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Almamy B. Coulibaly

Almamy B. Coulibaly

Technical Lead - DevOps - Security & Platform Engineer

Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Technical Lead, DevOps and Security Engineer with 10+ years of experience spanning Development, Operations, Cybersecurity, DevSecOps, Cloud infrastructure and data engineering.

I help enterprises build secure, scalable systems and navigate complex compliance requirements (ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR). Currently serving as Expert DevOps at Africa Global Logistics (AGL), driving cloud transformation and DevSecOps adoption at enterprise scale. My background leading cross-functional engineering teams continues to shape how I bridge technical delivery with business and stakeholder strategy.

I thrive at the intersection of security and engineering, whether architecting automated compliance pipelines, conducting purple team exercises, or building ML-powered credit scoring engines.

Download Resume (PDF)

Skills & Expertise

Security

  • Security

    Penetration Testing

    Web, network, cloud, and infrastructure pentesting

  • Security

    SIEM & SOC Operations

    ELK Stack, MITRE ATT&CK detection rules, incident response

  • Security

    GRC & Compliance

    ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR, HIPAA auditing and gap analysis

  • Security

    Purple Teaming

    Offensive + defensive exercises, detection capability testing

Cloud & Infrastructure

  • Cloud & Infrastructure

    AWS

    IAM, VPC, EKS, Lambda, S3, CloudTrail security posture

  • Cloud & Infrastructure

    GCP

    GKE, Cloud Functions, BigQuery, IAM hardening

  • Cloud & Infrastructure

    Terraform

    Infrastructure as Code with Checkov & Terrascan policy validation

  • Cloud & Infrastructure

    Kubernetes

    Cluster hardening, Pod Security Standards, GitOps workflows

DevSecOps

  • DevSecOps

    GitLab CI/CD

    SAST, DAST, SCA integration, secure pipeline design

  • DevSecOps

    ArgoCD

    GitOps continuous delivery for Kubernetes deployments

  • DevSecOps

    Container Security

    Trivy, Snyk, Docker hardening, image scanning

  • DevSecOps

    SAST / DAST

    Snyk, SonarQube, OWASP ZAP automated vulnerability scanning

Data Engineering

  • Data Engineering

    Apache Airflow

    DAG authoring, orchestration, pipeline scheduling

  • Data Engineering

    Medallion Architecture

    Bronze → Silver → Gold lakehouse design for financial data

  • Data Engineering

    Python & FastAPI

    REST APIs, ML pipelines, automation scripts

  • Data Engineering

    Machine Learning

    Explainable Boosting Machine (EBM), credit scoring, XAI

Development

  • Development

    Django & Laravel

    Secure backend APIs, JWT auth, OWASP Top 10 hardening

  • Development

    PostgreSQL & MySQL

    Schema design, query optimization, DBA administration

  • Development

    Linux Administration

    CentOS, Ubuntu, server hardening, cPanel/WHM, scripting

  • Development

    Bash & PowerShell

    Automation, monitoring, incident response scripting

Soft Skills

Technical Leadership Security Mindset Cross-functional Collaboration C-Level Communication Agile & Scrum Mentoring & Knowledge Transfer Regulatory Compliance Multi-timezone Team Management

Certifications

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) badge

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

PMI

Experience

  1. 8

    AFRICA GLOBAL LOGISTICS (AGL)

    Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire · Jan 2026 – Present

    Africa's leading integrated logistics operator, part of the MSC Group, operating across 49 African countries with 17,000+ employees — managing port operations, freight forwarding, customs, and supply chain solutions for multinationals, governments, and major commodity traders.

    Expert DevOps Engineer

    Jan 2026 – Present

    Responsibilities

    • Drive cloud modernisation and DevOps transformation across AGL's enterprise application portfolio spanning 49 African countries, balancing legacy system continuity with strategic cloud adoption on Microsoft Azure.
    • Design and operate Azure cloud infrastructure supporting mission-critical logistics platforms: provisioning environments with Terraform and Azure Bicep, managing Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters, and enforcing cost governance across development, staging, and production.
    • Build and own Azure DevOps pipelines for multi-tier application stacks — automating build, test, security scanning, and release gating for both greenfield services and legacy applications under active migration.
    • Lead the technical strategy for migrating legacy on-premise applications to cloud-native architectures, identifying modernisation patterns (lift-and-shift, re-platform, re-factor) and coordinating migration execution with minimal operational disruption.
    • Embed DevSecOps practices across delivery teams: integrating SAST, DAST, and container vulnerability scanning into CI/CD pipelines, managing secrets with Azure Key Vault, and enforcing least-privilege IAM policies to harden the attack surface.
    • Serve as the technical bridge between engineering teams and business stakeholders, translating operational requirements into infrastructure roadmaps and presenting cloud strategy to senior leadership.
    • Mentor engineers across the organisation on Azure services, Git workflows, DevOps culture, and secure development practices, raising internal capability across a geographically distributed team.
  2. 7

    DATAKORI

    Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire · March 2024 – Present

    International cybersecurity and data consulting firm operating in Paris and Abidjan, specializing in cybersecurity operations, data engineering, cloud infrastructure, and GRC services across banking, telecom, and government sectors.

    Technical Lead | Security & Engineering

    Sep 2025 – Present

    Responsibilities

    • Lead cross-functional team of 8 engineers across software development, data engineering, DevSecOps, and security operations, delivering solutions for enterprise clients in finance, telecom, and government sectors with medium to strict compliance requirements.
    • Design secure, scalable cloud architectures aligned with business and compliance requirements; provide technical consulting to C-level stakeholders on infrastructure strategy, security posture, and digital transformation initiatives.
    • Architect and develop enterprise compliance systems including automated sanctions screening pipeline extracting structured data from regulatory sources (OFAC, UN, EU sanctions lists), deployed on Kubernetes with monthly refresh cycles for financial institutions.
    • Conduct technical hiring assessments, evaluate engineering candidates, and implement Agile/Scrum methodologies to improve team productivity and project delivery across distributed teams spanning multiple time zones (GMT+0 to GMT+2).
    • Coordinate complex projects integrating DevSecOps practices, data engineering pipelines, and cybersecurity solutions while managing stakeholder expectations and ensuring alignment with ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR, and OWASP Top 10 guidelines.
    • Conduct security assessments and penetration testing for banking and telecom clients, identifying vulnerabilities and implementing remediation strategies aligned with ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and GDPR frameworks.
    • Perform purple team exercises combining offensive and defensive security techniques, testing organizational defenses through simulated attacks while evaluating detection capabilities and incident response procedures.

    Cybersecurity, DevSecOps & Data Engineer

    March 2024 – Oct 2025

    Responsibilities

    • Integrated SAST, DAST, and SCA security testing tools (Snyk, SonarQube, OWASP ZAP, Trivy) into CI/CD pipelines, reducing production vulnerabilities by 70% through automated security scanning and remediation of OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.
    • Built credit scoring data platform processing 100GB+ financial data using medallion architecture (Bronze → Silver → Gold) with Apache Airflow orchestration, enabling data-driven lending decisions and risk assessment.
    • Developed ML-powered credit scoring engine using Explainable Boosting Machine (EBM) models with FastAPI REST API for real-time credit risk predictions, improving accuracy and explainability for regulatory compliance.
    • Implemented SOC operational procedures for client organizations, deploying SIEM solutions (ELK Stack), creating custom detection rules aligned with MITRE ATT&CK framework, and establishing incident response workflows.
    • Conducted comprehensive security audits across AWS and GCP cloud environments, remediating IAM misconfigurations, network security gaps, and compliance violations based on ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and GDPR requirements.
    • Developed secure Infrastructure as Code templates using Terraform with policy-as-code validation (Checkov, Terrascan) to prevent security misconfigurations before deployment and enforce security best practices.
    • Automated secure Kubernetes deployments with ArgoCD GitOps workflows, implementing Pod Security Standards, network policies, and container security scanning to harden orchestration environments.
    • Performed penetration testing and vulnerability assessments for banking and telecom clients, identifying critical security weaknesses, conducting exploit simulations, and delivering detailed remediation roadmaps.
    • Built and maintained cloud infrastructure on AWS and GCP using Terraform (IaC), managing Kubernetes clusters, implementing auto-scaling, and optimizing resource utilization for cost efficiency.
    • Delivered technical training on DevSecOps best practices and conducted educational webinars on Git, Vim, Kubernetes, and secure development workflows for internal teams and client organizations.
    • Provided IT audit support by documenting technical controls, conducting compliance gap analyses against security frameworks, and producing comprehensive audit reports for management review and regulatory examination.
  3. 6

    ORANGE S.A.

    Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire · July 2023 – Sep 2023

    Leading regional telecommunications operator in West Africa serving over 30 million customers across Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Liberia with mobile, fixed-line, internet, and digital financial services.

    Cybersecurity Analyst (Contract)

    July 2023 – Sep 2023

    Responsibilities

    • Automated user authorization review processes for access management, implementing workflow automation that improved GRC department operational efficiency by 80% and reduced manual audit overhead.
    • Performed security monitoring and threat analysis using SIEM platforms to detect suspicious activities, investigate security incidents, and coordinate response actions with SOC teams across telecommunications infrastructure.
    • Delivered enterprise-wide security awareness training programs targeting phishing threats, social engineering, and secure computing practices, achieving 30% reduction in successful phishing incidents across the employee base.
    • Conducted vulnerability assessments and penetration testing of telecom infrastructure serving millions of users, identifying misconfigurations and security weaknesses aligned with OWASP Top 10, NIST, and ISO 27001 standards.
  4. 5

    MAILLOT.PRO

    Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire · Aug 2021 – Sep 2022

    Sports apparel and athletic gear company with an integrated technology division developing e-commerce platforms and inventory management systems.

    Software Engineer (Remote)

    Aug 2021 – Sep 2022

    Responsibilities

    • Developed secure RESTful APIs and backend microservices using Python (Django) and PHP (Laravel) implementing "security by design" principles including input validation, secure authentication (JWT), and OWASP Top 10 vulnerability prevention.
    • Designed and optimized PostgreSQL and MySQL database schemas for product catalogs, order management, and customer data, implementing query optimization, indexing strategies, and automated backup procedures.
    • Integrated payment gateway APIs and inventory management systems, ensuring PCI DSS compliance for payment processing and implementing fraud detection mechanisms for e-commerce transactions.
    • Built automated testing frameworks and CI/CD pipelines using GitLab CI, embedding security testing and code review processes into Agile workflows, reducing production security defects.
    • Led cross-functional development teams, establishing secure coding standards, conducting technical code reviews, and mentoring junior developers on security best practices and software engineering principles.

    Part-Time Software Engineer (Remote)

    Aug 2021 – Sep 2022

    Responsibilities

    • Provided ongoing technical consultation and software development support for additional projects while maintaining the primary engineering role, demonstrating capability to manage multiple parallel workstreams.
    • Supported e-commerce platform maintenance, bug fixes, and feature enhancements during off-hours, ensuring continuous system availability and rapid response to critical issues.
    • Collaborated with distributed team members across time zones to coordinate releases, manage deployments, and troubleshoot production incidents affecting customer-facing systems.
  5. 4

    WIREPICK LLC.

    Markham, ON, Canada · Aug 2020 – Mar 2021

    International value-added services provider operating a proprietary messaging and communications platform connecting mobile network operators with enterprises across 32+ African countries for bulk SMS, USSD, and digital solutions.

    Software Engineer (Hybrid)

    Aug 2020 – Mar 2021

    Responsibilities

    • Developed high-performance backend services for SMS gateway platform processing millions of messages daily, implementing message queueing systems (RabbitMQ/Redis) and optimizing database queries for throughput and reliability.
    • Integrated with multiple mobile network operator APIs across 32+ African markets, implementing robust retry logic, error handling, circuit breakers, and comprehensive monitoring to ensure 99.9%+ message delivery SLAs.
    • Built real-time analytics dashboards and reporting systems tracking message delivery metrics, system performance KPIs, and billing data using Python and modern visualization frameworks for business intelligence.
    • Performed database administration including MySQL performance tuning, query optimization, backup automation, and disaster recovery planning for mission-critical messaging infrastructure supporting enterprise clients.
    • Conducted system monitoring and troubleshooting, resolving incidents related to message processing failures, API integrations, and database performance issues.
  6. 3

    KNOWNHOST LLC.

    Birmingham, Alabama, USA · Jun 2016 – Jun 2017

    Professional managed web hosting provider operating data centers in Seattle, Atlanta, and Amsterdam, offering VPS, cloud, dedicated hosting, and 24/7 technical support with 99.99%+ uptime since 2006.

    Technical Support Operator

    Jun 2016 – Jun 2017

    Responsibilities

    • Provided 24/7/365 technical support for Linux (CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian) and Windows Server hosting environments across VPS, cloud, and dedicated server platforms serving enterprise and SMB clients.
    • Managed heterogeneous server infrastructure including web servers (Apache, IIS, Nginx), database systems (MySQL, MSSQL, PostgreSQL), mail servers (Postfix, Exchange), and DNS services for hosting customers across multiple continents.
    • Implemented server security hardening including firewall configuration (iptables, Windows Firewall, CSF), DDoS mitigation, SSH/RDP access control, malware remediation, and security patch management.
    • Administered Windows Server environments including Active Directory user management, Group Policy configuration, PowerShell automation, and Windows Update deployment for enterprise hosting clients.
    • Performed Linux systems administration including user account management, file permissions, cPanel/WHM administration, resource monitoring, backup verification, and performance optimization to maintain 99.99%+ uptime.
    • Utilized scripting (Bash, PowerShell, Python) to automate routine support tasks, implement custom monitoring solutions, troubleshoot complex technical issues, and streamline operational workflows.
    • Documented technical procedures and created comprehensive knowledge base articles, contributing to improved first-response times and customer satisfaction metrics.
  7. 2

    CENTER FOR HEALTH AND AGING AT UAB

    Birmingham, Alabama, USA · Jan 2015 – Aug 2015

    UAB's interdisciplinary research and clinical center dedicated to optimizing health for older adults through research in cognition, mobility, continence, and geriatric care, with 220+ affiliated faculty members.

    Technical Support Specialist (Part-Time)

    Jan 2015 – Aug 2015

    Responsibilities

    • Provided IT support for research and clinical staff, managing workstations, resolving software issues, and ensuring reliable operation of systems used in patient care and research activities.
    • Administered user accounts in Active Directory, managed granular permissions following principle of least privilege, and implemented group policies to maintain secure access to protected health information (PHI) while ensuring HIPAA compliance.
    • Maintained office equipment including computers, servers, and printers, coordinating with vendors for repairs and ensuring minimal downtime.
    • Documented IT procedures and technical issues in ticketing systems, creating knowledge base articles to enable self-service support and improve team efficiency.
    • Assisted with data backup procedures and basic network troubleshooting to support the center's research and clinical operations.
  8. 1

    1917 CLINIC AT UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM

    Birmingham, Alabama, USA · Oct 2014 – Jan 2016

    Alabama's largest HIV/AIDS healthcare facility and one of the nation's leading HIV clinics, providing comprehensive medical, dental, mental health, and support services to 3,600+ patients with Ryan White funding.

    Technical Support Analyst (Internship)

    Oct 2014 – Jan 2016

    Responsibilities

    • Supported clinical IT systems including Electronic Health Records (EHR), patient management software, and pharmacy systems critical to HIV/AIDS patient care delivery and confidentiality.
    • Maintained security controls to protect sensitive patient health information (PHI), ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations through access controls, encryption, and audit logging.
    • Troubleshot hardware and software issues for clinical staff, providing rapid response to minimize disruption to patient care and ensuring continuity of medical services.
    • Assisted with IT asset management, software licensing, and system updates, maintaining inventory records and coordinating with vendors for procurement and technical support.
    • Assisted with secure data backup procedures, disaster recovery testing, and network troubleshooting to support clinic operations serving a vulnerable patient population.

Education

  1. Institut National Polytechnique Houphouët-Boigny (INPHB) | École Polytechnique (l'X)

    MSc. Security — Cybersecurity & Artificial Intelligence

    2022 – 2024

    Highlights

    • Research focus on AI-driven threat detection and automated security orchestration
    • Specialized training in cybersecurity frameworks and offensive/defensive security techniques
    • Top 5 — Cyber Africa Forum Capture the Flag Challenge (CTF)

    Courses

    • Advanced Cryptography & Network Security
    • Machine Learning for Cybersecurity
    • Cloud Security & Zero Trust Architecture
    • Digital Forensics & Incident Response
    • Secure Software Development & DevSecOps
    • Threat Intelligence & SOC Operations
    • Deep Learning
    • Reinforcement Learning
    • Risk Management & Compliance (ISO 27001, GDPR)
    • Penetration Testing & Ethical Hacking
    • Blockchain
    • Management of High Availability Systems
    • Malware Analysis
    • Internet of Things Security
    • Database Security
    • Text Mining
    • Distributed Systems
  2. International University of Grand-Bassam

    B.Sc. Computer Science

    2018 – 2020 Magna Cum Laude CGPA: 3.9 / 4.0

    Highlights

    • Completed 24 credits at University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
    • International academic exchange providing cross-cultural educational experience
    • Strong foundation in software engineering, algorithms, and system design

    Courses

    • Data Structures and Algorithms
    • Information Security
    • Operating Systems
    • Software Engineering
  3. University of Alabama at Birmingham

    English & Computer Science

    2014 – 2016

    Highlights

    • Credits transferred and integrated into B.Sc. Computer Science degree
  4. Ecole William Ponty

    High School Diploma — Electronics

    2010 – 2013

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