Nicholas Aquilante
IT INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGER | IT SUPPORT LEAD | PROJECT & OPERATIONS LEADER
Irwin,PA
Every problem is a gift—without problems we would not grow.
Tony Robbins
Overview
18
18
Years of Experience
15
15
Years Aquilis Computers was in Business
18
18
years of professional experience
Summary
Former Owner, Aquilis , LLC | 18+ Years Experience | Active PGCB Security Permit
Strategic and hands-on IT Leader with over 18 years of experience delivering multi-location technical support and supervising high-performing IT teams. Practitioner of Servant Leadership, committed to a 'player-coach' model that balances high-level infrastructure strategy with emerging talent mentorship. Expert at aligning technology with business goals while ensuring operational continuity in highly regulated, enterprise-scale environments. Dedicated to long-term career growth within the Greater Pittsburgh Area.
Timeline
Senior IT Infrastructure Specialist - NobelClad US & Europe
02.2025 - 04.2025
IT Support/DataCard Technician - Pittsburgh Embossing Services
08.2024 - 02.2025
IT Project Specialist/Technician - CompuCom (FirstEnergy)
07.2023 - 10.2025
Lead IT Specialist - Aquilis, LLC
03.2023 - 08.2024
Systems Analyst - Intermediate - UPMC
10.2021 - 03.2023
PC Consultant - Associate - UPMC
12.2019 - 10.2021
CEO & IT Director - Aquilis, LLC
07.2007 - 12.2019
The Pennsylvania State University - Bachelor of Science, Information Systems & Technology - Integration & Application, Minor in Business Administration
Work History
IT Project Specialist/Technician
CompuCom (FirstEnergy)
07.2023 - 10.2025
- Regional Project Leadership: Directed on-site technical support and hardware deployment across a 4-state region (WV, PA, OH, MD), ensuring operational continuity for high-volume corporate environments.
- Enterprise Initiative: Spearheaded the technical implementation of the 'Better Together' return-to-office strategy, managing hardware readiness and end-user configurations for 500+ employees.
- Service Delivery: Managed full device lifecycles and asset tracking within ServiceNow, maintaining 100% inventory accuracy during large-scale site transitions and hardware refreshes.
- System Optimization: Leveraged advanced troubleshooting and imaging tools to accelerate setup times, ensuring high-speed deployment of mission-critical workstations.
Senior IT Infrastructure Specialist
NobelClad US & Europe
02.2025 - 04.2025
- Global Infrastructure Orchestration: Managed server environments and network backbones across Pennsylvania, Colorado, Germany and France manufacturing sites and corporate offices, maintaining 99.9% availability for business-critical operations.
- Cybersecurity Overhaul: Deployed Palo Alto firewalls and global security protocols (Bitwarden, Barracuda) to align international infrastructure with NIST and CMMC compliance frameworks.
- International Service Management: Supervised help desk workflows and coordinated with German MSP partners to provide Tier 2/3 support and incident response for 500+ global users.
- Cloud Transformation: Directed the transition from legacy on-premise resources to M365 and Azure, consolidating global data accessibility and improving cross-departmental collaboration.
IT Support/DataCard Technician
Pittsburgh Embossing Services
08.2024 - 02.2025
- Sole IT Administrator: Served as the primary IT point of contact for all staff, managing help desk tickets, VOIP systems, security cameras, and remote support for off-site clients.
- Cloud Migration: Executed the business-wide migration from local MS Office to Microsoft 365, ensuring zero data loss during the transition of Exchange email and SharePoint sites to OneDrive.
- Patch Management: Implemented NinjaOne for automated patch management and vulnerability scanning, significantly reducing system downtime and security risks.
- Infrastructure Refresh: Directed technology refresh cycles and asset inventory, providing strategic input to leadership on hardware upgrades to align IT capabilities with business growth.
Lead IT Specialist
Aquilis, LLC
03.2023 - 08.2024
- Strategic Exit Management: Directed the successful operational wind-down and sale of a 17-year business, ensuring full legal compliance and a seamless transition for the founder's retirement.
- Client Migration: Facilitated the secure transfer of commercial clients to new Managed Service Providers (MSPs), maintaining 100% service continuity and preserving the brand's reputation during the exit.
- Asset & Vendor Disposition: Managed the liquidation of inventory and termination of vendor contracts, maximizing asset recovery value while minimizing residual liabilities.
- Operational Leadership: Balanced complex project management duties with hands-on technical support during the transition phase, ensuring no disruption to remaining service contracts.
Systems Analyst - Intermediate
UPMC
10.2021 - 03.2023
- Enterprise AD Restructuring: Spearheaded a massive Active Directory overhaul for 5,000+ users and objects, designing an optimized OU hierarchy that streamlined permissions and clinical printer mapping.
- High-Stakes Implementation: Directed the full-lifecycle hardware and systems deployment for the 'UPMC Brain Lab,' providing Tier 3 escalation support for critical surgical and medical technology.
- Campus Operations: Managed IT projects and infrastructure support for the Shadyside and Presbyterian campuses, ensuring zero downtime for clinical staff during high-pressure medical migrations.
- Compliance & Governance: Executed technical documentation and system audits to maintain strict HIPAA compliance, ensuring data integrity and security for a premier national healthcare provider.
PC Consultant - Associate
UPMC
12.2019 - 10.2021
- Tier 3 Escalation Support: Resolved complex technical incidents for diverse users across clinical and administrative environments, utilizing SCCM and Remote Desktop to close tickets within SLA.
- Pandemic Response: Built emergency call centers from the ground up during the COVID-19 crisis, configuring remote access and hardware to ensure uninterrupted patient care operations.
- Endpoint Security: Deployed and monitored Symantec Endpoint Protection and Windows Defender across 350+ endpoints, reducing malware incidents by 75% through preemptive policy enforcement.
- Service Excellence: Achieved a 95% first-contact resolution rate on over 1,200 annual inquiries, consistently exceeding departmental KPIs for customer satisfaction and response time.
CEO & IT Director
Aquilis, LLC
07.2007 - 12.2019
- Multi-Store Retail Ownership: Founded and scaled the 'Aquilis Computers' brand to three physical retail service centers, managing full P&L, site build-outs, and a team of 16 technical and sales professionals.
- Dual-Track Service Management: Directed a business model that balanced 'front-line' residential repair (B2C) with a professional Managed Service Provider (MSP) division for regional corporate clients.
- Lead Engineering: Acted as lead project engineer for MSP clients, executing physical-to-virtual (P2V) server migrations, network security audits, and full-stack infrastructure deployments.
- Strategic Growth: Negotiated all vendor contracts and procurement workflows while maintaining a 4.6-star regional reputation for technical excellence and customer trust over a 12-year period.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Information Systems & Technology - Integration & Application, Minor in Business Administration
12.2012
Tau Delta Phi Fraternity - Treasurer
Skills
Infrastructure & Cloud: Windows Server (2008-2022), Azure/M365, VMware vSphere (vCenter/ESXi), Horizon, Synology NAS
Networking & Security: Palo Alto & Cisco Meraki Firewalls, VPN (GlobalProtect), CrowdStrike, Barracuda, KnowBe4
Device Management: JAMF Pro (macOS), Microsoft Intune, SCCM, NinjaOne, WSUS, SmartDeploy, Bitwarden
Operations: ITIL 4 Framework, ServiceNow AI, P&L Oversight, Vendor Management, Staffing (16), Disaster Recovery (DRP)
Compliance & Tools: HIPAA, SOX, NIST, CMMC, PowerShell Scripting, SQL, Rapid7, Wi-Fi AP Deployment, VoIP Telephony
Leadership Skills: Root Cause Analysis, Cross-Functional Communication, Team Mentorship, Crisis Management, Adaptability
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Citizen's Hose Company #1 of Glassport - Allegheny County - Station 161, Volunteer Firefighter
- Penn State Lion Ambassadors & Student Government Association, IT Director
- Penn State Greater Allegheny THON, Member
- Active Minds, Vice President