Gavin Balarin
About Gavin Balarin
Gavin Balarin serves as the Head of IT Monitoring at Derivco in Durban, South Africa, where he has worked since 2019. He holds multiple Microsoft certifications and a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Informatics, and he has extensive experience in IT management and database administration.
Work at Derivco
Gavin Balarin has been serving as the Head of IT Monitoring at Derivco since 2019. In this role, he oversees all aspects of monitoring activities, including planning, budgeting, recruitment, designing, and implementation. He is responsible for establishing and maintaining service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure that IT meets or exceeds stakeholder expectations. Gavin also plays a key role in future-proofing the organization by providing thought leadership and process hardening.
Education and Expertise
Gavin Balarin has a strong educational background in IT and business. He studied at the University of South Africa, where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Informatics from 2014 to 2016. He has also completed various Microsoft certifications, including Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate: SQL 2016 Database Administration and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Data Management and Analytics. His training in SQL DBA and Windows Server spans several years, with certifications achieved from 1997 to 2018.
Background
Prior to his current role at Derivco, Gavin worked at 2Cana Solutions for 20 years, where he held positions such as Systems Business Unit Manager and Database Administrator. He also gained experience as a System Administrator at Unilever from 1998 to 2000. His extensive background in IT management and database administration has equipped him with the skills necessary for his leadership role at Derivco.
Achievements
Gavin Balarin has established key performance indicators (KPIs), objectives and key results (OKRs), and other health measurements to track against industry benchmarks. He utilizes performance and fault management tools such as Elastic Search and Prometheus in an enterprise environment. His focus on reducing Mean Time to Respond and Resolve through Incident Orchestration, Automation, and Response demonstrates his commitment to improving IT operations.
Leadership and Team Development
In his role, Gavin provides leadership in the recruitment, training, and development of top-quality talent. He identifies skill gaps at the team level and fosters a culture of continuous improvement. Gavin creates and promotes a positive and supportive work environment by building morale, motivating team members, and instilling productivity and teamwork.