Jon Dukes

IT SPECIALIST

TESTIMONIALS

Richard Saville, Head of IT

Jon has made a significant impact on our IT infrastructure, notably by overhauling our 16-site network. He has upgraded our SonicWall firewall hardware and introduced cellular network resilience to our sites, providing backup for traditional internet leased lines. This initiative has strengthened our operational continuity. Jon also successfully renegotiated all leased line contracts, resulting in considerable cost savings for the organisation.
Furthermore, he has implemented high availability solutions at both our head office and disaster recovery (DR) sites, ensuring the network remains resilient. Jon’s contributions have extended to documentation, where he has been instrumental in updating and creating critical IT procedures.
Jon has consistently enhanced our cybersecurity posture, both enhancing and adding protective measures across the organisation. He led a company-wide project to secure network access, significantly reducing the risk of cybersecurity incidents. Additionally, Jon revamped the configuration of core switches in our server room, ensuring redundancy and optimising our high-availability setup.
Jon’s organisational skills were also demonstrated in his comprehensive review of our printer assets. This included optimising asset control, renegotiating pricing for new leased multifunctional printers, and rolling these out across multiple sites.
In terms of technical expertise, Jon has extensive experience with Hyper-V, switching, routing, VPNs, Windows 10 and 11, Server 2016, and a variety of other technologies. He is both numerate and articulate, with a natural aptitude for successfully adapting to new challenges.
Jon was also tasked with modernising our company-wide Wi-Fi network. Our network supports the warehouse management system, Jon optimised the configuration and extended it to allow employees to connect securely across all sites.
Beyond his technical acumen, Jon has proven invaluable in recruiting new department members when needed. I could fill many pages praising Jon’s achievements and character, and I would confidently re-employ him. I highly recommend Jon for any future employment opportunities. He is bright, highly capable, and an asset to any organisation.

Iain Kane, Director of Finance & Operations

Sheffield High School (GDST)

During his time as the IT Operations/Network Manager at Sheffield High School, it is fair to say that Jon was instrumental in transforming the IT provision and support. This transformation led to his department being seen as an example of excellence amongst the schools in the Girls Day School Trust, and his input to the Head Office IT team was extremely valued.
Jon was not one to rest on his laurels. He possesses an extremely proactive and inquisitive nature and routinely investigated areas where improvements could be made. Whilst primarily focused on the IT domain, he would also look at the wider business need. An example of this was when he approached me to explain that he could implement a significant modernisation of the stand-alone school CCTV system using our IT network. A project that delivered immediate improvements and which was implemented at a fraction of the cost that an external contractor would have charged. Additionally, he was integral in coordinating the selection and roll out of devices to all of our students, and setting up such a strong support system to pupils and staff alike, that the transfer to guided home learning during Covid had minimal impact on the learning progress of the pupils.
The provision of the IT service to the school community is of utmost importance, and Jon led his team by example. He demonstrated a willingness to develop his own skills and encouraged his team to also undertake personal development. His nature and strong management skills ensured that the team always had a high level of morale.
In summary, Jon was a key member of the school support team. Whilst fully supporting his understandable desire to develop his career, | have to admit that his departure was a loss for the school. He will certainly be an asset to your company.

Elizabeth Pickersgill, Director of IT

Learning Accord Multi Academy Trust

I had the privilege of working under Jon when I joined Direct Voice & Data as the technician in the IT department. As the IT Manager, Jon was a true leader who not only guided me but also empowered me to take initiative and grow in my role.
From the start, Jon created an open, collaborative environment where I felt comfortable sharing ideas and suggestions. He always listened attentively and showed a genuine interest in new approaches, which made working together both productive and inspiring. One of the most notable experiences was when I proposed a new approach to the firewalls we were using. Jon trusted me with running the project, allowing me to test and prove the new strategy's effectiveness. His willingness to give me this opportunity, coupled with his support in the adoption of the solution once its viability was clear, demonstrated his confidence in my abilities.
Moreover, Jon was instrumental in encouraging my professional growth. He recommended I pursue Microsoft certifications, which significantly boosted my confidence and CV. His mentorship and belief in my potential were crucial to my development as an IT professional.
I am incredibly grateful for the leadership and support I received from Jon. His vision, encouragement, and commitment to team success had a lasting impact on me, and I’m proud to have been part of his team.

Beth Dady, Director

Paisley Properties Ltd

As a small business, transitioning from looking after our IT in house, to requiring support as the company grew, it was a daunting time, especially as nobody within the business was competent with IT. From the initial meeting I had with Jon I was not only confident in his technical ability, but he also has a natural way with people and was approachable to both myself and my team explaining problems to us calmly and in layman's terms.
Jon is very good at understanding an individuals needs, and coming up with solutions to suit them, often resulting in him having to think outside the box, to make sure the needs of the company were also met.
Throughout the time Jon looked after my company's IT he was extremely knowledgeable, efficient and professional and I would have no hesitation in recommending him.

Matt Butler, Managing Director

Swiftfund

I really appreciate the work you did in helping us while at DVAD. The office relocation was always something that I was very nervous about and having you being able to recommend, configure and install our network infrastructure really made it a lot easier. Having you executing the move with us really did make it all flow simply.
We’re also a lot better off from now being cloud based. Your operations in moving us into a cloud based model has helped us work from anywhere when needed which has put the business in a much more advanced state.
Good luck with your move and if you find yourself in the UK in the future, please let me know as I’d be very happy to work together again.

Paul Wells, Sales Manager

Direct Voice & Data

Having worked with Jon for a few years, I'd have no hesitation in recommending him. When we worked together at Direct Voice and Data, IT services had always been an afterthought or necessary evil. Jon was instrumental in changing the company's mindset on this, providing clarity for existing customers and a clear direction moving forward. I undertook several large projects (server builds, multi site Wi-Fi installs) with Jon's assistance and it gave me a great deal of peace of mind for me to know that Jon had been involved, as it meant the solution would be specced correctly and would solve the customer's issues, without breaking the bank.

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