Gopal Kakade

Background

About Gopal Kakade

I am a seasoned Network Engineer with over 13 years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing enterprise-scale networks across on-premises and cloud environments. My expertise spans Cisco networking (routers, switches, wireless, ACI, DNAC, ISE, Meraki SD-WAN), Azure cloud networking, F5 load balancers, NGINX with AKS integration, and advanced security platforms including Palo Alto firewalls and Arista Agni NAC.I specialize in building resilient, secure, and scalable network infrastructures, leveraging Ansible automation to streamline deployments and operations. Over the years, I have played key roles in large-scale datacenter operations, hybrid cloud networking, and global enterprise network transformations. Core Strengths: • Network design & troubleshooting (LAN, WAN, Wireless, Cloud) • Load balancing & traffic management (F5 LTM/GTM, Netscaler, NGINX + AKS) • Cloud networking & hybrid integration (Azure, OCI, VPN, NSG, UDR) • Security & compliance (Palo Alto, Cisco ASA, Azure NSG, Cisco Tetration) • Automation & orchestration (Ansible for infra deployments) • SD-WAN (Cisco & Meraki) I am passionate about solving complex networking challenges, enabling secure digital transformation, and driving automation in network operations. Certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700)| Azure Fundamentals | SilverPeak SDWAN Professional | Cisco CCIE (Written)| CCNP | CCNA