Geoff Hughes
About Geoff Hughes
Geoff Hughes serves as the Vice President of Cloud Operations at Digital.ai, where he has implemented significant cost reductions and introduced new cloud services since 2022. His extensive career includes leadership roles at companies such as NetApp, Cisco, and Wells Fargo, where he focused on infrastructure architecture and operations.
Work at Digital.ai
Geoff Hughes serves as the Vice President of Cloud Operations at Digital.ai, a position he has held since 2022. In this role, he has successfully reduced AWS annual recurring costs by $365,000 within the first 30 days of his tenure. Hughes has been instrumental in bringing new services into production, including Agility Sync, Intelligence in EU and UK regions, and Digital.ai Identity. He established a security council by partnering with IT, Engineering, and Compliance executive leadership. Additionally, he created a FinOps function for cloud cost management and published the Cloud Ops job family.
Previous Experience
Before joining Digital.ai, Geoff Hughes held several significant positions in various organizations. He worked at NetApp as SRE Senior Manager from 2019 to 2022, where he contributed to cloud operations. Prior to that, he was the Director of Infrastructure Architecture and Engineering at CA Technologies from 2015 to 2019. Hughes also served as Vice President and Head of Storage Operations at Wells Fargo from 2011 to 2015. His earlier roles include IT Manager at Cisco and Infrastructure Architect at Nortel Networks.
Education and Expertise
Geoff Hughes earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University, where he studied from 1990 to 1994. His educational background provides a strong foundation for his expertise in cloud operations and infrastructure management. Hughes has extensive experience in IT management, systems engineering, and cloud cost management, which he has applied throughout his career in various leadership roles.
Achievements in Cloud Operations
At Digital.ai, Geoff Hughes achieved FedRamp Authority to Operate (ATO) for the Agility service, demonstrating his commitment to compliance and security in cloud operations. He introduced the monthly Cloud Champion recognition program to promote excellence within the team. His initiatives in establishing a FinOps function and publishing the Cloud Ops job family reflect his focus on operational efficiency and team development.
Career Timeline
Geoff Hughes has a diverse career spanning several key roles in the technology sector. He started as a Systems Consultant at Analysts International Corporation from 1995 to 1997. He then held various positions at Cisco from 2000 to 2011, including Senior Systems Administrator and Senior IT Manager. After Cisco, he worked at Wells Fargo and CA Technologies before his tenure at NetApp. Hughes has been with Digital.ai since 2022, where he continues to lead cloud operations.