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Prashant Shevade

Head of IT & Information Security

Cybersecurity · Cloud (Azure · AWS · OCI) · AI & Automation · IT Leadership

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

prashantshevade.com · linkedin.com/in/prashant-shevade

Hands-on IT and cybersecurity leader with 25+ years running secure, resilient technology for financial trading, global insurance and multi-business groups. I pair IT strategy and governance with deep engineering skill across Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, AWS and Oracle Cloud, and I build AI-powered tools on large language models (LLMs), AI agents and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to automate IT operations and security monitoring.

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25+ yrsin IT & security, since 1999
4,000+users & endpoints secured globally
3 cloudsAzure · AWS · Oracle Cloud
12+certifications & trainings

Profile

Summary

Senior IT and information-security leader who has built IT functions from the ground up and run them at global scale. More than 13 years with Allianz included global administration of endpoint protection, full-disk encryption and Group Policy for 4,000+ employees across Europe and the Middle East. Since then I have led technology as CTO and, today, as Head of IT & Security at a regulated multi-asset trading house.

I bring together cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, business continuity and AI-driven automation. I deliver to cost, time and quality, communicate clearly with boards and end users alike, and stay hands-on with code and infrastructure.

Industries: Financial services & online trading (FX, commodities, crypto) · Insurance & reinsurance · Media & publishing · Manufacturing, retail & property.

Highlights

  • Secured 4,000+ endpoints globally with full-disk encryption, antivirus, firewall and device control
  • Introduced AI-driven security and IT operations tooling for a regulated trading firm
  • Set up the full IT operation for a new UAE business as CTO
  • Delivered a 100% paperless office with e-signatures for all policies and contracts
  • Wrote and ran Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery plans; moved a live server room
  • Innovator of the Year, Allianz (2012) · Built the first cybernetic hand prototype in the Middle East (1998)

Core expertise

Cybersecurity

Information Security ManagementZero Trust Identity & Access ManagementMicrosoft Entra ID (Azure AD)MFA Endpoint ProtectionFull-Disk & Media EncryptionDevice Control Security Monitoring & Incident ManagementWeb Application Security Testing End-to-End EncryptionSecurity Awareness TrainingISO & SOX Compliance

Cloud & Infrastructure

Microsoft AzureAWSOracle Cloud (OCI)Microsoft 365 Cloudflare (Workers, DNS, Zero Trust)Hybrid CloudWindows ServerActive Directory Advanced Group PolicyLinux (Ubuntu, Debian)Docker & Containers Proxmox VirtualisationNetworking & VPNTailscale / WireGuardSQL Server · Oracle · PostgreSQL

AI & Automation

Generative AILarge Language Models (LLMs)AI AgentsModel Context Protocol (MCP) Anthropic Claude & Claude CodeLocal / Private LLMs (Ollama)Prompt Engineering Vision AI & OCRSpeech-to-TextAI-Assisted Software Development PythonPowerShellNode.jsC# / .NETReactREST APIs & Microsoft Graph

Leadership, Governance & Resilience

IT Strategy & RoadmapsDigital TransformationBusiness Continuity (BCM)Disaster Recovery IT GovernanceITIL Service ManagementVendor & Contract Management Project & Programme DeliveryStakeholder ManagementTeam Leadership Office Relocation & Fit-outEnd-user Training

Experience

Head of IT and Security Current

Jan 2022 – Present

VCG Markets · Dubai

I lead IT and information security for a multi-asset online trading house (currencies, commodities and cryptocurrencies), currently a regulated Category 5 firm working towards a Category 1 licence. I was hired to design and implement the firm's end-to-end IT landscape: cloud and on-premises infrastructure, identity, end-user computing and security.

  • IT governance and documentation: wrote the firm's IT policies, procedures and supporting documentation, including business continuity and disaster recovery, to the standard required by the regulator and to support the move from Category 5 to Category 1.
  • AI-driven security and IT operations: brought in AI-assisted tools that give the IT team faster insight into the Microsoft cloud estate and its security posture.
  • Secure remote support: built a self-hosted, end-to-end encrypted remote-support service to replace third-party remote-access software.
  • Cloud identity and security across Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Entra ID, with endpoint security, backup and business continuity for an always-on trading environment.
Regulatory ComplianceIT Policies & ProceduresBCP / DRAzureMicrosoft 365Entra IDAI

Chief Technology Officer

Jan 2021 – Jan 2022

Secretariat's World · UAE

Built and led the company's technology function in the UAE, working with the head office in India.

  • Set up the full IT operation from scratch and managed the IT department and local IT contracts
  • Designed and built the company's own CRM and invoicing software
  • Wrote and maintained the Business Continuity Management documentation
  • Ran end-user training and engagement workshops for staff in India

Senior Technical Analyst

Mar 2010 – Dec 2020 · 10 yrs 10 mos

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) · Dubai

Ran all IT for the Dubai office while holding global security roles: Symantec global administrator, global Sophos Endpoint Encryption administrator and Advanced Group Policy Management administrator for all 4,000+ AGCS employees worldwide.

  • Full-disk and media encryption rolled out to 4,000+ machines worldwide
  • Global endpoint security: antivirus, client firewall and device control across 4,000+ machines
  • Digital transformation: 100% paperless office with e-signatures for all policies and contracts
  • Hardware refreshes and OS migrations (Windows XP → 7 → 10) with minimal disruption to the business
More
  • Wrote and implemented the full Business Continuity Management (BCM) plan for the local office
  • Managed IT contracts, multiple office fit-outs and process-efficiency analysis
  • Programming and scripting to automate administration; documentation for many applications and processes
  • Trained colleagues on Symantec Endpoint Protection, endpoint encryption and BCM, and ran Excel and PowerPoint workshops
  • Travelled regularly to European offices for workshops, training and team collaboration
  • Received the Innovator of the Year award in 2012

IT Manager

May 2007 – Mar 2010

Allianz SE · Dubai

Managed all IT for the Dubai branch of one of the world's largest insurance groups. In April 2010 I was also appointed global Incident Manager, alongside my local duties.

IT Manager

Jan 2006 – May 2007

Palmon Group of Companies · UAE

Ran group-wide IT for a diversified group: Seimatic (high-end German kitchens), Italian furniture and lighting, interior design, garment manufacturing and retail, a security division and property management.

Network size: 50+ systems

IT Manager

Aug 2004 – Dec 2005

Gray Business Communications · UAE

Ran IT for the publisher of 14 leading magazines, including Gulf Marketing Review, RaceWeek and Citylife.

Network size: 40+ systems

Network Administrator

Sep 2002 – Jul 2004

Verger et Delporte UAE Ltd · UAE

Ran a multi-site network for an ISO-certified engineering group (IT, switchgear manufacturing, contracting and trading) with offices in Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Doha.

Network size: 140+ systems

Programmer & Network Administrator

Jun 1999 – Aug 2002

Innovations Commercial Brokers · UAE

Did software development and network administration for a below-the-line advertising firm that also offered database management and call-centre services.

Network size: 40+ systems

AI, cloud & automation projects

Private AI on your own hardware

Self-hosted large language models (Ollama: Qwen, MiniCPM-V vision) for document OCR and tool-using AI assistants. Sensitive data never leaves the device.

Local LLMsVision AIAI AgentsData Privacy

AI-assisted engineering

Rapid delivery of production apps with Claude Code and the Anthropic API: full-stack web apps, real-time chat with WebRTC calling, offline speech-to-text dictation and AI voice tools.

ClaudePython · FastAPIWebRTCSpeech AI

Zero-trust private cloud

Linux server platform running 10+ containerised and Python services. Remote access is zero-trust with per-user access policies managed as code, HTTPS/PKI throughout, and automated daily off-site backups.

UbuntuDockerTailscale ACLsBackup & DR

Multi-cloud & virtualisation

An Oracle Cloud (OCI) VM as a secure network exit node, and a Proxmox VE host serving Windows 11 desktops over RDP behind zero-trust networking, with no open ports.

Oracle CloudProxmoxWindows 11VPN

AI video analytics

A network video recorder that uses AI object detection across six cameras, integrated with home automation and self-healing monitoring.

Computer VisionFrigate NVRIoT

This website

Serverless, running on Cloudflare's edge network and hardened like production: strict security headers and CSP, HSTS, DNSSEC, DMARC and TLS 1.2+. The contact form is protected by Turnstile bot checks and rate limiting and delivered through Email Routing, so no personal contact details are exposed.

A+ Mozilla ObservatoryA+ SecurityHeadersA+ SSL Labs

Cloudflare WorkersZero TrustSecurity HardeningPrivacy by Design

Education

Bachelor's Degree, Computer Information SystemsChamplain College, Burlington, Vermont, USA · 2002 – 2003Studied through Emirates Centre for Management & IT, UAE
Associate's Degree, Computer Information SystemsChamplain College, Burlington, Vermont, USA · 2000 – 2002
National Diploma, Software EngineeringMidKent College, UK · 1998 – 2000 · Silver MedalStudied through Zenith Training Institute, UAE

Licences & certifications

Microsoft Certified: Azure FundamentalsMicrosoft
Microsoft Azure Administrator AssociateMicrosoft
AWS Cloud Architect trainingAmazon Web Services
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security (MCSE)Microsoft
Microsoft Certified Professional (Windows Server)Microsoft
Symantec Certified Specialist: Endpoint Protection 14Symantec · also SEP 12 training
ITIL Foundation v3IT Service Management
Windows Server 2019: Implementing Group PolicyLinkedIn Learning · 2020
Windows 10: SecurityLinkedIn Learning · 2019
Fusion 360 Essential TrainingLinkedIn Learning · 3D design & CAD

Honours & awards

Innovator of the YearAllianz · 2012
Silver MedalMidKent College · 1999 · Most distinctions in the Software Engineering diploma
Cybernetic hand prototype1998 · First prototype in the Middle East

Contact

Let's talk

Open to senior IT, cybersecurity and technology leadership opportunities, including Head of IT, IT Director, CISO and CTO roles, as well as advisory work in cloud security and AI adoption.

Send a message with this form and it comes straight to my inbox. You can also reach me on LinkedIn.

“If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done.”