• Oversee and manage a global team of data protection experts responsible for implementing, maintaining, optimizing, and innovating backup and DR solutions, including Barracuda Hybrid Backup, Veaam, and other leading technologies. • Develop and implement data protection strategies that align with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and market trends, ensuring that data is protected from unauthorized access, modification, or deletion, even in the event of ransomware attacks. • Conduct regular assessments of data protection systems and processes to identify and mitigate risks, including ransomware attacks, hardware failures, and human error, and design plans to mitigate these risks. • Implement and maintain disaster recovery plans to ensure rapid recovery of data and systems in the event of outages or incidents, including offsite and offline backup storage to prevent ransomware attacks from affecting recovery capabilities. • Provide technical guidance and support to customers on data protection matters, including best practices for encrypting backups, creating secure storage environments, implementing identity and access management (IAM) controls, designing and implementing immutable backup strategies, and conducting risk assessments. • Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes, identifying new market opportunities and developing innovative data protection solutions that provide strategic value to our customers. • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate data protection solutions with other IT infrastructure components, ensuring seamless data protection, recovery, and compliance operations. • Analyze data protection performance metrics and identify opportunities for improvement, recommending enhancements to backup schedules, storage capacity, and recovery procedures. • Prepare and present regular reports on data protection activities and status, including assessments of security risks, compliance with policies, and the effectiveness of data protection solutions. • Drive business growth by actively marketing the department's services, building relationships with key stakeholders, and developing partnerships with industry leaders. • Negotiate and manage contracts with vendors and partners, ensuring that we obtain the best value for our data protection investments. • Proactively manage project schedules, budgets, and resources, ensuring the timely and successful delivery of data protection initiatives. • Champion innovation and foster a culture of continuous learning within the team, empowering employees to develop new skills and knowledge.