Microsoft Mentors

We'd planned 10 episode for Series 1, but guess what... we wanted to give you ONE more!

Not only that, but our first ever in person podcast with Curtis Milne, Microsoft Azure MVP for IaC and Liverpool's very first Microsoft MVP!

We talk about Curtis MVP journey, his passion for mentorship, IaC, Cloud Adoption Framework and much much more!

"The Microsoft Tech Community is in a rocky state in certain elements.. we're here to steady the ship"

This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm joined by Ethan Sumner, CEO of DevEx Connect.

Ethan has been instrumental in the set up and growth of a number of Microsoft / DevOps Tech community groups.

He know first hand, just how difficult it can be to fund, maintain and grow users groups... the life blood of the tech community.

That's where DevEx Connect comes in... supporting community groups and brining the community together at global conferences!

AND if you're in the North West, you can experience DevEx Connect first hand next week (29th / 30th October).

I'll be there, Camera and Microphone in hand so what more reason do you need to get your tickets ASAP!

Link to podcast and event in the comments 👍

We'll be back on LinkedIn Live in a couple of weeks once we finally work out this bloody tech issue!

Manchester Summit - DevEx Connect

COVID nearly killed in-person tech events!

But the Microsoft Cloud community wasn't having it... it was time for them to step in!

This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast I'm joined by Nathan Sweeney.

Nathan in a MVP for Microsoft Azure, AzureAI and M365 Co-Pilot Lead at KPMG and co-founder of The South Coast Summit... one of the UK's largest community led Microsoft Tech conferences.

We delve in his career, the rapid emergence of Azure / M365 AI capabilities and of course, hear the true behind the scenes story of why South Coast Summit was launched and the work it takes to run it!

Listen here on Spotify, Linkedin Live or wherever you get your podcasts!

Me: What have you learnt from 27 years working with Microsoft Technologies?

Ed: Change is a constant inevitability!

This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm joined by Ed O'Brien, Cloud Practice Director at Sopra Steria.

Starting out in IT in 1997, building Microsoft solutions has been a focus for Ed since day one.

Now he spends his time, building and scaling Cloud Practices to deliver cloud excellence for customers.

We dive into the change in the IT landscape over the course of Ed's career, the massive impact cloud can have for any organisation and how close we are to an AI takeover.

Tune in here on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast!

How the hell do you become a Head of Cloud by aged 30?

Ryan: Well, it started like this...

This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm talking to Ryan Haraburda - Head of Cloud @ Tesco... all by aged 30.

Ryan's career has sky rocketed, from IT Apprentice to Head of Cloud in less than 15 years.

If you want a lesson in drive, determination, self-reflection and self-learning... grab a cuppa and listen up.

On LinkedIn Live or wherever you listen to your podcast ;)

No matter how skilled the individual team or how reputable the employer... mentorship still plays a MASSIVE part in your career development! 

This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm joined by Richard Cheney - Azure Practice Lead at Cloud Direct (Azure Expert MSP). 

Richard's career in Microsoft technologies spans over a decade including over 7 working closely with Microsoft Partners to develop their Public Cloud proposition for Microsoft. 

My conversation with Richard hits right at the heart of what Microsoft mentors is all about... 

Having open conversation with the successful leaders in the Microsoft eco-system, so we can all learn from their experiences and offer mentorship at scale to the community! 

You don't have to be a techie to work in tech!

That's the biggest lesson from todays episode of Microsoft Mentors; The podcast with Paris King from Softcat!

We delve into Paris' first step into the Tech Industry in Softcat's graduate scheme, her progression through a number of different roles within their Microsoft business and ultimately to her current role as Head of Cloud Alliance and Customer Experience.

If you're interested in tech but don't want to be a hands-on techie... Paris' journey is a great example of other career paths within the IT Channel.

Security is, or at least should be, at the heart of all IT strategy... especially in the Cloud.

This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm joined by Ru Campbell... Microsoft Security MVP and Microsoft Security Practice Lead at Microsoft Security Partner of the Year Winner ThreatScape.

We discuss Ru's route to becoming a Microsoft MVP, his role at Threatscape helping organisations overcome the challenges they face face in cybersecurity, the importance of leveraging the native security features within Microsoft licenses and the future of Microsoft security, including the move to passwordless authentication and the role of generative AI.

Ever wondered how you become a CTO?

This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podacst, we unpick the career journey of Paul Bevis, CTO at Microsoft Solutions Partner, FSP.

We track Paul's career from Developer, through his time as a Technical/Solutions Architect and ultimately to his current role as CTO.

Paul gives us his insight into digital transformation, the rise of AI and how his position on Tech UK's Cloud Committee helps influence national policy on technology!

Alex Pearce shares his career journey in the tech industry, starting from his work experience at a hospital to becoming a network manager in a school.

He discusses the impact of cloud computing and Microsoft's free services on education.

Alex also talks us through his experience as a Microsoft MVP and the importance of community and knowledge sharing.

He then shares his transition from running his own business to joining Softcat as the Chief Strategist for Microsoft and Education.

The conversation explores the different aspects of Microsoft Copilot and how organizations can leverage its capabilities. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the various versions of Copilot and utilizing the features already available in Microsoft 365 licenses.

The conversation also highlights the significance of learning how to prompt Copilot effectively and the potential for AI to enhance productivity.

In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, we dive into the career of John Savill, one of the most recognisable names in the world of Microsoft Azure.

We discuss John's early passion for technology and how it has steered his career journey towards his current role in the Office of the CTO at Microsoft.

John started his YouTube channel as a hobby and it has now grown into one of the most widely cited sources of Azure knowledge in the world, acting as a platform for both John and the wider Microsoft community to stay up to date with the rapid rate of change in Microsoft Cloud technologies.

If you're passionate about Cloud and want to learn from the career journey of one of the biggest names in the Microsoft community, then put your headphones in and enjoy!

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Early Spark in Technology

04:20

Transitioning from Hobby to Work

08:01

Becoming Involved with Microsoft Technologies

14:38

Joining Microsoft and Evolving Roles

23:01

Current Role in the Office of the CTO

25:23

John Savill's YouTube Channel

27:49

The Importance of Giving Back

29:44

Staying Up to Date with Cloud Technologies

38:11

The Collaborative and Engaged Microsoft Community