Working to Inspire
Experience in precise, fast-moving settings has shaped an ability to decide swiftly without losing accuracy. Each action is guided by efficiency, professionalism, and a steady focus on quality. Dedication remains constant, even when the pace demands immediate results.
After developing a structured process that turns effort into measurable progress, the next step was to pass it on. Guiding others through that same framework has helped teams and organizations reach higher levels of efficiency and confidence. A strong system only becomes stronger when shared.
Many skilled professionals have grown through these mentorships. Each person applied the lessons to their own ambitions, advancing further in their careers. Witnessing that growth has been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.
Knowledge gains its power through circulation. Still, discretion remains essential—some insights stay protected to preserve the integrity and value of the work while ensuring those who learn continue to earn their growth.
Michael Ehrhardt
Sales And Marketing Specialist — Brightside Marketing Group • Kanata, Canada • 01/2026 — Present
Key Services and Duties
- Led team building, mentoring, and professional coaching initiatives to improve collaboration, leadership readiness, performance consistency, and long-term career development for associates and agents
- Provided business consulting and sales enablement advising on Canadian and North American markets, supporting market strategy, competitive positioning, and structured onboarding and development of new sales associates and agents
- Contributed to marketing strategy and execution in telecommunications and related sectors, aligning people development, sales processes, and direct engagement efforts to drive sustainable business growth
Driver — DoorDash • Ottawa, Canada • 12/2025 — Present
Key Services and Duties
- Restaurant food delivery driver
Driver — Responsible Choice • Ottawa, Canada • 11/2025 — Present
Key Services and Duties
- Performing my public duty to make sure people do not drive when they had too much to drink etc.
- Work in a 2 person Team as a driver, one drives the client and the car and the other follows for safety and pickup of other driver.
- Large event parties as well as regular weekdays for the random call for car and driver to get home.
Driver — InstaCart • Ottawa, Canada • 11/2025 — Present
Key Services and Duties
- Pick up and Delivery of grocery food and other items to customers/clients.
Senior Technical Support Consultant — Your Secure Tech • Ottawa, Canada • 12/2023 — Present
Key Services and Duties
- Interim freelance consulting to keep skills fresh and current while pursuing my next full-time role.
- Providing on-demand support/sales advisory to small/medium organizations across voice, security, and IT operations; translate issues into clear actions and leave clients with stable, documented solutions.
- End-User IT Support — Windows (minor Linux), imaging and onboarding, M365/Google Workspace, hardware/software triage, remote tools, ticketing, knowledge base/runbooks, user training, and service desk support for customer service requests.
- Network & Cybersecurity — Firewall policy and VPN (site-to-site/remote), VLAN/segmentation, Wi-Fi design, patching and vuln checks, log triage, incident response playbooks, and interfaces with information systems teams for resolution.
- Social Media & Account Security — 2FA/passkeys, access governance, phishing/impersonation handling, privacy posture, brand/risk monitoring, security awareness coaching.
- Web Deployment & Care — WordPress/site builders, hosting setup, domain/DNS/TLS, performance/caching, backups & updates, baseline SEO and analytics, secure contact forms, and support services for online platforms.
- VoIP & Telephony Support — Deploy/maintain SIP/PBX systems, dial plans, QoS, NAT/SBC setup, call-quality troubleshooting, e911 readiness, firmware/patch management, and help desk collaboration for issue resolution.
- CCTV & Physical Security Tech — Design IP-camera coverage, NVR/VMS setup, retention planning, remote access via VPN, hardening & role-based access, incident export & chain-of-custody, ensuring alignment with service delivery standards.
Advisor – Sun Life – Ottawa, ON – 12/2024 to 06/2025
Key Services and Duties
- Met with potential and existing Clients to review their objectives
- Provide sound advice on investments, life insurance and health insurance products
- Offer personalized and ongoing financial solutions to Clients
Continued Education – Durham College/REMIC – Ottawa, ON / Online – 12/2023 to 12/2024
- Returned to continue education at Durham College (REMIC) for HLLQP
- Continued studies for Certification and License to be an Insurance and Financial Advisor
- Researched and continued learning for new business and career in insurance and financial advising
- Focus was to further my Client/Customer Service skills in a new landscape
ETAC Technical Support Engineer – Fortinet – Ottawa, ON – 07/2012 to 11/2023 (11.5 years)
Key Contributions & Competencies
- End-to-end Fortinet support. Delivered tier-1 through tier-3 expert level troubleshooting for FortiVoice, FortiRecorder and basic/intermediate for FortiMail, FortiGate, FortiSwitch and related platforms—collecting configs, network data and packet traces, replicating customer environments in lab gear, performing root-cause analysis, and driving corrective actions that restore service and harden security.
- Customer-centric case management. Serve as the primary contact from intake to closure, guiding users through diagnostics, maintaining clear communications and SLAs, escalating when required, and compiling performance and trend reports that inform service improvements.
- Proactive systems stewardship. Tested and certify new hardware and software, apply patches and upgrades, monitor performance, and implement preventive-maintenance procedures and tuned configurations that reduce downtime and safeguard data.
- Knowledge transfer & enablement. Created and delivered training programs, whitepapers, blogs, videos, and tailored run-books; updated the support knowledge base; and coached customers and colleagues to close skill gaps and accelerate issue resolution.
- Product & process innovation. Founding member of the original TalkSwitch/Alpha PBX team (now FortiVoice) and later co-creator of the eTAC enhanced-technology group; collaborated with development and vendors to document defects, design customer-driven features, and refined support workflows that shorten remediation time.
- Strategic advisory & solution design. Analyzed recurring customer challenges, proposed hardware/software optimizations, designed bespoke engineering solutions, and briefed senior leadership on process improvements that elevate service quality and operational efficiency.
Continued Education – Willis College – Ottawa, ON – 07/2011 to 07/2012
Network Systems Engineer: Information Technology
- Required formal schooling for further advancement in the Technical Support market
- Completion led to multiple offers by various advanced technology companies before graduation
- Accepted offer to head up a key position at Fortinet in the newly developed VoIP Technology department
Security Officer Operations | Various Companies – Ottawa, ON – 07/2010 to 08/2023 (13 years)
Capital Security / Guardsmark / Allied Universal Security Services
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Comprehensive access control. Verified credentials, issued badges, managed entry points, and screened visitors with handheld detectors to prevent unauthorized access across corporate, high-tech, and large-event venues.
- Proactive patrol & surveillance. Conducted routine foot and mobile rounds, monitored CCTV, and identified hazards or suspicious activity—reducing incidents of theft, vandalism, and workplace disruption.
- Incident management & reporting. Responded calmly to alarms, medical situations, and emergencies; coordinated with law-enforcement when required; and produced detailed incident reports that supported investigations and insurance claims.
- Guest & client relations. Maintained a professional, welcoming presence in lobbies and at special events, balancing customer service with strict adherence to safety protocols.
- Team leadership & training. Mentored new guards on post orders, de-escalation techniques, and company policies, fostering compliance and consistent service quality.
- Event and traffic control. Directed vehicle and pedestrian flow for large public gatherings, ensuring orderly egress and quick response to crowd-management issues.
- Adaptable scheduling. Selected and prioritized shifts to align with ongoing responsibilities in the high-tech sector, demonstrating reliability and excellent time management.
- ** Declined several Assistant Supervisor and Supervisor positions over the course of the years as goal was not a lifetime career in the sector. **
* Note – The Security positions above were a combination of Full/Part/Casual time and finally Consulting and contract when requested or possible. Goal was to return to the IT Sector so Corporate Security duties were tapered off.
** Freelance / Student – Self-Employed – Ottawa, ON – 10/2009 to 07/2010
Net Systems Administrator – Opal Microsystems Inc. – Nepean, ON – 02/2008 to 09/2009 (1.5 years)
Key IT Support & Knowledge-Management Contributions
- Primary on-site lead for a 100-plus-user environment. Delivered end-to-end server and desktop maintenance, timely hands-on troubleshooting, and daily user support that kept core business operations running smoothly.
- Infrastructure upkeep & optimization. Installed, relocated, and reconfigured network and desktop hardware; managed server roles, user accounts, and backup schedules—including secure weekly off-site rotation—to maximize uptime and data integrity.
- Software deployment & issue resolution. Installed and supported custom applications (e.g., info@hand) alongside Windows XP/Vista and productivity suites such as Office 2003 and Corel WordPerfect, diagnosing and resolving issues quickly to minimize disruption.
- Process documentation & technical writing. Authored and updated installation guides, troubleshooting manuals, and SOPs for new or revised IT procedures, ensuring consistent knowledge transfer and compliance with best practices.
** Freelance / Student – Self-Employed – Ottawa, ON – 04/2007 to 02/2008
Systems Administrator – Valcom Consulting Group Inc. – Ottawa, ON – 04/2004 to 04/2007 (3 years)
IT Asset & Infrastructure Management
- End-to-end asset lifecycle stewardship: Specify, acquire, secure, and track all hardware and software for Valcom, ensuring licenses, warranties, and inventory records remain current while leveraging new technologies to boost performance and protect information.
- Cost-effective architecture planning: Advise leadership on optimal buy-vs-build solutions and hardware / software mixes that satisfy present workloads, strengthen security, and position the business for future growth.
- Technical escalation & user enablement: Serve as the internal expert for troubleshooting performance or functionality gaps, providing timely guidance that minimizes downtime and enhances productivity.
- Operational continuity & compliance: Maintain server, network, and desktop configurations; administer user accounts; rotate daily and monthly backups with secure off-site storage; and document every procedural change for audit readiness.
- Flexible on-site support: Reconfigure and relocate IT equipment, manage printer supplies, and perform ad-hoc tasks—such as office moves and proposal-team assistance—demonstrating reliability and cross-functional teamwork.
IT Support & Lab Supervisor – Bloom MicroTech – Ottawa, ON –11/2001 to 03/2004 (2.5 years)
Key Achievements & Responsibilities
- Service-Lab Leadership & Operations. Managed the PC repair center end-to-end—triaged client tickets, supervised technicians, maintained weekly inventory of parts and refurbished equipment, and sustained the internal network environment.
- Student Co-op Program Revival. Relaunched and expanded a two-shift co-op program (high school through university); created schedules, tests, and one-on-one mentoring that produced a reliable talent pipeline for the business.
- Data & Systems Administration. Entered and validated service records on an AS/400 Point-of-Sale database, keeping data quality high while supporting installations and troubleshooting across Windows 95-XP and Office/Corel productivity suites.
- Technical & Sales Consultancy. Acted as the go-to expert for the sales team and customers—building custom PCs, resolving complex OS/software issues, researching security threats, and advising on best-practice virus protection.
- Community & PR Engagement. Planned public-relations events (e.g., LPBA), coordinated hardware donations for Computers for Schools and other charities, and drove initiatives that boosted brand visibility and customer growth.
For Reference
* Computer System Builder and Technician
– Tolga Computer System Inc. – Ottawa, ON – 2001 (1 year)
* Optoelectronics Lab Technician
– Nortel Networks – Ottawa, ON – 2000/2001 (1 year)
* Computer Technical Support (Call Center)
– Compaq Canada Inc. – Ottawa, ON – 2000 (6 months)
* Technical Support Specialist
– Compulite Business Systems – Ottawa, ON – 1998/2000 (1.5 years)
* VIP Croupier (High Stakes Casino Dealer)
– Casino Niagara – Niagara Falls, ON – 1996/1998 (2 years)
* Casino Dealer, Event Coordinator, Dealer Trainer,
– Cardinal Agency – Greater Ottawa Area, ON – 1993/1996 (3 years)
* Note – Additional experience previous to 1996 available on request if relevant.
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