Hadi Benhniya

Managed global curv-out, then consolidation and modernisation of 52 data centres across four continents into a unified, software-defined network (SDN) and hybrid cloud architecture. This initiative transitioned the enterprise from fragmented, legacy and on-premises facilities to a centrally managed, secure, and agile infrastructure aligned with the company's digital growth strategy. Directed the end-to-end delivery lifecycle of the data centre migration program, including: Conducted comprehensive audits of existing facilities (power, cooling, physical security, network topology). Helped design a migration strategy, prioritising low-risk sites first and implementing a live migration methodology to eliminate business downtime.

Managed the phased decommissioning of legacy hardware (Cisco Nexus, F5 Load Balancers) and the staged deployment of new infrastructure (Arista switches, VMware Cloud Foundation, Azure/AWS direct connects). Established 24/7 war rooms and a robust monitoring framework (via SolarWinds and PRTG) to ensure real-time visibility and rapid incident response during cutovers. Led cross-functional collaboration between engineering, legal, procurement, and compliance teams to de-risk the project. Proactively navigated international regulations (GDPR, CCPA, local data residency laws) and renegotiated 23 global vendor contracts to establish standardised SLAs and cost-efficient, scalable service agreements. Instituted a robust governance and security framework for the new hybrid environment. This included implementing a Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA) model, encrypting data-in-transit globally via IPsec tunnels, and establishing a centralised identity and access management (IAM) policy, ensuring data integrity and protection throughout the transition.

I managed the rollout of an enterprise SaaS solution across Europe and Africa, translating business goals into practical systems that created new opportunities for the company. Supervised and helped design and deliver our core AWS-based platform, bringing together data from every corner of our operations. To keep everything secure, I set strong standards and controls that meet GDPR, ISO 27001, and all other security requirements. I focused on clear communication and change management, ensuring teams across regions could adopt new systems smoothly and meet every milestone.

I was trusted to lead an €80M global program from start to finish, launching new cloud-based entertainment platforms across several European countries. This project was about more than just technology; it was about bringing innovative experiences to millions of customers. To make this happen, I built and led a high-performing team that blended SAFe Agile with traditional methods. This helped us tackle complex, long-term plans and use our resources effectively across different teams.

My role also involved bringing people together. I worked to unite the Operations, Technology, Product, and Legal teams around a common vision, ensuring everyone was aligned. I'm especially proud to introduce live executive dashboards and Board-level reporting that made our progress and impact fully transparent. This enabled leadership to make fast, informed decisions and helped us drive growth in multiple markets.