Hello World! I'm Christoph, IT Infrastructure Security Manager at BlackSky
M.Sc Cybersecurity, Northumbria University (NCSC‑certified)
Cybersecurity Leadership, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
I help Architect & Engineer Hybrid and Cloud Infrastructure
My Career
Engineering Manager / Leadership
Throughout my career, perseverance has been the foundation of my leadership journey. I’ve led diverse global teams and built partnerships across LATAM, EMEA, and APAC—driving success through both people and platform management. My experience spans collaborating with executive leadership at Fortune 500 organizations during my tenure with Microsoft M365 and the MSP team at the leading Gold Partner. Leading teams across multiple time zones and cultures has taught me the value of empathy, communication, and adaptability as core drivers of high-performing organizations. I take pride in fostering inclusive team environments where innovation and accountability thrive. What continues to inspire me most is empowering others to understand and leverage technology, a passion rooted in years of becoming a dedicated Subject Matter Expert and lifelong learner committed to making complex systems accessible for everyone.
Systems Engineer / Architect
My journey in technology began 25 years ago in high school, when I earned my first MCP certification for NT 4.0. Since then, I’ve dedicated my entire career to the world of information technology. As a kid, my dream was to become a hacker—but over time, that evolved into a drive to master systems engineering and achieve my MCSE certification, ultimately earning recognition as a Microsoft Grandmaster. Throughout my career, I’ve built a deep, hands-on understanding of enterprise infrastructure, developing expertise across the surrounding technologies that keep organizations running. That technical foundation not only shaped my problem-solving mindset but also instilled a passion for mentoring others who are starting their own technology journeys. The same curiosity and pursuit of excellence that launched my career continue to guide my approach to leadership, innovation, and lifelong learning today.
Security Engineer / Architect
After a decade in systems engineering and architecture, I made the strategic decision to pursue my passion for cybersecurity. My deep understanding of infrastructure and enterprise systems has been a cornerstone of my success in security, allowing me to bridge technical complexity with strategic defense. Over the years, I’ve built a broad and hands-on foundation spanning governance, risk, and compliance; monitoring and detection; security operations and incident response; forensics; vulnerability management; penetration testing; threat hunting and modeling; network firewalls; web application firewalls; audits; threat intelligence; and enterprise risk management. This diverse experience has not only strengthened my technical acumen but also shaped my ability to lead cross-functional teams in building resilient, scalable, and forward-looking security programs.
My Badges
About Me
Function Get-Me {
# Retrieve user profile
Get-ADUser -Identity 'branca'
# Career Summary
Set-Variable -Name "Career" -Value "I’m a results-driven technology leader with over 25 years of experience as an engineer, architect, and manager—currently serving as Principal Infrastructure Systems & Security Engineer at BlackSky."
My background spans industries including Nonprofit, Maritime, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Software, Financial Services, Retail, Communications, Healthcare, Science, Religion, Media, Education, and the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy. Across all of them, I’ve aligned technical execution with strategic vision, driving innovation and measurable results.
I’m passionate about developing people and processes—leveraging new technology, strengthening collaboration, and improving operational maturity across the enterprise. My leadership approach fosters trust, transparency, and continuous growth within every team I lead.
# Hobbies & Personal Life
Set-Variable -Name "Life" -Value "Family first—then robots, CTF competitions, hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, basketball, Husky football, camping, open-source projects, gaming, and music."
# Ongoing Studies & Aspirations
Set-Variable -Name "Studies" -Value "Dedicated to continuous learning through advanced certifications, PowerShell & Python mastery, and learning Tagalog to connect with the Filipino community. I also plan to return to performing music, playing bass, and exploring creative outlets."
# Origin Story
Set-Variable -Name "History" -Value "I discovered my passion for technology at age five, learning chess on my dad’s XT8088 running MS-DOS 2.2 and ChessMaster. That spark led to an engineering degree in networks, systems, and security, along with a collection of industry certifications that shaped my journey."
# Next Chapter
Write-Output "Continuing to lead with purpose, advance innovation, and mentor the next generation of engineers."
}