Experience

• 

  GBM

  • United Arab Emirates
  • IT Services and IT Consulting
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • PMO Manager

    • Dec 2016 - Present

    Responsible to deliver strategic projects for Intelligent Network Solutions (INS) unit at GBM Abu Dhabi and set PMO structure for INS project management department.

  • Services & Support Manager - Infrastructure & Data Center

    • Jan 2016 - Present

    Serves as business manager for Intelligent Network Services (INS) unit at GBM HO:Key Responsibility:• Develop and build a GBM service organization that can provide “in-house” installation for both warranty and post-warranty support for Data Center facilities equipment• Partner with DC infrastructure vendors to become “premier provider” both from warranty & post-warranty perspective• Assess skill-sets required for all support personnel

  • Leader of Intelligent Network Solutions (INS)

    • Sep 2014 - Jan 2016

    Responsible for intelligent network and site services business for Gulf Business Machines in Kuwait.

• 

  New York University

  • Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  • IT Projects Director

    • Nov 2010 - Aug 2014
    • Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Halim serves as IT Projects Director for this degree-granting research university as part of an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers. He is responsible for all IT projects including academic, administrative, and infrastructure projects and implemented IT systems for NYUAD staff and faculty at NYUAD campus. Key projects include NYUAD campus network/Cisco, Global IP telephony migration/Cisco, Global network infrastructure (NY-AD), Network high availability and resiliency/Cisco, Physical security/Lenel, Compute & storage/IBM, High performance computing/HP, NYU classes/Sakai, Google migration, NYU housing/StarRez, and Content management system/CQ5.Key Leadership Achievements:• Expanded IT projects from 1 project manager responsible for delivering IT systems to a team of 10 project managers and business analysts responsible for managing infrastructure and applications programs servicing administrative staff and academic researchers• Evolved project management at university from point-project delivery to portfolio management process integrated with NYUAD departments and aligned with academic, research, administrative and community life strategic initiatives• Initiated and developed demand management process at NYUAD managing resource availability and project budgets to meet business needs; established councils on each portfolio and steering committee; aligned project priorities with NYU global IT projects• Operationalized weekly project tracking dashboard at project level, stakeholder level, and steering committee level increasing value and visibility of IT projects to stakeholders and executives• Rolled-out Project-to-Service transitioning process streamlining the handover of services to service managers and IT operations

• 

  IBM

  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  • IT Solution Architect

    • May 2009 - Oct 2010
    • Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Halim was responsible across the Gulf region for interfacing with strategic IBM accounts and providing IT solutions to meet business needs. He collaborated directly with IBM’s strategic partners in the region including Cisco, Juniper, Avaya, Polycom, Lenel and other IT vendors to design and articulate solutions addressing large, complex, and multi-platform systems. In addition, he served as technology advisor to strategic IBM accounts including NYU Abu Dhabi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emirates Group, and Masdar.Key Achievements:• Analyzed business and technology needs and challenges designing comprehensive IT infrastructure solutions to meet technological and operational needs• Assumed role of project and technology advisor to NYU Abu Dhabi Chief Information Officer identifying core IT services to bring NYUAD institute into operation• Collaborated with bid managers providing technical proposals as Global Technology Services architect; fostered relations with local, regional, and international vendors and service integrators• Developed program framework planning, designing, and implementing core systems including campus network, wireless, telephone, audio/visual/physical security, and data center/storage• Facilitated strategic account planning and client value method (CVM) workshops increasing client value realization; improved project management delivery execution winning $5M professional services contracts in UAE

• 

  Cisco

  • Senior Service Delivery Manager

    • Feb 2007 - Apr 2009

    Halim established Cisco Advanced Services Center in Jordan leading all activities of near-shore project delivery engagements in GCC countries. He led center operations with focus on customer satisfaction and delivery assurance results and maintained P&L responsibility.Key Achievements: • Positioned Cisco services to strategic customers in the Gulf region and aligned project teams to deliver upon quality and business commitments• Grew Gulf service delivery team to 45 project managers and consulting engineers split across in-country delivery and shared resources (near-shore center in Jordan)• Delivered network solution and services for implementing and supporting high-availability networks to strategic customers in UAE including Emirates Airlines, Du, Etisalat, and Dubai Airport Company (Terminal 3)• Identified, managed, and resolved complex delivery and support issues while representing Cisco in situations that impacted Advanced Services’ strategic direction in the Gulf

  • System Engineering Manager

    • Jul 2003 - Feb 2007

    In this role, Halim assumed the responsibility for leading the service provider technical team across GCC countries (Gulf, Saudi and Pakistan). He focused on growing the team inline of the business growth in the service provider sector.Key Achievements:• Promoted Cisco service provider architecture and solutions for wireline and mobile operators in the region (STC, Etisalat, du, Wataniya, MTC/Zain, Batelco, Omantel, Mobilink, Telenore)• Provided technical account plans for strategic Cisco customers in the region and emphasized technical SWOT analysis per strategic account• Positioned Cisco mobile solutions across Gulf region based on full-IP architecture with focus on MPLS core infrastructure and multiservice edge platform with IP to the BTS• Represented Cisco in the region in local and global events: Cisco Day, Cisco Expo and Partner Summit events - STC, Etisalat, Omantel, Batelco, Qtel, PTCL, Mobilink, Warid and other tier-1 operators in the region

  • Consulting System Engineer

    • May 1999 - Jul 2003

    Halim promoted new telecommunication technologies in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and North Africa as Consulting System Engineer. He led deployments of multiservice and broadband Cisco solutions in the Middle East and North Africa as well as technology transfer to Cisco partners and service integrators for new technologies such as broadband cable, multiservice, storage and unified communications.Key Achievements: • Accelerated business by more than 300% serving as member of core leadership team while hiring and motivating staff across GCC countries and Pakistan• Increased business development by driving customer discussions with telecommunication operators and public sector accounts

  • Development Manager

    • Sep 1995 - May 1999

    Halim led product development and testing for core Cisco products, including Cisco 7000, 7500, 7200, 10000, uBR900, and uBR10000 in this position. He also led Cisco cable solutions certifications with Cable Labs (DOCSIS 1.x/2.x).

• 

  IBM

  • Network Design Engineer

    • May 1994 - Sep 1995

    Halim managed IBM multiprotocol global network capacity planning and performance (operated by Advantis).

  • Development Staff Engineer

    • Sep 1991 - May 1994

    Halim designed and evaluated IBM Open System Adapter for system 390.

• 

  Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research

  • Kuwait

  • Researcher

    • Aug 1985 - Jun 1986
    • Kuwait