Ryan Nelson

Chicago, IL | (312) 625-1310 | ryan@nelson.help | LinkedIn

Summary

IT Operations Professional with experience supporting large environments (2000+ users) and building full-stack IT infrastructure for smaller organizations. Proven ability to operate as a sole IT resource, owning infrastructure, security, compliance, and end-user support. Brings immediate value in enterprise support roles or as a technical lead for lean organizations. White Glove Expert.

Skills

  • Systems & Cloud: Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Google Workspace, GCP, AWS
  • Infrastructure & Security: IT Operations, Operational Risk, SonicWall NSM, N-Able RMM, Active Directory
  • Automation: PowerShell, Power Automate, RPA, DNS Management
  • Governance: eDiscovery, Legal Hold, Chain of Custody, Vendor Management
  • Industry: Logistics (EDI, McLeod), Trading Platforms (Bloomberg, CQG, TT)

Professional Experience

BlockFills — Chicago, IL

IT Manager / Director | June 2025 – Present

  • Sole owner of IT operations across infrastructure, security, and user support
  • Administers M365, Entra ID, Exchange, SharePoint in compliance-sensitive environments
  • Leads eDiscovery, legal hold, and defensible data export workflows
  • Designed device recovery and chain-of-custody asset tracking processes
  • Manages B2B external access governance for legal and consulting teams
  • Builds automation workflows reducing manual overhead

CDL 1000 — Chicago, IL

IT Manager / Director | Jan 2022 – May 2024

  • Managed full infrastructure stack: network, systems, VoIP, Workspace, print/scan
  • Designed hybrid AD environment (On-prem + Azure AD + M365)
  • Delivered 24 production EDI integrations
  • Managed endpoints via N-Able RMM

Heartland Alliance

IT Help Desk Lead / Technical PM | 2018–2019

  • Supported 2000+ global users across network, identity, and infrastructure
  • Led help desk operations and escalation management
  • Delivered infrastructure projects and migrations

RBC Capital Markets

Electronic Broker / Trader | 2007–2016

RBS Greenwich Capital Markets

Electronic Broker / Trader | 1999–2006

Certifications

  • CCNA & CCENT (Cisco)
  • MCP (Microsoft)
  • Series 3 License