kernal / mason

ENGINEERING / STRATEGY / EXECUTION

Mason
Gonzalez

AVP, AI Solutions Architect

Fortitude Re · Enterprise Architecture

I build enterprise AI systems and the platforms that make them useful, reliable, and manageable.

View selected work LinkedIn

New York · Military veteran · Two decades in technology

AI SYSTEMSINTERNAL PLATFORMSCLOUD & SECURITYTECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

01 / SELECTED WORK

From architecture
to actual use.

A selection of the systems and transformations I’ve worked on. Open each brief for the problem, my contribution, and the result.

AI SYSTEMS & AGENTS

Making enterprise knowledge
work inside the workflow.

Multi-step agents, retrieval pipelines, and the connections between enterprise information and the tools people use.

  • MCP
  • RAG
  • Claude
  • SharePoint / S3
Read project brief

The problem

Enterprise information spans document stores and cloud systems. Useful AI needs access to that context and a way to act within existing workflows.

My contribution

Designed and deployed AI agents, built retrieval pipelines across SharePoint and cloud storage, and developed MCP servers and agent frameworks. The work also includes AI governance and risk assessment.

The result

Agents and retrieval pipelines integrated into production workflows, connecting enterprise knowledge with multi-step actions.

Discuss this work
SYSTEM VIEWEnterprise knowledgeRetrieval + toolsWorking agents

PLATFORM ENGINEERING

Turning repeatable work
into reusable systems.

Internal platforms that connect onboarding, provisioning, and operational workflows through event-driven automation.

  • Terraform
  • Ansible
  • Event-driven systems
  • APIs
Read project brief

The problem

Onboarding, provisioning, and support involve handoffs across multiple tools. Repeated manual steps make consistent execution difficult.

My contribution

Built zero-touch onboarding and provisioning, automated ingestion-to-output pipelines, and event-driven integrations across Slack, Jira, and operational tooling. Used infrastructure as code to make environments repeatable.

The result

Repeatable provisioning and connected operational workflows, with reusable automation in place of isolated one-off tasks.

Discuss this work
SYSTEM VIEWEvent / requestOrchestrationRepeatable delivery

CLOUD & TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

Modernizing the technology.
Building the capability.

Cloud architecture, collaboration migrations, and the people and operating models needed to own what comes next.

  • AWS / Azure
  • Microsoft 365
  • FinOps
  • Team building
Read project brief

The problem

Technology transformation reaches beyond a migration. Infrastructure, cost, internal expertise, and day-to-day ownership need to evolve together.

My contribution

Led Box-to-SharePoint and managed-service-to-internal transformations. Directed hybrid-cloud architecture, vendor evaluation, SaaS optimization, and engineering team development.

The result

Modernized collaboration and infrastructure alongside stronger internal ownership and the engineering capability to keep improving them.

Discuss this work
SYSTEM VIEWStrategy + constraintsPlatforms + peopleOperational ownership

02 / EXPERIENCE

Depth across
the whole system.

Two decades bridging engineering, security, and technology strategy. Hands-on delivery with responsibility for the bigger picture.

NOW Fortitude Re
AVP, AI Solutions Architect
Enterprise Architecture
01 AI & automation
Agent architecture, enterprise retrieval, MCP tooling, governance, and the operational path from idea to useful system.
02 Platforms & cloud
Internal platforms, infrastructure as code, AWS and Azure, Microsoft 365, observability, and automated provisioning.
03 Security & operations
Government and DoD cybersecurity experience, incident response, network design, and NIST and COBIT frameworks.
04 Leadership & strategy
Roadmaps, build-versus-buy decisions, vendor evaluation, FinOps, hiring, and building engineering capability.
View my professional history on LinkedIn

03 / THE PERSON BEHIND THE SYSTEMS

An engineer’s curiosity.
A veteran’s discipline.

I’m Mason, also known online as kernal. I’m based in New York, and I work at the intersection of software, infrastructure, and organizational change.

Military service and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan shaped how I think about accountability, risk, and operating under constraints. That perspective carries into the systems I build and the teams I help develop.

I enjoy the full arc of the work: understanding the problem, making the architecture decisions, writing the code, and keeping the system useful after launch.

OFF THE MAIN PATH

Prefer the terminal?

Explore the career network map, try a few commands, or take on the fictional mainframe puzzle.

Launch explorer

04 / OPEN A CONVERSATION

What are you
working on?

For conversations about AI systems, platform engineering, or technical leadership, send me a note.

kernalmg@gmail.com
Connect on LinkedIn Request résumé