Mr. Payne is the Vice President of Engineering at TESYS Networks, where he leads the company’s global engineering strategy, managed services delivery, and advanced security and infrastructure initiatives. With more than 25 years of enterprise IT leadership experience, Mr. Payne is responsible for driving the technical vision behind TESYS’s NOC, cloud, data center, network, and security operations across a growing portfolio of commercial, healthcare, education, and public-sector clients.
As a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE #50659) in Data Center, Mr. Payne brings elite-level technical mastery paired with executive-level operational leadership. At TESYS, he has been instrumental in expanding SASE offerings, Zero Trust security architectures, Fortinet and Cisco stacks, enterprise network refresh programs, and large-scale data center modernization initiatives. His leadership directly supports TESYS’s mission to deliver secure, scalable, and business-aligned technology solutions.
Mr. Payne also plays a central role in shaping TESYS’s managed services framework, transitioning service delivery into agile engineering pods that enhance responsiveness, accountability, and customer experience. Under his leadership, TESYS continues to strengthen its capabilities in hybrid cloud, enterprise wireless, compute and storage, collaboration platforms, and compliance-driven security programs.
Prior to TESYS, Mr. Payne held senior engineering and leadership positions, including VP of Engineering and Director of Network Services for a regional financial institution, where he oversaw highly regulated, high-availability environments.
Mr. Payne attended Clemson University and earned a Mechanical Engineering Degree and also maintains an extensive portfolio of elite technical certifications. He is also an active contributor to the broader technology and cybersecurity community through advisory board participation (South East CyberSecurity Subcommittee: Sector Miami), FBI InfraGard, Cisco PTAB, and other regional advisory boards.