I'm Tommy van Extel
Linux Specialist and DevOps Engineer
- Age 36
- Address Arnhem, NL
- E-mail tommy.van.extel@gmail.com
- Phone +31 (0)6 28 50 78 37
- Languages Dutch, English
Expert in Linux, Ansible Automation, Middleware, Containerization and more.
My career began on the Service Desk, where I handled a broad range of workplace IT tasks. From there I moved into System Management, specializing in servers and backend systems.
During this period I discovered a strong affinity for Linux, which soon led me into consultancy roles focused on Linux and open-source tools. I also gained experience with Windows environments, even managing one, but my passion for Linux remained constant and ultimately steered me toward a dedicated Linux Engineer role.
As a Linux Engineer I refined my skills further and grew into a Linux Specialist, combining deep system expertise with DevOps practices.
Today I still find great satisfaction in working with Linux platforms in all forms – physical, virtual and containerized – and continue to build on this foundation with modern automation and infrastructure tools.
Professional Skills
Work Experience
DevOps Engineer Linux Platform
At TenneT I work as a DevOps Engineer specializing in Linux platforms. I design and build automated solutions with Ansible Automation Platform that enable users to self-service the full VM lifecycle - from deploying and decommissioning servers to scaling resources. I develop a modular building-block framework to deliver end-to-end services with consistency and speed. Beyond automation, I monitor platform performance, support users in adopting these services, resolve system issues and maintain documentation and user guides to streamline operations and improve reliability.
Hosting Infrastructuur Linux Specialist
At the Politiedienstencentrum (PDC) I focused on managing Linux systems across a large enterprise environment. I resolved incidents, analyzed and implemented changes and led migrations. My work involved Red Hat Identity Management, Red Hat Satellite and Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. I developed Ansible playbooks for Dell iDRAC and Operations Bridge Manager (OBM) and deployed Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers in a consistent and automated manner, improving operational efficiency and system reliability.
Linux Engineer
At the Shared Service Centre Campus my role involved managing incidents and changes on RHEL Linux systems with a focus on efficiency and reliability. I deployed VMs via Satellite and fine-tuned them with Puppet and Ansible for consistent performance. My responsibilities also included maintaining critical development tools such as Jira and GitLab. A key project I led was the migration from RHEL6 to RHEL8, delivering a smooth transition and improved system capabilities.
DevOps Engineer
At Avisi I installed, configured and maintained Atlassian tooling (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket, Bamboo) both on-premise with Ansible and in Kubernetes clusters using Docker and Helm. My responsibilities included automating installation and maintenance tasks, preparing Linux systems and managing AWS services with Terraform. I managed version control and CI/CD with GitLab and Bitbucket and implemented monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana. I also led migrations from self-hosted Atlassian Server to cloud environments, consolidated platforms and provided support for Atlassian tooling, working directly with Atlassian Support and third-party vendors.
Technical Expert (Linux Engineer)
At ATOS I managed virtual and physical RHEL and SUSE systems with a focus on efficiency and reliability. I led the migration from Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 to 7 and administered AWS environments, optimizing services and strengthening security. My responsibilities included user management, automation with Ansible, Docker administration and incident troubleshooting. I developed monitoring solutions with UMF, implemented changes and wrote work instructions to improve team performance. I also played a key role in on-call support, ensuring 24/7 system availability.
Medior Consultant
At AnyLinQ (formerly TenICT) I worked as a consultant in the Midrange Management business unit, delivering expertise in UNIX/Linux systems, open-source technologies and storage solutions. My responsibilities included advising on best practices, implementing technical solutions and ensuring reliable system performance for clients by enhancing and modernizing their IT infrastructure. This role allowed me to apply deep technical knowledge and problem-solving skills across diverse and complex environments.
Technical Application Manager
At the O&I Department of ASML I led the implementation of a SCOM monitoring environment that strengthened high availability and disaster recovery. The setup monitored IT components and applications across RHEL, Solaris and Windows Server platforms. My role covered the full lifecycle of SCOM 2012/R2, from deploying clients across thousands of systems to migrating the environment into data centers built for high availability and disaster recovery. I also integrated SCOM with other Microsoft System Center products and developed standardized processes and documentation to streamline operations and improve risk assessment.
Support Engineer
At the SEI Department of ASML I coordinated third-level incidents in the Red Hat Virtualization (RHEV) environment, ensuring rapid resolution and system stability. I created and managed Windows and Linux templates and pools and handled the installation and configuration of Virtual Desktop Infrastructures (VDIs). I also developed Puppet building blocks to automate and standardize system configurations. In addition, I participated in the change advisory board, contributing to decision-making and the adoption of best practices across the IT environment.
Monitoring Engineer
At the O&I Department of ASML I oversaw virtual infrastructure and middleware environments, maintaining performance and stability. My duties included setting up a new SCOM monitoring environment, coordinating incident response and troubleshooting across Windows and Linux servers. I documented the monitoring setup, developed and implemented improvement proposals and supported the transition of the environment to an external partner. I also created detailed work instructions to streamline processes and improve team efficiency.
Web Operations Analyst
At Reed Business Media I managed and monitored Red Hat Enterprise Linux clusters and systems, including Tomcat and Apache services. I used Git and Puppet to register and implement system changes and monitored environments with tools such as Munin and Cacti. My responsibilities included resolving website issues, applying updates and deploying sites across multiple environments. I also supported websites running on GX Software CMS and contributed to migrating websites to AWS, improving infrastructure scalability and reliability.
System Administrator
At CVIS I managed and monitored a diverse set of systems including Linux, Windows and VMware ESX vSphere. This involved installing Citrix and Terminal Services, supporting core network services such as Active Directory, DNS and DHCP and managing email services with Exchange and Google Mail & Apps. I also monitored these systems with tools like Nagios and Splunk, focusing on both operational stability and proactive management to identify and address issues before they impacted the environment.
Service Desk Employee
At Silicon Hive, later Intel UMG, I managed and monitored RHEL systems, NetApp filers, Dell server hardware and a wide range of middleware. My responsibilities included installing and maintaining CAD and CAE applications within Platform LSF, provisioning with Cobbler and CFengine and supporting Windows Server and desktop environments. I also maintained storage and backup solutions, managed software licenses and ensured system health through monitoring with Nagios and other tools, contributing to a stable and reliable IT infrastructure.
Service Desk Employee
At Philips I began at PGIS TAS in workplace management before moving to Applied Technologies, where I managed RHEL systems and Dell/Sun hardware. This included installing and maintaining CAD and CAE applications within Platform LSF, supporting a broad hardware spectrum and overseeing NetApp filers and tape backups. I ensured license compliance with FlexNet, managed virtual systems using Xen Hypervisor and maintained monitoring with Nagios. I was also responsible for deploying workstations, managing printers with CUPS and resolving IT-related issues using Track-It! for incident registration.
Work Experience - Atlassian
Technical support and maintenance for Jira and Confluence
Technical support and maintenance for Jira and Confluence
Technical support and maintenance for Confluence
Technical support and maintenance for Jira
Technical support and maintenance for Confluence
Technical support and maintenance for Confluence and Crowd
Education
HBO ICT & Management and Security (Bachelor)
Fontys University of Applied Sciences
HBO Associate Degree ICT Service Management
Fontys University of Applied Sciences
MBO 4 ICT Administrator
ROC Eindhoven
MBO 3 Assistant ICT Administrator
ROC Eindhoven
VMBO Kaderberoepsgericht (Pre-vocational Secondary Education - Intermediate Vocational Track) ICT
Pleincollege De Burgh Eindhoven
Certifications
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers (EX188)
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Managing Automation with Ansible Automation Platform (EX467)
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Developing Automation with Ansible Automation Platform (EX374)
Linux Foundation Certified Systems Administrator (LFCS)
Linux Foundation Certified IT Associate (LFCA)
EDB Certified Associate - PostgreSQL 12
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Linux Diagnostics and Troubleshooting (EX342)
RHCE 8 Red Hat Certified Engineer (EX294)
RHCSA 8 Red Hat Certified System Administrator (EX200)
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Advanced Automation: Ansible Best Practices (EX447)
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation (EX407)
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (renewal)
ACP-500 Atlassian System Administration
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate
RHCE 7 Red Hat Certified Engineer (EX300)
RHCSA 7 Red Hat Certified System Administrator (EX200)
LPIC-1 Linux Professional Institute 1
SUSE CLA SUSE Linux Administrator
References
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Tommy is an excellent Linux engineer for whom quality results are of the upmost importance. He shows great determination and is fully dedicated to both customers and colleagues. He’s also very funny and a pleasure to be around!
Yanne Veronneau Commercially minded entre(intra)preneur -
I have worked with Tommy at Avisi and I agree with the recommendations of my colleagues!
But more importantly, I think that as a colleague and also as a future client, you can trust Tommy to complete the given detailed task. Always nice to be able to trust someone when carrying out work! Also, it is special that he makes the complete and clear descriptions of how his Ansible/Kubernetes scripts work, which most technicians cannot do very well.It was nice working with you especially considering your sense of humor :)
Thijs van Amersfoort Technical Consultant & Integration Expert -
Tommy is an excellent Linux / DevOps engineer. Give him a task and you know it is finished perfectly and in time. Tommy helped us tremendously in improving our Ansible provisioning system. Furthermore he was responsible for the operational work on our Kubernetes-based hosting platform. He is able to make technical difficult configurations easy to maintain and deploy, hiding the difficult parts in scripts and configurations and providing easy to use runbooks and scripts.
Tommy will make sure he is always up-to-date with the latest certifications and developments in his field so you can be sure to have the latest updates of your system.
In short a valued colleague working accurate and independent.
Sander Brienen Customer Success Manager EMEA at Gitlab -
When Tommy just joined our Atlassian consultancy team, we were doing installations and upgrades manual which are error prone. Tommy has been main responsible for implementing Ansible scripts for new installations and upgrades of existing environments, including customer specific requirements. This has helped us to not only be more efficient in doing these tasks but also to make fewer mistakes.
Next to that, Tommy has been responsible for hosting our customers managing a Kubernetes and Docker based environment.
Tommy is a fun and relax guy to have around in your team and most definitely will add some humor as well. It has been a pleasure working with you!
Patrick van der Rijst Atlassian Certified Master -
Tommy is a very valuable contributor to a team. Independent, yet a team player. He thinks "solutions", not "problems". His comprehensive knowledge is enormous - and he picks up quickly and proactively on anything he doesn't know. Never tired of answering questions, always willing to walk the extra mile.
Besides this, Tommy is a wonderful and very humorous person to work with. I'd recommend him for any team!
Bart Muijzer Consultant at Sue B.V.
Contact Me
KvK-nummer 97548162 – Btw-identificatienummer NL868103548B01