Speaker

Sarah Lean

Sarah Lean

International Speaker - Founder of the Glasgow Azure User Group

Glasgow, United Kingdom

With a diverse career that spans over eighteen years, Sarah has been a part of every aspect of the IT world. Sarah is a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) and Microsoft employee.

Born and raised on a dairy farm in Scotland, Sarah holds true to her heritage by embracing the natural world through her appreciation for technology. For Sarah, technology is a way to see life as it grows and adapts, ever-changing, just like the natural world of farming.

Sarah is proud to give back to her community. As a STEM Ambassador, Sarah helps others learn how IT can impact and change their lives for the better. Most specifically, she enjoys teaching the next generation of young women how they too can rise in a male-oriented field and succeed in their own careers. Sarah also founded the Glasgow Azure User Group, a community collective that meets bimonthly to network and discuss the latest in technology.

Sarah’s enthusiasm in the field of technology has given her the opportunity to speak at public events, most notably, Microsoft Ignite.

Area of Expertise

  • Information & Communications Technology

Topics

  • Microsoft Azure
  • Cloud Migration
  • Windows Server
  • Hybrid Cloud
  • Azure Hybrid
  • DevOps
  • Cloud Operations
  • Automation & CI/CD
  • Terraform
  • Azure Arc

Dive into the World of Kusto Query Language

Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey into the realm of Kusto Query Language (KQL)? Look no further! Join us for an exhilarating session where we'll demystify this powerful language and equip you with the skills you need to conquer the data universe!

KQL isn't just any language – it's used widely within the Microsoft Azure ecosystem. Get ready to unleash your data querying skills!

In this beginner-friendly session, we'll kick things off with a lively introduction to KQL, exploring its structure and uncovering the secrets of its evolution with a dash of history thrown in for good measure.

But wait, there's more! We'll dive headfirst into real-world use cases and practical examples, empowering you to craft your own KQL masterpieces with confidence.

Get ready to level up your querying game and unlock new possibilities with KQL.

Introductory session

A walk through Azure

Microsoft's cloud platform is called Azure, but what is it? What does it look like? Why should you care?

In this walk through session we'll cover off what the platform is, what it offers and how you can get started with it.

Introductory session

Start your Azure Certified Journey!

Cloud Computing is becoming more and more important within the IT industry, by becoming certified in these technologies it can help boost your career. In this session, you will learn why you should become Microsoft Azure Certified, what the different exam paths are and how to prepare for the exam. As well as explaining how to sit the exam at home.

How Much Git Can We Learn?

Git can seem like an impenetrable set of command and arguments and with over 160 commands you might be right.

During this talk I'll pack in as many git tips and tricks as possible. Covering off things repository details, branching, merging and command git commands.

This is an introductory session.

Controlling Your Azure Costs: Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices

Managing Azure costs can be challenging, especially for organizations with large, complex cloud deployments. In this session, we will explore the tools and techniques you can use to gain control over your Azure costs, reduce waste, and optimize your cloud spend.

We'll discuss design decisions that can impact your Azure costs, such as choosing the right VM size, storage options, and network architecture. We'll share best practices for optimizing resource usage and minimizing waste and show you how to leverage Azure Advisor to get personalized recommendations for improving your infrastructure.

By the end of this session, you will clearly understand how to use Azure Cost Management, design decisions, and Azure Savings Plans to control your Azure costs and optimize your cloud spend. Whether you're a cloud architect, developer, data architect or IT professional, you'll leave with practical insights and actionable strategies for achieving cost savings in your Azure environment.

This is an introductory and intermediate session.

Infrastructure as Code - A look at Azure Bicep and Terraform

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the modern standing way of working with cloud technology, but choosing the right tool for this task can be a headache.

Different people and roles within your team may have unique needs or approaches.

In this session we will walk through What Azure Bicep & Terraform are. We'll talk about how they compare, showing demos and sharing some best practices.

The aim of this session is to help you understand which IaC tool would suit you and your organisation.

This is a mix between introductory and intermediate session.

Terraforming with GitHub Actions

Azure, Terraform, and GitHub Actions are like the perfect recipe for cloud deployment – a tech-savvy version of a culinary masterpiece!

In this session, I'll guide you through the tantalizing world of GitHub Actions – think of it as the secret sauce that adds flavour to your tech cuisine. We'll explore how this delightful tool pairs seamlessly with Terraform, creating a recipe for automation that's as satisfying as savouring your favourite dish. So, buckle up, and let's automate your deployments in a way that's truly a feast for the tech connoisseur's palate!

Curling Your Way to Career Success: Leveraging Hobbies for Professional Growth

In this presentation, I explore how the principles of curling can be applied to develop essential workplace skills such as leadership, communication, and teamwork. Drawing from my personal experiences on the ice, I illustrate how curling has honed my leadership abilities and facilitated effective communication strategies.

Moreover, I discuss the collaborative nature of the sport and its correlation with successful teamwork in professional settings. By sharing insights from running a user group, I emphasize the transferable soft skills acquired through community leadership.

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how their hobbies and outside-of-work activities can contribute to their professional growth, and vice versa, making this session valuable for seasoned professionals and aspiring leaders seeking to leverage diverse experiences for career advancement.

This is a soft skill/personal development session.

90DaysOfDevOps - 2024 Community Edition Sessionize Event

January 2024

DATA:Scotland 2022 Sessionize Event

September 2022 Glasgow, United Kingdom

Cloud Lunch and Learn Sessionize Event

July 2022

Scottish Summit 2022 Sessionize Event

June 2022 Glasgow, United Kingdom

Festive Tech Calendar 2021 Sessionize Event

December 2021

Scenic City Summit 2021 Sessionize Event

September 2021

Azure Summit Sessionize Event

September 2021

Techorama 2021 Spring Edition Sessionize Event

May 2021 Antwerpen, Belgium

DATA:Scotland's Scottish Summer Sessionize Event

May 2021

AzureLive Sessionize Event

April 2021

MCT Summit 2021 Sessionize Event

March 2021

Virtual Azure Community Day Sessionize Event

July 2020

Azure Day Rome 2020 Sessionize Event

June 2020

Scottish Summit Sessionize Event

February 2020 Glasgow, United Kingdom

Microsoft Ignite the Tour

January 2020 Johannesburg, South Africa

CloudBrew 2019 - A two-day Microsoft Azure event Sessionize Event

December 2019 Mechelen, Belgium

Microsoft Ignite 2019

Presented to over 900 people at Microsoft Ignite, the session was called "Keeping Costs Down in Azure"

November 2019 Orlando, Florida, United States

DATA:Scotland 2019 Sessionize Event

September 2019 Glasgow, United Kingdom

Experts Live Norway 2019 Sessionize Event

May 2019 Oslo, Norway

Intelligent Cloud Conference 2019 Sessionize Event

April 2019 Copenhagen, Denmark

MVPDays Online January 2019 Sessionize Event

January 2019 Calgary, Canada

SQLGLA 2018 Sessionize Event

September 2018 Glasgow, United Kingdom

Evolve Conference Sessionize Event

September 2018 Birmingham, United Kingdom

Sarah Lean

International Speaker - Founder of the Glasgow Azure User Group

Glasgow, United Kingdom