Laszlo Popovics

Curriculum Vitae

Laszlo Popovics

Technology specialist. Founder and CEO of AIvantGuard AG. Twenty-five years across infrastructure, banking systems, and organizational design.

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Summary

Technology specialist with twenty-five years across infrastructure, banking systems, and organizational design. My work applies Integral Theory and Frederic Laloux's Teal principles to build sustainable organizations, acting as a bridge between traditional hierarchical structures and modern self-organizing frameworks. I have built environments that prioritize equal communication, distributed decision-making, and growth-oriented team dynamics. Since founding AIvantGuard AG in 2024, I have focused on trust and privacy infrastructure for the next web. Alongside that, I write about the systems I rebuild — infrastructure, organizations, and a body — and publish the third of those daily.

Professional Experience

June 2024 – PresentBudapest, Hungary

Founder and CEO — AIvantGuard AG

Leading AIvantGuard AG, a startup dedicated to developing the core infrastructure for Web 4.0. The company focuses on redefining Internet utilization by addressing the limitations of previous generations, with a vision centered on trust, privacy, and exceptional security. I oversee the creation of AI-first solutions for data management and operational processes, including the development of AI-generated company branding and product names, to lay the foundation for future AI applications, from personal assistants to AI-driven enterprises.

January 2022 – June 2024Nassau, The Bahamas

Chief Digitalization Officer — Deltec Bank and Trust Limited

Spearheaded the bank’s digital transformation strategy, implementing state-of-the-art technologies to prepare the institution for the next decade. Focused on reducing operational costs and enhancing resilience through innovative digital solutions.

April 2018 – December 2021Budapest, Hungary

Head of Distributed Systems Development Directorate — OTP Bank Plc

Led a team responsible for developing 24/7 operational systems, ensuring maximum security, availability, and scalability. Engineered software with in-place upgrade capabilities, eliminating downtime and transaction loss. Utilized open-source components to maintain a low total cost of ownership (TCO) and ensure independence from external dependencies. Established a greenfield organizational unit to foster a fresh, innovative mindset within the team.

May 2018 – December 2021Budapest, Hungary

Chief Technology Officer — Like Locals Plc

Contributed to the development of cutting-edge technology for a next-generation application, driving technological innovation and implementation.

April 2016 – November 2019Budapest, Hungary

Head of IT Innovation Management Department — OTP Bank Plc

Directed efforts to identify and implement innovative solutions, securing patents to provide business advantages for the bank. Managed knowledge transfer of innovative practices across the organization, identified tenders to fund new initiatives, and reduced innovation costs. Collaborated with vendors to explore competitive software and hardware solutions. Designed a high-performance big data infrastructure from the ground up, gaining extensive experience with each component. Developed a secure, highly available, multi-platform blockchain infrastructure resistant to future ransomware attacks, and created a GDPR-compliant smart contract application. Established expertise in digital humans and AI technologies.

November 2017 – July 2019New York, USA

Chairman of the Multi-Platform Working Group — Enterprise Ethereum Alliance

Established the Multi-Platform Working Group with approval from the Management Board, focusing on porting the Ethereum platform to various hardware and software environments to enhance blockchain resilience against platform vulnerabilities.

November 2017 – July 2019New York, USA

Member of Steering Committee – Banking Workgroup — Enterprise Ethereum Alliance

Contributed to the development of banking use cases for the Enterprise Ethereum implementation, ensuring alignment with industry needs.

January 2015 – April 2016Budapest, Hungary

Head of Group IT Infrastructure Development — OTP Bank Plc

Developed innovative, group-wide IT infrastructure solutions to enhance efficiency. Facilitated knowledge sharing between subsidiaries to streamline operations and improve infrastructure effectiveness.

January 2013 – July 2021Budapest, Hungary

Owner — Rethink-IT Plc

Founded and managed an IT consulting company, providing strategic guidance and technical expertise to clients.

August 2006 – January 2015Budapest, Hungary

External IT-Architect Consultant — OTP Bank Plc

Provided expertise across various domains, including coordination of J2EE development, planning system architecture for custom J2EE applications, and executing SAP Basis tasks such as platform architecture planning, portal implementation, operations, system upgrades (Portal, ERP, HR), and support package stack implementation. Served as an IT architect, planned and implemented software-defined storage scenarios, and achieved cost savings through licensing reviews.

August 2006 – December 2012Budapest, Hungary

IT Architect — Balaton-felvidek.com Plc

Primarily worked as an external consultant for OTP Bank, focusing on IT architecture and system development.

January 2001 – August 2006Budapest, Hungary (Projects in Croatia, Germany, UAE)

SAP Basis — Enterprise Portal Technical Consultant, SAP Hungary

Participated in over 200 projects across more than 40 companies, focusing on SAP Basis, Enterprise Portal, and Learning Solution implementations. Specialized in system installation, hardware and resource planning, system reorganization, maintenance, and performance optimization (Oracle, MS SQL) for both hardware and software. Managed SAP JAVA-based product operations, maintenance, and performance tuning. Led SAP Enterprise Portal development, customization, implementation, and upgrade projects, as well as Learning Solution (LSO) system installations with basic customization. Developed Webdynpro applications in Java, optimized their performance, and implemented .NET development with SAP .NET connector. Designed PKI infrastructure for SAP, implemented SSO technologies from SAP Workspace to Enterprise Portal, and executed SAP upgrades (Portal, ERP, BW), BW performance tuning, OS/DB migration, Unicode conversion, and Active Directory integration.

1999 – December 2000Budapest, Hungary

SAP Basis Administrator — Pepsi Cola General Bottlers

Performed daily SAP system administration tasks, including monitoring and backups. Expanded responsibilities to include system installation (R/3 3.0F, 4.5) and reorganization. Designed and implemented a custom monitoring architecture using MRTG for system and network monitoring.

Education

2022 – 2024London, UK (distance learning)

BSc Computer Science (AI specialism), University of London

Two years of the programme completed, covering computer science fundamentals and artificial intelligence. Not finished.

2015 – 2016Budapest, Hungary

Certificate in Banking, Institute for Training and Consulting in Banking Ltd.

Earned a certification accredited by the Ministry for National Economy and the Hungarian Banking Association, focusing on banking principles and practices. Grade 4 – OKJ ID: 55 343 02

Programming Skills

Java
Developed multiple Java applications supporting over 8,000 concurrent users. Proficient in Java coding, though currently shifting focus to newer languages.
Python
Primarily utilize Python for data science and problem-solving tasks, with a strong understanding of modularity and concurrent programming.
Node.js
Created several hobby applications using Node.js, with a solid understanding of its functionality and application development.
Dart
Recently began learning Dart as a modern programming language, exploring its potential as an alternative to Node.js for future projects.
Flutter
Utilize Flutter in conjunction with Dart for mobile application development, particularly for hobby projects. Proficient in foundational concepts and capable of producing enterprise-level quality solutions.
C++
Conducted experiments in C++ to develop a custom machine-learning algorithm optimized for highly parallel hardware.
CSS
Skilled in creating and applying CSS to meet design requirements, with a clear understanding of its functionality.
.NET Development
Developed numerous solutions using .NET; currently focusing on open-source environments but retain expertise in .NET development.

Hands-On Technology Experience

Unix/Linux Operating System
Over two decades of experience in operating and installing Unix and Linux systems.
Windows Operating System
Two decades of experience in installing and operating Windows-based systems.
LDAP
Multiple years of experience customizing LDAP schemas and directory servers, working with both OpenLDAP and Microsoft Active Directory.
Kerberos
Experienced in implementing Kerberos-based ticketing systems, primarily using Heimdal, with expertise in debugging and operations.
Software-Defined Storage (SDS)
Designed and implemented multiple software-defined storage solutions, achieving significantly higher performance than commercial alternatives.
CEPH
Proficient in designing, operating, and manually configuring CEPH-based storage clusters, with extensive experience in performance tuning.
Oracle Exadata-Like Custom Storage Cluster
Designed and operated high-performance, cost-effective Exadata-like storage clusters, optimizing total cost of ownership (TCO).
OpenSource
Two decades of experience contributing to open-source projects, advocating for their adoption due to the strength of community support.
Oracle RDBMS
Over 15 years of experience in installing, maintaining, and optimizing Oracle RDBMS; currently focusing on open-source alternatives but available for projects transitioning to open-source solutions.
MSSQL RDBMS
More than a decade of experience in the installation, configuration, and operation of MSSQL databases; now prioritizing open-source databases.
MySQL RDBMS
Experienced in configuring, installing, and operating MySQL databases, including MySQL clusters.
PostgreSQL RDBMS
Skilled in configuring, installing, and operating PostgreSQL databases.
Encryption, Public Key Cryptography
Extensive experience applying cryptography to secure solutions, with ongoing learning in Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms.
Machine Learning
Certified in machine learning, with practical experience developing a custom algorithm for highly parallel hardware using C++.
Predictive Analytics
Certified in predictive analytics, with applied expertise in the field.
OpenStack
Experienced in manually installing and configuring OpenStack, though no longer pursuing it for future projects.
Hardware Configuration and Planning
Deep expertise in hardware configuration and planning tailored to specific purposes.
System Consolidation, Cost Optimization
Proven track record in system cost optimization while maintaining or enhancing performance.
GPU Supercomputing
Over a decade of experience in GPU-based computing and performance tuning.
System Tuning
More than a decade of experience in system performance tuning and optimization.
OpenCL
Experienced in designing and developing OpenCL-based acceleration solutions.
GIT SCM
Proficient in software version management using GIT.
Mercurial SCM
Experienced in software version management using Mercurial SCM.
Atlassian Bitbucket
Working experience with Atlassian Bitbucket for version control and collaboration.
Atlassian JIRA
Proficient in using Atlassian JIRA for project management and issue tracking.
Atlassian Confluence
Experienced in using Atlassian Confluence for documentation and collaboration.
SAP Products
Several years of experience as a technology consultant for SAP products, including installation, upgrades, and maintenance.
Blockchain Technology
Deep understanding of blockchain products, consensus algorithms, and underlying technology.
Virtualization
Experienced with virtualization technologies (KVM, VMware, Solaris Zones), with a preference for containerization on physical hardware. Designed a custom VMware replacement using CEPH and KVM technology.
Containerization
Proficient in Docker and Linux containers for application deployment.
CI/CD Pipeline
Experienced in defining and implementing CI/CD pipelines.
Jenkins
Skilled in using Jenkins for build automation and continuous integration.
Ant
Experienced in using Ant for build automation.
Maven
Proficient in using Maven for build automation and dependency management.
High-Availability
Over a decade of experience designing highly available systems.
Distributed Systems
More than a decade of experience designing distributed, non-stop systems.
NGINX Web Server/Reverse Proxy
Working experience with NGINX for web serving and reverse proxy configurations.
Apache Web Server
Experienced in managing Apache web servers.
Custom Linux Kernel Compiling
Proven track record of creating optimized Linux kernels for unsupported systems.
Code Compiling, Optimization
Over a decade of experience in building and optimizing software solutions for various platforms.
Hadoop
Experienced in the installation, configuration, and maintenance of Hadoop components.
BigData Solutions
Skilled in designing and deploying BigData solutions from inception to implementation.
Software Architecture Planning
Experienced in designing large-scale systems from scratch.
Hardware, Software Architecture Planning
Extensive experience in designing custom systems, encompassing both hardware and software layers.
Documentation
Strong emphasis on creating high-quality documentation to ensure system maintainability.
Odoo ERP
Experienced in deployment, customization, and development of Odoo ERP solutions.
Prometheus
Skilled in deployment, operation, and development of custom agents for Prometheus monitoring.
Apache Zookeeper, Kafka
Experienced in deployment, operation, and application development using Apache Zookeeper and Kafka.
Mixed-Reality
Experienced with mixed-reality technologies, including Microsoft HoloLens.

Cloud Technology

Azure Cloud
Proficient in working with Microsoft Azure cloud services.
AWS Cloud
Experienced in utilizing AWS cloud products for various applications.
Alibaba Cloud
Skilled in working with Alibaba Cloud services.

Managerial Skills

Leading a Team
Experienced in leading engineering teams of up to 100 members.
Motivation
Skilled in designing effective motivation systems, recognizing that financial incentives are only a small component.
Compensation Planning
Experienced in developing compensation plans for teams.
Building Self-Organizing Organizational Units
Extensive experience in fostering self-organizing teams to enhance efficiency and adaptability.
Creative Problem Solving
Highly valued for persistent and innovative problem-solving, working on challenges until solutions are found.
Presentation
Delivered numerous presentations in Hungary and internationally, favoring the TED format to engage audiences effectively.
Vendor Management
Nearly a decade of experience in vendor management, with a preference for minimizing vendor dependency in solutions.
Budgeting
Participated in annual budgeting processes as a leader, focusing on minimizing external spending and prioritizing personnel expenses.
Management Material Preparation
Multiple years of experience creating management presentation materials.
People Analytics
Passionate about people analytics, providing workforce insights without additional administrative effort.

Psychology

Superior Self
Knowledgeable in the concept of the superior self and its applications.
Shadow Personality
Understanding of shadow personality concepts and their impact.
Emotional Intelligence
Proficient in understanding and applying emotional intelligence principles.
Body Language
Basic understanding of body language and its interpretation.

Licenses and Certifications

A comprehensive list of over 50 accomplished certificates and specializations is available on my LinkedIn profile. Below are selected certifications grouped by category:

Data Science & Engineering24

Certifications focused on data analysis, engineering, and visualization, equipping me with skills to handle large-scale data projects.

AI & Machine Learning22

Certifications in artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing expertise in developing intelligent systems and applications.

IT & Systems7

Certifications in IT support, system administration, and security, enhancing my technical foundation in infrastructure and operations.

SAP Certifications4

Specialized certifications in SAP technologies, reflecting my extensive experience as an SAP consultant and architect.

  • Solution Consultant - SAP Netweaver '04 - Knowledge Management and CollaborationSAP AG2006
  • "NT/Oracle" Technology Consultant mySAP.comSAP AG2005
  • Technology Consultant - SAP Netweaver '04 - SAP Web AS for OracleSAP AG2005
  • Technology Consultant - SAP Netweaver '04 - EP & KMCSAP AG2005
Miscellaneous Certifications3

Certifications that do not belong to the categories above.

  • Personal BrandingLinkedIn Learning11/10/2019
  • University of London BSc Computer Science Orientation CourseCourseraFeb 2021
  • Learning Personal BrandingLinkedIn2021

Volunteer Experience

May 2018 – December 2021Budapest, Hungary

Member of the Board of Trustees — Smiling Hospital Foundation

Supported strategic planning to secure future funding for this impactful charity organization, enhancing its mission to improve the well-being of hospitalized children.

August 2018 – PresentKistarcsa, Hungary

Volunteer — Szent Ferenc Dog Rescue Foundation

Regularly assisted with dog care and provided financial support to the foundation. Organized spontaneous team-building activities through volunteer work. After relocating abroad, continued to support the foundation financially.

Languages and Licence

English
Professional working proficiency, with experience in delivering presentations annually.
Hungarian
Native language.
B Category – Personal Cars
Over 200,000 km driven.

The story behind the CV

The third system, published daily — what the numbers say about rebuilding a body.

Read on Substack