Michael Palmer
Pearland
Summary
Experienced security professional with strong background in developing and implementing robust security architectures. Adept at identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating risks, ensuring protection of sensitive information. Highly collaborative team player who adapts to changing needs and consistently drives results. Well-versed in security frameworks, threat modeling, and policy creation.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Security Architect, Identity and Access Management
LyondellBasell
08.2022 - Current
- Acted as the highest-level IAM design consultant (L5 IAM SME) for major cross-functional projects annually. (e.g., IGA Modernization, M&A integration).
- Led cross-functional IAM governance board with business stakeholders to define security and business requirements, successfully aligning best practices and industry standards (e.g., NIST CSF) with enterprise goals.
- Architected and maintained the 5-year IAM roadmap, securing cap ex and technical resources for strategic initiatives, including IGA modernization and Zero Trust implementation.
- Championed the adoption of multi-factor authentication methods across various platforms, significantly enhancing user account safety without compromising usability.
Senior Security Threat Analyst / SOC Operations
LyondellBasell
11.2020 - 08.2022
- Security Operations & Incident Response: Managed 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) functions, delivering Level 2/3 analysis and response for enterprise security incidents.
- SIEM/SOAR Engineering: Served as the administrator and primary content designer for the SIEM platform (Splunk), developing custom dashboards, alerts, and correlation rules to enhance threat detection fidelity.
- Automation and Orchestration: Acted as the administrator for the SOAR platform (XSOAR), developing and automating baseline security playbooks (e.g., phishing response, malware containment) to reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR)
- Endpoint Security Management: Administered the Endpoint Detection and Response (Cybereason EDR) platform, ensuring coverage across 25,000+ endpoints and performing proactive threat hunting.
- Training & Mentorship: Mentored and provided technical training to Level 1 Analysts, standardizing incident investigation procedures and improving overall SOC efficiency.
Infrastructure Systems Administrator
LyondellBasell
09.2017 - 11.2020
- Enterprise Systems Management: Administered and maintained core monitoring and configuration platforms, including SCCM, SolarWinds Infrastructure, and SCOM Infrastructure, supporting the stability and performance of over 30,000 servers and endpoints.
- Security Baseline Enforcement: Leveraged SCCM to ensure continuous configuration compliance and enforced system baselines for security hardening across the server fleet.
- Service & Asset Visibility: Managed ServiceNow Discovery functions to maintain accurate configuration management database (CMDB) data, ensuring visibility into all network-connected infrastructure assets—a critical foundation for security operations and vulnerability management.
- Operational Efficiency: Optimized monitoring templates within SolarWinds/SCOM to reduce alert noise by 60%, improving overall operational efficiency and accelerating incident response times.
Server Analyst and SCCM Specialist - SCCM 2007 & 2012 Administrator
CHI St.Luke's
11.2015 - 08.2017
- Security & Patch Management: Developed, implemented, and maintained the routine patch management process for security and threat prevention across all enterprise workstations and servers.
- Global OS Architecture: Designed, implemented, and developed the global image and imaging process using SCCM and MDT to successfully manage a major enterprise migration from Windows XP to Windows 7.
- Project Leadership: Functioned as the technical lead for multiple large-scale application upgrade projects, managing deployment logistics for applications with server dependencies.
- Custom Deployment: Created and deployed custom images via SCCM and MDT to support new location rollouts and specific hardware requirements.
Desktop Architecture Specialist – SCCM 2012 Administrator and Operations Lead
Hess Corporation
05.2011 - 11.2015
- Architectural Strategy & Standards: Defined and developed the global desktop architecture and IT Technology Roadmap components for Hess, establishing design, hardware, and configuration standards for enterprise services globally.
- Deployment and Governance: Owned the image deployment methodology across the enterprise, setting quality standards and maintaining all enterprise software packages as the Application Packaging Coordinator.
- Project Leadership & R&D: Led and participated in Global Desktop Projects, including researching, evaluating, and piloting new technologies that improved system stability, reduced operating costs, and introduced new functionality enterprise-wide.
- Collaborative Support: Provided L3 subject matter expertise and detailed problem analysis to internal and outsourced desktop teams for the resolution of critical and complex issues.
Education
ISC2: Certified in Cybersecurity -
ISC2
11.2023
Microsoft: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals -
Microsoft
09.2023
Associate of Science - Business Administration
Alvin Community College
12.2022
Azure Fundamentals: AZ 900 -
Microsoft
08.2022
Cybereason Threat Hunter -
Cybereason
12.2021
Cybereason Threat Analyst -
Cybereason
06.2021
MCTS: Administering and Deploying System Center 2012 Configuration Manager -
Microsoft
05.2017
ITIL V3 Foundation -
ITIL
08.2014
Skills
- Identity & Access Management (IAM)
- Identity Governance & Administration (IGA)
- Identity Lifecycle Management
- Certificate Lifecycle Management
- Zero Trust
- Cloud Security
Affiliations
- IDPro
- ND-ISAC
Timeline
Senior Security Architect, Identity and Access Management
LyondellBasell
08.2022 - Current
Senior Security Threat Analyst / SOC Operations
LyondellBasell
11.2020 - 08.2022
Infrastructure Systems Administrator
LyondellBasell
09.2017 - 11.2020
Server Analyst and SCCM Specialist - SCCM 2007 & 2012 Administrator
CHI St.Luke's
11.2015 - 08.2017
Desktop Architecture Specialist – SCCM 2012 Administrator and Operations Lead
Hess Corporation
05.2011 - 11.2015
Microsoft: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals -
Microsoft
Azure Fundamentals: AZ 900 -
Microsoft
Cybereason Threat Hunter -
Cybereason
Cybereason Threat Analyst -
Cybereason
MCTS: Administering and Deploying System Center 2012 Configuration Manager -
Microsoft
ITIL V3 Foundation -
ITIL
ISC2: Certified in Cybersecurity -
ISC2
Associate of Science - Business Administration
Alvin Community College