10 Lumen IT leaders
Ben Cole, Sr. Director Managed Infrastructure, Applications & Security, opens this list of Lumen IT leaders, who include senior directors and directors in IT operations, hybrid cloud, enterprise architecture, cloud governance and security architecture. A reader can learn how IT leaders work at Lumen from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Ajit Vidyadharan
LinkedInExperience: Director - Cloud Database Platforms & DBaaS · Lumen Technologies
Ajit Vidyadharan has been Director - Cloud Database Platforms & DBaaS at Lumen Technologies since June 2026, based in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Ajit Vidyadharan was Director - Global Head of Database Product, Platform & Security Engineering at Citi from 2011 to 2023, SVP - Global Head of Database Architecture there from 2007 to 2010 and VP/AVP - Global Engineering Lead / DBA Manager there from 1999 to 2006.
Ben Cole
LinkedInExperience: Sr. Director Managed Infrastructure, Applications & Security · Lumen Technologies
Ben Cole has been Sr. Director Managed Infrastructure, Applications & Security at Lumen Technologies since August 2024 and was Director Infrastructure & Platform Automation there from 2023 to 2024. Ben Cole was Director Platform Operations at Lumen Technologies from 2021 to 2023 and Director Windows Platform & Database Operations there from 2018 to 2021, based in the Greater St. Louis area.
Douglas Goldie
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director Global Infrastructure and Operations · Lumen Technologies
Douglas Goldie was Senior Director Global Infrastructure and Operations at Lumen Technologies from 2008 to 2024, with a profile describing a security-cleared senior director who built technical infrastructure and operational support teams. Douglas Goldie was Infrastructure VP at Goldman Sachs from 2004 to 2008 and Infrastructure Director at Nomura from 1996 to 2003.
Jeash Velayudhan
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director - Enterprise Operations · Lumen Technologies
Jeash Velayudhan has been Senior Director - Enterprise Operations at Lumen Technologies since April 2024, with a headline of Senior Director and India Head for Enterprise Operations, and was Director - Managed Services there from 2021 to 2024. Jeash Velayudhan was Senior Manager - Client Delivery at Lumen Technologies from 2011 to 2021 and First Line Manager at IBM from 2008 to 2011.
Joel Rogers
LinkedInExperience: Director Enterprise Security Architecture & Engineering · Lumen Technologies
Joel Rogers has been Director Enterprise Security Architecture & Engineering at Lumen Technologies since April 2025 and was SR Lead Information Security Architect there from 2023 to 2025. Joel Rogers was Senior Security Architect at SECU from 2019 to 2023, Security Team Lead there from 2017 to 2019 and Systems Security Analyst there from 2013 to 2017.
Manish Rathi
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director - Enterprise Architecture & Engineering · Lumen Technologies
Manish Rathi has been Senior Director - Enterprise Architecture & Engineering at Lumen Technologies since November 2025, based in Pune. Manish Rathi was Director - Solution Architecture & Engineering at Northern Trust from 2023 to 2025, Principal Solution Architect there from 2021 to 2023 and Vice President | Lead Engineer - Finance Technology at Deutsche Bank from 2016 to 2021.
Mark Sanders
LinkedInExperience: Sr Director IT, Hybrid Cloud Operations · Lumen Technologies
Mark Sanders has been Sr Director IT, Hybrid Cloud Operations at Lumen Technologies since November 2020, based in Loveland, Colorado. Mark Sanders was Sr Director of IT Engineering and Infrastructure Operations at DaVita Kidney Care from 2016 to 2020, Sr. Director of Information Technology at Pivot3 in 2016 and Director of Information Technology at NexGen Storage from 2014 to 2016.
Rich Sisco
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director Cloud Center of Excellence · Lumen Technologies
Rich Sisco has been Senior Director Cloud Center of Excellence at Lumen Technologies since January 2022, leading the Lumen Cloud Center of Excellence that defines enterprise cloud strategy and governance. Rich Sisco was Senior Director and Principle Architect Innovation at DaVita Kidney Care from 2016 to 2023 and Senior Director at Avnet from 2011 to 2015.
Richard Nelson
LinkedInExperience: Sr. Director Information Technology Operations · Lumen Technologies
Richard Nelson has been Sr. Director Information Technology Operations at Lumen Technologies since July 2008, with a headline citing DevOps, network systems, IT infrastructure operations and telephony operations. Richard Nelson was General Manager Network Operations Center (NOC) at Embarq from 2006 to 2008 and General Manager Operations Support at Sprint from 2000 to 2006.
Troy Ferrence
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director of Software Engineering · Lumen Technologies
Troy Ferrence has been Senior Director of Software Engineering at Lumen Technologies since April 2023, with a headline citing enterprise applications, transformation and operational excellence, and was Director of IT Development & Support there from 2022 to 2023. Troy Ferrence was Director of Operations Automation at Lumen Technologies from 2021 to 2022.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's area, such as IT operations, hybrid cloud, enterprise architecture, databases or security architecture, to the decision you face. Check whether the IT role is current or ended, and when, to judge how recent their view is.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you change first when you took on your current IT role, and why?
- 02How do you decide which workloads move to the cloud and which stay on your own infrastructure?
- 03What has your own work taught you about moving internal systems without disrupting the people who use them?
Reaching Lumen IT leaders
How can I contact one of these Lumen IT leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Lumen Technologies, based on profile data retrieved on October 24, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Lumen IT leaders?
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Can an AI agent ask one of these Lumen IT leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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