My Journey in Enterprise Data Protection and Veeam Advocacy
With over two decades of experience in the technology sector, spanning mid-sized organizations to large enterprises, I’ve cultivated a deep expertise in IT infrastructure—particularly in data protection. While data protection has always been part of my toolkit, it was within the enterprise space that I truly honed it as a core focus. In 2019, our organization introduced Veeam as part of a strategic initiative to unify our data protection and Tier 3 storage teams. I was selected for a special project team to support this integration, marking a pivotal moment in our modernization efforts.
Transitioning into the enterprise environment presented a steep learning curve, especially when managing protection at scale. I began in operations, where data protection was one of many responsibilities. In 2014, I formally joined the dedicated Data Protection Services (DPS) team. At the time, our approach relied heavily on storage replication and third-party automation to interface with HP Data Protector, backing up to physical tape silos across data centers and remote sites.
One of our first major optimization efforts involved piloting and deploying Dell Data Domain appliances, which enabled us to transition from physical tape to a Virtual Tape Library (VTL) model. This rollout extended across our data centers and over 300 remote sites. As our virtual server footprint expanded, we adopted Dell Avamar for virtual workloads, integrating directly with Data Domain for improved backup and restore performance. However, scalability challenges led us to migrate to Dell Networker, which better supported our growing enterprise demands.
By 2019, performance limitations prompted us to evaluate alternatives, and Veeam emerged as a clear leader. The onboarding process was seamless, the support exceptional, and the platform delivered immediate value across virtual, physical, and application-specific workloads. Although I had transitioned to the storage team, I continued to consult on data protection strategy and implementation.
In 2021, our storage and data protection teams merged, allowing me to re-engage deeply with DPS. I completed Veeam’s VMCE certification and began leading key projects. With over 75% of our server fleet virtualized and Data Domain deployed globally, we explored and implemented Data Domain Virtual Edition (DDVE) to support our evolving infrastructure. Later that year, we expanded into AWS, co-leading a project to protect critical workstations using Veeam Cloud Connect and SOBR configurations. We then piloted and deployed Veeam Backup for AWS (VBA) to protect native cloud workloads. Witnessing Veeam’s ability to scale and adapt to cloud environments further solidified my commitment to the platform.
My involvement with Veeam deepened through collaboration with our account team and participation in multiple VeeamOn conferences, product call and related events. I also contributed to customer reviews and shared our success stories; with this deeper knowledge I was able to help position our department as a strategic business enabler for our business. As we began migrating to VMware Cloud (VMC) on AWS, we faced performance and immutability challenges with DDVE. Veeam v12’s direct-to-object storage capabilities provided a transformative solution. I led testing across AWS, Azure, and Wasabi, enabling immutable object storage for primary VMs and backup copy jobs—delivering significant performance gains and operational value. This has been a "game-changer" for many use cases.
We continued our cloud journey by adopting Azure native workloads, implementing Veeam VBA connected to VBRs, and leveraging tag-based protection for rapid scalability. Our customer reporting portal, powered by Veeam ONE, now provides self-service access to audit-ready reports across cloud, data center, and remote environments.
In the past year, I led the pilot and procurement of Veeam Vault for cost optimization and co-led testing of Veeam Data Cloud for Microsoft 365 and Entra ID. This is to enhance our protection for Exchange, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint strategy. We are actively working to implement globally.
My Veeam journey has been transformative—from solving tactical challenges to shaping strategic initiatives. I earned my VMCE in 2024 and VMCA in April 2025. Due to my contributions—customer referrals, product feedback, and community engagement—I was honored to be invited to apply for the Veeam Vanguard program. I have learned a lot, met so many great people and feel this has helped further my career path!
Now in a leadership role, I’m focused on mentoring my team, encouraging certification, and fostering a culture of continuous learning. What began as a solution that “just worked” has evolved into a platform that has empowered my career and enabled me to protect critical workloads across diverse environments. I’m proud to share my journey and contribute to the Veeam Community.
Thanks to all my fellow Veeamers!