017 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS • Showed outstanding skills while reviewing the programming strictly observing Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) principles • Successfully designed and developed dozens of database solutions driving continuous improvements to the process, systems, and workflow using the SQL server. • Helped QA and clarified their doubts while conducting regression testing of the module during the roll-out stage. RESPONSIBILITIES • Demonstrated expertise in configuration, design, testing, and installation of software. • Oversaw the setting up of workstations for new employees and ensured the installation of all necessary software, including deploying n-tier.Net web-based applications. • Facilitated the timely completion of ad-hoc Software Development tasks. • Promptly troubleshooting and debugging systems issues using tools such as ping, traceroute, and debugs while acting as the primary point of contact for any problems related to the system infrastructure within the business. • Maintained professionalism, ensuring maximum optimisation of databases to ease retrieval of employee and customer information. • Demonstrated the ability to work in a challenging, fast-paced working environment while maintaining an eye for project timelines, dependencies, deliverables, and milestones. Solutions Architect/Senior Developer UTI Ltd Nov 2010 – Jan 2012 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS • Architected and developed IT support systems that increased support efficiency. • Demonstrated ability to maintain existing software applications and develop new ones while designing and developing with SQL server. • Worked with developers and the QA team to resolve various existing issues. • Successfully made an ad-hoc enhancement to the different software development tasks. RESPONSIBILITIES • Developed technical design documents and worked with IT professionals to implement standards and code reviews. • Exhibited high profile experience in applying technical standards, principles, theories, and techniques in designing, developing, and testing software. • Excellently utilised negotiation skills while managing vendors and vendor service, thus ensuring quality for none UTi applications that are part of UTI client solutions. • Maintained professionalism while negotiating and resolving the queries arising across project areas and obtaining feedback that enhanced the exceeding customer experience. • Utilised outstanding communication skills while engaging with stakeholders, developing project plans, directing resources, and managing risks. • Effectively developed, deployed, and supported n-Tier. Net web-based applications. • Worked closely with both Deployment Technician and Roll-out Technicians to ensure the successful launching of systems. • Promptly troubleshot and debugged various systems. BMP Manager/Solutions Architect GijimaAst Group Oct 2008 – Oct 2010 RESPONSIBILITIES • Established strong relationships with IT partners using excellent interpersonal, communication, and people management skills while delivering project variables. • Paid great attention while managing and maintaining diaries for the project and project managers on their respective projects. • Promoted a collaborative culture among business data analysts, developers, and testers while managing project teams. • Extensively liaised with clients to provide on-site, telephone, and remote support while communicating technical concepts to non-technical clients. • Effectively managed service providers on projects by ensuring timely delivery of project milestones. • Exemplified integrity, responsibility, and excellence by ensuring all key performance indicators are met and exceeded during all project stages, placing the client at the center of all decision making • Negotiated and resolved issues as they arise across areas of the project and where they impact other activities, systems, and projects. Additional Experience • Senior C# Developer | Momentum Ltd (Nov 2007 – Sep 2008) • Team Leader | GijimaAst Group (Dec 2006 – Oct 2007) • C# Senior Developer | EOH Ltd (Jul 2006 – Nov 2006) • C# Senior Developer | GijimaAst group (Jun 2001 – Jun 2006) • Developer | Inventory Technologies (Oct 1999 – May 2001) Education/Qualifications • TOGAF – Level 1&2 | Business Connexion (2013) • Prince 2 (Project Management) | X-Pert group (2012) • Bachelor of Commerce, Information Technology | Unisa (2008 – 2015 incomplete) • Microsoft Certified Software Developer & Microsoft Database Administrator | Microsoft (2002/2003) • Technical High School (1997)