Krishnakumar Kottekkat

Business & Technology Leader, Innovator & Strategist -“Rendering business, promoting digital transformation and creating innovative markets and data-driven strategies that deliver result-driven operating solutions”

+971505252830
Abudhabi,UAE
kk@kottekkat.com

kottekkat.com

Highlights

Instrumental in creation of the JV entity with the country's leading telecom service provider focused on Sports Technology Consulting,Delivery & Operations
Pioneered setting-up of Aspire Zone Center of Excellence in Sports Technology, focused on standardizing best practices in sports technology; established it as a global reference for best practices in Sports Technology
Revamped enterprise solutions for entire AZF, thereby enabling multi-tenancy, cloud readiness & future scalability
Conceptualized & developed:
- IT Shared Service Framework including a transformation road map for the newly formed Aspire Zone Foundation
- Technology Strategy & Road map including commercial strategy based on Digital Business Model, to elevate the organization as Center of Excellence in Sports Technology globally by 2020
Leading the management of information & Cyber security and associated Risk management within the organization & providing Management direction and support for information security in accordance with business requirements, relevant laws and regulations, and state policy (NIA).
Orchestrated the architectural vision at an enterprise level; defined system, technical & application architectures and business system architecture for areas of development such as Education, Healthcare & Event Management
Steered delivery involving implementation of ‘gold standard’ in IT Infrastructure Delivery for Aspire Zone Foundation
Functioned as Speaker & Panelist for Enterprise Mobility (BYOD), Visualization & Security at IDC Conference and Data Center Dynamics Conference
Contributor & member of the Securing Smart Cities forum
Built alliances with universities to create awareness; contributed to Qatar Professional Community to build the “Next Generation Workforce”
Steered implementation of Oracle ERP across all AZF entities which is a case study with Oracle
Drove the offshore & onsite governance process for up to 200 resources and portfolio of 80 projects
Designed strategic IT transformation plans that enabled decreased costs and streamlined operations

Work Experience

June 2023Sep2024

CISO

ConnectSecure LLC

Developed and executed comprehensive security strategies for ConnectSecure LLC, ensuring alignment with industry standards and regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
Advised customers on compliance and regulatory guidance, preparing them for audits and certifications, and serving as the focal point for SOC 2, GDPR, and ISO 27001 certification processes.
Provided expert guidance on designing and implementing secure IT architectures, enhancing network security, application security, and data protection.
Assisted in preparing detailed reports and presentations for the board of directors and executive management, effectively communicating security posture, risks, and strategic initiatives.
Developed and enforced security policies, procedures, and standards, safeguarding customer information assets.
Managed security incidents with expertise in forensic analysis and post-incident reviews, improving future response and resilience.
Conducted risk assessments and developed risk management plans, helping customers identify, assess, and mitigate information security risks.
Ensuring that the company's Vulnerability and Compliance Management products incorporate assessments for relevant industry regulations, standards, and frameworks (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, Essential 8, Cyber Essentials, NIST-171, &CSF,800-53, NIS2, DORA, DPDP).
Developed and delivered security training and awareness programs, educating employees and stakeholders on best practices and emerging threats.

Sep 2020May 2023

Director Of Operations

Intaleq Technology Consulting & Services

Develop strategic approach, business plan, and market position for Sport technology Solutions of Intaleq
Work closely with the Board and the CEO in setting and driving the organizational Vision and Operational strategy
Lead and Oversee Intaleq operations, employee productivity Resources billing and ensure organizational annual revenue targets are met
Built trusted relationships capturing new business opportunities with local and global Sports entities and strategic alliances with global technology partner's sports verticals
Built commercial models for multiyear IT managed services and service delivery contracts
Define and deliver a suite of Smart and connected stadium solutions in the capacity of technical project director
Oversee the delivery of connected stadiums in establishing a centralized platform for management and operational monitoring
Demonstrate thought leadership and drive innovation across the portfolio of technology solutions and service
Develop and deploy sustainable smart, hybrid/converged smart infrastructure for Connected stadium ecosystems in collaboration with leading technology partners
Oversee and provide direction for major security-related projects and physical security technologies including but not limited to, various card key access systems alarm systems Video surveillance systems security services IT and data security systems, and various other related systems
Participate and provide leadership on various committees councils and process improvement teams acting in an advisory capacity

Oct 2010Sep 2020

ASPIRE ZONE FOUNDATION, DOHA, Qatar joined as ENTERPRISE IT GOVERNANCE OFFICER; promoted as HEAD -IT STRATEGY & GOVERNANCE & ACTING HEAD – INFRA IN SEP’12 and as MANAGER - IT STRATEGY & OPERATIONS IN SEP’15

Aspire Zone Foundation

Defining IT strategy & execution roadmap and short, mid & long-term business goals, objectives, and operating procedures related to governance, change, risk, value, and compliance
Lead & guided the Cyber Security team to participate in the nationwide cybersecurity drill hosted by
Lead Connected Stadium Project with Cisco for “Qatar 2022 World Cup” involving the development of business capability blueprints, technology road maps, and service catalog for futuristic stadium technologies requirements
Providing technological direction and proposing budgets for programs, purchases, and upgrades; driving the vision for the business unit while maintaining 'big picture' focus
Establishing an integrated & enterprise-wide governance strategy and driving deployment of organization-wide change initiatives across business units
Spearheading programs on development of large scale enterprise engineering solutions from the stage of inception till deployment
Defining service standards and guidelines that serve as a benchmark for excellent service delivery; driving continuous improvement and implementation of changes
Spearheading business operations involving business process & solution design; aligning operational strategies with application road- maps; devising & implementing enterprise application strategies, IT budget, and IT risk management plan
Managing the entire gamut of Business Applications as enterprise-wide single point of contact; designing & directing governance activities
Chairing Management Review Meetings with respective stakeholders for improvement of the ISMS Process
Providing support for execution of internal audits as per audit plan; identifying non-conformity and discussing Internal Audit reports in the ISMS Committee; monitoring ISMS process performance
Delivering training for improving ISO 27001 awareness among respective Stakeholders in AZF IT

Jul 2008Oct 2010

Chief Officer – IT Projects & Information Security

Aspire Academy For Sports Excellence

Built the 1st Outsourcing Model for ASPIRE Academy involving staff augmentation and out tasking model
Created & Executed the overall transformation and consolidation strategy for the newly formed Aspire Zone Foundation
Drove the 1st Strategic & Infrastructure Transformation Project and standardized CISCO as platform for consolidation
Introduced a specialized software system “AIMS”, leading to increased business; steered implementation of balance scorecard
Slashed costs by 35% by re-architecting infrastructure hosting platforms and in-sourcing of hosting for the organization
Conceptualized long term portfolio plans for various departments, using TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Methodology

Jan 2006Jul 2008

Business Controls Analyst

IBM India Pvt Ltd

Rendered advisory services on IT Security, SOX and SAS 70 to ITD Global Delivery & Global Business Services
Managed technical translation of SOX scope into workable technical solutions, and accompanied security compliance requirements for SOX & SAS-70 in strategic outsourcing and global delivery centers
Functioned as SPOC for change management requests review /approvals (Controls and Security review of CRs prior to approval) and for SOX implementation for IT Service delivery (SOX for Enterprise IT)
Performed IT Risk Assessment and Control Testing for SAS 70 SOX 404 assertion for Applications /process; won IBM Bravo Awards for Global Delivery Centre Audit Support

Nov 2003Jun 2005

System Manager (Contract)

NHS Centre, South Bransholme, Hull, UK

Feb 2004May 2005

IT Assistant

Academic Computing Services, Hull, UK

Dec 1999Aug 2003

Joined as Systems Facility Manager; promoted as Senior Consultant in Apr’00, as Manager - Network Services in Apr’02 and as Head - Networking SBU

NeST Information Technologies Pvt Ltd

Sep 1997Dec 1999

Hardware Engineer

Case Consult India Pvt Ltd

Certifications

Certified in Risc & Information Systems Control (CRISC) in 2025
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI fundamentals in 2025 (AI-900)
Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) in 2023
Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) in 2020
SABSA Chartered Architect at Foundation Level (SCF)
TOGAF 9.0 in 2011
Project Management Professional (PMP) in 2010
Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) in 2009
Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) in 2008
Information Systems Manager (CISM) in 2009
Information Security Auditor (CISA) in 2007
ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT- Service Management in 2009
ISO 27001:2013 Lead Auditor in 2015
Internal Auditor for IBM ASCA (Application Systems Control & Auditability) in 2006

Education

20162018

Advanced Program in Cyber Law

Asian School of Cyber Laws

20032005

M.B.A Information Management

University of Hull U.K

20002002

M.S Software Systems

Birla Institute of Technology and Science

19931997

B.Technology Electronics Engineering

Cochin University of Science and Technology

Publications & Media

ConnectSecure’s Krishna Kottekkat on NIST’s National Vulnerability Database https://techstrong.tv/videos/interviews/co􀀠 nnectsecures-krishna-kottekkat-on-nists-national-vulnerability-database Understanding the impact of the NIST NVD backlog on MSPs https://www.securitymagazine.com/article􀀠 s/100795-understanding-the-impact-of-the-nist-nvd-backlog-on-msps

Securing the Smart City Olympics

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/􀀠 322961140_Securing_the_Smart_City_Olympics

Aspire Tech Conference Gathers Top Experts in London

https://aspire.qa/Media/News/aspire-tech-conference-gathers-top-experts-in-london

EDUCATION ICSS leads high-level panel on disruptive technology in sport at ASPIRE4SPORT https://theicss.org/2017/10/08/icss-leads-high-level-panel-on-disruptive-technology-in-sport-at-aspire4sport/

Cloud Computing & Security: Boon or Bane; Hype or Reality; Cloud Implementation Challenges: A Live Case Study

https://hackingarchivesofindia.com/ hacker /krishnakumar_kottekkat/ c0c0n_2010/

Aspire Zone calls for collaboration to deliver the best experience to fans

https://www.gulf-times.com/story/566460/aspire-zone-calls-for-collaboration-to-deliver-best-experience-to-fans