Zones Leadership Panel

HYBRID WORK IS HERE TO STAY - NOW WHAT? 
Two years after the start of the pandemic, it’s now clear - remote work was much more than a passing fad. Rather than return to “normal,” businesses have created a new normal, and it’s centered around hybrid work. Some people are back in the office, others are still remote, and still others are somewhere in between. So what is each organization doing to define hybrid work for them? Join us, and we’ll discuss a few real-life examples. Julie Bruha, Territory Vice President at Zones, will host a panel that includes Greg Sottile, Northeast Regional Director, and Matthew Pelot, Area Vice President.

Julie Bruha

Territory Vice President, Zones

Julie resides in Louisville, Kentucky area and has been with Zones going on six years. She leads outbound and field-based solution selling teams focused on building and shaping the sales organization to meet the increasing need for Digital Workplace, Cloud & Data Center, Cybersecurity and NextGen Networking.

Greg Sottile

Northeast Regional Director, Zones

Greg is a business consultant with a proven track record of over 20 years. He works closely with Zones clients to help them build solutions to their many business challenges. He prides himself on his ability to deliver clients a wide variety of technology options, giving them an opportunity to break the cycle of "business as usual."

Matthew Pelot

National Services Sales Vice President, Zones

Matt is based out of Atlanta GA, and has just completed his first year with Zones. Matt has spent the last 17 years working in the Service and Solutions industry, working his way up the ranks in Service Delivery Operations. He moved into Sales Leadership and uses the extensive knowledge gained in operations to deliver client focused solutions that fit within the wheelhouse of Zones Service Delivery capabilities.

Prevent, Detect, and Correct with Zones Cloud Governance Services

With every passing second, 68 people have their personal data stolen. And with more employees these days using their personal devices for work, that means businesses are being impacted by these data breach incidents. Do you have a plan to protect your business? What’s your strategy to detect breaches and remediate the situation when a breach does happen? Zones is here to walk you through industry best practices. Join Tony Rylands, Director of Cloud Strategy, as he demonstrates how Zones’ cloud governance services can help you stay ahead of the cybersecurity curve.

Presented by Zones

Tony Rylands
Director, Cloud Strategy, Zones

Tony has over 20 years of solution sales, design, installation, configuration, and support with specialized expertise in Cloud Solution Adoption, Cloud Collaboration, Hosted Contact Center, Open Source/ Openstack, DevOps, Multi-tenant DC, XaaS Consumption, SP Networking, Triple Play Service Offerings, and LAN/WAN Design. Tony has a degree in Computer Science and is focused on customer and partner success using cloud technology.

Simplifying Modern Device Management for a Permanent Hybrid Workforce

More and more employees are bringing their own devices to work, and they’re using them to access and share important data. Does your IT team have a plan for procuring and managing all those devices? If not, Zones can help. We've got Lenovo devices available to fit any budget, along with high-performance workstations that adapt to your needs, plus services from Zones to craft the right mobility strategy for you. Join as we show you how Lenovo devices and Zones services, with an assist from Microsoft Intune, can help you design an MDM solution that saves your team time and money.

Presented by Zones, Microsoft and Lenovo

Josh McLaughlin

Solutions Architect, Zones

Josh McLaughlin is a Digital Transformation Solutions Architect at Zones with more than 10 years of experience modernizing workplace operations in Retail, Utility, Hospitality and Commercial business units.

Build a Ransomware Resilient Environment

Security is a serious matter for any business today. But Zones and Veritas, working hand in hand, have what it takes to confront your toughest data protection challenges head-on. Veritas solutions focus on information, not infrastructure. Designed to protect your data everywhere it lives, their IT tools use a comprehensive approach to multi-cloud data management that delivers protection, availability, and insight. And at Zones, we have all the knowledge and experience required to get you up and running with Veritas solutions quickly and easily. Join us, and we'll show you how.

Presented by Zones and Veritas

Daniel Kristek

Solution Engineer, Disaster Recovery Specialist, Zones

Daniel has been in the IT industry for more than a decade. He has competency in several key areas, including network administration. In his time with Zones, Daniel performed as a member of our Help Desk team and served as a project engineer.

Daniel’s specialty is in the backup disaster recovery (DR) field. Prior to Zones, Daniel worked as a Backup Disaster Recovery (DR) Specialist at Network Management Group, where he successfully created and deployed continuous backup solutions. Daniel used his expertise to build the Backup DR department from the ground up and secure monthly recurring revenue to sustain profitable business growth year over year.

Rick Bryant

Healthcare Chief Technical Officer, Veritas

Rick is the Healthcare Chief Technical Officer at Veritas. In this role, he leads initiatives to serve the healthcare information technology industry through technology excellence and process solutions. Rick brings over 25 years of industry experience, with roles spanning from infrastructure management to chief information security officer to chief technical officer, where he was responsible for architecting and implementing EMR systems. Previous positions include healthcare practice manager and national healthcare architect at Symantec, chief information security and chief technical officer at Texas Children's Hospital, and executive manager of infrastructure at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Work Anywhere with Hybrid Cloud Virtual Desktop

In the last two years, we’ve seen a meteoric rise in remote and hybrid work, as well as the general elasticity of the workforce. People want the freedom to work from anywhere, using any device, collaborating with anyone. Meanwhile, they need to maintain security and compliance throughout. All of this points to the need for an IT infrastructure that promotes flexibility and collaboration. Join Microsoft and Zones as we examine two solutions that have that potential – Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop – and take an in-depth look at the benefits of each.

Presented by Zones and Microsoft

Lorena Loeffelholz

Brand Manager, PPM – Microsoft Azure, Zones

Lorena is the Brand Manager, Azure at Zones, LLC. In her free time, she is an Advisor, Brand Ambassador, and Speaker for Women in Cloud. Recently, she has also started working with TEDxSeattle to assist with recruiting speakers for the upcoming 2022 event in November. Lorena specializes in business strategy and is responsible for Zones, LLC achievement of Azure Advanced Specializations from Microsoft, driving GTM Strategy for Azure and the overall skilling aligned to those technical solutions. Lorena is a powerful force in the workplace and uses her knowledge of many different business groups within an organization to align and drive internal initiatives.

Josh Kuser

Senior Solution Engineer, Zones

Josh is a highly motivated and ambitious Microsoft Azure Solution Engineer with a focus on Azure architecture and security. He is a U.S. Army veteran with a deep understanding of service and a proven ability to overcome unique and complex challenges. His background and experience in infrastructure, operations, messaging, and Azure technical solutions position him to provide robust solutions to any client that's looking to modernize their system architecture. Josh has a passion for collaboration and problem-solving, as well as a great deal of Azure cloud experience spanning migration, computing, networking, storage, and security.

Apple – Enable the HybridNow

Not that long ago hybrid work was a thing of the future. Today, a hybrid work-from-anywhere environment is becoming the standard. The way information is accessed has changed dramatically—forcing organizations to rethink how they provide better access to business information. This means focusing on collaboration strategies that go beyond just voice and email. Adopting a mobile first solution will deliver benefits for organizations as well as users. Join Zones and Apple to learn how we’re not only helping customers maintain, but optimize collaboration and productivity while working from anywhere. Welcome to the HybridNow.

Presented by Zones and Apple

Aaron Hockett

Chief Architect, Office of the CTO, Zones

Enabling “Work from Anywhere” Technologies in Today’s Hybrid Cloud Landscape

How can your business make the most of remote work? The answer isn't simple, but it starts here: It’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure remote employees have access to the tools they need. Meaning, if your team doesn’t have the technology to work productively, your business will be stuck in the past, lacking what it takes to compete in the post-pandemic world. Join Dell Technologies and Zones as we demonstrate solutions that will enable your employees to work from anywhere.

Presented by Zones and Dell Technologies

Derek Woodcock

Solutions Architect, Zones

Derek Woodcock is an Inside Solutions Architect at Zones. He brings more than 11 years of total IT experience, including more than 5 years as a Dell Technologies Solution Architect. His areas of focus include data center infrastructure, on-prem cloud technology, software-defined storage, data backup, disaster recovery, and many more.

Allen Clingerman

Chief Technology Strategist, Server+Workloads, NA Channels, Dell Technologies

Accomplished, achievement-driven IT Technical Executive contributing business value by developing a strategic plan while leading customers and partners to successful outcomes by achieving measurable business results. More than 30 years of award winning experience in Enterprise Architecture Design & Consulting, IT Professional Sales and Executive Leadership. His work experience ranges from programming Mainframe computers at IBM through large ERP application landscapes to Engineered Systems and Platforms at Oracle and Citrix.

Allen is driving our PowerEdge portfolio through a Data Centric Workload and Solutions practice for the Channel, helping partners build unique solutions underpinned by Dell Technologies to deliver customers a faster time to value with significant business results. Our focus areas include: SAP, Oracle, SQL, HPC, Analytics, Data Lakes, AI/ML, Hybrid Cloud, Containers and VDI.  In addition to his technology interests, he enjoys all things automotive and spending time on the water with his family in Florida

Achieve Greater Flexibility, Control, and Security in the Hybrid Work Era with SASE

Network security is no longer confined to the data center. As security shifts to the cloud, the tried and true perimeter-based model can’t keep up. With more remote workers than ever before, more roaming devices to protect, and the widespread use of cloud-based apps and services, the edges of the network have expanded well beyond the data center. That’s why the future is SASE, which offers an alternative to traditional data center-oriented security. Join Cisco and Zones as we show you how Umbrella, Cisco’s SASE solution, can help you achieve greater flexibility, control, and security in the era of hybrid work.

Presented by Zones and Cisco

Stanley Leszczynski

Chief Architect - Networking, Office of the CTO, Zones

Stan Leszczynski is an information technology professional with extensive experience in diverse fields dating back to 1997. His work has centered on routing, switching, load balancing, and security. Stan has played a key role in directing major build-outs and upgrades for the NYISO, Onondaga County, New York Department of Tax and Finance, Office of Mental Health, Global Foundries, Key bank, Warner Media (Time Warner), Starbucks, Nike, and many others.  A hardworking and dedicated team-player who designs, deploys, and troubleshoots complex network and security systems. 

David Abbott

Cross Architecture Technical Solutions Architect, Cisco

David Abbott is a Secure Access Services Edge (SASE) Architect at Cisco responsible for addressing networking and security challenges organizations face as they navigate secure remote worker and edge connectivity for cloud native deployments. As a technical engineer, he is focused on implementation of SD-WAN and cloud security. With more than a decade of experience in IT, David develops sales and services strategies to ensure Cisco's partners are delivering a best-in-class experience for SASE migrations.

Safeguard Your Hybrid Environment With Zones Vulnerability Management Services

Security is an absolute must. For any organization that aspires to be successful today, it’s table-stakes. Without your data, devices, and users being completely secure, it’s difficult to even begin tackling larger business initiatives. But here’s the thing: Taking on the security challenge begins with understanding it. For starters, you need to know where and how your organization is vulnerable. Join us, and we’ll discuss how you can achieve all of that and more with Vulnerability Management services from Zones.

Presented by Zones 

Brad Mateski

Solution Architect, Zones

Brad has more than 10 years of experience leading discovery conversations to gain a deeper understanding of clients' IT environments and determining hardware and software requirements as well as compatibility in order to position complete and accurate solutions. As a Solution Architect for Cyber Security at Zones, Brad delivers solutions to clients that include discovery, design, procurement, warehousing, staging, implementation, and managed services. Before joining Zones, Brad was an Information Assurance Officer for the U.S. Army for more than 10 years.

Jason Gist

Solutions Architect, Zones

Jason Gist is an Inside Solutions Architect at Zones. Jason was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army for nearly 14 years before transitioning into the National Guard. At Zones, Jason consults with customers and partners to architect solutions. He is a subject matter expert in server and storage solutions as well as vulnerability management and cyber security.

Closing Keynote: A Technical Look at Hybrid Work

At this point, employees all over the world have developed a good feel for how to approach hybrid work on a daily basis. They have an office, they have a remote work environment, and they have the right tools and technologies to juggle their workloads effectively between the two. But from a technical standpoint, what do corporate IT leaders need to understand about managing hybrid work effectively? The structure of hybrid work is still largely unknown as the model continues to evolve through Digital Transformation 2.0 and supply chain constraints.  Join Mike Crosby, B2B technology Director at the NPD Group, as he looks to answer the new evolution of hybrid work.  

Mike Crosby

Director, Industry Analyst B2B Technology

Mike Crosby is The NPD Group’s B2B technology industry analyst. He has strong, trusted relationships with top distributor, retail, and VAR partners across the industry. As a former Fortune 500 sales and marketing executive, Mike also has a 28-year track record of building and developing successful businesses, ranging from private equity-owned, mid-sized organizations to multibillion-dollar public companies.

Prior to his role at The NPD Group, Mike held executive management positions with leading technology companies, most recently as Vice President Sales and Business Development with Whistle Labs, a Mars Petcare company and leader in cellular-enabled pet GPS trackers and Bluetooth-enabled activity monitors. Earlier in his career, he held executive management positions with major technology companies including Logitech, Belkin, Fujitsu, AST Research, and CODI Worldwide.