Hey, my name is Derrick.
Father of one. Tech enthusiast.
Disclaimer: If you tried visiting derrickvo.com and ended up here at llama-pc.com, it's because this is my side gig where I help people build high-performance desktop computers for gaming, streaming, and content creation.
What you'll discover here instead is my passion for technology and how I turned this passion into my career.
It all started when I was 10 years old, and my dad brought home a Windows 95 machine. Despite it not being intended for me, my curiosity got the best. Once I started using it, I was hooked. I vividly recall patiently waiting for the computer to slowly start up, listening to the dial-up noises as it connected online, and exploring the early Internet in its infancy. Before long, I was tinkering with computers, and I've never looked back since.
Fast forward to today, I've transformed my hobby into a career. I believe that technology evolves daily, presenting endless opportunities to learn and despite my years of experience, I will continue to grow alongside the advancements in technology.
"If you're passionate about your work, it won't feel like work at all."
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Lightspeed Commerce - Toronto, ON
Sr. IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
2021 - 2024
Working at Lightspeed was a rewarding experience. The relationships I built, the daily challenges I tackled, and my individual contributions held a significant impact on the company.
As the primary lead in the Toronto office at Lightspeed, I provided additional support to IT teams in Montreal, New York, Los Angeles, EMEA, and APAC. I managed support issues and escalations for over 300 employees in the Toronto office and an additional 3000+ globally, contributed to both in-office infrastructure improvements, including establishing Toronto as an IT hub, back-end IT infrastructure enhancements, and conducted weekly meetings to train and mentor junior IT staff on technical skills and company policies.
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Apple Inc - Toronto, ON
Technical Expert
2017 - 2021
Working at Apple was a dream come true. I remember applying four times, each time getting a step closer and ultimately facing rejection. But I never gave up, and on my fourth attempt, I finally got my foot in the door.
Apple taught me valuable lessons that went beyond the products. It was about humanizing interactions and getting to know customers on a deep level. As technical experts, we were trained on the APPLE steps of service, and if you were at the Genius Bar - acknowledging, aligning, and reassuring.
At the Apple Genius Bar, my day-to-day responsibilities involved delivering exceptional customer service and technical support, as well as providing comprehensive troubleshooting and repair services for all Apple devices.
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Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Desktop Support Technician
2015 - 2017
Toronto, ON
Joined the HP team as a contractor at Omnicom Media Group, where I played a key role in the company-wide rollout of replacement HP devices, installation of MDM profiles, proper device configuration and security. -
University Health Network
IT Support Specialist
2019 - 2020
Toronto, ON
Upgraded the IT infrastructure for one the largest health networks in Canada at Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
This project involved upgrading every device to Windows 10 OS, transferring highly sensitive Electronic Patient Records for doctors, administration, and other employees, ensuring security compliance, and maintaining seamless transition with no disruption to day-to-day operations. -
Roots Canada
Technical Support Analyst
2020 - 2021
Toronto, ON
At Roots, I managed daily operations by providing technical support to internal employees at the head office location and across all 121 retail stores in Canada.
My role included troubleshooting hardware and software issues, handling both macOS and Windows OS, maintaining system performance up time across all stores, and providing seamless functionality to support the company's operations
