Information & Communications Technology

Seasoned technologists, digital innovators, and other ICT experts, dedicated to advancing the field of information and communications technology

Pawel Piwosz

Pawel Piwosz

Docker Captain. DevOps Institute Ambassador. CD.Foundation Ambassador.
Engineer, leader, mentor, speaker.

My focus is on CALMS. I am building better understanding of DevOps as driver for the organization.

I am devoted to IaC, Serverless and CI/CD. I authored the framework for design the CI/CD: https://www.cicd.run/

Co-author of CI/CD Design Patterns book.

Host DevOps In Agile Way and OhMyCloud! Youtube channels.

Docker Captain. DevOps Institute Ambassador. CD.Foundation Ambassador. Engineer, leader, mentor, speaker. My focus is on CALMS. I am building better understanding of DevOps as driver for the organization. I am devoted to IaC, Serverless an... Show more

Kyle Kotowick

Kyle Kotowick

Dr. Kyle Kotowick is the founder of a Canadian consulting and development firm focusing on cloud infrastructure, security, and Internet-of-Things implementations for high-growth clients. He completed his Ph.D. in MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, joint with the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has served as a consultant, systems architect, and developer for global firms, startups, and universities; as a project lead for military medical and communication technology; and as a researcher for military navigation systems and for life support systems in space. He specializes in working with both startups and enterprise clients to define requirements and explore possible solutions, as well as in leading the development of project architecture, cloud services, and back-end software.

Dr. Kyle Kotowick is the founder of a Canadian consulting and development firm focusing on cloud infrastructure, security, and Internet-of-Things implementations for high-growth clients. He completed his Ph.D. in MIT's Computer Science and Artificial... Show more

Michael Durkan

Michael Durkan

Michael is a Microsoft Azure MVP with over 20 years experience in both On-premises , Hybrid and Cloud environments with a particular focus on giving customers trusted advice in their Cloud Migration strategy.

Michael has spoken at both user groups and in-person conferences covering topics across the entire Azure platform from Azure Core Compute to Azure PaaS services. He has published LinkedIn Learning courses on the AZ-801 exam objectives, and regularly blogs at michaeldurkan.com. He contributes regularly to the Microsoft Q&A platform as an Azure Community Champion.

He works for Accenture as their Lead Azure Architect, where he designs and leads the delivery of complex Azure solutions for enterprise customers in Ireland and the UK .

Michael is a Microsoft Azure MVP with over 20 years experience in both On-premises , Hybrid and Cloud environments with a particular focus on giving customers trusted advice in their Cloud Migration strategy. Michael has spoken at both user grou... Show more

Stephen Rose

Stephen Rose

Helping companies to manage, secure and leverage generative AI and collaboration tools to provide deeper services and support for companies

Helping companies to manage, secure and leverage generative AI and collaboration tools to provide deeper services and support for companies Show more

Valarie Regas

Valarie Regas

Valarie Regas is a DevOps fanatic, a Georgia Tech coding bootcamp graduate, and a veteran mommy. She holds a BA in Psychology and currently works in Computer Science education. After years being a stay-at-home mom, she decided to change her life by entering tech, and has learned a lot along the way. Outside of work, she enjoys mixed martial arts fighting, table-top role playing games, public speaking, creating tiny humans, and activism of all sorts.

Valarie Regas is a DevOps fanatic, a Georgia Tech coding bootcamp graduate, and a veteran mommy. She holds a BA in Psychology and currently works in Computer Science education. After years being a stay-at-home mom, she decided to change her life by e... Show more

Jakub Scholz

Jakub Scholz

Jakub is a CNCF Ambassador and a Senior Principal Software Engineer at Red Hat. He has long-term experience with Kubernetes, streaming, and messaging. Currently focuses mainly on Apache Kafka and its integration with Kubernetes. He is one of the founders and maintainers of the Strimzi project, which provides tooling for running Apache Kafka on Kubernetes. Before joining Red Hat, he worked as a messaging and solution architect in the financial industry.

Jakub is a CNCF Ambassador and a Senior Principal Software Engineer at Red Hat. He has long-term experience with Kubernetes, streaming, and messaging. Currently focuses mainly on Apache Kafka and its integration with Kubernetes. He is one of the foun... Show more

Aldan Creo

Aldan Creo

Hi! I'm Aldan, and I'm passionate about technology and research. I studied Computer Science in Spain, France and Switzerland, founded a few associations and contributed to open source projects. I've also been lucky enough to get some recognition for leadership and academic achievements, and I love learning from the community and participating in events. Currently, I'm working on research that combines Natural Language Processing and Knowledge Graphs, two topics I'm always happy to talk about!

Hi! I'm Aldan, and I'm passionate about technology and research. I studied Computer Science in Spain, France and Switzerland, founded a few associations and contributed to open source projects. I've also been lucky enough to get some recognition for ... Show more

Michael Niehaus

Michael Niehaus

Michael Niehaus is a Programme Director and Master Inventor at 2Pint Software, working on device management and OS deployment technologies. Previously, Michael spent 16 years at Microsoft working on MDT, Windows as a Service, Windows Autopilot, and related management and deployment technologies. Prior to that, he spent 14 years working as an IT pro.

Michael Niehaus is a Programme Director and Master Inventor at 2Pint Software, working on device management and OS deployment technologies. Previously, Michael spent 16 years at Microsoft working on MDT, Windows as a Service, Windows Autopilot, and r... Show more

Kenny (Baas) Schwegler

Kenny (Baas) Schwegler

I believe in collaborative software design where *‘every voice shapes the software’*. Leveraging a domain-driven design approach with Team Topologies, I facilitate clearer communication between stakeholders and software creators by collaborative modelling and deep democracy, decoding complexities, resolving conflicts and ensuring software remains agile to business demands.

As an independent software consultant and trainer, I specialise in technical leadership, software architecture, and sociotechnical system design. I work with organisations and teams to design and build sustainable and resilient software architecture.

I believe in collaborative software design where *‘every voice shapes the software’*. Leveraging a domain-driven design approach with Team Topologies, I facilitate clearer communication between stakeholders and software creators by collaborative mod... Show more

Samuel Shaw

Samuel Shaw

Sam has been in the technology space professionally for a decade after dabbling as a developer while working in academia. His spare time is spent trying new things or in the gym fighting. Most recently the focus being Krav Maga and Kung Fu.

Sam has been in the technology space professionally for a decade after dabbling as a developer while working in academia. His spare time is spent trying new things or in the gym fighting. Most recently the focus being Krav Maga and Kung Fu. Show more

Eberhard Wolff

Eberhard Wolff

Eberhard Wolff has 20+ years of experience as an architect and consultant - often on the intersection of business and technology. He is Head of Architecture at SWAGLab. As a speaker, he has given talks at international conferences and as an author, he has written more than 100 articles and books e.g. about Microservices and Continuous Delivery. His technological focus is on modern architectures – often involving Cloud, Domain-driven Design, and Microservices.

Eberhard Wolff has 20+ years of experience as an architect and consultant - often on the intersection of business and technology. He is Head of Architecture at SWAGLab. As a speaker, he has given talks at international conferences and as an author, h... Show more

Ivar Grimstad

Ivar Grimstad

Ivar Grimstad is the Jakarta EE Developer Advocate at Eclipse Foundation. He is a Norwegian Java Champion and JUG Leader based in Sweden.

Besides advocating the Jakarta EE technologies, Ivar is contributing to the Jakarta EE specifications as well as being the PMC Lead for Eclipse Enterprise for Java (EE4J). He is also one of the specification leads for Jakarta MVC and represents Eclipse Foundation on the JCP Executive Committee.

Ivar is also involved in a wide range of other open-source projects and communities. He is a frequent speaker at International developer conferences.

Ivar Grimstad is the Jakarta EE Developer Advocate at Eclipse Foundation. He is a Norwegian Java Champion and JUG Leader based in Sweden. Besides advocating the Jakarta EE technologies, Ivar is contributing to the Jakarta EE specifications as well... Show more

Andrej Pashchenko

Andrej Pashchenko

Andrej Pashchenko started his IT career in the early 1990s and has been working with Oracle Database since 1999. Over the past 15 years, he has focused on consulting, supporting customer projects in the areas of data warehousing, data modeling, ETL, and SQL performance. He has been actively sharing his knowledge since 2011 through blogging, speaking at international conferences, and teaching, helping others get the best out of Oracle Database. For his technical expertise and his long-standing commitment to knowledge sharing, Oracle has recognized him as an Oracle ACE Pro.

Andrej Pashchenko started his IT career in the early 1990s and has been working with Oracle Database since 1999. Over the past 15 years, he has focused on consulting, supporting customer projects in the areas of data warehousing, data modeling, ETL, ... Show more

Christian Weyer

Christian Weyer

Christian Weyer is co-founder and CTO of Thinktecture AG. As a Microsoft MVP, Google GDE, and Microsoft RD, he is an engaged and passionate speaker at various software conferences and events worldwide. For more than 25 years, his heart has always been with the latest technologies and how to apply them reasonably to ISV and enterprise solutions.

Christian Weyer is co-founder and CTO of Thinktecture AG. As a Microsoft MVP, Google GDE, and Microsoft RD, he is an engaged and passionate speaker at various software conferences and events worldwide. For more than 25 years, his heart has always bee... Show more

Talia Asghar

Talia Asghar

Taley’a is a software engineer, having exposure to working in the product ecosystem for the more than seven years.
She has experience in diverse web and mobile technologies. She enjoys simplifying problems and making the user experience better for the product users.
She is an active contributor in the community and loves speaking at community events and conferences. Apart from this, she likes reading, art, and hiking to explore nature.

Taley’a is a software engineer, having exposure to working in the product ecosystem for the more than seven years. She has experience in diverse web and mobile technologies. She enjoys simplifying problems and making the user experience better for t... Show more

Cristhian Fernandez

Cristhian Fernandez

I'm a Solutions Architect with over 20 years of experience in software development, primarily focused on designing and delivering solutions using the Microsoft technology stack.

I've worn many hats throughout my career, but my passion lies in helping organisations build impactful systems, most recently leveraging Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. I enjoy guiding customers in unlocking the full potential of these tools and driving real value from their digital transformation efforts.

As an active member of the Power Platform community, I’m always eager to share knowledge, connect with others, and keep learning. I’ve been honoured to receive the Microsoft MVP award in recognition of these contributions—an achievement that’s as rewarding as the friendships and experiences the community brings.

I'm a Solutions Architect with over 20 years of experience in software development, primarily focused on designing and delivering solutions using the Microsoft technology stack. I've worn many hats throughout my career, but my passion lies in help... Show more

Santhana Lakshmi Ponnurasan

Santhana Lakshmi Ponnurasan

Lakshmi is a Microsoft MVP (Data Platform) and a Certified Power BI Data Analyst, currently working in the Institutional Effectiveness department at Missouri University of Science and Technology. She is passionate about creating creative and innovative Power BI reports that not only make data pop but also provide actionable insights. She was a Finalist in the Microsoft Power BI DataViz World Championships 2025, showcasing her ability to combine technical expertise with storytelling. An engaging speaker, she frequently speaks about all things Power BI at user groups and conferences, and also shares tips and best practices on her Medium blog.

Lakshmi is a Microsoft MVP (Data Platform) and a Certified Power BI Data Analyst, currently working in the Institutional Effectiveness department at Missouri University of Science and Technology. She is passionate about creating creative and innovati... Show more

Pasha Finkelshteyn

Pasha Finkelshteyn

Years of experience in software engineering and the team's leading roles combined with his passion for Java made Pasha know all the hidden details in this IT niche. As a Developer Advocate for @Bellsoft, he educates the public on the latest software tools built by BellSoft and helps to create and test instruments for developers. He writes in Kotlin, speaks at conferences, composes a new articles, or maintains his pet projects.

Years of experience in software engineering and the team's leading roles combined with his passion for Java made Pasha know all the hidden details in this IT niche. As a Developer Advocate for @Bellsoft, he educates the public on the latest software ... Show more

Katie Barnett

Katie Barnett

Katie is passionate about all things Android. She has taken on a wide variety of challenging projects including in the live event, media and travel space. Her favourite thing is to see someone having a delightful experience using something she has worked on. Katie is very active in the development community, she is a Google Developer Expert for Android, one of the organisers of GDG Melbourne and is a Women Techmakers Ambassador. She frequently runs events, speaks on technical and non-technical topics and enjoys writing blog posts to share her experience with others. Katie is based in Melbourne, Australia but loves to travel the world and outside of tech she enjoys boardgaming and attempting to finish many craft projects.

Katie is passionate about all things Android. She has taken on a wide variety of challenging projects including in the live event, media and travel space. Her favourite thing is to see someone having a delightful experience using something she has wo... Show more

Onyinye Madubuko

Onyinye Madubuko

Onyinye is an IT professional with substantial work experience in the Information Technology industry. Her expertise lies in digitally transforming organizations via modernized communications, advising intelligent strategies to adopt hybrid workplaces, and promoting creative solutions to collaborate effectively. She has successfully led multiple projects across the Modern Workplace technology across various sectors.
She is passionate about innovations in Information Technology, technical research, and investigative studies which has led to her collaboration in publishing journal and conference papers on IEEE.

Onyinye is an IT professional with substantial work experience in the Information Technology industry. Her expertise lies in digitally transforming organizations via modernized communications, advising intelligent strategies to adopt hybrid workplace... Show more

Mohammad-Ali A'râbi

Mohammad-Ali A'râbi

Mohammad-Ali A'râbi is a Senior Backend Engineer at JobRad GmbH, Docker Captain 🐳, and Snyk Ambassador 🛡️ with over 20 years of coding experience and a deep passion for DevSecOps and container security.

He is the author of "Docker and Kubernetes Security", a hands-on guide to securing containerized environments from build to runtime. As a community leader, Mohammad-Ali founded the Docker Meetup in Freiburg (now Cloud Native Freiburg), organizing dozens of events that connect developers across the Black Forest region.

Beyond his book, he shares advanced Git and Docker insights through his Git Weekly newsletter and frequent conference talks. When he's not securing supply chains or hosting meetups, you'll probably find him building side projects, collecting superhero figures, or playing Mortal Kombat. 🎮

Mohammad-Ali A'râbi is a Senior Backend Engineer at JobRad GmbH, Docker Captain 🐳, and Snyk Ambassador 🛡️ with over 20 years of coding experience and a deep passion for DevSecOps and container security. He is the author of "Docker and Kubernetes... Show more

Edine Olijve-Watkinson

Edine Olijve-Watkinson

I’m Edine, a passionate advocate for Microsoft 365 technologies, with a particular focus on SharePoint Online, Teams, Copilot, Purview, and the modern workplace. I thrive on simplifying complex concepts, making them accessible to IT professionals and business users alike.

With 9 years of experience in the Microsoft ecosystem, I specialize in helping organizations unlock the full potential of their digital workplace. Whether it’s streamlining collaboration, getting the most out of Copilot, enhancing intranet experiences, or optimizing Microsoft 365 adoption, my goal is to empower teams with the right tools and knowledge to work smarter.

I’m Edine, a passionate advocate for Microsoft 365 technologies, with a particular focus on SharePoint Online, Teams, Copilot, Purview, and the modern workplace. I thrive on simplifying complex concepts, making them accessible to IT professionals and... Show more

Taha Bouhsine

Taha Bouhsine

I am Taha Bouhsine, from a small town near Agadir, currently based in San Francisco, USA, trying to decipher the magic of AI and create cheesy-titled papers for the AI research community.

I am an AI/ML Google Developer Expert, I tend to be a generalist having experience working on different types of tasks in software engineering, machine learning engineering, research engineering, and electrical engineering while specializing in Deep Learning with a focus on Multimodality Deep Learning, Representation Learning, and Continual Learning. I published research papers on Machine Learning applied to different fields including aviation safety, civil engineering, security, and remote sensing.

I had the honor of founding a GDSC UIZ in Agadir. Together with my team, we organized over 90 events that reached more than 2,000 people. I am also the founder of MLNomads, a research community dedicated to collaborating on ML research projects on nights and weekends. I am also one of the Organizers of the new GDG Agadir team. I also enjoy the creation of small videos explaining different concepts in Machine Learning.

Apart from my community work, I'm a football enthusiast, just like any other Moroccan. I love watching our national team's matches and also playing football myself. I also enjoy cycling and swimming, and in the past, I used to practice karate, I participated in multiple international competitions. I enjoy writing poetry both in English and Arabic, which I use as a personal journal and self-reflecting way to understand myself and look for ways to improve myself. I also enjoy recording voice-overs of different poetries I like and also those ones I write, as well as recording podcasts that only my friends listen to. Recently, I started challenging myself to learn guitar and to learn how to play gnawa music over the guitar instead of the ganbri.

I am Taha Bouhsine, from a small town near Agadir, currently based in San Francisco, USA, trying to decipher the magic of AI and create cheesy-titled papers for the AI research community. I am an AI/ML Google Developer Expert, I tend to be a gener... Show more

James Serra

James Serra

James works at Microsoft as a big data and data warehousing solution architect where he has been for most of the last ten years. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics, including data architectures such as the modern data warehouse, data lakehouse, data fabric, and data mesh. Previously he was an independent consultant working as a Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence architect and developer. He is a prior SQL Server MVP with nearly 40 years of IT experience. He is a popular blogger (JamesSerra.com) and speaker, having presented at dozens of major events including PASS Summit, SQLBits, Data Summit, SQLDay, Enterprise Data World conference, Big Data Conference Europe, SQL Saturdays, and Informatica World. He is the author of the book “Deciphering Data Architectures: Choosing Between a Modern Data Warehouse, Data Fabric, Data Lakehouse, and Data Mesh”.

James works at Microsoft as a big data and data warehousing solution architect where he has been for most of the last ten years. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics, including data architectures such ... Show more

Daniel Oh

Daniel Oh

Daniel Oh is a Java Champion and Senior Principal Developer Advocate at Red Hat, where he leads efforts to advance cloud-native innovation through open-source technologies. Renowned for his ability to bridge technical and collaborative gaps, he empowers developers and organizations to build transformative solutions—from AI-driven applications and serverless architectures to resilient microservices. As a CNCF Ambassador, Daniel actively shapes the cloud-native ecosystem, fostering partnerships between enterprise developers, AI engineers, and platform engineering teams to accelerate hybrid cloud adoption. His technical leadership extends beyond code contributions, as he mentors communities and champions strategies that enable businesses to thrive in evolving digital landscapes. A dynamic storyteller and educator, Daniel captivates global audiences through keynote speeches, workshops, and interactive sessions, where he demystifies emerging technologies and inspires the tech community to embrace the future of open-source innovation.

Daniel Oh is a Java Champion and Senior Principal Developer Advocate at Red Hat, where he leads efforts to advance cloud-native innovation through open-source technologies. Renowned for his ability to bridge technical and collaborative gaps, he empow... Show more

Charlie Gough

Charlie Gough

Based in the South West of the UK, I have been working with cloud technologies for several years across various industries. Having previously been a generalist I am starting to shift more to a security-focused track around the Microsoft Cloud. I currently run the Microsoft Cloud Security User Group (@MSCSUG) and the Cloud Security Insider Blog.

Based in the South West of the UK, I have been working with cloud technologies for several years across various industries. Having previously been a generalist I am starting to shift more to a security-focused track around the Microsoft Cloud. I c... Show more

Dhyan Rathore

Dhyan Rathore

Hi, I'm Dhyan, and I love all things data. I help people unlock the magic of Power BI by simplifying the tricky stuff, automating the boring parts, and cheering teams on as they build solutions that actually stick. For me, data is more than numbers, it's an opportunity to inspire and create lasting impact.

If a session with me leaves data feeling lighter and more fun, mission accomplished.

Hi, I'm Dhyan, and I love all things data. I help people unlock the magic of Power BI by simplifying the tricky stuff, automating the boring parts, and cheering teams on as they build solutions that actually stick. For me, data is more than numbers, ... Show more

Eldert Grootenboer

Eldert Grootenboer

Eldert is always enthusiastic about embarking on new journeys with the Cloud, and Azure in particular. He is very passionate about growing his dreams and teams, and goes above and beyond to help those with the same spark. Eldert comes from a background as a cloud solution architect and Technology Lead, was an Azure MVP for 5 consecutive years, and is now working as a Senior Product Manager at Microsoft for Azure Service Bus. In these roles he has demonstrated experience in building and maintaining relationships at all levels.

Always having a smile on his face, Eldert can be found delivering noteworthy sessions at in-person conferences, meetups, and online platforms. He values sharing and spreading knowledge while building genuine connections regardless of background and expertise. His goal is to bring people closer and work together to influence the outcome and optimize the future of Cloud technologies.

Apart from public speaking, Eldert shows his passion for being involved with the community in other ways as well. As such, he can often be found doing mentoring, organizing conferences and meetups, blogging, writing, and more. He loves telling about his journey and hearing other people’s stories. When meeting people he always looks forward to getting to know about their passions and how he can help them.

Eldert is always enthusiastic about embarking on new journeys with the Cloud, and Azure in particular. He is very passionate about growing his dreams and teams, and goes above and beyond to help those with the same spark. Eldert comes from a backgrou... Show more

Samir Makwana

Samir Makwana

Samir Makwana empowers enterprises and government agencies to harness the full power of Microsoft Cloud—and especially its cutting-edge AI stack—to build secure, value-driven businesses. With 17 years as a software developer, pre-sales engineer, and solution architect, he’s architected end-to-end IT transformations that blend security, automation, and collaboration.

A true AI evangelist, Samir designs PoCs and production systems leveraging Azure AI services (Cognitive Services, Azure OpenAI, Semantic Kernel), Copilot Studio, and Power Platform AI—applying deep prompt engineering, vector search/RAG patterns, and grounding techniques to deliver next-gen user experiences. He’s integrated generative AI agents into Office 365 and custom apps, automated workflows with Power Automate and Logic Apps, and secured data with Zero Trust and Microsoft Purview.

As Founder & Principal Architect of Cloudtrify Inc., Samir crafts both short- and long-term cloud-native and AI solutions that drive ROI, user adoption, and maintainability—always with responsible AI and compliance top-of-mind.

Samir Makwana empowers enterprises and government agencies to harness the full power of Microsoft Cloud—and especially its cutting-edge AI stack—to build secure, value-driven businesses. With 17 years as a software developer, pre-sales engineer, and ... Show more

Mihaela-Roxana Ghidersa

Mihaela-Roxana Ghidersa

Driven by a zest for technology and fun in equal measure, I've navigated from hands-on coding across full-stack o steering technical leadership and architecture. Embracing change, I've evolved, always eager to push beyond the familiar. My experience spans a rich variety of domains, including remote device management and monitoring, payroll, healthcare, media, e-commerce, and software for municipalities, in both insourcing and outsourcing models.
Alongside my technical contributions, I've enriched my career by mentoring emerging talent and engaging audiences at conferences, sharing insights and fostering a community of learning and innovation.

Beyond the realm of coding, I am passionate about sharing insights, whether through thought-provoking articles or by distilling my experience into my book, "Software Architecture for Web Developers."

You can see my work in here:
https://medium.com/@ghidersa-mihaela
https://www.amazon.com/Software-Architecture-Web-Developers-professionals/dp/1803237910

Driven by a zest for technology and fun in equal measure, I've navigated from hands-on coding across full-stack o steering technical leadership and architecture. Embracing change, I've evolved, always eager to push beyond the familiar. My experience ... Show more

Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers.

Join Speakers Directory

Join our Speakers Directory today and amplify your reach! Showcase your expertise to a global audience hungry for your insights. Let your voice be heard!

Create Profile