Neil Castro
Farmingdale,USA
Summary
ITIL 4 certified professional (Foundation and Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve) with a proven track record in developing and implementing effective service management processes. Extensive experience as an ITSM Service Manager, specializing in Incident, Problem, and Change Management, demonstrates a strong ability to manage and resolve complex incidents in fast-paced environments. Expertise includes implementing incident response protocols, coordinating cross-functional teams, and mitigating risks to minimize business impact while delivering timely solutions and driving continuous improvement for enhanced production stability. Proficient in coordinating, standardizing, and leading all ITIL problem management activities, as well as creating and reviewing key performance indicators and trend reports to expedite incident diagnosis and resolution.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior IT Support Engineer
Pathward Bank
09.2024 - Current
- Led ITSM process improvements for Change, Incident and Problem Management to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.
- Reduced incident resolution time with effective Incident Management process improvements.
- Led cross-functional teams to identify and resolve root causes of incidents, improving problem resolution processes.
- Oversaw post-mortem meetings after major incidents, fostering collaboration among stakeholders to address underlying issues effectively.
- Led implementation of third party vendor application PagerDuty to enhance our incident management communications and escalation processes.
- Led change initiatives to enhance organizational efficiency and employee engagement.
- Enhanced change management processes by implementing effective communication strategies and stakeholder engagement techniques.
- Developed change management metrics for tracking progress and identifying areas of improvement, leading to overall organizational success.
- Analyzed service performance metrics to identify areas for continuous improvement.
IT Service Management Manager
ExodusPoint Capital Management
10.2022 - 07.2024
- Strategic Planning: Aligned ITSM initiatives with organizational objectives to ensure comprehensive business needs were addressed.
- Incident Management: Developed and implemented robust incident management processes, managing a follow-the-sun support model for Equity and Program trading systems. Skillfully joined critical calls across regions when junior members escalated incident. Through strategic improvements, reduced critical incidents by 19%. Proficient in senior management communication and conducting postmortem analyses for continuous improvement.
- Problem Management: Implemented ITIL-aligned problem management processes to proactively identify and resolve underlying issues. Managed post incident review calls to create root cause and postmortem documentation to address complex incident causes and recurring problems. Collaborated with cross-functional teams for effective problem resolution, analyzed trends to prioritize efforts, and implemented preventive measures.
- Change Management: Established and implemented change management processes aligned with ITIL best practices. Collaborated with stakeholders to assess impacts, identify risks, and develop mitigation strategies. Led change impact analysis and established governance for change oversight. Conducted post-implementation reviews, reducing change-related incidents by 25%.
- Reporting: Provided weekly and monthly reports on ITSM progress and achievements to senior management. In addition, created and reviewed key performance indicators and identified trends to expedite incident diagnosis and resolution.
- Knowledge Management: Established a centralized KB/KEDB for efficient knowledge sharing.
Senior Incident and Problem Manager
Broadridge Financial Services
05.2018 - 06.2022
- Project Management: Led ITSM projects adhering to ITIL frameworks, ensuring alignment with Center of Excellence (CoE) objectives.
- Incident Management: Managed a team overseeing incidents across multiple data center environments to ensure critical production stability. Effectively communicated updates to business and senior management, minimizing the impact of critical outages through swift response and team coordination.
- Problem Management: Managed post implementation review meetings to create postmortem documentation for senior management. Proactive in detecting and preventing future problems/incidents to ensure quicker diagnosis and resolution of incidents.
- Change Management: Developed and refined change management initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, mitigate risks, and ensure production stability. Managed internal Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings, ensuring adherence to change management policies.
- Reporting: Provided regular reports on ITSM progress and achievements. Collaborated with the ITSM development team to implement real-time dashboards tracking incidents, problems, and changes.
- Knowledge Management: Established a centralized Knowledge Base (KB) / Known Error Database (KEDB) for efficient knowledge sharing.
Application Support
JP Morgan Chase
07.2015 - 11.2017
- Support: Provided support for Equity, Program, and Fixed Income trading platforms, managing equities, derivatives, and swap order flow. Performed crisis management and took ownership of incidents resulting in performance degradation or outages.
- Incident Management: Reduced incidents by over 40% through additional monitoring and enhancements implemented following problem management initiatives.
- Change Management: Conducted weekly change management meetings with trading heads, upper management, and development teams to communicate production changes. Advocated against risky changes or those lacking proper documentation.
- Teamwork: Collaborated with global equities IT support teams to ensure consistently high client service standards worldwide. Developed and maintained standard operating procedures and knowledge base documentation to continuously enhance team skill sets globally.
Contractor - Application Support
Deutsche Bank
08.2014 - 06.2015
- Support: Provided support for the Program Trading platform and Cash Order Management. Led support for the Program trading pilot system, now the bank’s main platform.
- System Migration: Played a key role in migrating clients to the Program Trading platform and decommissioning clients from legacy systems. Ensured thorough testing to minimize issues during migrations.
- Incident Management: Managed crisis situations and took ownership of critical incidents. Led incident and problem management processes until resolution.
- Communication: Conducted weekly meetings with trading heads and upper management to update them on enhancements and issues related to the Program trading pilot system. Collaborated with global equities IT support teams to maintain a high standard of client services globally.
Education
Bachelor Degree - Political Science
College of Staten Island
Skills
- ITIL 4 Certification (Foundation)
- ITIL 4 Certification (Strategist Direct, Plan and Improve)
- Operational Leadership
- Crisis Management
- Root Cause Analysis
- Risk Mitigation
- Effective Communication
- Change Management
- Problem Management
- Project Management
- Service Now, Jira
Timeline
Senior IT Support Engineer
Pathward Bank
09.2024 - Current
IT Service Management Manager
ExodusPoint Capital Management
10.2022 - 07.2024
Senior Incident and Problem Manager
Broadridge Financial Services
05.2018 - 06.2022
Application Support
JP Morgan Chase
07.2015 - 11.2017
Contractor - Application Support
Deutsche Bank
08.2014 - 06.2015
Bachelor Degree - Political Science
College of Staten Island