MY STORY
From building networks to designing solutions.
My journey through more than two decades of networking, telecommunications and technology — and why I still consider myself a student of the industry.
2004 · THE BEGINNING
It started with networking.
I began my career in networking in 2004. What started as a profession quickly became something I genuinely enjoyed: understanding how systems communicate, how networks are built, and how technology can be used to solve real problems.
Those early years gave me the technical foundation that would shape the rest of my career.
2009 · DUBAI
Into the Internet backbone.
In 2009, I joined a large Internet service provider in Dubai, working as an engineer in its Internet backbone department.
This was where networking moved from theory and smaller environments into large-scale telecommunications infrastructure. Working around an ISP backbone gave me firsthand experience with the systems and engineering decisions that keep large networks connected.
A MAJOR MILESTONE
Earning my CCIE.
One of the milestones I'm most proud of is earning my Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert certification.
For me, the CCIE represented more than passing an exam. It was the result of years of study, hands-on experience and a commitment to understanding networking at a much deeper level.
SATELLITE NETWORKS
A project that stayed with me.
Another particularly meaningful chapter of my career was working on satellite networking for Airbus in Abu Dhabi.
It gave me the opportunity to apply my networking background in a very different environment and work on complex communications infrastructure where reliability, architecture and engineering all had to come together.
It remains one of the projects I am most proud to have been involved with.
2021 · A NEW PERSPECTIVE
From engineering networks to designing solutions.
In 2021, my career began moving into pre-sales engineering and solution architecture.
The focus became broader. Instead of looking only at the technology, I was increasingly starting with the customer: understanding the problem, identifying the requirements and designing the right solution.
It brought together years of engineering experience with another side of technology that I enjoy — turning complex technical ideas into practical solutions.
TODAY · STILL LEARNING
The next chapter is already being built.
Technology doesn't stand still, and neither should an architect.
Today I'm building on my networking and solution architecture experience by going deeper into cloud, automation and AI infrastructure.
I don't see this as starting over. I see it as adding new layers to the foundation I've spent more than two decades building.
BEYOND TECHNOLOGY
The builder mindset doesn't stop at work.
My curiosity isn't limited to networks and technology. I enjoy reef aquariums, gardening, DIY projects and figuring out how to fix or improve things around the house.
The subject may be completely different, but I often find myself following the same process: understand how something works, identify the problem, experiment, learn and improve it.
That's really what Built By Raza is about.