Vince Cicone
Senior Systems Engineer
Specializing in Messaging and the Microsoft 365 suite — including Azure and on-premises Microsoft Active Directory.
Deep expertise running messaging and collaboration infrastructure — from on-premises Exchange and Active Directory to the modern M365 cloud.
Built for distributed teams
A decade at international companies has made global collaboration second nature — I work daily with diverse teams across every time zone.
Remote-first for a decade
Deep work blocks, minimal meeting overhead, and a home setup built for focus — remote work is how I do my best work, not an adjustment to it.
Global by default
Comfortable collaborating with engineers, security teams, and stakeholders across US, European, and Asian time zones — async when possible, overlapping when it matters.
Async by default
Decisions in writing, status in shared channels, meetings reserved for what actually needs a conversation. Nobody gets blocked waiting on me.
Documentation as a deliverable
Runbooks, SOPs, and knowledge transfer baked into every project — so systems keep running and teams keep moving with or without me in the room.
Broad by design
Messaging, cloud, and on-premises identity — the full stack enterprises actually run, not just the cloud half.
Messaging
- Exchange Online
- Exchange Server 2019 SE
- Hybrid Exchange
- Mail flow & transport rules
- Global messaging architecture
Microsoft 365 & Collaboration
- SharePoint Online
- Microsoft Teams
- OneDrive for Business
- Power Platform (Apps, Automate, BI)
Identity
- Active Directory (multi-domain, single forest)
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Hybrid identity
- RBAC & least privilege
Security & Governance
- Microsoft Purview
- Sensitivity labels & label policies
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- Retention & Microsoft Defender
- HIPAA / HITRUST controls
Automation
- PowerShell
- PnP PowerShell
- Provisioning & licensing automation
- Reporting & auditing automation
- Monitoring & server builds
Unified Communications
- Skype for Business
- Lync Server
- Cisco Unified Communications Manager
- Polycom conferencing
- Enterprise voice
Global-scale engineering
Recent roles across international enterprise environments.
Senior Systems Engineer
End-to-end ownership of messaging across a global enterprise portfolio: 200,000+ mailboxes, ~10 PB of SharePoint and OneDrive data, hybrid Exchange 2019 SE, Entra ID, Purview, and Defender — supporting teams across the US, Europe, and Asia.
Senior Systems Engineer
Messaging security and compliance in a regulated benefits and insurance environment — DLP and messaging controls aligned to HIPAA and HITRUST, plus audits and remediation standards.
Senior Unified Communications Engineer
Unified communications for ~100,000 users across three global restaurant brands — Skype for Business, Exchange, Cisco Call Manager, and Polycom, with escalation support for mission-critical call centers.
Senior Systems Engineer
Enterprise messaging and email security in financial services — Cisco IronPort, Exchange, and Lync, keeping communications secure and reliable at pace.
Senior Messaging Engineer
Nine years of enterprise messaging: large-scale multi-version Exchange migrations, Lync 2010/2013 architecture, Enterprise Vault archiving for legal retention, and PowerShell automation throughout.
Problems solved at scale
A few of the engagements that define the work — each with a full case-study write-up.
27 TB PST remediation
Discovered more than 27 TB of PST files scattered across SharePoint and OneDrive. Built automated cleanup, pushed tenant-level controls to prevent recurrence, and coordinated enterprise-wide communications. Storage reclaimed — permanently.
Distributed Exchange 2016 → 2019 migration
Architected and completed a distributed Exchange 2016-to-2019 migration, creating repeatable deployment processes and documenting transport rules, connectors, mail-flow configuration, and change controls for junior engineers.
Azure-based HA messaging rebuild
Rebuilt global messaging infrastructure into a highly available Azure-based hybrid architecture, virtualizing Exchange Server 2019 SE systems to maximize uptime and resilience across regions.
Purview sensitivity labels + DLP rollout
Designed and deployed sensitivity labels, label policies, DLP, and retention controls with Microsoft Purview — partnering with HR, Legal, the SOC, and compliance teams to protect sensitive data without breaking workflows.
Certifications & education
The paper trail behind the experience.
Certifications
- Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
Education
- BS, Management Information SystemsKaplan University
Start a conversation
Interested in connecting — collaborations, speaking, or just good infrastructure talk.