Michael Zachariou
@michaelzachariou
Identity & Access Management leader with deep Active Directory engineering, security, and reliability expertise.
United StatesWhat I'm looking for
Over 20 years of experience in Technology, learning and mastering internal systems with unique organizations. I’m energized by building reliable identity foundations—then continuously improving efficiency, availability, and compliance.
Since March 2021, I’ve served as an Associate Director leading Identity & Access Management Operations and Active Directory Engineering teams, providing strategic direction, technical oversight, and mentorship. I partner with Security, Networking, and Application teams to architect and deliver enterprise-scale AD solutions, consolidations, and cloud identity integrations aligned with business objectives.
I’ve driven measurable operational impact, including re-engineering the IT budget through contract renegotiations and consulting resource optimization—delivering $875K in annual savings while improving operational efficiency. I also collaborate with Security and Audit teams to enforce cybersecurity standards, strengthen Active Directory posture, and maintain compliance with regulatory and industry frameworks.
I’m especially focused on resilience: I oversee Active Directory forest recovery strategy, including planning, documentation, and readiness validation for rapid restoration in critical scenarios. Previously, I delivered global Active Directory design and recovery capabilities at Barclays and supported identity and server platforms across organizations like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Mount Sinai Hospital—bringing a consistent mindset of risk awareness, testing discipline, and automation.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Associate Director
Organon
Mar 2021 - Present (5 years 3 months)
Led Identity & Access Management operations and Active Directory engineering teams by providing strategic direction, technical oversight, and mentorship. Re-engineered IT budget through contract renegotiations and consulting optimization, delivering $875K in annual savings and improving operational efficiency.
AVP Global Active Directory
Barclays
Jul 2018 - Mar 2021 (2 years 8 months)
Managed global Active Directory services including design, integration, implementation, administration, and backup/recovery. Introduced load balancing for large LDAP authentication domains and delivered automation for rapid recovery of Active Directory account compromise using PowerShell.
Advisory Server Technology Specialist
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Feb 2017 - Jul 2018 (1 year 5 months)
Designed and supported Active Directory solutions across group policy, certificate authority, and authentication services (ADFS). Administered domain controllers, DNS, IIS, and Citrix, and implemented Azure AD Connect for hybrid identity integration.
Sr. Systems Software Spec
Mount Sinai Hospital
Sep 2013 - Feb 2017 (3 years 5 months)
Designed and implemented Active Directory consolidations across 4 forests, including forest trusts for shared resources. Built supporting Exchange environments (load balancing, gateways, DNS, CAS/HUB/MBX roles) and executed quarterly disaster recovery scenarios with automation and reporting via PowerShell.
Senior Support Engineer
Cohen & Steers
Feb 2013 - Sep 2013 (7 months)
Installed, maintained, troubleshot, and administered back-end server infrastructure supporting business requirements. Delivered high-availability designs including SQL geo-clustering with EMC Cluster Enabler and RecoverPoint, and supported Active Directory/DNS provisioning with Citrix XenApp and NetScaler.
Windows Systems Engineer
SchoolNet (Pearson)
Mar 2012 - Feb 2013 (11 months)
Provided third-tier Windows systems support for a hosting production environment serving over 2 million users. Implemented and restored web, file, and SQL database environments across production, staging, and QA networks using Active Directory, DNS, IIS, clustering, VMware, and monitoring.
Windows Systems Engineer
Kaplan, Inc.
Mar 2006 - Mar 2012 (6 years)
Engineered and administered Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, LDS/ADAM, ADFS, and file/print services, along with Exchange 2003/2007 and Windows clustering. Supported enterprise operations including administration for 300 servers and coordination for Windows/image/policy management across 250 schools nationwide.
Information Technology Analyst
Mercer Oliver Wyman
Apr 2004 - Mar 2006 (1 year 11 months)
Provided end-user support to 800 clients worldwide while improving desktop deployment and testing standards. Packaged and imaged applications using Zenworks and supported video conferencing between global offices via LAN and ISDN.
Desktop Support Consultant
J.P. Morgan Chase
Feb 2002 - Apr 2004 (2 years 2 months)
Supported 1200 clients with hardware, network connectivity, and Windows operating system troubleshooting. Managed ticketing and coordinated disaster recovery station projects, including server lab relocation and systems installation/moves across corporate locations.
Software & Hardware Support Tech
Western Management Corp.
Jan 1999 - Feb 2002 (3 years 1 month)
Provided network, software, and hardware support including peer-to-peer networking, user account creation, and shared folder configuration. Upgraded systems to Windows 2000, developed a marketing database in Microsoft Access, and set up company email and website hosting with an AT&T ISP.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
Baruch College
Bachelor of Business Administration, Computer Information Systems
1997 - 2001
Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Computer Information Systems at Baruch College from 1997 to 2001.
Availability
Location
United StatesAuthorized to work in
Job categories
Skills
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