Speaker

Simone Bennett

Simone Bennett

Principal Consultant at Arkahna

Brisbane, Australia

Actions

With 25+ years of IT expertise I've spent many days racking and stacking servers and networking gear, I was there virtualising all of those physical servers and then I spent my days managing and working on projects where those same datacentres that I lovingly built were migrated to the era of cloud and DevOps. It's been a wild ride and I can't wait to see what comes next.

One of my biggest passions is diversity advocacy, particularly fostering unconventional pathways into the industry.

📧 Contact Me:
🟦 BSKY: simone_au
🌐 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonebennett
📑 Blog: https://simone-au.medium.com/

Area of Expertise

  • Information & Communications Technology

May the Cloud Be With You: Why Landing Zones Matter (What are they and How to Build One)

Ever wondered what a Landing Zone is and why everyone keeps talking about them? In this session, we’ll embark on an epic journey through the galaxy of Landing Zones—what they are, why they matter, and how to build one without losing your cool.

Whether you're a Padawan in the cloud or a seasoned Jedi, you'll leave with a solid understanding of how to set up a strong, secure foundation in Azure. We'll cover the basics, best practices, and real-world examples so you can confidently build your own cloud empire—scalable, secure, and stress-free.

Perfect for developers, sysadmins and startups who want to get hands-on with Azure while dodging the dark side of infrastructure woes. Join us and master Landing Zones that will future-proof your cloud journey!

The Rack Awakens: On-Prem Strikes Back

Is your cloud bill turning into the ultimate boss fight you just can’t beat? You’re not alone. Companies like Ahrefs have allegedly saved hundreds of millions by ditching cloud for on-prem​ and even Disney’s had to hike prices to deal with their cloud costs​. The trend to "go back" to on-prem is gaining steam, but is it the final answer—or just another reboot we didn’t ask for?

We’ll explore why companies are running back to the server room and what they’re actually getting in return. But beware: repatriating your workloads might come with hardware headaches, scaling nightmares, and more sleepless nights than you bargained for.

If you’ve even thought about pulling the plug on your cloud, this session is for you. Let’s find out if going back on-prem is a genius move—or just a terrifying trip down memory lane!

Mastering Full Stack with Azure: Effortless Infrastructure and Well-Architected Framework

Is your cloud architecture haunted by inefficiencies, security gaps, or spiraling costs? Don’t panic—call in the Well-Architected Framework! In this session, we’ll exorcise the most common cloud challenges by diving into Microsoft’s Well-Architected Framework, giving you the tools, tips, and Terraform magic to zap those issues out of existence.

From securing your stack to optimizing performance, we'll cover all the essential pillars: Cost Optimization, Security, Reliability, Performance Efficiency, and Operational Excellence. With Terraform in your toolkit, you'll automate your way to a more resilient and efficient cloud, reducing technical debt and making your Azure solutions both ghost-proof and future-proof.

Packed with real-world examples and practical tips, this session is perfect for anyone looking to build smarter, faster, and more securely in Azure. Get ready to bust those cloud problems—because when it comes to Well-Architected, who you gonna call?

Streamline Your Way to a Zen-Like Workday

Feeling overwhelmed by a flood of emails, notifications, and last-minute requests? Join Simone Bennett for an insightful session that will help you cultivate a more balanced and productive workday.

Simone will share her journey of navigating workplace chaos and stress through practical strategies for clarity and focus. Discover how to streamline your tasks, reduce distractions, and create space for what truly matters. Learn techniques to minimize interruptions, organize your workload, and enhance your overall well-being.

Key topics include:

Understanding your personal work patterns and motivations.
Strategies to minimize distractions and create focus.
Tools for enhancing productivity and clarity, including Microsoft Viva Insights and JIRA.
Building routines and habits to reduce cognitive load.
Effective communication techniques to foster a supportive work environment.
Quality memes

Whether you’re an IT professional or anyone looking to enhance productivity and reduce stress, this talk will provide actionable insights to transform your work experience. Plus, there will be some quality memes to share in your group chats for added fun!

Simplified Cloud Adoption with Microsoft's Terraforms Azure Landing Zone Module

Rev up your cloud engines with the Azure Cloud Adoption Framework, powered by Terraform! Dive into this session where we decode how to craft your base cloud platform using the pre-built Microsoft CAF modules. There's no need to be an infrastructure expert —we’ve got the shortcuts to scalability and best practices. Learn how to deploy your cloud infrastructure with the finesse of an expert, all while fast-tracking your build process. It’s all about smart, secure, and swift cloud adoption that puts you in the pilot's seat.

DDD Melbourne 2024 Sessionize Event

March 2024 Melbourne, Australia

NDC Sydney 2024 Sessionize Event

February 2024 Sydney, Australia

90DaysOfDevOps - 2024 Community Edition Sessionize Event

January 2024

HashiTalks: Deploy Sessionize Event

December 2023

Simone Bennett

Principal Consultant at Arkahna

Brisbane, Australia

Actions

Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers. If you suspect this profile to be fake or spam, please let us know.

Jump to top