• Aditya Paliwal

    Aditya Paliwal

    Data Engineer, Datashift

    Aditya Paliwal, Data Scientist.
    Main fields of expertise are Geospatial research, data engineering & CI/CD , Predictive Maintenance and Retrieval Augmented Generation (LLMs)

  • Alexander Arvidsson

    Alexander Arvidsson

    Making Data Matter

    Alexander is the Lead Data Transformation Architect at Advania in Sweden, where he spends his days helping clients of all shapes and sizes to take better care of - and make more sense of - their data.
    He has spent the last 27 years poking around with data, databases, and related infrastructure services such as storage, networking, and virtualization, occasionally emerging from the technical darkness to attend a Star Wars convention somewhere in the world.
    He is a long-time Data Platform MVP, frequent international speaker, podcaster, Pluralsight author, blogger, and a Microsoft Certified Trainer, focusing on the Microsoft data platform stack.

  • Anna Lalova

    Anna Lalova

    Founder and AI Engineer

    Founder and AI Engineer, Anna is building GoodPlace - an AI tool grounded in occupational psychology research that helps people find workplaces, where they truly belong.
    After 7 years, at the European Commission, working on economic and social policy, and programme management, Anna moved into Data Science and AI - a leap she made at 34, with no technical background, betting that it wasn't too late to restart building from scratch. She now designs predictive models and AI applications, with hands-on experience coaching others through their own first steps in AI.
    Anna is living the exact question she'll be exploring on stage: what it takes to become a total beginner again, on purpose, and find peace with not knowing yet.

  • Anneleen Rummens

    Anneleen Rummens

    Freelance Data Scientist & Educator

    Anneleen Rummens is a freelance data scientist and educator with a background in statistics and quantitative criminology. She has experience in academic research, applied data science, and teaching data-related topics to both technical and non-technical audiences.

    Through her work, she helps people and organizations use data more effectively: not just by producing analysis, but by making data easier to understand, interpret, and apply in real-world decisions. Her broader interests include data literacy, responsible data use, communication, and the practical skills that help data professionals create more value from their work.

  • Arne Van Raepenbusch

    Arne Van Raepenbusch

    Software engineer turned psychologist. Still debugging, different system.

    In a world flooded with information, I believe there's a growing shortage of actual knowledge, and that's slowing us down. For more than 10 years, I've been helping people in tech navigate that overload and turn information into experiences that drive real knowledge and personal growth.

  • Artur Vieira

    Artur Vieira

    Principal Program Manager - Microsoft Fabric DW

    Artur Vieira is a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft, leading initiatives within the Fabric CAT DW team. With over 14 years at Microsoft and 25+ of experience, he specializes in data warehousing workloads, ETL/ELT, performance, large-scale architectures, and complex migrations. Artur is also a PhD student at University of Évora and an invited lecturer at ISEG Lisboa University.

  • Ásgeir Gunnarsson

    Ásgeir Gunnarsson

    Data Platform MVP

    Ásgeir brings nearly two decades of experience in designing and implementing scalable data platforms using Microsoft technologies. With deep expertise in data architecture, data engineering, and analytics, he helps organizations turn complex data landscapes into streamlined, high-performing solutions. In addition to hands-on delivery, Ásgeir advises clients on governance, security, and platform strategy.

    As a recognized Microsoft Data Platform MVP and active speaker at global data events, he stays ahead of industry trends and brings cutting-edge insights to every project. In addition to speaking at events Ásgeir is a co-organizer of Data Platform Next Step, Power BI Next Step and Power BI Cruise in Denmark.

    Ásgeir focuses primarily on the data technologies in the Azure cloud.

    Ásgeir is the co-author of Pro Power BI Administration from APRESS and the Power BI MVP book

    Ásgeir is passionate about data and loves solving problem with BI.

  • Ashley Warren

    Ashley Warren

    Advanced Analytics Senior Consultant at Advancing Analytics

    I'm a senior consultant with a focus on analytics engineering and data visualisation. In the past, I've led data teams at small and large organisations, helping unlock the power of data through storytelling.

  • Brian Daza

    Brian Daza

    element61 - Data Engineer

    Brian Daza is a data engineer and consultant focused on building modern data platforms with Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Fabric, and open-source technologies.

    With a background in scientific research, Brian started his career working with complex datasets ranging from microscopy images to genetic sequencing data. That experience eventually led him from research into data engineering, where building reliable pipelines and making data usable became the main focus.

    As a consultant, Brian has worked across a range of industries, helping organizations design and build modern data platforms, data pipelines, orchestration solutions, and analytics applications. He enjoys getting hands-on with the engineering challenges behind scalable and maintainable data solutions and works extensively with technologies such as Microsoft Fabric, Azure, Python, Airflow, and Kubernetes.

    When he is not working with data, Brian enjoys climbing, spending time outdoors, and playing as a bassist in a band.

  • Ceren Morey

    Ceren Morey

    Data Engineer

    I’m a Data Engineer consultant with a focus on building data platforms, mostly in the Microsoft ecosystem. Being a consultant, I enjoy working with different customers and diving into their unique but often surprisingly similar data challenges. I’ve been working on building data platforms that support reporting solutions, or helping teams move from legacy systems to cloud-based solutions. Coming from a non-traditional background gives me a different lens to approach both technical and nontechnical problems, and I am a big fan of teams with a mix of skills and perspectives.

  • Cláudio Silva

    Cláudio Silva

    Data Platform Architect, T-SQL Performance Tuner, PowerShell Automator

    I work as a Data Platform Architect.
    I love performance tuning and I'm also a PowerShell lover who automates any process that needs to be done more than a couple of times.

    I'm a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and an active SQL Server and PowerShell community member. Also, I'm a contributor to open-source projects such as dbatools (https://dbatools.io) and dbachecks (https://dbachecks.io).

    I blog at https://claudioessilva.eu .

  • Corné Potgieter

    Corné Potgieter

    Sparkle - Data Architect

    My experience spans across data analytics and BI engineering. I’m a data enthusiast and somewhat of a purist however knowing that practicality remains king.

  • Daan Humblé

    Daan Humblé

    Cloud Solution Architect Power BI & Fabric | Microsoft Microsoft Certified Trainer

    My analytics journey started on the business side—as a Power BI consultant helping teams bridge the gap between raw data and real-world decisions. In 2023, I joined Microsoft as a Cloud Solution Architect focused on Power BI and Microsoft Fabric, where I advise organizations on platform adoption, governance, and the architectural decisions that shape their data strategies.

    As a speaker, I cover ground from hands-on technical topics—notebooks for Power BI users, data modeling, performance tuning—to the messier questions around platform architecture, capacity planning, and making implementation decisions that actually fit your organization. Whatever the topic, I like breaking down the "why" behind the "how," and leaving audiences with something they can use on Monday morning.

  • Daniel Hutmacher

    Daniel Hutmacher

    Principal consultant at Structured Concepts

    SQL Server developer for 25-odd years, Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Redgate Community Ambassador, organizer of Data Saturday Stockholm and Stockholm SQL, volunteer/co-organizer of GroupBy.org. I still occasionally blog at sqlsunday.com.

  • Danny de Haan

    Danny de Haan

    Database Security & Infrastructure Advocate

    Danny is a seasoned IT professional with nearly 20 years of experience, specializing in SQL Server and the Microsoft Data Platform. With over 15 years dedicated to SQL Server, he's built a reputation for his expertise in Security, Risk Management, and Compliance, ensuring that industry best practices and regulatory requirements are met from an infrastructural perspective.
    He's a passionate advocate for secure database usage, regularly speaking at conferences and events where he shares insights on (data) security and compliance.

  • Danny Kruge

    Danny Kruge

    Data Platform MVP | Mission Critical Engineer from Schuberg Philis

    Danny Kruge is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, Mission Critical Engineer at Schuberg Philis, and founder of Azure Heroes. With 16+ years of experience, he is a technology leader and hands-on engineer specialising in designing, building, and operating data and cloud platforms at scale.

    His expertise spans SQL Server, Azure Data Factory, Microsoft Fabric, cloud architecture, platform engineering, and
    mission-critical environments, including OLTP and OLAP databases exceeding 3 TB. Throughout his career Danny has
    grown from database administration into broader technical leadership, taking ownership of complex platforms and
    engineering initiatives across SQL Server, Azure, and AWS.

    Danny focuses on defining technical direction, simplifying complexity, and turning challenging problems into reliable,
    scalable solutions. He takes a pragmatic approach and stays focused on measurable outcomes, whether working on large
    database platforms, cloud architecture, automation strategy, or organisational transformation.

    Originally from Leicester, England and now based in the Netherlands, Danny founded Azure Heroes to bring the Microsoft
    Azure community together. He regularly contributes through speaking, articles, interviews, and events.

  • Elien Guillemyn

    Elien Guillemyn

    A technical data analyst with a passion for Microsoft Fabric

    In September 2023 I started working with data at Cegeka, before I already came in touch with Power BI during my studies. Since 2024 I work with Fabric. In fabric I can do everything, from ingestion data to building reports.

  • Emilie Rønning

    Emilie Rønning

    Data Platform MVP

    Emilie Rønning, a data girl in a Fabric world.

    She is a managing data engineer, based in Oslo, Norway. In addition to creating well-functioning insights and analysis data platforms, Emilie loves creating and implementing structure and solutions automating manual processes for her clients.

    When not geeking out, she enjoys a long hike and a night or two in her hammock.

  • Enrico van de Laar

    Enrico van de Laar

    Data Privacy Engineer @ Privinity

    Enrico has been working with data in all kinds of formats and sizes for over 20 years and has a passion for data privacy. Through his company Privinity he supports organisations with implementing data solutions that respect privacy and avoid unethical or manipulative use of data. Enrico is a former Microsoft Data Platform MVP and has so far written four books on data related technologies and topics.

  • Eun Hee Kim

    Eun Hee Kim

    Principal Product Manager - Power BI, Microsoft

    Eun Hee Kim is a Product Manager for the Power BI Product Team working on Power BI Copilot. She has spent 9 years in the BI space working across different roles in data analytics, customer engagement and product management. Her experience as both a BI user and as a product manager brings a unique perspective to share BI stories with the Fabric community. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, baking, yoga and obsessing over her dachshund.

  • Evert Augustyns

    Evert Augustyns

    Senior Manager Data & Reporting

    I am a Finance professional that evolved into a data analytics expert over the years. Often starting with finance reporting in Power BI and expanding the scope to all reporting needs a company has. I have a strong focus on the what the business wants to see and like to translate that into a pragmatic reporting setup. Over the past years my role evolved from Power BI Developer to Project Manager/Business Developer/Trainer/Coach/...

  • Evgeniya Alekseeva

    Evgeniya Alekseeva

    Customer Master Data Governance Lead @ Daikin Europe

    Senior data management professional with 7+ years of experience in data governance, master data management, analytics and enterprise data quality. At adidas, led product master data initiatives, managing a team of analysts and optimizing end-to-end data management processes. At Daikin Europe, lead the Customer Master Data Governance program, owning the regional data model, defining governance standards, driving the development and adoption of policies, guidelines, data catalog and data quality reporting. Strong track record in MDM (product & customer), governance design and implementation, data quality management, process optimization and stakeholder management.

  • Fabrice Deseyn

    Fabrice Deseyn

    Data architect and Databricks lead for Cegeka Data&AI

    With a background in business engineering, Fabrice started his career as an aspiring junior data scientist. Soon after he got the opportunity to get technical with building data platforms from scratch for a B2C IoT solution. The challenge of building scalable streaming pipelines intrigued him and adding the complexity of augmenting these streams with metadata for both direct consumption, research and archiving made it even more fun. A career in data engineering was launched.

    Fabrice gained experience at a fast pace being surrounded by different stakeholders with varying business requirements and technical knowledge, that required juggling of requirements for reporting, data science and end-user satisfaction.

    As a Cegeka consultant and Databricks Champion, Fabrice has experience with a wide diversity of use cases. He’s eager to take on your (and my next) challenge. Passionate and experienced in the Azure Data and IoT stack, Apache Spark and Databricks, python, DevOps, MLOps, DataOps…

  • Flávio Fernandes

    Flávio Fernandes

    CEO booldata.com

    Flávio Fernandes is CEO and Partner at booldata. He got into analytics years ago for a simple reason: he liked the moment when a messy spreadsheet finally made sense to the people using it. That curiosity has never really left, and it eventually led him toward a PhD, where he now researches how organisations can responsibly integrate AI into their decision-making.

    Today he spends his time with clients and the booldata team, turning ambitious data goals into something people can run with week to week. He is happiest in the conversation where a business question meets a technical choice: what to build first, what can wait, and how to keep momentum without trying to fix everything at once.

    The decade-plus of experience behind that comes from a varied path: early consultancy work with companies of all sizes, a stint at the Betsson Group in Malta that broadened both his technical and people skills, and BI leadership roles at Deco PROTESTE and NOS before founding booldata. He knows the platform stack, Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, the broader Microsoft data ecosystem, but he will be the first to say that tools matter less than clarity: who needs the answer, by when, and what decision it unlocks.

    Flávio is based in Porto and helped build booldata for mid-sized organisations that want to move faster on data without adopting a heavyweight consultancy playbook. You will often find his posts here on what is changing in analytics, and increasingly, on where AI fits into all of it.

  • Frederik Declerck

    Frederik Declerck

    Lead Expert Data & AI - delaware BeLux

    Frederik has been in the data field for 10 years with a focus on Microsoft technologies. He is passionate about bringing insights from data, whether small or big. Aside from data, he loves sports: cycling, playing football, and listening to music with everything he does.

  • Gabi Münster

    Gabi Münster

    Principal Program Manager / Fabric CAT

    Gabi Münster (she / her) started working with SQL Server technologies in 2005 during her time as Web Application developer. After 11 years as BI consultant / Data architect and being awarded Data Platform MVP since 2018, she joined Microsoft in March 2022 as part of the Azure Data Customer Advisory Team and works as a Principal Program Manager covering Fabric.
    She speaks at regional chapter meetings, national and international conferences. Since 2016 she also supports a regional chapter as co-lead.
    Apart from BI topics she also supports Diversity topics.

  • Greg Baldini

    Greg Baldini

    He slices! He dices! When it comes to data, Greg Baldini does it all, and he is here to show you how to, too!

    At Argus PBI and Tabular Editor, Greg Baldini spends his career building high impact and high performance data solutions for customers. His experience spans industries and business domains. He feels silly writing his own biography in the third person. So I will just leave it with this: I like solving big, hairy data problems, and have spent a lot of time optimizing data models and solutions. Talk to me about anything. I love this stuff!

  • Heini Ilmarinen

    Heini Ilmarinen

    Co-founder, Bruvo

    Heini is a math teacher turned Azure expert. With her background in mathematics and teaching, she has a great passion for problem solving, simplifying complex things and a unique approach to architectures.
    She is a Co-founder at Bruvo and a Data Platform MVP, specializing in Azure infrastructure and the data platform. She has been working with customers large and small for the past several years to help them sort out their path to the cloud and make sense of their architecture - both hybrid and cloud. She has worked extensively with both Azure infrastructure and analytics solutions, and makes the most of this skillset in her projects, as well as while speaking. On her free time Heini spends time in the nature, either snowboarding or mountain biking, depending on the season.

  • Helena Lecluyse

    Helena Lecluyse

    Data Consultant

    Helena Lecluyse is a Master in Psychology (Theory and Research, 2025), now working as a data consultant at LACO. Her academic path covered neuroscience, perception, individual differences, and the social sciences and along the way, more Python, R, statistics and neural-network applications than most "non-technical" labels would suggest.
    Throughout her studies she designed behavioral experiments, trained convolutional neural networks, analyzed complex quantitative and qualitative datasets, and worked with research frameworks that demand rigor, transparency, and responsible data handling. She cares about hypothesis-driven analysis and translating complexity for the humans who have to act on it.
    She is living proof that the door into data is wider than the job ads suggest.

  • Ivana Pejeva

    Ivana Pejeva

    Cloud Solution Architect Data & AI - Microsoft

    Ivana is a cloud solution architect, passionate about big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence. As part of the Microsoft's cloud solution architect team in Data and AI, she helps organizations build and grow business with data. She has been involved in designing and implementing big data, machine learning and real time solutions. Ivana is an engineering professional with a background in computer science and a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence from KU Leuven.

  • Jan Meskens

    Jan Meskens

    Data Strategist, Founder of Sievax

    Jan Meskens is a data consultant at the intersection of architecture, data & AI strategy, and data management. With over a decade of experience in diverse consulting roles, Jan has been instrumental in guiding companies through the successful integration and implementation of data-driven strategies. He provides his services through his consulting company, Sievax.

    In academia, Jan imparts his knowledge to students at University College, focusing on AI and data-centric courses. Beyond his consultancy and teaching roles, he actively contributes to the broader data community by writing articles on Medium and presenting on data-related topics at various conferences, meetups, and workshops.

    With a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Jan offers a unique perspective in the world of data and artificial intelligence. His central ethos? Making data usable and understandable for many people within an organization will always result in valuable data.

  • Jasper Commeijne

    Jasper Commeijne

    Team manager data & AI at Savaco

    At Savaco I’m team manager of the Data & AI team. Our main focus is enabling companies to do more with their data. This ranges from capturing and consolidating data in a data warehouse to reporting and AI. We focus mainly on the Microsoft technology stack with products like Fabric and Power BI.

  • Jasper Puts

    Jasper Puts

    Sr. Solutions Engineer at Databricks

    Jasper is a Solutions Architect at Databricks with over five years of experience. He’s passionate about helping teams succeed on their data journey and enjoys collaborating to tackle complex challenges with scalable, AI-ready solutions. Jasper has hands-on experience with streaming data use cases and a strong personal interest in Generative AI.

  • Joanna Hryniewicz

    Joanna Hryniewicz

    Orsted Polska, Senior Power BI Administrator

    Once a Power BI Specialist, then a Developer and Bootcamp Mentor and Trainer — now a Power BI Administrator, also boldly exploring the depths of Microsoft Fabric. From building dashboards to mentoring future BI pros, I now focus on optimizing enterprise models and monitoring capacity like a data-driven ship captain. Former speaker at Conferences held in Poland (Power BI Day 2025 and Women in IT 2024), I’m passionate about sharing ideas and spreading knowledge. I see life as a long-distance journey—whether at work, supporting and training others, or running a marathon.

  • Jon Vöge

    Jon Vöge

    Principal Consultant at Inspari - a valantic company

    Jon is a Principal Consultant at Inspari, working with Solution Architecture and delivering Microsoft Fabric, Power BI & Power Platform solutions. He is passionate about Low-code development, and a huge believer in putting data analytics into the hands of the business user.

  • Jonathan Moeyersons

    Jonathan Moeyersons

    Data analyst at Lytix

    Jonathan Moeyersons is a Power BI consultant at Lytix and currently works as a Power BI coach and expert at the National Bank of Belgium. With extensive experience in data analysis and visualization, Jonathan helps business users make better decisions through effective use of Power BI.

  • Joppe Wouters

    Joppe Wouters

    Data Engineer at DataSense

    As a data engineer at DataSense, Joppe is passionate about building scalable, future-ready data platforms that empower organizations to unlock value from their data. With a foundation in data engineering and analytics, he has hands-on experience with both Databricks and Microsoft Fabric, two leading platforms shaping the modern data landscape.

    Besides a passion for data engineering, Joppe also has a keen interest in watching motorsports. He knows that while speed catches the eye, it is reliability, precision, and a robust build that truly drive long-term success.

  • Juliana Smith

    Juliana Smith

    Data Engineer at Zure

    Juliana Smith is a multi‑award‑winning data expert with a background in Physical Oceanography. For over 15 years she has explored the stories hidden within data. Since 2020 she has specialised in analytics engineering and data design. Juliana translates complex datasets into accessible, actionable insights through thoughtful modelling, intuitive structures, and purposeful visual communication. Her work champions WCAG‑aligned accessibility, precision, and clarity, bridging the gap between raw data and human understanding to empower confident, informed decision‑making.

  • Just Blindbæk

    Just Blindbæk

    Microsoft BI architect, trainer, speaker and MVP

    BI architect with extensive experience in all phases of BI development on Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, Fabric and Power BI. Founder and coordinator of Microsoft Business Intelligence Professionals Denmark (MsBIP.dk) and Power BI UG Denmark (PowerBI.dk). Is a Microsoft Certified Trainer.

  • Karel Coenye

    Karel Coenye

    VLAIO - Competence Centre Data - Teamlead & Data Architect

    Karel Coenye started as an Architect for Vlaanderen Connect in may 2020 and has been working with data in different roles since 1999. Currently working as a Data Architect on the Azure Platform and as the project manager for the ongoing Azure Projects for VLAIO.

    Currently he is involved in different projects as cloud architect while coaching and training both data scientists and developers. Experienced in both big data and No SQL scenarios as with smaller environments. Using an unique approach and knowledge of both processes and data flows the focus is always on the result, not on the technology used.

  • Karianne Kies

    Karianne Kies

    Data Engineer at PwC

    Karianne is a Data Engineer with experience in implementing Fabric environments, as well as BI and data governance projects within the consulting industry. She is passionate about developing solutions that empower organizations to gain complete visibility and control over their data.

  • Kellyn Gorman

    Kellyn Gorman

    Technical Swiss Army Knife, Advocate and Engineer at Redgate

    Kellyn Pot’Vin-Gorman is a Database and AI Advocate and Engineer with Redgate, with a long history in multi-platform technology. An Oracle ACE Director alumnus, she has been awarded over the years for her technical contributions and community volunteerism through many organizations, including a recognition as Woman in Tech of the Year for the state of Colorado. She is one of only six women part of the Oak Table, a network for the Oracle scientist. She has extensive experience in environment optimization, cloud migration, automation and architect of robust environments. Specializing in multi-terabyte management of OLAP/DSS systems. A consistent advocate for logical tuning of code and design before hardware solutions. She's recently become known for her expertise in DevOps, AWR, (Automatic Workload Repository) and virtualization of database environments with complex cloud management in Azure and Google Cloud. She's recently been contracted with a number of AI projects, using both relational data and AI services in both data security and architecture. The technical knowledge required to support these features offers great educational opportunities to learn by attending her technical presentations, engaging with her on social media presence as DBAKevlar or reading her blog, dbakevlar.com.

  • Kevin De Laet

    Kevin De Laet

    Data Platform Engineer/Architect@Cegeka

    After finishing my phd in Abstract Mathematics in 2017 and doing a Postdoc, I have worked in data since 2018. I have experience in different cloud data platforms and cloud providers, but my main focus is on Azure and in particular, Azure Databricks.
    I am the father of 2 (very) young daughters. In my spare time I enjoy jogging and grand strategy games (with a history focus).

  • Koen Verbeeck

    Koen Verbeeck

    Senior Consultant @ AE - Former Data Platform MVP

    Koen Verbeeck is a data professional working at AE. He helps organizations to get insight in their data and to improve their analytics solutions. Koen has over a decade and a half of experience in developing data warehouses, models and reports using the Microsoft data platform. Koen was a Microsoft Data Platform MVP for 8 consecutive years, and 1 year Microsoft Fabric MVP. He has a blog at http://www.sqlkover.com, writes articles for MSSQLTips.com and is a frequent speaker at Microsoft Data Platform events.

  • Kurt Buhler

    Kurt Buhler

    Goblin guy

    Kurt Buhler is Head of Innovation at Tabular Editor, where he researches and communicates what's next for semantic models and BI — from technical best practices to agentic development. Kurt emphasizes a user-centric focus, helping data professionals cut through the noise to build robust, useful solutions that matter.

  • Lorenz Kindling

    Lorenz Kindling

    Managing Consultant at Scalefree | BI, Microsoft Fabric, dbt & Data Architectures

    Lorenz Kindling is a Managing Consultant for Business Intelligence and Data Architectures at Scalefree. He helps enterprise customers design and modernize data platforms, with a focus on business-oriented data modeling, Data Vault 2.0, Microsoft Fabric, dbt, SQL Server, and scalable cloud analytics architectures. In his projects, he bridges business requirements, technical architecture, governance, and delivery execution. He holds a degree in Business Information Systems with a focus on Big Data and Data Science and is certified in Data Vault 2.0, Microsoft Fabric, dbt Analytics Engineering, Snowflake, Azure, and agile delivery methods.

  • Luke Moloney

    Luke Moloney

    Fabric @ Microsoft

    Luke works in the Microsoft Fabric Strategic Accounts and ISV team based out of Dublin. Working with customers and ISVs building platforms with Fabric. Previous to Microsoft, he worked for Aginic - an Analytics consultancy in Australia implementing Azure oriented data solutions. Outside of technology you can find him watching F1 or Rugby

  • Maarten Van Stiphout

    Maarten Van Stiphout

    Practice Lead Data Advisory @LACO

    Maarten Van Stiphout is Practice Lead Data Advisory at LACO, with to two decades of experience building data platforms that actually deliver. He started in data warehousing and BI, and has since worked his way across master data, data governance and AI – picking up strong opinions along the way about what separates projects that ship from projects that drift.
    At LACO he helps organizations cut through the Vault-vs-Kimball-vs-Medallion debates and design data models that match the value at stake, mostly on the Microsoft Data & AI Platform. He's the kind of architect who has built every layer he now critiques and inherited a few he didn't.
    He cares about data quality, pragmatic modelling and the unglamorous decisions that quietly determine whether a data platform earns its keep.

  • Marc Lelijveld

    Marc Lelijveld

    Data Platform MVP | Technical Evangelist | Solution Architect Data Solutions & Insights

    Data Platform MVP, Power BI and Fabric enthusiastic, public speaker and passionate for everything which transforms data into action! Working at Macaw in the Netherlands as Solution Architect and Technical Evangelist in the Data Solutions & Insights team.

    What I like the most? Sharing my thoughts, experience, best-practices and enthusiasm about Microsoft data platform with others. I mostly do this in public speaking at usergroups, conferences, customer presentations and end-user training. Besides that I also have my own blog which you can find at https://data-marc.com/

  • Margarita Naumova

    Margarita Naumova

    CEO, Data Platform Architect at Inspirit

    Magi Naumova is an SQL Server Architect and Consultant, speaker and trainer, Microsoft Certified Master, MVP, MCT, Founder of SQL Master Academy, and founder and CEO Of Inspirit Data Platform Consulting Company in Bulgaria and Norway, founder, and the leader of Bulgarian SQL & BI User group and Azure Analytics User Group BG. She has more than 25 years SQL Server training and consulting experience. Magi is a former member of Microsoft Services Worldwide Technical Leadership Team. Currently she speaks, writes, trains and consults people on SQL Server and MS Fabric Data Platform. She is MVP for 15 years in a row. Her unique SQL Master Academy training program has helped hundreds of specialists to feel knowledgeable in their daily work or to find an inspirational career path in the world of SQL Server.

  • Marilou Puissant

    Marilou Puissant

    data scientist at element61

    Data scientist at element61, where I spend my time building and deploying AI solutions on the Microsoft platform, from data pipelines to Copilot Studio agents that actually make it to production.

  • Mark Pryce-Maher (He / Him)

    Mark Pryce-Maher (He / Him)

    Program Manager

    Mark Pryce-Maher is a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, specialising in large-scale analytics, data warehousing, and Microsoft Fabric. With deep expertise in SQL Server, cloud data platforms, and modern analytics architectures, he works closely with engineering teams and enterprise customers to shape the future of data workloads in Fabric.
    Mark is a recognised subject matter expert in Fabric Data Warehouse, SQL analytics endpoints, and data migration strategies from legacy platforms such as Azure Synapse Analytics. He leads initiatives focused on performance optimisation, scalability, and real-world adoption of analytics solutions at scale, working with customers across EMEA and beyond.
    In addition to his product work, Mark is an active contributor to technical communities and customer engagement programmes, helping organisations navigate the transition to modern data platforms. He is currently authoring a comprehensive book on Microsoft Fabric Mirroring, providing practical guidance and deep technical insight into next-generation data integration patterns.

  • Marthe Moengen

    Marthe Moengen

    Microsoft Data Platform MVP | Data & AI - imeto

    Gal in a Cube, Data Architect & Microsoft Data Platform MVP, named Top 50 Women in Tech Norway. Agentic data platforms in a safe way!

  • Merlijn Van Waeyenberghe

    Merlijn Van Waeyenberghe

    @MerlinFromBE @bepowershell

    Consultant @itsobvus | BEPUG co-owner | #Intune #ConfigMgr expert | #AI addict| #PowerShell #Python #SoftwareComposer| #community speaker | CPL(H) #HelicopterPilot #AviationGeek | Biker | VR/XR enthousiast

  • Michael Finlan

    Michael Finlan

    Working on deterministic AI - michael.finlan@toolkitsoft.com

    Michael Finlan is a systems analyst and data & AI consultant based in Belgium, and the founder of ToolkitSoft. Graduated as a financial analyst, he then specialised in systems analysis and has worked mainly in business intelligence and software development. He is currently finalising a methodology for deterministic AI – practical ways of making AI behaviour reproducible and reliable in real-world data work.

  • Michelle Evjen Halvorsen

    Michelle Evjen Halvorsen

    Data Intelligence <3 Sustainability

    Marketer turned data practitioner, now working with data platforms, engineering and AI. Drawn to how data can support more sustainable decisions.

  • Miquella De Boer

    Miquella De Boer

    Principal Product Manager Lead @ Microsoft

  • Nadim Abou-Khalil

    Nadim Abou-Khalil

    KI performance GmbH, Senior Analytics Engineer

    Nadim Abou-Khalil (Senior Analytics Engineer at KI performance GmbH)
    Nadim has been working with Microsoft business intelligence and data products since 2015, starting in Mexico City and later in Berlin, Germany. Studying Accounting & Business in the UK helped him build an understanding of the business needs for IT solutions which later became the focus during his career. Several years of working with Microsoft Dynamics, Power BI (since its release), whilst focusing the business and IT process optimization and automation aspects of solutions enabled him to successfully implement IT solutions for clients. Speaking publicly has been a recent passion, along with the publication of a YouTube Fabric & Power BI tutorials channel known as PoweAegg in 2022/2023.
    www.linkedin.com/in/nadim-abou-khalil

  • Nicky van Vroenhoven

    Nicky van Vroenhoven

    Unit Lead Fabric & Power BI

    Nicky van Vroenhoven is a BI professional focused at the Microsoft stack and a Data Platform MVP. He mainly works with Power BI, Power Platform and T-SQL. Nicky started working with SQL Server and SSIS in 2005 in the DWH space, and later moved from Power Pivot to Power BI. After working 10 years in BI-consultancy jobs in several industries and companies, he worked for 5 years as a Power BI Administrator at a wealth management bank, and he is currently working as Unit Lead Fabric/Power BI at Powerdobs in The Netherlands.
    Nicky has spoken at several User Groups and conferences including SQL Saturday Events, the Power BI World Tour, SQLBits and the Fabric Community Conference. In addition he enjoys tweeting and blogging about topics like Power BI and Power Platform at https://nickyvv.com.
    In his spare time Nicky likes to go running, play chess or try to improve his Rubik's cube record. He is also a husband, father of 3 and a (former) ballroom dancer.

  • Nico Jacobs

    Nico Jacobs

    Power BI, Azure data stack and SQL Server trainer at U2U

    Dr. Nico Jacobs started his career as a data mining researcher at the university of Leuven, Belgium. He joined U2U in 2004 as an instructor, author and technology strategist. His current technical expertise focuses on Power BI and Data Engineering/Data Science on Microsoft Azure. As a passionate trainer, Nico likes to inspire his students to gain a thorough knowledge on the subject. Nico regularly speaks at local and international conferences. You can see what he’s up to by following @SqlWaldorf on Twitter .

  • Oliver De Vijt

    Oliver De Vijt

    Data Engineer @ AE

    Oliver is a data engineer working at AE. He helps organizations build robust, scalable, and future-proof data platforms in the cloud. With a strong focus on metadata-driven design and cloud architecture, Oliver creates data solutions that are secure, maintainable, and aligned with business needs. He regularly shares his experiences and insights through blog posts on Medium, writing about practical patterns and lessons learned from the field.

  • Olivier Van Steenlandt

    Olivier Van Steenlandt

    Expert @ Datashift

    Olivier Van Steenlandt is a Business Intelligence Professional who spent most of his early career assisting retail companies to get more value of their data using the Microsoft BI Stack (SSIS, SSAS, SSRS, Power BI).

    As his first experience in the field (in Business Intelligence), Olivier worked as a Big Data Analyst using tools such as Hadoop and Spark.

    In 2015 the focus changed to traditional data warehousing & reporting using SSIS, SSRS & MicroStrategy. A bit later, around June 2019, the opportunity arose to fill the position of BI Teamlead. In this function he was able to set up a hybrid BI Team (team members in Belgium and Belarus).

    Early 2020, Olivier joined the dataMinds crew as a core member, assisting to organise several events.

    Around April 2021, Olivier started a new position as BI Teamlead in another Retail Company to support business growth. Besides the challenge to help the BI Team grow and deliver projects on time, he started to use SSAS & Power BI.

    In April 2025, Olivier stepped away from internal positions and became an independent consultant.

    When Olivier is not working there is a high chance that you find him on a football field, studying (BI Related), playing music (Saxophone / Piano) or cooking.

  • Paul Andrew

    Paul Andrew

    Co-Founder & CTO of Cloud Formations | Microsoft MVP

    Paul (AKA @mrpaulandrew) is the Co-Founder & CTO of Cloud Formations, a specialist data consultancy based in the UK. With nearly 20 years’ experience designing and delivering Microsoft data architectures, Paul leads a passionate team of engineers, supporting businesses small and large with scalable cloud platforms. Business value delivered through data insights. Over the years, Paul has covered the breadth and depth of design patterns and industry leading concepts, including Lambda, Kappa, Delta Lake, Data Mesh and Data Fabric.

    Paul is also a Microsoft Data Platform MVP, director for the Data Relay community conference, East Midlands user group leader, book author and mentor. In addition to the day job(s), Paul is a father of three, husband, foodie, runner, blood donor, geek, Lego, and Star Wars fan! Lastly, Paul confesses to enjoying a Ramstein playlist when given half a chance to do some coding for a customer project.

  • Paul McComish

    Paul McComish

    Principal Data Engineering Consults at Advancing Analytics

    Paul McComish is a Principal Data Engineering Consultant at Advancing Analytics based in the UK, with extensive experience working across data engineering, analytics, and modern cloud platforms. He has spent many years helping organisations design and deliver data solutions, from traditional analytics environments through to modern lakehouse architectures.

    Paul holds multiple Microsoft and Databricks certifications and is actively engaged in the data community, regularly sharing insights and perspectives on topics such as data platform modernisation, migration from legacy systems, and evolving data engineering practices.

  • Paula García Esteban

    Paula García Esteban

    Data visualization and AI specialist

    💫🙆🏻‍♀️ Founder @ Stratadom
    🎨📊 Data visualization and AI training
    🧑‍🏫🤖 IA/ML Instructor @ LinkedIn Learning
    🏅💻 Microsoft MVP Data Platform & AI Platform

    I trust the power of data and persuasive communication.

    Data visualization services: www.uxforpowerbi.com
    More info: www.stratadom.com

  • Peer Grønnerup

    Peer Grønnerup

    Head of Engineering, Technical Architect & Community Advocate at Tabular Editor

    Peer is a seasoned Data & BI professional with over 15 years of experience delivering enterprise-grade analytics solutions across industries. He recently joined Tabular Editor as a Technical Architect & Community Advocate, where he helps shape the future of semantic modeling while supporting the global data community.

    Previously, Peer was a key member of the twoday Microsoft Fabric expert group, where he helped define best practice frameworks for Fabric implementations - ranging from metadata-driven ingestion and transformation patterns to CI/CD pipelines and scalable ways of working across environments.

    Peer’s involvement with Microsoft Fabric began in 2022 as part of the early private preview of what was then known as Project Trident. This early engagement has given him deep, practical insights into the platform’s architecture and evolution, making him a trusted authority on modern data engineering with Fabric.

    Driven by a passion for community, innovation, and quality, Peer regularly shares his knowledge through blogs, talks, and open-source contributions - empowering others to unlock the full potential of their data platforms.

  • Peter van den Bos

    Peter van den Bos

    Geek by design. Because performance isn’t optional.

    Peter van den Bos is a Business Intelligence Consultant, speaker, and founder of Dutch BI Geek. For over a decade, he has helped organizations get a better grip on their data – making Power BI not just look good, but also run fast and make sense. With deep expertise in data modeling and DAX, Peter has a talent for explaining complex topics clearly and with energy.

    He shares his insights through blogs, vlogs, and training sessions, always with one goal in mind: helping others make better, smarter decisions with data. Expect practical tips, performance tweaks, and well-grounded advice – straight from the field. His sessions are a favorite among controllers, analysts, and BI professionals who want to understand what’s really going on under the hood.

    When he’s not training or presenting, you’ll find him tweaking data models just for fun, deliberately slowing down DAX queries (so he can fix them), or stress-testing visualizations like it’s a competitive sport. His Dutch-language YouTube channel is a playground for anyone with a passion for Power BI – or anyone ready to embrace their inner data nerd.

  • Pieter Vanhove

    Pieter Vanhove

    Senior Product Manager - Security & Governance Azure Database Platform

    Pieter Vanhove is a Senior Program Manager in the Security & Governance Azure Database Platform team at Microsoft. He is the feature PM for ledger, Always Encrypted and Transparent Data Encryption which is all about bringing the power of Blockchain to SQL Server and data encryption. He has been working with SQL Server since 2000. Pieter has a profound knowledge in data security and loves the new Azure stuff. He is also a regular speaker at Belgian and international events.

  • Reid Havens

    Reid Havens

    Founder - Analytic Endeavors | Havens Consulting

    As the founder of both (Havens Consulting & Analytic Endeavors) and a Microsoft MVP, Reid is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in technology, organizational management, and business analytics. With a Master's Degree in Organizational Development and a background in consulting for Fortune 10, 50, and 500 companies, Reid has the knowledge and expertise to help your organization succeed.

    In addition to his corporate experience, Reid is also a highly sought-after instructor, teaching Business Intelligence, reporting, and data visualization at the University of Washington and other universities. His passion for education extends beyond the classroom, as he has co-authored the DP-500 Enterprise Azure Analyst certification exam for Microsoft and developed numerous training curriculums delivered to companies around the world.

  • Ruben Joosen

    Ruben Joosen

    IT Trainer at U2U

    Ruben Joosen, a 28-year-old IT instructor at U2U, is passionate about technology and teaching. Outside of work, he enjoys staying active with running, cycling, and football.

  • Sam Debruyn

    Sam Debruyn

    Microsoft Data Platform MVP, cloud & data platform architect

    Sam Debruyn is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and Cloud & Data Platform Architect passionate about modern data platforms such as Microsoft Fabric. In his day-to-day, he designs and implements data platforms that support customers in harvesting the full potential of their data. Sam has over 10 years of experience with Microsoft Azure and often blogs about his adventures in data. He contributes to the data community through blog posts, open-source projects, and speaking engagements at data meetups and conferences.

  • Santhosh Kumar Ravindran

    Santhosh Kumar Ravindran

    Principal Product Manager, Microsoft Fabric Data Engineering

    Product Manager @ Microsoft Corporation with over 7 years of software engineering (full stack) and deep knowledge and experience in data science.

    Currently leading the Spark compute platform for Microsoft Fabric.

    Prior to my current role was responsible for the Microsoft Data Governance Platform, which included Governance Catalog (Purview), Data Estate Insights, and Lineage tracing platform.

    I lead high-performance teams and various projects in developing large-scale Data Platforms, Distributed Systems, and Machine Learning Services.

  • Sara Woltjes

    Sara Woltjes

    Manager BI & Board member of the Dutch Power BI user group (PBIG)

    🎨 Creative & Strategic – My strength lies in getting to the core in a visual way.
    🚀 Challenge & Growth – I'm always looking for new opportunities to learn and challenge myself.
    🤝 Connection & Team – Building strong relationships that foster collaboration and growth.
    🔍 Curious & Analytical – Solving puzzles, whether it's human behavior or data analysis.
    😄 Enthusiastic Approach – Humor, optimism, and contagious enthusiasm in everything I do!

    Bridging the gap between business and IT fascinates me—how do you create the best product, ask the right questions, and visualize results in a way that makes the core message clear?
    As a BI manager, I’ve gained great experience in team building, leadership, and understanding human behavior, ensuring collaboration between business and IT leads to meaningful results.
    Let’s turn data into action!

  • Shania Spierings

    Shania Spierings

    Data Consultant @ Wortell

    Shania Spierings is a Data Consultant at Wortell, working with Power BI and the Microsoft Data Platform. She has a background in data analysis and BI engineering, and enjoys turning complex data into clear and actionable insights.
    Passionate about UX-design, she aims to bridge the gap between data and end users by creating dashboards that are both insightful and easy to use. She likes sharing practical experiences and ideas on how to make data solutions more accessible and user-friendly.

  • Simon Whiteley

    Simon Whiteley

    Databricks MVP, Found & CTO, Nerd

    Simon is founder and CTO of Advancing Analytics, a UK-based Databricks and Data/AI consultancy. Passionate data engineer, veteran consultant, tech strategist, and unrepentant agentic development enthusiast. Spends his days helping organisations get production-grade work out of their lakehouses, with agents doing an increasing amount of the typing. Londoner. Nerd.

  • Sofiia Alieva

    Sofiia Alieva

    Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft

    Sofiia Alieva is a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, where she works closely with customers to design and implement data and AI solutions. Her day-to-day work focuses on helping organizations build and optimize data platforms, modernize architectures, and unlock insights from their data. With a background in data engineering, she has hands-on experience in building data pipelines, integrating data across systems, and orchestrating data workflows. She combines this technical expertise with customer-facing engagements, translating business requirements into practical solutions and supporting teams throughout their data transformation journey.

  • Štěpán Rešl

    Štěpán Rešl

    Data Platform MVP | Managing partner & Lead technical consultant at DataBrothers

    I am a data lover, especially in the ecosystem of Microsoft tools. I primarily focus on Power BI, Azure Synapse, and Azure SQL. In general, I follow a very simple motto.

    "Don´t say it cannot be done, or someone who doesn´t know it will come and do it."

    I am a co-founder and a Lead Technical Consultant at DataBrothers. We are Power BI experts and consultants with a focus on data analysis, reporting, and training in Power BI. We work with our clients across the globe on developing custom solutions and training their users on all levels (from business to development).

  • Steve Campbell

    Steve Campbell

    Co-Founder @ Analytic Endeavors, MVP

    Steve co-owns Analytic Endeavors, a boutique data consultancy helping organizations build Master Data - centralized data that is trusted, validated, and AI-ready. We design and deliver well-architected data platforms with strong data foundations, embedded data quality, and master data management, supported by our proprietary Nexus platform.

    I’m also the founder of Sunny BI, where we run Build Camps, a delivery-led model with a unique blend of training and consulting, where your team learns by doing. They build a real solution to a real business problems, using your own data and platforms, and leave with a working POC and the skills to take it forward.

    Outside of this, I’m a Microsoft MVP and an active community contributor. I speak globally at major data and Microsoft conferences and share practical Power BI guidance through my website and social channels

  • Teo Van Lier

    Teo Van Lier

    Data Engineer and MS Fabric enthusiast on a mission to get rid of overcomplication

    A Belgian data engineer who spends most of his time building data pipelines on Fabric. I work with Python, PySpark, SQL, and all the tools that help turn messy data into something useful.

    I enjoy figuring out what actually works in the real world and keeping things simple instead of over-engineered. As a consultant, I help teams make practical choices, improve performance, and build platforms that don’t fall over.

  • Thomas Kronawitter

    Thomas Kronawitter

    Making Data Matter

    Thomas is Head of Data-Driven Applications & Services at GRENKE in Baden-Baden.
    GRENKE is a financial solution provider, offering services in more than 30 countries around the world.

    His department aims to deliver business value through data and data-related services and applications.
    He has spent the last 20 years with data, databases, IT services, and related infrastructure. Before that, he was a paramedic with the German Red Cross.

    When he is not pretending to work, you will probably find him on his motorcycle, as far away from paved roads as possible.

  • Tom Huntley

    Tom Huntley

    Senior Cloud DBA @ CloudRede

    I'm a SQL Server DBA who recently made the leap into data engineering. With a background in database administration I love solving business problems with data.

  • Tomasz Szreder

    Tomasz Szreder

    Power BI Architect and Trainer

    I have been working with Power BI since 2016. First as a Data Analyst, where together with Power Query in Excel it saved me countless hours of repetitive tasks. And later as a Power BI Specialist / Consultant, helping companies build data platforms based on Microsoft Data stack.
    Currently I am a Senior Data Analyst / Power BI Architect at Volvo Group, focusing on creating solutions to monitor a data platform built on Azure cloud. Additionally, I am delivering trainings on Power BI, Power Automate and Azure data solutions.

  • Tonie Huizer

    Tonie Huizer

    Software, Data, DevOps Consultant at Promicro

    Tonie Huizer is a Software, Data, and DevOps Consultant who believes good tech starts with understanding your people. A regular on international stages and a Microsoft Certified Azure Developer, Tonie loves helping teams simplify complex challenges; whether that’s modernizing database deployments, designing scalable systems, or just getting Dev and Ops to finally talk to each other.

    Tonie is known for his clear, energetic presentation style and ability to make complex topics accessible and engaging. As a Redgate Community Ambassador, he advocates for database DevOps and contributes to open knowledge sharing through blogs, talks, and events across the globe. He also co-leads SeaQL Saturday, a community-driven event that blends education, networking, and Sammie, his Kooikerhondje mascot. (Because yes, even events are better with a dog.)

    Whether he's discussing Azure DevOps workflows, database release automation, or the cultural shifts required to implement DevOps successfully, Tonie brings real-world experience, humor, and actionable insights. His goal is to inspire professionals not just to adopt new technologies, but to transform how teams collaborate and innovate.

    And when he’s not speaking about tech, he might just be speaking about whisky. Tonie is a passionate whisky enthusiast who loves sharing stories, flavors, and the occasional tasting session with his fellow connoisseur of TasteWhisky. If you're into DevOps, data, and a well-aged dram on the side, Tonie’s your man!

  • Uwe Ricken

    Uwe Ricken

    db Berater GmbH - Managing Director

    Uwe Ricken has been working with IT systems since the early 1990s, with a deep focus on Microsoft SQL Server starting from his work on Membership Software for the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany - later rolled out across five European countries. His passion for SQL Server took off in 2007 when he joined Deutsche Bank AG as a database administrator, gaining hands-on experience in high-performance, enterprise-scale environments.

    With over three decades of experience in database development and operations, Uwe earned the prestigious "Microsoft Certified Master – SQL Server 2008", the highest technical certification at the time. In 2013, he was honored with his first "Microsoft MVP Award" for his contributions to the SQL Server community across Germany and Europe.

    Since 2010, Uwe has been sharing his expertise through his blog https://sqlmaster.de, offering deep dives into SQL Server internals, performance tuning, and real-world troubleshooting.

    A regular speaker at international conferences and user groups, Uwe’s sessions focus on Database Internals, Indexing Strategies and Advanced SQL Development - always with a practical, performance-driven mindset.

  • Valerie Junk

    Valerie Junk

    Data Analytics, Visualization & Storytelling | Microsoft Data Platform MVP | Wortell

    Hi there. I am Valerie Junk.
    I am passionate about creating insights from data and designing dashboards using Power BI. With my expertise in data analytics and visualization, I support companies in developing effective data-driven strategies that yield results and take the business to the next level.
    Microsoft Data Platform MVP

  • Vitalija Bartusevičiūtė

    Vitalija Bartusevičiūtė

    Manager

    Vitalija thrives on turning complex data into actionable insights. For her PhD she spent years in a lab collecting data on fish, and gained a deep understanding on science-grade quantitative analytics. Today she work as a business analytics consultant using Microsoft technology, primarily Azure Databricks. She loves to talk about data and exchange best practices. When not at work you can her working on her next ceramics project.

  • Yaron Prigal

    Yaron Prigal

    Principal Product Manager, Microsoft Fabric

    With over 22 years of experience in the tech industry, Yaron has held various roles including developer, DevOps and cloud architect. Currently, Yaron is part of the Fabric CI/CD platform team, dedicated to delivering the best developer experience to Fabric developers.

  • Zoë Van Noppen

    Zoë Van Noppen

    Freelance AI engineer

    Zoë Van Noppen is an AI Engineer and Databricks MVP based in Belgium. Over the past 8 years, she has worked across the full data project lifecycle, with a specialisation in AI and the Databricks ecosystem. Alongside her client work, she shares technical insights on Databricks through blog posts and LinkedIn. She also believes that technical expertise is only part of the picture, that great teams are equally built on emotional intelligence and the courage to have honest conversations.

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