From deploying multiple ASM partitions to leading a university-wide ITSM transformation, Adam has gone from Service Desk to Senior Systems Administrator at Cardiff University — and is making a measurable impact along the way. We sat down with Adam to learn more about his role, the projects he’s proudest of, and how he's embracing innovation in higher education IT.
Congratulations on winning the Alemba Best SysAdmin Award 2025, Adam! Can you tell us a little about your role as Senior Systems Administrator and what a typical day involves?
As a Senior Systems Administrator at Cardiff University, I’m responsible for managing and maintaining ASM for a range of our professional services departments including, IT, HR, and Finance.
A typical day can involve anything from gathering requirements for new screens, portal forms and other features of the system, to building out the screens and guiding our users through testing and then implementing new features and workflows.
I also manage any incidents we receive for system, troubleshooting and diagnosing problems and ensuring integrations run smoothly.
I also work closely with different teams to align IT services with business needs, so collaboration and problem-solving are big parts of my role.
You started your journey on the Service Desk before moving into system administration. What was that transition like, and how did it shape your approach to IT?
Starting on the Service Desk gave me a strong foundation in customer service and user experience.
I understand first-hand the importance of clear communication and quick resolutions, which has shaped how I approach system administration today.
When I’m implementing new screens or forms, I always think about the impact on both support teams and end users.
That perspective has been invaluable in making systems more efficient and user-friendly.
“I understand first-hand the importance of clear communication and quick resolutions, which has shaped how I approach system administration today.”
Your nomination highlighted your leadership in expanding the use of ASM across Cardiff University. Can you share how you’ve helped departments embrace the platform and what impact it’s had?
One of the key strategies was engaging stakeholders through our business partners and project managers, listening to their pain points, and showing them how ASM could make their processes more efficient, particularly around customer communication and the way they approach us with their needs, we are able to move users away from writing long complex emails, to a more tailored questioning experience ensuring that our resolver teams get the information they need more concisely and saving time and reducing stress for the end user.
By delivering quick wins and providing tailored environments based around each departments unique needs, we are building confidence and trust in the system.
In some cases, it hasn’t been easy, but it’s rewarding when you manage to change perspectives and help deliver something that can improve the working lives of our colleague.
The impact has been improved communications, improved diagnostic information, and streamlined workflows that have saved time for teams across the universities professional services departments.
You’ve already deployed five ASM partitions, with more in the pipeline. What’s been key to delivering these successfully – and how do you manage the complexity of multiple teams?
Communication and planning have been absolutely critical. Each department has its own set of requirements, so I take a structured approach— gathering needs, mapping processes, and setting clear milestones.
I also make sure to maintain relationships with stakeholders and adapt solutions to ensure our various departments needs are met, but at the same time making sure our templates and workflows are similar enough, so things have a familiar look and feel.
When a change needs to be made, or something new added, we can do that quickly and efficiently in a way that our users can adapt to with minimal disruption.
Having robust feedback mechanisms in place and ensuring our approach aligns with customer expectations ensures we deliver quality outcomes without unnecessary delays.
“Having robust feedback mechanisms in place and ensuring our approach aligns with customer expectations ensures we deliver quality outcomes without unnecessary delays.”
You’re currently involved in transitioning from LDAP to Entra ID as part of a cloud migration. What are the biggest opportunities and challenges you see in that shift?
The biggest opportunity is moving towards a more modern, secure, and scalable identity solution. Entra ID opens doors to better integrations, improved security features like conditional access, and enhanced user experiences through single sign-on.
The challenge, of course, is migrating without disruption, especially when dealing with legacy systems and ensuring compatibility.
It’s encouraged us to take a step back and review the data that we’ve historically been integrating and see if it aligns with what is now required in modern working environment. It’s about finding the right balance.
“AI has huge potential to transform IT operations in a big way.”
You also took part in an AI workshop recently – how do you see technologies like AI shaping the future of your work and system administration more broadly?
AI has huge potential to transform IT operations in a big way, I believe it will create the biggest and boldest shift in working practice we’ve seen, in a positive way.
From automating routine tasks and triaging support tickets to predictive analytics for system performance, AI can free up time for more strategic work.
In ASM specifically, I see opportunities for AI-driven workflows, smarter knowledge management, and even chatbots that enhance the user experience.
It’s an exciting space that I’m keen to explore further.
“It motivates me to keep pushing boundaries and exploring new ways to deliver value through technology.”
How does it feel to be recognized by your peers with this award? What does it mean to you personally and professionally?
It’s a real honour and very humbling to receive this recognition.
It means a lot because it reflects the trust and support of my colleagues, which I truly value. It’s validation that the work we’re doing to improve services is making a difference.
It motivates me to keep pushing boundaries and exploring new ways to deliver value through technology.
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