Azure DevOps Consultant

• Aug 2022 - Present

Simplifying and consolidating Azure DevOps pipelines; automating environment builds, reducing complexity. Simplifying and consolidating Azure DevOps pipelines; automating environment builds, reducing complexity.

Director

• Nov 2017 - Present

An independent cloud consultancy specialising in Microsoft Azure. Holding multiple certifications in Azure infrastructure, security and big data analytics, helping you make your initial journey to the cloud or optimising costs and agility once you've arrived. This is my own personal services company which I use to provide consultancy services to end clients. An independent cloud consultancy specialising in Microsoft Azure. Holding multiple certifications in Azure infrastructure, security and big data analytics, helping you make your initial journey to the cloud or optimising costs and agility once you've arrived. This is my own personal services company which I use to provide consultancy services to end clients.

Azure Specialist

• Aug 2021 - Jun 2022

Automating the Azure environment. Managing datalake access, datalake auditing, project creation, devops licensing provision, optimising resources and spending, monitoring and observability. Comparing different means of delivering Spark (Databricks vs Synapse). Using whatever tools are appropriate - ARM, powershell, power BI, functions, automation account, terraform, third party tools (e.g. New Relic, Dynatrace, Datadog) etc.. Automating the Azure environment. Managing datalake access, datalake auditing, project creation, devops licensing provision, optimising resources and spending, monitoring and observability. Comparing different means of delivering Spark (Databricks vs Synapse). Using whatever tools are appropriate - ARM, powershell, power BI, functions, automation account, terraform, third party tools (e.g. New Relic, Dynatrace, Datadog) etc..

Azure Specialist

• Aug 2021 - Jun 2022

Automating the Azure environment. Managing datalake access, datalake auditing, project creation, devops licensing provision, optimising resources and spending, monitoring and observability. Comparing different means of delivering Spark (Databricks vs Synapse). Using whatever tools are appropriate - ARM, powershell, power BI, functions, automation account, terraform, third party tools (e.g. New Relic, Dynatrace, Datadog) etc.. Automating the Azure environment. Managing datalake access, datalake auditing, project creation, devops licensing provision, optimising resources and spending, monitoring and observability. Comparing different means of delivering Spark (Databricks vs Synapse). Using whatever tools are appropriate - ARM, powershell, power BI, functions, automation account, terraform, third party tools (e.g. New Relic, Dynatrace, Datadog) etc..

Cloud Solutions Architect/DevOps

• Feb 2021 - Mar 2021

A short term contract working with a banking client in the Middle East delivering a credit risk early warning system using custom machine learning delivered on Azure Kubernetes. A short term contract working with a banking client in the Middle East delivering a credit risk early warning system using custom machine learning delivered on Azure Kubernetes.

Security Lead

• Aug 2020 - Feb 2021

A career segue moving into security management. Focussing on automation initiatives to reduce manual input, increase quality, decrease rework, shorten customer on-boarding times. A career segue moving into security management. Focussing on automation initiatives to reduce manual input, increase quality, decrease rework, shorten customer on-boarding times.

Cloud Data Architect

• Sep 2019 - Feb 2020

Helping deliver a robust, secure and scalable data platform using a variety of Azure services including Datalake storage, Databricks and Data Factory. Integrating Azure Devops into a secure enterprise environment and seeking to automate all deployments while still maintaining strict segregation of duties. (Accenture associate) Helping deliver a robust, secure and scalable data platform using a variety of Azure services including Datalake storage, Databricks and Data Factory. Integrating Azure Devops into a secure enterprise environment and seeking to automate all deployments while still maintaining strict segregation of duties. (Accenture associate)

Cloud Solutions Architect - Data and Analytics

• May 2019 - Jun 2019

Providing a technically focused review of the Azure Data Platform with a view to optimising value for money. Ensure that good practice is followed to provide a secure, scalable and robust architecture. (Avanade Associate) Providing a technically focused review of the Azure Data Platform with a view to optimising value for money. Ensure that good practice is followed to provide a secure, scalable and robust architecture. (Avanade Associate)

Cloud Architect

• Jan 2019 - Mar 2019

Part of a team from Accenture designing an Azure data platform for Subsea7 to support projects on their digital roadmap. (Avanade Associate) Part of a team from Accenture designing an Azure data platform for Subsea7 to support projects on their digital roadmap. (Avanade Associate)

Azure Solutions Architect

• Nov 2018 - Jan 2019

Creating a "data hub" for Generali using Azure. Ingesting disparate data sources into Azure storage, modelling data to provide governance and lineage and offering a variety of options in a presentation layer. (Engaged through Sword) Creating a "data hub" for Generali using Azure. Ingesting disparate data sources into Azure storage, modelling data to provide governance and lineage and offering a variety of options in a presentation layer. (Engaged through Sword)

Solutions Architect

• Jun 2018 - Oct 2018

Initially engaged to help design solutions for the Chinese market which meet Chinese Cyber Security Laws (CSL), my role broadened to include work on Enterprise Risk Management, Governance and Compliance Management, BI Reporting for regulatory requirements and looking at solutions for Russian Data Privacy Laws Initially engaged to help design solutions for the Chinese market which meet Chinese Cyber Security Laws (CSL), my role broadened to include work on Enterprise Risk Management, Governance and Compliance Management, BI Reporting for regulatory requirements and looking at solutions for Russian Data Privacy Laws

Associate

• May 2018 - Jun 2018

As a consultant with Sword I was engaged at Aberdeen Standard to propose approaches to their integrated BI platforms. As a consultant with Sword I was engaged at Aberdeen Standard to propose approaches to their integrated BI platforms.

BI Consultant

• May 2018 - Jun 2018

Helping Standard Life Investments and Aberdeen Asset Management prepare to integrate their Microsoft BI platforms including SSRS and Power BI. Helping Standard Life Investments and Aberdeen Asset Management prepare to integrate their Microsoft BI platforms including SSRS and Power BI.

Cloud Solutions Architect (Data & Analytics)

• Aug 2016 - Nov 2017

Working on site helping clients make the journey to cloud. Assisting in understanding strategic corporate objectives and then realising those while recognising and mitigating potential problems. Creating high and low level designs for cloud architectures, migrating workloads to hybrid and/or cloud environments. I’m particularly interested in big data and analytics - Azure SQL server/data warehouse/data lakes, HD analytics, Data Factories and Power BI. Operationalizing big data cloud analytics solutions, designing deployment strategies, creating data factories, orchestrating data processing activities, managing and monitoring data factories. Show less

Engineering Lead, Build and Deployment (BI and reporting solutions)

• Jul 2014 - 2016

Leading a team responsible for deploying new releases and patches into production systems. Examined technical processes and implemented more automated solutions for deploying software. This offered more robust, repeatable and testable outcomes.Concentrated on the reporting solutions that formed part of our standard customer offerings and the products used to deliver that. These included HP products like Vertica as well as third party products like Informatica, Business Objects and Qlikview.This was very much a "DevOps" focused role and was a radically different environment from product development, however, many of the same skills were key. If anything, rigorous software engineering principles are even more critical when there are limited change windows and thousands of customers dependent on the outcome of changes being made. Making the results of changes predictable was essential; using standardized deployment tools and source code control systems alongside test planning and automation helped reduce both deployment times and the risk of errors freeing up engineers time to perform higher value functions. Show less

Technical Lead (Network performance analytics)

• Aug 2001 - Jul 2014

I delivered the newly created HP Network Node Manager (NNM) plug in for performance (iSPI Performance) product as a member of an agile scrum team which is consistently recognized as high performing both in terms of output and revenue. I engaged key stakeholders inside and outside the business to create an innovative new product (NNM iSpi Performance) offering scalable enterprise network performance reporting, analytics and forecasting in a secure, multi-tenanted environment across a range of operating systems. I evaluated competing third party technologies for analytics and data presentation including Cognos, Business Objects and BIRT before making initial technical recommendations. I worked closely with NNM development teams to create interfaces for exchanging performance data and have continued to drive both new feature development and product enhancements over three subsequent major releases.I integrated both Sybase ASE and IQ databases into the iSPI Performance product and created methods to automatically configure and tune them dependent on the end customer’s target environment.Created reporting templates and solutions using Cognos including a patented method for network troubleshooting utilizing path topology.Created many individual product components including product localization (L10N), solutions for HA environments, individually addressable reporting components for inclusion in dashboards (“reportlets”), ensured product support across various platforms (e.g. SuSE), implemented backup and restore functionality, upgraded third party components and developed methods of distributing ETL, BI and database functionality across multiple servers including Sybase IQ multiplex database servers.I’ve delivered internal training classes for support and CPE teams in the US and India and always strive to offer help and support wherever I can, whether that be directly to colleagues and customers or by active participation in user groups and online discussion forums. Show less

Senior Solutions Engineer

• Aug 1999 - Aug 2001

Created "datapipes" for the Trend reporting product which collected and manipulated network and service performance data before loading it into a custom datawarehousing application. Worked closely with customers in Europe and North America implementing enterprise reporting solutions using Trend. Trinagy was acquired by HP. Created "datapipes" for the Trend reporting product which collected and manipulated network and service performance data before loading it into a custom datawarehousing application. Worked closely with customers in Europe and North America implementing enterprise reporting solutions using Trend. Trinagy was acquired by HP.

Integration Consultant

• Jan 1999 - Aug 1999

Concert was a joint venture between British Telecom and AT&T. I was engaged as a self-employed consultant and developed interfaces between existing performance monitoring systems within BT and AT&T. Concert was a joint venture between British Telecom and AT&T. I was engaged as a self-employed consultant and developed interfaces between existing performance monitoring systems within BT and AT&T.

Integration Consultant

• Jan 1999 - Aug 1999

Data Analyst

• Sep 1998 - Dec 1998

Self-employed consultant engaged in Y2K systems testing Self-employed consultant engaged in Y2K systems testing

Designer/Developer/DBA

• Aug 1996 - Sep 1998

Supported several network reporting applications that ran on top of Informix databases. Created and implemented a new method of collecting and processing of statistics from ATM and frame-relay devices which greatly improved both efficiency and quality. Supported several network reporting applications that ran on top of Informix databases. Created and implemented a new method of collecting and processing of statistics from ATM and frame-relay devices which greatly improved both efficiency and quality.

Developer

• Jul 1994 - Aug 1996

I designed and wrote database application code for policy management. I designed and wrote database application code for policy management.

Developer

• May 1990 - Jul 1994

I designed and wrote application code for a wide variety of engineering functions. I designed and wrote application code for a wide variety of engineering functions.

Trainee

• Jun 1987 - Sep 1988