Onyx Data

Built and scaled a Microsoft Data & AI consultancy serving enterprise and public sector clients across the UK, UAE, and US.

Highlights:
Microsoft Fabric Featured Partner & Microsoft MVP (5x)
Delivered Azure AI-powered solutions across finance, education, and government
Launched FabOps – a Microsoft co-sell solution for Fabric observability
Enabled 3 enterprise clients to scale Fabric & Copilot across departments
Regularly featured at Microsoft Build, FabCon, and global MVP events

Founder / Chief Executive Officer

Forbes Technology Council

Thought Leader

LinkedIn

As a LinkedIn Learning Instructor specialising in Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI), I am dedicated to creating and delivering high-quality educational content that empowers learners to advance their careers in data and AI. My role involves developing comprehensive courses, engaging with the learner community, and continuously updating course materials to reflect the latest industry trends.

Key Achievements:

- Expert Content Development: Created and delivered high-impact courses that received positive feedback and high engagement from learners.

- Curriculum Innovation: Developed innovative and comprehensive curriculam that facilitated structured learning paths for students, enhancing their understanding and application of data and AI concepts.

- Effective Knowledge Transfer: Simplified complex technical concepts, making them accessible and engaging for a diverse learner base, resulting in improved learner outcomes.

- Community Building: Fostered an active and supportive learning community through regular engagement in user groups, helping learners overcome challenges and succeed in their educational journeys.

- Continual Improvement: Actively sought and integrated learner feedback, leading to continuous improvement of course content and instructional methods.

LinkedIn Learning Instructor

The AI Journal

Contributor

AI4C

The key aim of the AI4C is to help charities embarking on AI/ML deployments with pro bono insights/advice - all in a confidential, collaborative sales-free, vendor neutral environment. 

Over 30 charities have joined and gained value with their strategic thinking, user stories, design, deployment and operations. 

AI 4 Good / Tech 4 Good 

If you are a charity leader looking to get the most for the people you serve, feel free to contact the AI4C Chair Paul Excell paul.excell@member.wcit.org.uk

Member

Global AI Hub

Brainz Magazine Official

Executive Contributor

Pomerol Partners

Partner

Reassured

Head Of Data And Insight (Freelance)

Redkite

Principal Power BI Consultant (Freelance) 

Microsoft MVP | AI & Fabric Specialist for Business Transformation | Helping Enterprises Unlock ROI with Azure, Copilot & Power BI | Forbes Tech | Keynote Speaker | CEO, Onyx Data

Your data shouldn't just inform decisions, it should transform your business.

I’m Leon Gordon a Microsoft MVP, keynote speaker, and founder of Onyx Data, where we help enterprises turn Microsoft Fabric, Azure AI, Power BI and Copilot into measurable ROI.

I’ve spent the past 13 years leading enterprise data and AI transformations. From being a hands-on technologist to now heading up a global team, I’ve seen how the right data strategy, aligned with business goals, drives massive ROI.

Clients turn to Onyx Data when they need:
• End-to-end Microsoft Fabric & Copilot implementations
• AI strategy and deployment with Azure OpenAI
• Power BI governance, optimisation & adoption frameworks
• Executive training to build data culture from the top down

Real-world outcomes we’ve delivered:
• £3M in new revenue from insight-driven selling
• 187.1% reduction in data latency
• 35% increase in data accuracy
• 50%+ boost in data literacy
• Featured by Microsoft at Build, FabCon, and global case studies

Recognitions:
• 5x Microsoft MVP
• Microsoft Data & AI Solutions Partner
• Microsoft Digital & App Innovation Partner
• Microsoft Fabric & Real-Time Intelligence Featured Partner
• Microsoft Training Services Partner
• LinkedIn Top Voice
• Founder of #DataDNA – global monthly analytics challenge

Featured by Microsoft at Build, FabCon, and global case studies. Speaker at top industry events across the UK, US, and Middle East.

Latest launch - FabOps – our co-sell-ready Fabric observability solution designed for enterprise-scale efficiency and impact → https://fabops.ai

👉 Ready to move beyond insights and into action?
→ Book a strategy call → https://bit.ly/46MgPHM
→ Try FabOps free → www.fabops.ai
→ Join 28,000+ global pros in #DataDNA → https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9075495/
→ Subscribe to my weekly AI and Data insights → https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/ai-and-data-tech-trends-6933659594284023808?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BxNISbSHFTkGWI32ogCOB4Q%3D%3D

Leon Gordon

For years, our data architecture looked like a complex web of disconnected services. We spent more time moving data than actually using it. 

This "engineering teardown" of Microsoft Fabric brilliantly visualises the end of that era.

Look at the foundation (Block #1). That’s OneLake.

Notice how the different compute engines, Data Engineering (#2), Data Science (#3), Warehousing (#4), and Real-Time (#5), aren't siloed in separate buildings? They are distinct modules sitting on the same foundation.

No copying. No movement. Just different lenses on the same data, governed by Purview (#8) and served up via Power BI (#7).

This isn't just a platform update, it's a fundamental shift in how we build data estates.

Is your organisation ready for the OneLake approach, or are you still managing silos?

#MicrosoftFabric #DataEngineering #OneLake #DataArchitecture #Synapse #PowerBI

Turn Microsoft Fabric, Copilot & Azure AI into safe, real‑time business value in weeks, not months | Data & AI Transformation Leader @ Onyx Data | Microsoft MVP | Global Speaker | Forbes Tech Council

No alternative text description for this image

The client: "Can you just quickly throw together a report by EOD?"

The reality beneath the surface: 🛠️⚙️👇

It’s easy to forget that a seamless Power BI report isn't just drag-and-drop magic. It's a finely tuned engine of interconnected components.

This "engineering teardown" perfectly visualises the ecosystem we build daily.

1️⃣ It starts with raw materials (Connectors)
2️⃣ Gets processed in the factory (Power Query)
3️⃣ Is structured into a robust foundation (Data Model)
4️⃣ And finally, shipped out for consumption (Service, Mobile, Embedded)

If your "quick report" is slow, chances are the engine block (The Data Model) needs a tune-up.

Which part of this machine do you spend the most time wrenching on? Let me know in the comments. 👇

#PowerBI #DataEngineering #Analytics #Microsoft #BusinessIntelligence #DataViz

Hardcoding Secrets? Stop It. 🛑

It is the #1 rule of secure data engineering... 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

If your Fabric notebooks or functions contain lines like schema = "dev_db" or exposed API keys, you are creating a security risk and a deployment nightmare.

Microsoft Fabric just released Variable Libraries for User Data Functions, and it is the fix we've been waiting for.
- 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴: Keep your logic clean and environment-agnostic.
- 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Reference secrets securely without exposing them in source control.
- 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗜/𝗖𝗗: Swap values automatically as you deploy from Dev -> Test -> Prod.
- It’s time to mature your pipelines.

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.

#MicrosoftFabric #DataEngineering #DevOps #DataSecurity #Python

No more hardcoded secrets in your Fabric code. Preheader: Manage environment configurations securely with the new Variable Libraries for User Data Fun

Open article: Goodbye, Hardcoded Secrets - Variable Libraries for Fabric User Data Functions by Leon Gordon • 2 min read

Goodbye, Hardcoded Secrets - Variable Libraries for Fabric User Data Functions

𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴.

There are so many features to focus on.

- Agent mode
- App builders
- AI video creation
- Cross-app workflows
- Pricing tiers

There are definitely some features that matter more than others.

Here are my 5 key Copilot Microsoft Ignite announcements so far this week.

1. Agent capabilities that replace manual work - Excel agents now build full dashboards with one prompt. No sidebar tools needed. Charts, formulas, and insights appear automatically.

2. Seamless data flow between applications - Excel data becomes Word reports, then PowerPoint presentations. Three apps working as one workflow without exports or copying.

3. No-code app building that actually works - App Builder created a complete team ideas app in minutes. Changes happen through simple requests, not coding.

4. AI video generation with transparency - Sora 2 creates professional videos in seconds. Every output shows clear AI labels, keeping content honest.

5. Accessible pricing for small teams - At $21 per month for teams under 300, Copilot is finally within reach for businesses that couldn't afford the $30 tier.

And it is working for me.

The future of productivity isn't about learning every feature.

It's about knowing which ones actually change how you work.

If you’re planning how to roll this out responsibly, I’ve built a 2-week Copilot adoption playbook, complete with use cases, guardrails, and adoption steps.

👉 Comment “Copilot” and I’ll send it straight over.

Have you been keeping up with the Microsoft Fabric November updates?

Ignite happened this week and honestly, the pace of innovation is incredible.

I've just watched the latest update and there's a wave of features rolling out across the platform, from data engineering to Power BI and Copilot.

Here's what caught my attention:

1. Mirroring support for SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and Cosmos DB - bringing all your data straight into OneLake
2. Warehouse snapshots - giving analysts a consistent source of truth while ETL jobs are running
3. Data clustering in Fabric Data Warehouse - cutting query times from 40 seconds down to just 1 second
4. Read/write permissions in OneLake - enabling real collaboration without compromising governance
5. Copilot getting smarter - now identifying anti-patterns in your code and suggesting optimisations

The warehouse snapshots feature is particularly interesting. Imagine running hourly ETL jobs while your analysts query data without worrying about inconsistencies. The data engineer creates a snapshot, analysts query against it, and once ETL completes, the snapshot rolls forward seamlessly.

And the data clustering demo was impressive. same query, same data, but 97% less data scanned and a fraction of the CPU time used.

What strikes me most is how Microsoft is making Fabric more accessible without sacrificing governance or performance. Features like customer-managed keys at the workspace level and enhanced Copilot capabilities show they're thinking about both security and developer experience.

If you're working with data at scale, these updates are worth exploring.

Question - which of these November features are you most excited to try out?

Join our Microsoft Fabric - UK User Group for our latest webinar.

This session we are excited to announce our host Microsoft MVP Leon Gordon and co-host Microsoft MVP Pragati Jain will be introducing Microsoft MVP Andy Cutler.

Join the Microsoft Fabric UK - User Group on -

Microsoft Community - https://lnkd.in/dtrfGvy

LinkedIn - https://lnkd.in/dX_Ziaz

MeetUp - https://lnkd.in/d6wteZBn

Session Abstract -

Materialized Lake Views (MLVs) in Microsoft Fabric Lakehouses offer a declarative approach to building data loading and data materialization pipelines. This session introduces how MLVs simplify data loading piplines, automate refreshes, and visualize data loading lineage across the process. Attendees will learn how MLVs support integrated data quality rules, enabling trend analysis and alerting for violations, all without manual pipeline orchestration. We'll also cover current limitations and the roadmap for new feature support.

Biography

Andy Cutler is a Microsoft Azure Cloud & Fabric consultant, Data Platform MVP, and runs a UK consultancy Datahai. With over 20 years experience in Microsoft data technologies, Andy has worked with SQL Server, Azure Data Platform, Synapse Analytics Power BI, and Fabric.

Andy’s consultancy Datahai offers a range of services including assessments and reviews, architecture guidance, end-to-end data platform solutions, bespoke projects, training, & helps clients leverage existing technology investments, optimize costs and maximize the value of Azure, Fabric, & Power BI.

Social Media / Website Links

https://lnkd.in/eW69uSs9

Can Fabric Materialized Lake Views Deliver Low Effort Data Engineering?

Most data teams aren’t struggling because of skill.

They’re struggling because of complexity.

Pipelines with too many moving parts.
Manual fixes that eat entire mornings.
That constant feeling of: “We’re one error away from another fire drill.”

If you’re leading a data team, you’ve lived this:

- Late-night messages when a job fails
- “Quick requests” that are anything but
- Pressure to deliver faster with zero tolerance for mistakes

Here’s the part we rarely say out loud:

It’s not the work that’s breaking teams.
It’s the invisible steps, dependencies, and rework behind the scenes.

That’s where Copilot for Data Factory actually matters.

Not because it magically “automates everything”…
but because it strips away the friction that slows everyone down.

When complexity drops, your team finally gets space to:

- Think instead of react
- Design instead of patch
- Deliver outcomes instead of chasing errors

This isn’t about replacing people.
It’s about giving them their bandwidth back.

If your team could use more clarity in how they build and run pipelines, comment “CLARITY” — I’ll share examples, frameworks, and real-world Copilot for Data Factory workflows that actually help.

#DataLeadership #DataTeams #AIinData #MicrosoftCopilot #DataFactory #DataEngineering

Your data team isn’t overwhelmed…

Coeo

Responsibilities of this role include:

Acting as a trusted advisor by providing technical design assurance and conducting architecture design sessions to ensure we provide the right solution for our clients’ needs.
Providing technical leadership by defining standards and process improvements across the consulting team, driving customer satisfaction and building deep technical relationships with clients and partners.
Enhancing and identifying new IP offerings to help accelerate customer deliveries.
Providing technical pre-sales support to our Sales team by conducting scoping sessions, generating work estimates and producing Statement of Works.
Providing mentoring, knowledge transfer and technical support to colleagues in the Consulting, Sales and Managed Services teams.

Highlights of this role include:

Working with a large retailer to successfully migrate over 140 databases and approx. 40TB of data from their on-premises business-critical SQL Server instances to SQL Managed Instances General Purpose. I was technical lead on the project, designing the solution to meet the client’s requirements for cost and availability, and utilising the Azure Log Replay Service during migrations to keep downtime to under 1 hour. I implemented Resource Governor and Data Virtualization post-migration to further optimise costs, while also improving batch processing times.
Working closely with the Azure Fast-track team, I used Azure Migrate to successfully move over 100 on-premises Windows application and database servers to Azure Virtual Machines as part of a datacentre exit project for a large financial services client, resulting in significant savings in hosting costs.
Working with colleagues to develop new IP and services to improve the efficiency of deliveries and to accelerate migrations to Azure SQL, increasing Azure consumption revenue and reducing operational costs for clients.

Principal Data Platform Consultant

Senior Data Platform Consultant

DXC Technology

This role involved uplifting and migrating the client’s legacy SQL Server 2005 databases, SSIS packages, and .NET applications over to supported platforms running SQL Server 2014/2016. This included analysing legacy database code for compatibility and security issues, introducing new database functionality, and developing a test and migration strategy to minimise disruption to the end client. 

The application consisted of several .NET websites, bespoke Windows services, and Microsoft Identity Manager 2017 (MIM) used to maintain and synchronise personal data across the client’s organisation. I worked closely with my project colleagues to design and support SQL Server databases, stored procedures, and SSIS packages required by the application using Visual Studio 2019, Azure DevOps and GitHub to manage development and source code. 

I was also responsible for producing detailed installation and design documents that conformed to the client’s strict security requirements.

SQL Server Consultant (DV Cleared)

Microsoft

This role involves working with Microsoft’s largest customers to provide SQL Server operational support, consultancy and training. This is a high profile, customer facing role requiring excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate complex IT solutions to a wide range of people. The role involves a high degree of troubleshooting and analysis skills, and a willingness to adapt new technologies to deliver enterprise-scale solutions.

Highlights of this role include:
•	Working alongside customers’ DBAs providing SQL Server configuration, administration, performance tuning and upgrade/migration best practice advice.
•	Providing rapid support to customers to recover their SQL Server systems in the event of disaster or service affecting performance issues.
•	Providing SQL Server training and consultancy on new features, such as Azure SQL Database Managed Instances.

Key customer projects I have worked on include:
•	Working with the Bank of England to design and implement a highly available SQL Server platform utilising SQL Server Always On Availability Groups and virtualisation technologies.
•	Working with Unilever to deliver Azure SQL Database readiness training, including using Azure SQL DB Managed Instances and migration from on-premise to Azure SQL Database.
•	Performing SQL Server risk assessments for customers including Audi and PwC. This involves reviewing the customers’ SQL Server configuration, database design, database maintenance, database code, backup/recovery techniques, SQL Server performance, security and monitoring to provide recommendations where improvements could be made to reduce risk in the environment.

SQL Server Premier Field Engineer

This role involves designing and supporting enterprise-scale SQL Server 2012 and 2014 solutions for a large client hosted in a managed private cloud. 

Key responsibilities include:
•	Designing, deploying, and supporting enterprise-scale SQL Server systems accross multiple sites to provide high availability and disaster recovery.
•	Upgrading and migrating legacy SQL Server 2005/2008 applications to SQL Server 2012/2014.
•	Providing 3rd line DBA support, including incident root cause analysis, performance tuning and optimisation, and database design reviews.
•	Completion of detailed design documents that conform to SQL Server best practices and stringent security requirements.
•	Following ITIL best practices for change and release management.

SQL Server SME (SC Cleared)

Nomura

I joined Nomura as a SQL Server Engineer working in the Database and Middleware Engineering team to deliver a project to design, build and migrate the Risk Data Store application across to a new SQL Server 2014 Always On Availability Group to provide high availability and read-scale. 

Key responsibilities included:
•	Designing and building a 3-node SQL Server 2014 Always On cluster to provide high availability, disaster recovery, and scalability for the Risk applications. 
•	Providing SQL Server DBA support to all areas of Risk.
•	SQL Server proactive monitoring, query tuning and optimisation.
•	Providing knowledge transfer and best practice advice to improve on SQL Server database performance, operations and design.
•	Database migrations, upgrades and capacity planning.

Key highlights included:
•	Successfully upgrading Nomura's standalone SQL Server 2008 databases to a new SQL Server 2014 Always On Availability Group. This involved migrating almost 50TB of databases in one weekend, ensuring zero downtime for the application.
•	Scaling-out resource-intensive reporting workloads onto a readable secondary replica in the Availability Group, reducing blocking and improving batch performance on the primary replica. 
•	Providing SQL Server best practice and query optimisation advice, including optimising a stored procedure that was consuming up to 300TB of data per day on average, reducing the I/O workload by over 95%.
•	Developing SSRS automated reports identifying poor query performance. I used this data to identify performance improvements, helping Risk to consistently beat their batch SLAs by over 5 hours.
•	Working with colleagues in storage to build multiple full-size SQL Server 2014 development environments for Risk using thin-provisioned SAN storage, saving 50TB of storage per environment.

Microsoft SQL Server Engineer

Barclays Capital

I joined Barclays Capital in a senior SQL Server DBA role, providing support to critical run-the-bank systems. I was responsible for project delivery, working with relevant applications teams, engineering teams and vendors to provide SQL Server administration and support to all Barclays’ business areas.

Key responsibilities included:
•	Project Change Activity, Major Incident Management and Root Cause Analysis
•	Database upgrades, migrations and capacity planning
•	SQL Server high availability including clustering, log shipping and database mirroring
•	Performance tuning and optimisation
•	Disaster recovery planning and database maintenance
•	Engaging with application teams to provide database consultancy and service improvements

Key highlights included:
•	Designing and deploying a new SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services platform integrated with SharePoint 2013 to replace the Barclays legacy SSRS 2005 reporting platform. I was also responsible for leading the project to migrate reports and users across to the new platform, working with colleagues across geographic regions to coordinate activities and provide technical leadership.
•	Working with application teams to introduce service improvements to reduce the occurrence of service affecting incidents, achieving a 75% reduction in incidents for a business critical Basel III Risk application.
•	Planning and participation in successful DR testing at both an individual application and datacentre level.

AVP SQL Server Database Administrator

HP Enterprise Services

I accepted the role of SQL Server SME Team Lead at HP Enterprise Services in July 2012. This role involved designing highly available and scalable SQL Server platforms to support a large client. 

Key responsibilities of this role included: 
* Leading a team of SQL Server engineers designing highly available SQL Server systems utilising clustering and virtualisation technologies, and working with project team to implement these designs into production environments. 
* Working directly with technical architects to complete detailed design documents that conform to SQL Server best practices and stringent security and performance requirements. 
* Providing 4th line support to the SQL Server service operations team, including analysing service affecting performance problems and recommending improvements in design to increase database performance and scalability. 
* Following ITIL best practices for change and release management and developing detailed SQL Server documentation 

Key projects included: 
* Technical lead on a project to deploy a new SQL Server 2008 R2 hosting platform on ESX 5.1 to upgrade and migrate the SQL Server 2000 estate, approximately 150 SQL Server 2000 instances. This project involves working closely with Microsoft to profile the SQL Server estate using the MAP toolkit, and planning the migration activities with project teams to ensure minimal customer disruption. 
* Working alongside Microsoft Premier Support to deliver technical training in SQL Server 2008 R2 and 2012 to engineers including performance tuning and SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn.

SQL Server SME Lead

During this time I held the position of SQL Server Premier Field Engineer (PFE) at Microsoft. This role involved working with Microsoft’s largest customers to provide SQL Server operational support, consultancy and training. I worked with enterprise customers in industries such as financial services, telecommunications, energy, public sector, and retail sectors. This was a high profile, customer facing role requiring excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate complex IT solutions to a wide range of people including IT professionals, managers and board level executives. The role also involved a high degree of troubleshooting and analysis skills, the ability to react to rapidly changing customer environments and a willingness to adapt new technologies to deliver enterprise-scale solutions. 

Highlights of this role included: 
* Working alongside customers’ DBAs providing SQL Server configuration, administration, performance tuning and migration best practice advice. 
* Providing rapid support to customers to recover their SQL Server systems in the event of disaster or service affecting performance issues. 
* Mentoring and assessing colleagues to deliver Microsoft services such as the SQL Server Risk Assessment Program (SQLRAP) and SQL Server Performance Tuning and Optimisation clinics. 
* Developing a Reporting Services Health Check and a SQL Server and SharePoint Integration workshop, which were launched to customers worldwide.  
* Attending various SQL Server training courses, including training from the SQL Server internal product group and SQLSkills.com. 
* Presenting at SQL Server industry events, including delivering sessions on configuring Kerberos for SQL Server and SQL Server Reporting Services performance at SQLBits, which is the largest SQL Server event in Europe. 
* Receiving Microsoft internal awards as a result of my work with colleagues and customers.

During this period, I held the position of Lead Database Consultant in the Infrastructure Design team in BT. I was responsible for all aspects of SQL Server Infrastructure and application design, including high availability, disaster recovery, backup/restore techniques, security and performance.  

Highlights of this role included: 
* Leading a project to design and build enterprise-scale SQL Server hosting platforms, with geographic resilience for disaster recovery. These platforms were built using SQL Server 2005 64-bit Enterprise Edition and HP PolyServe and were required to upgrade and consolidate BT’s entire SQL Server estate, ensuring there was sufficient capacity for future growth.  
* Leading a project team, prioritising work in order to meet strict timescales and working closely with Microsoft, HP and other strategic partners.

Lead Database Consultant

As part of a re-organisation, I was promoted to a Technical Lead role within the Web Services and Middleware team with responsibility for a team of 3rd line technical specialists and consultants.  My team was responsible for platform consolidations, service improvements and ensuring BT’s web and SQL Server platforms were resilient and capable of meeting future growth demands. In this role I faced many new challenges including recruiting team members, setting team objectives, dealing with platform escalations and managing relationships with external suppliers on top of my technical duties.  

Highlights of this role included: 
* Successfully migrating over 600 SQL Server databases from legacy stand-alone systems onto clustered resilient platforms. 
* Rolling-out pro-active 3rd party SQL Server monitoring tools (Idera Diagnostic Manager) to maximise platform performance and availability.  
* Dealing with organisational and technical challenges in order to deliver results in strict timescales.  

To further my professional experience, I attended Leadership and Teambuilding training and gained BCS Professional membership status. I also work closely with Microsoft and was involved in the development and testing of the SQL Server Migration Assistant for Access tool and was involved in the SQL Server 2008 TAP programme. http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001059

Head of Web Services Engineering

I joined the BT Intranet Support team to perform the role of Senior SQL Server Database Administrator, working in the 3rd line SQL Server support team. In addition to production DBA duties, I was responsible for designing, installing and administering the SQL Server platform to maximise resilience and facilitate large-scale consolidations.  

Highlights of this role included: 
* Designing and rolling-out a highly-available SQL Server 2000 platform using Windows 2000 Advanced Server clusters, which was the first clustered installation of SQL Server deployed in the BT estate. 
* Migrating existing SQL Server 7.0 and 2000 instances onto this platform, decommissioning over 30 servers in the process. This project saved the business an estimated £4 million in licensing and support costs in two years.  
* Production DBA duties, including database maintenance, high availability, backup and recovery, monitoring and security. 
* Implementing SQL Server service improvements including writing a proactive monitoring solution to identify performance problems. 
* Providing SQL Server performance troubleshooting, working on service affecting performance problems.  
* Providing SQL Server technical training and consultancy to application developers in order to improve SQL Server performance.

Senior SQL Server Database Administrator

I was responsible for applications development and SQL Server Administration on the BT Global Solutions Intranet.  

Highlights of this role included: 
* Successfully designing and deploying large-scale intranet applications using SQL Server 2000, ASP and .NET.  
* Providing technical consultancy and training in SQL Server performance tuning to colleagues and customers.

SQL Server Applications Specialist

I am an IT professional with extensive experience working on Enterprise-scale, business-critical SQL Server projects, including over 5 years working at Microsoft providing support and consultancy to their largest SQL Server customers. I have a substantial technical background and problem-solving ability, working across major industry sectors including financial services, telecommunications, energy, retail and government. I have a strong customer focused approach, and an ability to easily communicate at all levels. I enjoy challenging myself and learning new skills and technologies, presenting sessions at SQLBits and SQL Server User Group meetings. 

Specialties: SQL Server (versions 7 to 2022), Azure SQL migrations, Azure cost optimisation, Data Architecture, SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure security and networking, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Power BI, SQL Server performance tuning and optimisation, T-SQL, stored procedures, SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery.

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The Battle

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Likes

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