Michael Johnson, a Microsoft data platform MVP and leader of the Johannesburg SQL User Group, is a business intelligence consultant at SQLSA. Michal regularly presents at many of the local user groups and SQL Saturday events in South Africa.

Michael Johnson, a Microsoft data platform MVP and leader of the Johannesburg SQL User Group, is a business intelligence consultant at SQLSA. Michal regularly presents at many of the local user groups and SQL Saturday events in South Africa. Show more

I’m a geek and proud to admit it! I’m also a rather large, talkative South African who plays drums, wears horrendous Hawaiian shirts and has an affinity for engaging in as many social gatherings as humanly possible, because, well….I want to experience as much as possible and connect with as many different people as I can! I am, unapologetically, Myself! This zest for interaction and collaboration has led to a fixation on community and an understanding that by bringing people together in the right environment, ANYTHING can be achieved.

I have an intense enthusiasm for technology. I am a terrific tinkerer, a passionate problem solver and a magical maker. As long as I am creating something, I feel fulfilled. Technology provides me with my creative outlet, especially in a digital format. My core focus is on the Microsoft Power Platform, a perfect consolidation of digital technology creating a symphony between both right and left brain hemispheres.

I love to explore the huge mountain of digital building bricks provided by Microsoft to create amazing solutions and solve real problems. I love to bring people together to talk about the amazing things that can be created and can be used to change the way organisations work. I enjoy watching as people, both inexperienced and seasoned, build things and then realise that technology and learning have no boundaries. The sense of digital inclusion within community is what I strive for.

I look forward to connecting with each and every one of you!

#BuildAwesomeThings

I’m a geek and proud to admit it! I’m also a rather large, talkative South African who plays drums, wears horrendous Hawaiian shirts and has an affinity for engaging in as many social gatherings as humanly possible, because, well….I want to experienc... Show more

Mihail Mateev is an owner, Solution Architect, Senior Technical Evangelist at SoftProject, responsible for .Net, IoT and cloud solutions. Mihail currently works as a Senior Solution Architect at EPAM Systems. He also worked many years like a Technical evangelist in the Infragistics. Last years Mihail was focused on various areas related to technology Microsoft: Visual Studio , ASP.Net, Windows client apps, MS SQL Server and Microsoft Azure.

Mihail Mateev is an owner, Solution Architect, Senior Technical Evangelist at SoftProject, responsible for .Net, IoT and cloud solutions. Mihail currently works as a Senior Solution Architect at EPAM Systems. He also worked many years like a Techni... Show more

I'm a Microsoft MVP in Azure, Artificial Intelligence, and Developer Technologies. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Engineering Informatics at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic.

I've been developing .NET apps for +10 years. I find C# a really powerful language which allow us to create different kinds of software. I focus on mobile apps (Xamarin/.NET MAUI), cloud computing (Azure) and AI.

I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others.

I'm a Microsoft MVP in Azure, Artificial Intelligence, and Developer Technologies. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Engineering Informatics at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic. I've been developing .NET apps for +10 years. I find C# a... Show more

Immersed in the dynamic world of Android development, Jessica Randall is an aspiring Kotlin developer on a mission. She not only navigates through the intricacies of Jetpack Compose with ease but also flourishes in the teamwork-centric environment of Android Studio.

In her academic pursuits as a Master's student in Mathematics, Jessica utilizes data science to tackle intricate societal issues. She demonstrates a particular interest in Topological Data Analysis, a method that deciphers hidden patterns within vast datasets. Her various leadership roles—Women TechMaker Ambassador, GDSC Alumni Lead, Microsoft Student Learn Ambassador Alumni Lead, and Girl Code Ambassador—reinforce her dedication to advocating for women in STEM. Jessica firmly believes in providing equal opportunities for everyone in the tech sphere.

As the organizer for GDG Cape Town, Jessica uplifts local developers and shapes transformative events that impact the South African technology landscape. Her journey as a Google Crowdsource Influencer ignited a fascination for AI and Machine Learning, driving her continuous learning and growth. Always at the forefront of emerging tech trends, she embodies determination and forward-thinking. Jessica is a formidable presence and beacon of inspiration in the ever-evolving world of technology.

Immersed in the dynamic world of Android development, Jessica Randall is an aspiring Kotlin developer on a mission. She not only navigates through the intricacies of Jetpack Compose with ease but also flourishes in the teamwork-centric environment of... Show more

True believer in (Kotlin) Multiplatform and working with it for over 4 years now. Builds solutions for Android. Maintainer and developer of KMock.
Co-Organizer of KUG Berlin, GDG Android Berlin, Rust Berlin and XTC Berlin.

True believer in (Kotlin) Multiplatform and working with it for over 4 years now. Builds solutions for Android. Maintainer and developer of KMock. Co-Organizer of KUG Berlin, GDG Android Berlin, Rust Berlin and XTC Berlin. Show more

Mark is a senior engineer on the Component Testing team at Cypress.io. His background before Cypress is in front-end development in agency and enterprise contexts, and before that he spent many years in developmental disability support at the Atlanta nonprofit, People Making Progress.

Mark is a senior engineer on the Component Testing team at Cypress.io. His background before Cypress is in front-end development in agency and enterprise contexts, and before that he spent many years in developmental disability support at the Atlanta... Show more

Speaker, author, and software developer. Stacy has been developing solutions since the mid-1990s in various companies and industries ranging from facilitating contract jobbing to allowing consumers to close a mortgage without the help of a financial adviser – with lots in between.

She has a passion for sharing knowledge: using storytelling for sharing her experiences to help teams grow in the ways that they develop software and work together and performing live coding demonstrations to inspire others to try new technologies.

Stacy has just published her first book, aimed at helping developers get started building dynamic applications using C#, Azure Functions, and Azure Static Web Apps.

For her effort in the community, Stacy has been awarded the Microsoft MVP for Developer Technologies since 2020.

Speaker, author, and software developer. Stacy has been developing solutions since the mid-1990s in various companies and industries ranging from facilitating contract jobbing to allowing consumers to close a mortgage without the help of a financial ... Show more

Craig Forshaw is a Cloud and IaC solution architect working at Atea. He is a Microsoft MVP in cloud security and Azure IaC and is a founding member of the Microsoft Security User Group. He is an active speaker with over 18 years of experience inside IT infrastructure cloud deployment, security and IaC.

Craig Forshaw is a Cloud and IaC solution architect working at Atea. He is a Microsoft MVP in cloud security and Azure IaC and is a founding member of the Microsoft Security User Group. He is an active speaker with over 18 years of experience inside ... Show more

Hey there, I'm Achraf Ben Alaya! I wear many hats in the tech world. I'm a Microsoft Certified Trainer, Azure architect, and a DevSecOps engineer. I've got a solid background as a full-stack developer in .NET and Xamarin. But what really gets me going is sharing my passion for Azure, cloud, and DevOps. If you're into the latest in tech, you're in the right place!

I'm an ambitious person who decided to be a lifelong learner with the belief in sharing
his knowledge with all the world.

Website : achrafbenalaya.com
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/c/AchrafBenAlaya/

Hey there, I'm Achraf Ben Alaya! I wear many hats in the tech world. I'm a Microsoft Certified Trainer, Azure architect, and a DevSecOps engineer. I've got a solid background as a full-stack developer in .NET and Xamarin. But what really gets me goin... Show more

Enterprise Architect and Microsoft MVP with over 15 years of experience in Microsoft 365. Since 2003 I have been focusing on delivering solutions to meet short term and long term business goals using Microsoft 365 workloads, such as SharePoint, Teams, Power Platform, and more.

In addition to my professional tenure I've always been a big proponent of sharing knowledge and giving back to the community through presenting at numerous conferences and networking meetings on the topics of utilizing Microsoft 365 for business process optimization, effective collaboration and communication, and managing projects using the platform.

Prior to entering the Microsoft 365 arena, I spent a number of years in the medical imaging industry where I helped launch an orthopedic software division and published four patents and numerous articles.

I hold a Masters of Science in Computer Science with a specialty in Computer-Assisted Orthopedic Surgery from Queen’s University and a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from the York Schulich School of Business, and am a PMI-certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP).

Enterprise Architect and Microsoft MVP with over 15 years of experience in Microsoft 365. Since 2003 I have been focusing on delivering solutions to meet short term and long term business goals using Microsoft 365 workloads, such as SharePoint, Team... Show more

Shawn Dorward (Vice President at sa.global) is a business and technology professional focusing on efficiencies and maximizing the return on projects and technology investments.

Shawn proudly serves the Dynamics Community and can often be found presenting at community events around the US and online. He regularly shares his tips and experiences via his personal blog site, LifeHacks365.com. LifeHacks365.com provides tips and tricks for Dynamics 365 products, such as Dynamics GP & Business Central (BC), as well as Office 365 products, such as Excel & Outlook.

Shawn Dorward (Vice President at sa.global) is a business and technology professional focusing on efficiencies and maximizing the return on projects and technology investments. Shawn proudly serves the Dynamics Community and can often be found p... Show more

Inspired by those in the community that have gone before me, I try to share what I learn by looking at what the services from Microsoft can offer, understanding challenges people have and bringing those two things together. Having learned from 13 years in Financial Services, I moved into the world of consulting, currently acting as Group Manager - Modern Workplace at Avanade.

I am lucky enough to have been awarded as a Microsoft MVP in Microsoft 365 Apps and Services, participate as a Viva Explorer and co-host the modern workplace podcast GreyHatBeardPrincess as well as blogging and sharing videos.

Inspired by those in the community that have gone before me, I try to share what I learn by looking at what the services from Microsoft can offer, understanding challenges people have and bringing those two things together. Having learned from 13 yea... Show more

I am Adam Furmanek, and I am a professional software engineer with over a decade of experience. In my career, I worked with all layers of the software engineering and multiple types of applications, including logistics, e-commerce, machine learning, data analysis, and database management. I am always interested in digging deeper, exploring machine code, and going through implementation details to better understand the internals of the technologies I use every day. That's why I like debugging, decompiling and disassembling the code to understand memory models, concurrency problems and other details hidden deep inside. In my free time, I play ping-pong, watch Woody Allen's movies and blog stuff at http://blog.adamfurmanek.pl

I am Adam Furmanek, and I am a professional software engineer with over a decade of experience. In my career, I worked with all layers of the software engineering and multiple types of applications, including logistics, e-commerce, machine learning, ... Show more

Accompagnatrice agile & DevOps chez Apside, co-créatrice de TADx, j'ai parcouru des kilomètres de lignes de développements, d'analyses fonctionnelles et d'architectures orientées données avant de revenir à mes premières amours : le travail d'équipe, dans un cadre motivant et bienveillant, autour de produits utiles et vivants.
C'est donc tout naturellement vers l'agilité que mes dernières missions se sont tournées. Depuis, je glane le meilleur pour alimenter les équipes que j'accompagne au quotidien : mindset DevOps et craftership, outils au service de la qualité et du déploiement, techniques de design thinking pour capter les vrais besoins et l'amélioration continue des produits et des équipes.

Accompagnatrice agile & DevOps chez Apside, co-créatrice de TADx, j'ai parcouru des kilomètres de lignes de développements, d'analyses fonctionnelles et d'architectures orientées données avant de revenir à mes premières amours : le travail d'équipe, ... Show more

I am an entrepreneur and consultant in the Software Architecture field from Milan, Italy, serving as the CTO of Managed Designs while still eager to write code in real projects to get feedback about my architectural decisions.

I am a Microsoft Regional Director for Italy, providing strategic feedback to Microsoft's senior leadership team.

As a trainer and speaker, I had several speaking engagements for courses and conferences across Europe such as TechEd Europe, Ignite Dev Tour and Codemotion.

In 2001 I co-founded UGIdotNET, the first Italian .NET User Group, of which I am the leader; due to my contributions to the .NET developer community, I have been awarded by Microsoft as a Most Valuable Professional since 2003.

I am an entrepreneur and consultant in the Software Architecture field from Milan, Italy, serving as the CTO of Managed Designs while still eager to write code in real projects to get feedback about my architectural decisions. I am a Microsoft Re... Show more

My name’s Joe Griffin, and I’m CEO of proMX UK, a Microsoft Inner Circle partner within the proMX group of companies. I hold various Microsoft certifications in Dynamics CRM/365 Customer Engagement, Azure, Power BI and SQL Server and am also a PRINCE2 Project Manager and Agile Practitioner. I have a broad knowledge of working with and managing projects involving Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, Azure, Power BI, .NET and other technologies within the Microsoft cloud stack. During this time, I’ve developed a keen interest in coding, and love working with Transact-SQL, JScript, PowerShell, DAX & C#. Thanks to my previous experience, I have practical knowledge operating within the energy efficiency, managed services, retail, print & direct mail and utility sectors. I love getting involved as part of the Business Applications technical community and was very fortunate to receive the Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award from Microsoft in 2020, in recognition of my contributions in this area. When I’m not blogging or tinkering, I enjoy reading, catching up on the latest films/TVs and also enjoy learning about and studying history.

My name’s Joe Griffin, and I’m CEO of proMX UK, a Microsoft Inner Circle partner within the proMX group of companies. I hold various Microsoft certifications in Dynamics CRM/365 Customer Engagement, Azure, Power BI and SQL Server and am also a PRINCE... Show more

Steve Jones has been working with databases and computers for over two decades. He has worked with SQL Server since 1991, from v4.2 through SQL Server 2016. He has been a DBA, developer, and manager in a variety of large and small companies across multiple industries. In 2001 Steve founded SQLServerCentral with two partners and has been publishing technical articles and facilitating discussions among SQL Server professionals ever since. He currently is the full time editor of SQLServerCentral, as well as an evangelist for Redgate Software. Steve is a 10 year Microsoft Data Platform MVP and lives on a horse ranch in Colorado.

Steve Jones has been working with databases and computers for over two decades. He has worked with SQL Server since 1991, from v4.2 through SQL Server 2016. He has been a DBA, developer, and manager in a variety of large and small companies across mu... Show more

- Graduated in computer science and started freelance web development in 2016

- Data engineer at The Cloud Factory EMEA from 2016 - 2017

- Specialist in Information System at Orange Business Service 2017- 2019

- Software engineer at MCB 2019 - present

- Senior Software engineer at MCB 2021 - present

- Graduated in computer science and started freelance web development in 2016 - Data engineer at The Cloud Factory EMEA from 2016 - 2017 - Specialist in Information System at Orange Business Service 2017- 2019 - Software engineer at MCB 201... Show more

Alan has been an IT Professional for over 25 years. Specialising in infrastructure, he has a strong focus on cloud services and in particular with Microsoft Azure which he has been using since 2015. Alan is a Microsoft MVP and a Microsoft Certified Trainer. He likes to write blogs on Microsoft Azure and participate in community events.

Alan has been an IT Professional for over 25 years. Specialising in infrastructure, he has a strong focus on cloud services and in particular with Microsoft Azure which he has been using since 2015. Alan is a Microsoft MVP and a Microsoft Certified T... Show more

With a diverse background in journalism and retail, Linda brings both business insight and attention to storytelling to the table as a data warehouse developer. Coupled with her passion for learning new tech and trying new things.

With a diverse background in journalism and retail, Linda brings both business insight and attention to storytelling to the table as a data warehouse developer. Coupled with her passion for learning new tech and trying new things. Show more

With over 20 years in the industry, he is a seasoned BI Architect and Consultant. Running his own consulting company, PeryTUS IT Solutions, he provides Power BI solutions to clients ranging from small to large enterprises. He has a diverse background across industries and has delivered customized solutions to meet his clients' BI needs. Holding the title of Microsoft Data Platform MVP, he has been working with Power BI since its launch in 2015.

His expertise encompasses end-to-end Power BI implementation, analysis of existing solutions, promoting best practices for scalable BI models, and training to help clients reach their BI objectives.

With over 20 years in the industry, he is a seasoned BI Architect and Consultant. Running his own consulting company, PeryTUS IT Solutions, he provides Power BI solutions to clients ranging from small to large enterprises. He has a diverse background... Show more

Thomas Stensitzki owns Granikos GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, and focuses as a principal consultant on Exchange Server, Office 365, and Microsoft Azure. He is an MVP for M365.
He holds various Microsoft certifications, like Microsoft Certified Master for Exchange Server 2010 and Microsoft Certified Solutions Master Messaging. When not working as a consultant, he teaches Microsoft technology courses as an MCT. He is an MCT Regional Lead for Germany.

Thomas Stensitzki owns Granikos GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, and focuses as a principal consultant on Exchange Server, Office 365, and Microsoft Azure. He is an MVP for M365. He holds various Microsoft certifications, like Microsoft Certified Master for ... Show more

Sue Bayes
Data Platform MVP
Microsoft Certified: Azure Enterprise Data Analyst Associate
Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate

Over 5 years successfully working as an independent Power BI developer and data analyst within the public and private sector.

Reporting solutions range from project management, planning , financial reporting, specific service sector reporting, bespoke data cleansing and sentiment analysis.

15 years of lecturing in Business and Computing before starting my own business.

I am passionate about data in general and how we can harness information to grow business. Knowledge of R, Python, SQL and C# but main love is M and DAX.

When not in front of the screen, I love to run and walk my dog and be outside.

Sue Bayes Data Platform MVP Microsoft Certified: Azure Enterprise Data Analyst Associate Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate Over 5 years successfully working as an independent Power BI developer and data analyst within the pu... Show more

Nicola Paro is a Cloud Solutions Engineer in beanTech with over 8 years of experience in the industry. He loves developing applications using .NET and Blazor.

Nicola Paro is a Cloud Solutions Engineer in beanTech with over 8 years of experience in the industry. He loves developing applications using .NET and Blazor. Show more

Having previously led the Power BI and Microsoft Fabric capabilities at both UK and global level for a large multi-national Microsoft consultancy, James has recently established a new, ambitious data company Tekantis, enabling him to focus on geospatial analytics and data products.

James is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and is the co-leader of the London Fabric and Power BI user group. In 2019 he became the first member of the Power BI Contributors Program, working alongside the Microsoft engineering team to build new functionality into the Power BI product codebase. He has a keen interest in geospatial and real-time analytics and is the author of the Icon Map and Icon Map Pro custom visuals.

Having previously led the Power BI and Microsoft Fabric capabilities at both UK and global level for a large multi-national Microsoft consultancy, James has recently established a new, ambitious data company Tekantis, enabling him to focus on geospat... Show more

Mandi Walls is a DevOps Advocate on the Community and Advocacy Team at PagerDuty. Before joining PagerDuty, Mandi spent a number of years at Chef Software, working with customers and community members in the US and Europe. Originally a large-scale systems administrator, Mandi has focused on IT automation; organizational culture and change; and community.

Mandi Walls is a DevOps Advocate on the Community and Advocacy Team at PagerDuty. Before joining PagerDuty, Mandi spent a number of years at Chef Software, working with customers and community members in the US and Europe. Originally a large-scale sy... Show more

Oliver Engels is CEO of oh22data AG, a Microsoft Gold Partner in Germany specialized in CRM and BI. His interests are on Azure, Data Governance and Integration, Machine Learning and Visualization Tools like SSRS, Power BI and Tableau. Oliver has worked with SQL Server since version 6.5 and is a founding member and current president of German Microsoft Data Platform Community (PASS), a PASS Regional Mentor, and runs the Frankfurt PASS Chapter. Since 2012 he is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and a also worked as a Microsoft pTSP. If he is not working with data, he loves working with his Golden Retrievers and supports a charity project training dogs for disabled children. OK, he is an enthusiastic Land Rover Defender driver as well 😊

Oliver Engels is CEO of oh22data AG, a Microsoft Gold Partner in Germany specialized in CRM and BI. His interests are on Azure, Data Governance and Integration, Machine Learning and Visualization Tools like SSRS, Power BI and Tableau. Oliver has work... Show more

Julia is a Global Technologist on the Product Strategy team - Office of the CTO at Veeam Software. Her passion is making Cloud and Cloud Native technologies easier to understand by sharing her knowledge and experiences. She is also committed to empowering communities as a CNCF Ambassador, an AWS Container Hero, a Civo ambassador, a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador, and Girl Code Ambassador. Additionally, she organizes the KCD NY, AWS Community Day NY, NY Code & Coffee Meetup, and the AWS User Group Lisbon - Women in Tech chapter, further fostering collaboration and learning opportunities.

Julia is a Global Technologist on the Product Strategy team - Office of the CTO at Veeam Software. Her passion is making Cloud and Cloud Native technologies easier to understand by sharing her knowledge and experiences. She is also committed to empow... Show more

Marco is an experienced engineer and technologist who has a deep expertise in Microsoft technologies. As the Global Alliance CTO, Marco leads the technology innovation and digital transformation for the Microsoft and KPMG alliance. He works closely with global teams to ensure smooth Microsoft technology integration and fosters cooperation among different groups. Marco's main goal is to strengthen technology capabilities, supporting clients in delivering state-of-the-art solutions, and enhance the strategic partnership with Microsoft by creating new opportunities for growth. Marco has an MSc in Computer Engineering, a Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Management and has received the Microsoft MVP award 11 times. He is also a member of the British Computer Society and member of the Colexio Profesional de Enxeneria Informatica. Marco's passion lies in enabling digital transformation and innovation. In his spare time, he likes reading, running, CrossFit, and spending time with family.

Marco is an experienced engineer and technologist who has a deep expertise in Microsoft technologies. As the Global Alliance CTO, Marco leads the technology innovation and digital transformation for the Microsoft and KPMG alliance. He works closely w... Show more