JOÃO PEREIRA
Maia,Portugal
Summary
IT professional with over 18 years of experience building and scaling robust technology environments for global organizations. Combines deep technical expertise in cloud technologies and infrastructure with strong executive leadership to align IT initiatives with core business objectives. Recognized for identifying critical cost-saving opportunities, spearheading digital transformations, and mentoring world-class global support teams without compromising service quality or system performance.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work history
Head of IT
Sword Health
Porto & NYC, Portugal & USA
2026.01 - Current
- Develop and execute the global IT strategy and roadmap, ensuring technology initiatives strongly align with overall business objectives and scale with organizational growth.
- Direct enterprise-wide IT budgets (Opex and Capex), performing detailed cost-benefit analyses, optimizing technology spend, and maximizing ROI.
- Lead a portfolio of strategic IT projects from inception through global rollout, partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to drive digital transformation.
- Establish and enforce enterprise-wide security standards, governing identity and access management (Okta, Active Directory, Google Workspace) and safeguarding corporate data.
- Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing global IT organization, overseeing talent sourcing, onboarding, career path design, and succession planning.
- Negotiate and manage enterprise contracts with external vendors and suppliers, securing optimal pricing, favorable SLAs, and strong strategic partnerships.
- Define IT performance metrics and governance frameworks, establishing rigorous SLAs, OLAs, and team KPIs to drive continuous improvement.
- Govern global IT service delivery and operations, directing multi-tiered (1st-3rd line) technical support across international offices utilizing ITSM platforms (Jira, Freshservice).
- Oversee comprehensive asset and endpoint management ecosystems, directing hardware lifecycles and mobile device management (Kandji, JumpCloud, Workspace ONE, Snipe-IT).
- Standardize global IT operations by establishing robust process documentation, disaster recovery protocols, and comprehensive knowledge bases.
Team Lead & IT Manager
Sword Health
Porto, Portugal
2023.03 - Current
- Provide 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-line ICT support to global teams.
- Administer users via Active Directory, Azure, and Google Workspace.
- Offer remote technical support across international offices.
- Install and deploy laptops and mobile devices using MDM tools (Kandji, JumpCloud, Workspace ONE).
- Manage SSO and MFA solutions (e.g., OKTA).
- Maintain and troubleshoot hardware.
- Oversee asset management using Snipe-IT and Freshservice.
- Utilize ITSM platforms (Jira, Freshservice) to manage service requests and incidents.
- Define and maintain SLAs and OLAs.
- Monitor and report on team KPIs.
- Create process documentation and knowledge bases.
- Lead career path design and team development planning.
- Mentor team members and support scaling initiatives.
- Conduct talent sourcing and onboarding.
- Manage IT budgets and perform cost analysis.
- Coordinate with external suppliers and vendors.
- Participate in and lead IT projects from planning to execution.
Service Desk Engineer & Team Lead
INEOS Automotive
Porto, Portugal
2021.01 - 2023.03
- Provided first to third-line ICT support services.
- Assisted in managing IT service desk operations.
- Facilitated deployment of hardware for new employees and maintained IT equipment.
- Supported global teams using cloud-based tools.
- Aided in asset management and hardware lifecycle processes.
- Engaged in IT infrastructure and upgrade projects.
- Coordinated with third-party vendors and service providers.
- Administered Active Directory and assisted with network support.
- Contributed to budgeting and project delivery.
IT Technician & Field Support & Cordinator
Sermicro
Porto, Portugal
2011.03 - 2021.09
- Assisted in managing datacentre cabling and equipment maintenance.
- Provided technical support to both on-site and remote customers.
- Contributed to rollout change and relocation projects.
- Installed and repaired IT hardware, including POS systems and printers.
- Supported installation and maintenance of security and surveillance systems, including CCTV.
- Aided in implementing and supporting parking systems.
- Coordinated customer accounts and ensured service quality.
- Maintained accurate inventory and stock levels.
- Helped in IT budgeting and task planning.
Education
Certificate of Higher Education - Information Technology
EPBCJ
Porto /2009 - /2011
Skills
Enterprise technology implementation
Network architecture design
Strategic IT planning and forecasting
Enterprise systems integration
IT governance and budgeting
ITIL methodologies application
Infrastructure management
Resource management
Technical leadership
IT services management
LANGUAGES
English - Proficient
Portuguese - Native
Spanish - Proficient
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Security & Compliance
Led the organization to successful SOC 2/ Hitrust compliance certification from scratch, implementing robust identity management Okta) and zero-trust security frameworks with zero data breaches.
Cost Reduction Success
Reduced annual IT Tech stack by 30% saving $800K by auditing legacy systems, renegotiating enterprise vendor contracts, and migrating workloads to the cloud.
Team Building & Leadership
Built and scaled a high-performing global IT organization from 2 to 25 personnel across 5 countries, establishing career progression frameworks that reduced department turnover to under 5%.
Efficient Onboarding & offboarding
Enabled rapid global organizational scaling by designing a zero-touch IT onboarding framework, successfully
provisioning hardware and access for 1,500 international employees with zero downtime.
Timeline
Head of IT
Sword Health
2026.01 - Current
Team Lead & IT Manager
Sword Health
2023.03 - Current
Service Desk Engineer & Team Lead
INEOS Automotive
2021.01 - 2023.03
IT Technician & Field Support & Cordinator
Sermicro
2011.03 - 2021.09
Certificate of Higher Education - Information Technology
EPBCJ
/2009 - /2011