Andrew Welch
CTO - Cloud Services @ HSO | Microsoft MVP
London, United Kingdom
Intensely curious about many things. I’m a cloud technology leader, Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional), speaker, and published author of the novel "Field Blends" (Köehler Books, 2020), the forthcoming novel "Flickan", the multi-edition Power Platform Adoption Framework, and numerous essays on related topics. I serve as CTO at HSO working directly with enterprise CIOs and leading our Digital and App Innovation + Integration + Data and AI + Infrastructure, Security, and Modern Work solution areas in the Microsoft Cloud. My professional focus is on cloud technology and enterprise technical architecture in large, often global enterprises. As a writer my thoughts are occupied with literary fiction, cultural identity, Europe and America, technology in society, and—more so in my past than my present—wine. I grew up on the sea, drove boats for America’s Coast Guard, and have since worked on some of the world’s largest Microsoft adoptions on all seven continents (including Antarctica), served startup to Fortune 100 organizations, public sector agencies, global NGOs, and taught in higher education. I live in the United Kingdom, return often to the United States, and stop frequently in Sweden, Spain, Romania, and the Netherlands.
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Let's design a data model!
Data modeling and design is one of the most difficult skills to find in the Microsoft professional community (and talent market), and an absolute requirement when working with Dataverse. Many developers and “makers” begin first with the app, but building truly scalable mission critical solutions from the ground up require us to start with data. This is an interactive session where the presenter and attendees start with a blank sheet of paper and design a data model to underpin an app. Session attendees will learn the principles of data modeling, where many of the world’s most complex solutions began: At the foundation, with the data model, and be able to put this skill and way of thinking to work immediately in their own work.
I've been designing these types of solutions for huge organizations in financial services, public sector, non-profit, health and life sciences, and other industries for over a decade. Bit of a different format than the usual slides (we're drawing together on the white board, and there are NO slides), but it's been great the several times I've done it.
(Enterprise) Architecting an Ecosystem: Real-World Examples and Best Practices from Industry
Workloads in the Microsoft Cloud are increasingly being built to (a) integrate with one another, (b) integrate with the broader enterprise application and data system, and (c) make use of common building blocks such as core platform services, Azure data, application, and integration services, and Power Platform. On the latter, the most successful organizations are now using Power Platform to build ambitious, high value solutions. In other words, solutions are being tied together rather than architected in isolation, and this is generating vast datasets built as "single sources of truth". This session will get you thinking like the world's boldest solution and enterprise architects as we explore real-world examples of how organizations have knitted their workloads together into an ecosystem, best practices for doing so, and lessons learned along the way.
This session is geared to solution and enterprise architects really pushing the bounds with real examples of how organizations are building ecosystems of tier-1 solutions, and also for business users trying to "go big" using the Microsoft Cloud to modernize their organizations.
Tyranny of the Deliverable: Short stories on why many orgs struggle going big with Power Platform
Forrester research released in August 2022 confirmed the huge economic value that organizations receive "going big" with premium Power Platform. But many IT departments are still struggling to achieve that value. This session draws on our experience working with organizations worldwide sharing stories of three major challenges we see almost everyone encounter: Use Case Death Spiral, IT Tower of Babel, and the Tyranny of the Deliverable. We'll then finish with tried-and-true approaches to overcoming these barriers. This is an essential session for those working in Microsoft customer organizations, as well as consultants who guide those customers.
I co-created this concept and content with Microsoft's Global Blackbelt (GBB) team, and it draws on their experience as well as mine working with organizations in the United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Romania, and more worldwide. I've written the following deep dive on this topic, so many themes here will be carried through the session (though session will have the most up to date content): https://www.andrewdwelch.com/blog/tyranny-of-the-deliverable.
Strategic Thinking for the Microsoft Cloud
I have come to understand strategic thinking as more art than science. Strategy is surely informed in part by data, but I find that our society in general and the technology industry specifically too often confuse data and wisdom, that we foolishly (though understandably) seek heuristics or processes so that we can turn the art of strategic thinking into a game of color by numbers so simple that anyone can do it. When it comes to strategic thinking, better that we seek methods of framing our thoughts rather than shortcuts to the answers themselves. This session offers practical approaches to injecting strategy into your organization’s Microsoft Cloud journey, indeed, a selection of the same approaches I take with my clients. We explore a wide range of topics, including the impact of AI on the strategic landscape, how organizations have ever-decreasing time to absorb waves of innovation into their operating models, the transition from activity-based to system-based value, and how governance fits. We’ll then investigate a model for weaving strategic intent into the ongoing cloud journey, and explore industry-specific ecosystem maps that illustrate how other organizations have found success doing this.
I co-created this concept and content with Microsoft's Global Blackbelt (GBB) team, and it draws on their experience as well as mine working with organizations in the United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Romania, and more worldwide. I've written the following deep dive on this topic, so many themes here will be carried through the session (though session will have the most up to date content): https://www.andrewdwelch.com/blog/strategic-thinking-for-microsoft-cloud.
Five strategies for integrating Power Platform and the Azure Data Platform
Convergence and integration of technical services are coupling with modern organizational models for accelerating rapid application development to create more and more scenarios where Power Platform and the Azure Data Platform are inextricably linked. Put another way, the data platform has grown ever more sophisticated whilst at the same time solutions developed in Power Platform demand access to more and more enterprise data. This session explores five strategies for integrating these two technology sets in the Microsoft Cloud: Point to Point, Direct to Master Data, Master Data Node, Data Landing Zone, and Modern Data Platform. We’ll consider ideal scenarios, advantages, and disadvantages of each before concluding with real-world examples of organizations who have done this in practice across several industries.
I am collaborating with colleagues and Microsoft and HSO--and with technical leaders in the community--on a white paper going deep on this topic, which I expect to release mid-2023. The evolving nature of this topic will make for an increasingly evolved session over time!
Scottish Summit
Presented "An App or an Ecosystem? Scaling Microsoft’s “Cloud Application Platform"
Power Platform User Group - Ireland
Presented "An App or an Ecosystem? How to scale Microsoft's 'Cloud Application Platform'" with Lee Baker.
Power Platform Virtual Happy Hour
Led a "Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance ROUND TABLE" with Keith Whatling.
Microsoft Cloud (South Coast) User Group
Presented "An App or an Ecosystem? How to scale Microsoft's 'Cloud Application Platform'" with Lee Baker.
Microsoft BizApps @ Speed
Presented "An App or an Ecosystem? How to scale Microsoft's 'Cloud Application Platform'" with Lee Baker.
Healthcare 365 Summit 2020
Presented closing session "Pandemic Lessons for Rapid + Scaled App Development on Power Platform" with Keith Whatling and Emily Cartner.
Power Platform User Group London
CDS Saturday
Your Guide to Making the Business Case for Power Platform in your Organisation
Power Platform Summit North America
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
European SharePoint Community
Power Platform as a First Class Citizen in the Cloud Transformation + App Modernization Journey
Power Platform Summit Europe
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Power Platform Virtual World Tour
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Apps
Microsoft Business Applications Summit (MBAS)
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance (co-presenting with Manuela Pichler)
Power Platform World Tour DC
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Apps
Scottish Summit 🏴
Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Apps
United Nations Tech Innovation Day
Power Platform as a First Class Citizen in the Cloud Transformation + App Modernization Journey
Super Power Saturday London
Presented the morning keynote alongside Manuela Pichler, topic was "Power Platform as a First Class Citizen in the Cloud Transformation + App Modernization Journey"
Power User Days Belgium 🇧🇪
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance (co-presenting with Lee Baker)
Microsoft Ignite 🇺🇸
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Migrating Legacy InfoPath to Power Apps
Power Platform Management and Governance Round Table
Power Platform World Tour Dublin 🇮🇪
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Apps
Power Platform World Tour Vienna 🇦🇹
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Apps
Power Platform Summit North America 🇺🇸
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Design best practices when getting started with a new Power App
Power Platform Saturday Sweden 🇸🇪
Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Apps
Power Platform User Group London 🇬🇧
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Power Platform World Tour Toronto 🇨🇦
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Apps
365 Saturday Washington DC 🇺🇸
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Power Platform World Tour - London 🇬🇧
Power Platform Adoption, Enterprise Management, and Governance
Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Apps
Microsoft Inspire 🇺🇸
Presented the Power Platform Adoption Framework
Microsoft Business Applications Summit 🇺🇸
Hack4Good Charity Hackathon (Team Lead)
Migrating your legacy InfoPath and Access to PowerApps (Co-Presenter)
365 Saturday Kyiv 🇺🇦
Presented "Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Platform".
D365 Saturday Dubai 🇦🇪
Presented "Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Platform", and assisted facilitating "App in a Day" (AIAD).
Power Platform World Tour - Chicago 🇺🇸
Presented "Ten Best Practices for No-Code / Low-Code Development on Power Platform" and represented PowerApps as part of the expert panel to close the conference.
Power Platform World Tour - Washington DC 🇺🇸
Presented "Enterprise Management of Power Platform" and "Introducing the Power Platform Adoption Framework".
Microsoft Cloud Symposium 🇺🇸
Presented "Microsoft’s Power Platform and the Future of Business Application Software".
Andrew Welch
CTO - Cloud Services @ HSO | Microsoft MVP
London, United Kingdom