Alex is available for hire

Alex Spicola

Verified Expert in Engineering

EUC Architect and Developer

Virginia Beach, VA, United States

Toptal member since April 30, 2025

Expertise

Windows Development DNS OKTA VBScript Automation Azure VMware

Bio

Alex is a seasoned end-user computing (EUC) architect and strategist with enterprise experience in finance, healthcare, utilities, and manufacturing. While deeply experienced in Citrix, he's an expert across the full EUC and cloud stack, supporting virtualized apps and desktops across diverse platforms. Alex moves fluidly from assisting users to in-depth troubleshooting, designing and implementing architecture, and advising executives, always bringing clarity, impact, and fresh perspective.

Portfolio

Independent

Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Citrix DaaS, Citrix NetScaler, Citrix Gateway...

Pacific Life

Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Citrix Hypervisor, Citrix NetScaler...

Amcor

Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Citrix NetScaler, Citrix Gateway...

Experience

Windows PowerShell - 15 years
Performance Tuning - 15 years
Citrix & EUC Strategy - 15 years
Root Cause Analysis - 10 years
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) - 10 years
App Layering & Containerization - 9 years
Cloud Computing - 8 years
On-demand Scaling - 5 years

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Azure, IT Systems Architecture, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Citrix NetScaler, Windows, VMware, Amazon EC2, Desktop as a Service (DaaS), IT Strategy

The most amazing...

...turnaround I've led involved overhauling a global mission-critical Citrix VDI/app environment, modernizing it, and making it the company's most trusted stack.

Work Experience

Senior EUC Consultant and Support Engineer

2024 - PRESENT

Independent

Delivered EUC stability and modernization across diverse clients, shaping strategy, solving complex issues, and consistently exceeding expectations with tailored solutions.
Served as the go-to Citrix expert for a multi-vendor support provider. Led incident resolution, supported SOW scoping, worked cross-functionally with engineers, and delivered high-impact results for customer satisfaction.
Guided clients on EUC direction across Citrix, VMware, cloud DaaS (AVD/AWS), and alternatives, aligning platform choices with business goals, workforce needs, and budget targets.
Supported hybrid cloud Citrix environments. Advised on cloud bursting, DaaS integration, and resource scaling strategies across Azure and AWS.
Improved Citrix security posture for multiple clients. Implemented hardened baselines, session policies, and MFA to align with industry compliance standards.

Technologies: Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Citrix DaaS, Citrix NetScaler, Citrix Gateway, Windows Server, Windows Desktop, Azure, Azure Virtual Desktop, Amazon EC2, Amazon WorkSpaces, IT Projects, IT Project Management, Incident Management, Active Directory (AD), Azure Active Directory, Group Policy, Group Policy Management, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Citrix Architecture, IT Systems Architecture, VMware ESXi, Windows PowerShell, Automation, Remote Desktop Services, Citrix Hypervisor, Citrix Engineering, Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), DNS, DHCP, Domain Migration, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCDR), IT Services, FSLogix, Cloud Computing, Change Management, IT Strategy, Documentation, Data Centers, VBScript, Desktop as a Service (DaaS), Root Cause Analysis, On-demand Scaling, Citrix & EUC Strategy, Performance Tuning, VMware Horizon, Okta, Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS), Modernization, EUC Strategy

Senior Citrix/EUC Engineer and Team Lead

2021 - 2024

Pacific Life

Built and led a new engineering team as a long-term contractor through Randstad to replace an underperforming MSP. Stabilized operations, improved responsiveness, and restored enterprise trust in Citrix.
Resolved systemic issues and delivered a fully modernized Citrix environment. Replaced fragile, unsupported legacy systems and reduced incident volume by over 90% across 1,000+ users.
Eliminated 500+ vulnerabilities, including high/critical findings, paving the way for CIS baseline adoption and long-term platform security.
Partnered with IT and business leaders to investigate issues misattributed to Citrix. Utilized detailed analysis to drive accurate root cause resolution and improve cross-team accountability.
Collaborated on Citrix licensing strategy and usage tracking. Identified overspend, guided right-sizing, and drove savings of $25,000+ in the 1st year.
Guided the successful migration from on-premise Citrix to Windows 365 in a technical liaison role, delivering the initiative on time despite prior delays and leadership turnover.

Technologies: Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Citrix Hypervisor, Citrix NetScaler, Citrix Gateway, Windows Server, Windows Desktop, VMware ESXi, Amazon WorkSpaces, Active Directory (AD), Group Policy Management, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Incident Management, Change Management, Team Leadership, Automation, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCDR), Citrix Architecture, IT Systems Architecture, Windows PowerShell, Azure Virtual Desktop, Group Policy, Remote Desktop Services, Azure, Amazon EC2, Citrix Engineering, Citrix DaaS, Azure Active Directory, Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), DNS, DHCP, IT Projects, FSLogix, Cloud Computing, IT Project Management, IT Strategy, Documentation, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Data Centers, VBScript, PowerCLI, Desktop as a Service (DaaS), Root Cause Analysis, Citrix & EUC Strategy, Performance Tuning, Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS), Modernization, EUC Strategy

IT Infrastructure Strategy Engineer

2016 - 2020

Amcor

Modernized a global Citrix environment supporting 2,000+ users. Executed a complete platform upgrade, integrated it with legacy systems as needed, and improved stability and availability for 24/7 manufacturing operations.
Introduced a non-persistent model using Citrix Provisioning. Streamlined server maintenance and reduced update windows from an hour to minutes.
Built a custom Citrix monitoring dashboard using PowerShell. Avoided costly 3rd-party tools by providing real-time insights into licensing, health, and sessions, improving responsiveness and reducing support overhead.
Acted as a key technical SME across Citrix, network, storage, and server teams. Resolved complex infrastructure dependencies impacting environment performance.
Partnered with infrastructure, business, and application teams to align hosted resource delivery with manufacturing needs. Reduced downtime and improved system resilience, leading to a 50% boost in productivity and user satisfaction.
Developed comprehensive documentation across the Citrix environment, including enterprise standards, SOPs, knowledge articles, and detailed design/configuration guides, ensuring consistency, knowledge retention, and operational readiness.

Technologies: Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Citrix NetScaler, Citrix Gateway, Windows Server, VMware ESXi, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft App-V, Group Policy Management, Active Directory (AD), Azure Active Directory, Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), DNS, DHCP, Domain Migration, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCDR), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Citrix Architecture, IT Systems Architecture, Windows Desktop, Windows PowerShell, Automation, Group Policy, Azure, Amazon EC2, Citrix Engineering, Citrix DaaS, IT Projects, Incident Management, FSLogix, Cloud Computing, IT Project Management, Change Management, Team Leadership, IT Strategy, Documentation, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Data Centers, VBScript, PowerCLI, Desktop as a Service (DaaS), App Layering & Containerization, Root Cause Analysis, On-demand Scaling, Citrix & EUC Strategy, Performance Tuning, Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS), Modernization, EUC Strategy

Senior Citrix/Remote Access Engineer and Team Lead

2013 - 2016

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Led a team within HPE's managed services account supporting remote personnel at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Delivered Citrix and Juniper VPN support across a high-security federal healthcare environment.
Supported remote access environment growth from 100 to over 500 users. Scaled Citrix and VPN infrastructure to meet demand while maintaining performance, availability, and compliance.
Proposed and implemented Citrix NetScaler with FIPS-compliant appliances. Replaced the Juniper SA solution to improve security posture and deliver a streamlined remote access experience.
Implemented LDAP and SAML authentication for Citrix Gateway and Juniper VPN. Enabled MFA across all remote access users to strengthen identity security and meet federal compliance requirements.

Technologies: Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Windows Server, Windows Desktop, VMware ESXi, Group Policy Management, Group Policy, Incident Management, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCDR), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Citrix Architecture, IT Systems Architecture, Windows PowerShell, Automation, Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft App-V, Citrix NetScaler, Citrix Gateway, Citrix Engineering, Active Directory (AD), Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), DNS, DHCP, IT Services, IT Projects, IT Project Management, Change Management, Team Leadership, IT Strategy, Documentation, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Server Hardware, Data Centers, VBScript, App Layering & Containerization, Root Cause Analysis, Citrix & EUC Strategy, Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS), Modernization, EUC Strategy

Senior Citrix Engineer/Architect

2010 - 2013

Corning

Scaled Citrix adoption from 50 to 1,200+ users across global sites. Enabled secure mobile access for C-level executives and increased platform visibility across the enterprise.
Spearheaded enterprise-wide Citrix application and desktop virtualization efforts. Served as the primary technical consultant for architecture and implementation.
Documented Citrix configurations and best practices to support knowledge transfer and consistent team delivery.
Provided peer training and guidance to enable consistent Citrix operations and foster internal capability growth.

Technologies: VMware ESXi, Documentation, Windows Server, Incident Management, Windows PowerShell, Server Hardware, Data Centers, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Citrix Architecture, IT Systems Architecture, Windows Desktop, Automation, Group Policy, Remote Desktop Services, Group Policy Management, Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Citrix NetScaler, Citrix Gateway, Citrix Engineering, Active Directory (AD), DNS, DHCP, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCDR), IT Projects, IT Project Management, Change Management, IT Strategy, Standard Operating Procedures Development, VBScript, Root Cause Analysis, Citrix & EUC Strategy, Performance Tuning, Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS), EUC Strategy

Experience

Cloud EUC Migration for Large Financial Services Firm

Headed the migration of on-premise Citrix and VMware-hosted applications to Citrix DaaS on Amazon EC2 and Amazon Workspaces. I guided profile strategy and architecture, evaluating FSLogix and Citrix Profile Management to ensure compatibility, performance, and operational efficiency. I also provided detailed recommendations for VM sizing, availability zones, high availability, and autoscale/on-demand provisioning based on user tiers and workload analysis.

Citrix Stabilization for Global Manufacturing Enterprise

Resolved systemic issues in a global Citrix environment supporting 2,500+ users. I led platform upgrades and in-depth root cause investigations across multiple infrastructure layers, addressing persistent reliability challenges. I also restored over 99% availability and sharply reduced unplanned downtime by remediating gaps in configuration, image management, and service delivery. Finally, I delivered long-term architectural recommendations to improve operational resilience and support ongoing EUC modernization efforts.

Education

2005 - 2009

Bachelor's Degree in Network and Server Administration

State University of New York (SUNY), Alfred State College - Alfred, NY, USA

Certifications

APRIL 2016 - OCTOBER 2023

Citrix Certified Expert - Virtualization (CCE-V)

Citirx

JUNE 2015 - MAY 2023

Citrix Certified Associate - Virtualization (CCA-V)

Citrix

MAY 2013 - SEPTEMBER 2018

Citrix Certified Advanced Administrator for Citrix XenApp 6 (Retired)

Citrix

MAY 2012 - SEPTEMBER 2018

Citrix Certified Administrator for Citrix XenApp 6 (Retired)

Citrix

Skills

Tools

Citrix NetScaler, Microsoft App-V, Amazon WorkSpaces, PowerCLI, VMware

Paradigms

Change Management, Automation, On-demand Scaling

Platforms

Windows Server, Windows, Azure, Windows Desktop, Amazon EC2

Languages

VBScript

Frameworks

Windows PowerShell

Storage

Azure Active Directory, Data Centers

Other

IT Systems Architecture, Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Citrix Gateway, Citrix Hypervisor, Citrix Architecture, Citrix Engineering, Citrix DaaS, Remote Desktop Services, Group Policy Management, Incident Management, Group Policy, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), IT Strategy, Documentation, Desktop as a Service (DaaS), Performance Tuning, Citrix & EUC Strategy, Root Cause Analysis, Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS), Modernization, EUC Strategy, Azure Virtual Desktop, VMware ESXi, Active Directory (AD), Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), DNS, DHCP, Domain Migration, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCDR), IT Services, IT Projects, FSLogix, Cloud Computing, IT Project Management, Team Leadership, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Server Hardware, App Layering & Containerization, Okta, VMware Horizon

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