Ola Ayeni

Ola Ayeni - Technology | Policy | Governance | Circular Economy | Environmental Sustainability | 2x Founder | CISA, CISM, CRISC, AAISM, ISC2 CC
Multidisciplinary professional spanning enterprise infrastructure engineering, award-winning environmental sustainability, and technology risk & governance, combining Cisco-based system design, circular economy innovation, and IT risk, compliance, and audit expertise across frameworks like ISO 27001, NIST, SOC 2, HIPAA, SOX, and GDPR.

Fortinet Certifications

Executive Summary

I build things that work - systems, organizations, and governance frameworks that hold up under pressure.

My career has moved across three domains that most people keep separate: enterprise infrastructure engineering, environmental entrepreneurship, and technology risk & governance. That breadth is not a detour. It is the point.

I started by getting my hands deep into enterprise technology, designing and implementing Cisco-based network and infrastructure environments, learning how systems are actually built, where they break, and what it takes to keep them running at scale. That foundation changed how I see risk. Not as a checklist, but as a systems problem.

In parallel, I built an award-winning sustainability startup from the ground up, pioneering waste upcycling and circular economy solutions that turned post-consumer materials into construction value. I ran the technology, the operations, the compliance considerations, and the strategy. Building something real, under constraints, with accountability for outcomes, that is a different education than any classroom offers.

What ties it all together is a systems-level instinct: the ability to understand how the pieces connect, where pressure concentrates, and what it takes to make complex environments more resilient, efficient, and sustainable, whether that is a network, an organization, or a supply chain.

I hold a Master of Engineering Management from Michigan Technological University, and certifications in CISA, CISM, CRISC, and AAISM, including one of the first credentials in AI systems management, a space I am actively growing into.

I am based in the United States, eager to contribute, and at my best in environments that value people who think across disciplines and deliver with precision.

🎯 Track Record

0 major audit findings | 40% risk reduction | 250+ locations secured

📊 Impact

Enterprise frameworks deployed | 20+ vendors managed | 35% security awareness improvement

Skills
Stack
List
1
Skills
  • • Network Infrastructure
  • • Project Management
  • • Service Delivery
List
2
Skills
  • • Environmental Sustainability
  • • Product Development
  • • Governance
List
3
Skills
  • • Technology Risk
  • • IT Audit
  • • Compliance

Professional Certifications

✓ Fortinet Certified
⌛ Security+ (Q1 2026)

✓ All credentials verified and current

Certifications actively maintained with regular professional development

Core Strengths

Governance & Compliance Leadership

Expert
Architected and implemented NIST CSF 2.0, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA frameworks across enterprise environments. Expert in translating regulatory requirements into executable compliance programs with measurable outcomes.

Risk Management & Assessment

Expert
Conducted comprehensive enterprise risk assessments, vendor risk evaluations, and third-party security reviews. Proven ability to identify control gaps and develop systematic mitigation strategies that reduce organizational exposure.

Audit & Control Testing

Advanced
Managed IT general controls (ITGCs) audits, coordinated internal/external audit responses, and maintained audit-ready documentation. Successfully completed external audits with zero major findings through meticulous preparation and control implementation.

Technical Security & Infrastructure

Advanced
Deep technical foundation in network security, enterprise IT infrastructure, and vulnerability management. CCNA/CCDA-trained with hands-on experience deploying security monitoring across 250+ locations and managing Active Directory, firewalls, and cloud environments.

Professional Journey

Policy & Reporting Specialist

NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration · Full-time
Feb 2025 - Present · 1 yr
United States · On-site
Translate complex federal policy requirements into board-level guidance for the National Sea Grant Advisory Board and senior leadership, ensuring regulatory understanding and organizational compliance.....
Policy Analysis, Compliance Reporting and +3 skills

Governance | Policy | IT Risk Management

Aion Tech LLC · Full-time
Jan 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 1 mo
Remote
Advised diverse clients across multiple sectors on governance frameworks, resulting in 30% faster compliance onboarding and standardized policies adopted across the organization....

Founder, Governance and Direction

HOPCYKU · Full-time
Aug 2016 - Aug 2023 · 7 yrs 1 mo
Lagos State, Nigeria · On-site
Founded and scaled Hopcyku into a trusted circular-economy and sustainability consultancy, driving transformation of waste systems, creating inclusive value chains, and enabling clients to adopt sustain...

Intern, Techwomen

Symantec · Internship
Sep 2017 - Oct 2017 · 2 mos
San Francisco Bay Area · On-site
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams including IT operations, application teams, and business units to capture risk information and implement security controls...
Cybersecurity, Cloud Security and +1 skill

Network Engineering | Infrastructure

MITSUMI Distribution · Full-time
Mar 2013 - Dec 2015 · 2 yrs 10 mos
Lagos State, Nigeria · On-site
Led technical sales and solution delivery for Audio-Visual systems across West Africa, managing multiple enterprise clients and ensuring high-value solutions met operational and strategic needs....

Design Engineer | Technical Sales

Telnet Nigeria Limited · Full-time
Feb 2008 - Aug 2014 · 6 yrs 7 mos
Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria · On-site
Delivered technical solutions and managed client relationships in the telecommunications sector, ensuring optimal system design and implementation across enterprise deployments.

Education

Master of Science
Engineering Management
Michigan Tech | 2023-2024
Bachelor of Technology
Computer Engineering
LAUTECH, Nigeria

Resume

Download my professional resume to learn more about my qualifications, experience, and achievements.

📄

Professional Resume

Comprehensive overview of my career, certifications, and expertise in GRC and cybersecurity

📥 Download Resume

✓ Document Information

Format: PDF | Size: Professional & Concise

Featured Projects

Strategic Solutions in Governance, Risk, and Compliance.

Third Party Risk Management System

Third Party Risk Management System

Architected and deployed an enterprise-wide risk management framework supporting ISO 27001, NIST CSF 2.0, and SOC 2 compliance across multiple business units.

Risk Management Framework Design
Compliance Command Center

Compliance Control Center

A comprehensive compliance management solution built in under 6 hours, demonstrating rapid deployment of enterprise-grade control systems.

Control Panel Compliance Center
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🔢
Randomized

Random Number Generator

Built a random number generator that shows outputs random amount from the population size.

Random Number JavaScript
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⚛️
NIST Framework

NIST Cybersecurity Framework Implementation

Directed an accelerated NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) implementation for a mid-sized healthcare organization facing urgent HIPAA compliance risks.

NIST CSF HIPAA
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Other Projects

Leveraging technology to streamline GRC processes and enhance operational efficiency

IT AUDIT Sanitized
IT Audit

IT Audit Sample Report (Summary – Sanitized Version)

This engagement assessed the design and operational effectiveness of IT General Controls (ITGCs) and selected Application Controls across the client’s ERP, Payroll, and Production systems.

Report Audit Architecture
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🧑🏽‍💻
Risk Reflection

How AI Is Quietly Bypassing Your DLP

Many organizations believe their Data Loss Prevention (DLP) strategy is airtight — firewalls, endpoint agents, encrypted data, access controls. But there’s a new insider threat quietly bypassing all of it: employees using artificial intelligence tools, often without approval, and unknowingly exfiltrating sensitive data.

AI DLP Risk
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