Regional IT Manager · Head of IT
Building IT functions that run quietly, securely and on budget.
Senior IT leader with 16+ years of international experience managing large-scale IT operations for 8,000+ users across education and consulting in the UK, MENA, Mauritius and India.
About
I specialise in building high-performance IT functions from the ground up, spanning governance, cybersecurity, GDPR and data protection, cloud infrastructure, vendor negotiation and helpdesk transformation.
As Co-Founder and Business Lead at ICYPEAK Technologies, I lead a consultancy delivering custom e-commerce software for premium international brands. Before that, as Regional IT Manager for Inspired Education, I ran IT operations across premium international schools in the Middle East, North Africa and Mauritius.
I've worked with multinational stakeholders across London, the Middle East, Mauritius and India, managing complex IT transformations, budgets and distributed teams.
Education
MSc Information Systems Management
University of Liverpool, UK
Diploma, Electronics Engineering
Government Polytechnic College, Kerala
Certifications
Remote Pilot Certification (RPAS)
Ministry of Civil Aviation, India
Drone Data Processing with GIS
DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations
Highlights
48-hour COVID transformation
Moved multiple schools to full-scale virtual learning in 48 hours, with zero service interruption.
GDPR across 4 continents
Led data protection for 51 schools and a distributed team of 27 Data Protection Officers.
Pearson digital exams pilot
Led the global pilot of Pearson's secure digital examination platform, with 200 concurrent lockdown devices.
Live e-commerce launch
Designed, built and launched Harley-Davidson Saudi Arabia's transactional e-commerce platform.
Experience
India
Co-Founder & Business Lead
ICYPEAK Technologies
- Lead a technology consultancy I co-founded, delivering custom e-commerce and CRM solutions for premium international brands.
- Designed, built and launched Harley-Davidson Saudi Arabia's e-commerce platform, selling OEM parts, accessories, clothing and gift cards.
- Won a follow-on contract from the same client to build a motorcycle service app, CRM and fleet management system.
- Manage end-to-end delivery: technology stack selection, product development, vendor coordination and client onboarding.
MENA & Mauritius
Regional IT Manager, MENA & Mauritius
Inspired Education Group
- Managed end-to-end IT operations across premium international schools in the MENA region and Mauritius.
- Led vendor negotiations, solution evaluations and gap analysis to support continuity and reduce risk.
- Owned IT budget planning and procurement strategy across asset lifecycle, licensing and third-party contracts.
- Standardised IT policies region-wide, improving compliance ahead of regulatory and external inspections.
- On site across Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritius at least one week per month.
Bahrain
Technology Consultant
ProjectFZ Consulting
- Translated client business requirements into secure, practical technology solutions.
- Designed and implemented cybersecurity policies, controls and compliance frameworks aligned with Bahraini and international regulations.
- Produced technical assessment reports with actionable recommendations to strengthen security posture.
London / Middle East
Regional IT Manager, Middle East
Inspired Education Group
- Directed IT operations across multiple Middle Eastern schools, supporting 8,000+ academic and administrative users.
- Delivered full-scale virtual learning in 48 hours during COVID-19, with zero service interruption.
- Introduced RFID-based managed print services, cutting printing costs by 34% (USD 26,000 a year).
- Saved USD 35,000 by resolving procurement disputes and restructuring vendor contracts.
- Led the global pilot of Pearson's secure digital examination platform (200 concurrent lockdown devices).
- Piloted group-wide ERP migration (Oracle JDE), HRMS, a centralised helpdesk and digital exams.
- Kept service desk response times under 20 minutes through rapid organisational growth.
London, UK
Group Data Protection Officer & DP Project Manager (Interim)
Inspired Education Group
- Managed data protection for 51 schools across 4 continents, leading a distributed team of 27 DPOs.
- Implemented GDPR-compliant consent management for parents and students in EU institutions.
- Primary liaison with external regulators; built group-wide data protection policies and audits.
Bahrain
Head of IT & Services
The British School of Bahrain
- Led IT and services across two institutions, managing a team of 11.
- Increased school internet bandwidth 2.5x (80 to 205 Mbps) at no extra monthly cost, by renegotiating with the existing provider and securing a free 100 Mbps dedicated line from a second ISP.
- Saved USD 5,000+ in licensing by adopting open-source ITSM, asset management and monitoring tools.
- Delivered GDPR implementation for 25+ European schools within 7 months.
- Introduced ITIL-aligned service desk processes and structured reporting.
Bahrain
Network & Systems Administrator
The British School of Bahrain
- Managed servers, storage, VMware virtualisation, networks, CCTV, VoIP, wireless and firewalls.
- Administered Active Directory, application servers, cloud collaboration, endpoint security and MDM.
- Implemented enterprise backup and recovery processes.
Earlier career
- Project Engineer, Oregon Systems, Bahrain (2011)
- Project Engineer, Nortech Infonet, India (2008 – 2010)
- System Engineer, UFO Moviez, India (2007 – 2008)
- Technical Support Engineer, e4e Business Solutions, India (2006 – 2007)
Skills
Contact
Looking for an IT leader for an international or multi-site organisation? I'd be glad to hear from you.
- Email:
- Phone:
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mmaniyeri