Career Profile
I am an experienced technology leader and systems architect with over two decades of experience spanning network engineering, product management, and cloud architecture. Currently, I drive strategic cloud infrastructure and GenAI innovation as a Principal Solutions Architect at AWS, while building real-time common operating platforms for emergency responders as the founder of TAK.NZ.
Experiences
Returned to principal technical leadership to drive cloud networking and infrastructure security strategy for AWS's most strategic enterprise customers.
AI Innovation: Built and deployed LLM-powered quality systems that automated review processes, eliminating external costs while scaling content quality.
Thought Leadership: Lead the human-led, AI-augmented creation of the global AWS Networking Best Practices Guide, alongside authoring core reference architectures.
Built and scaled AWS's specialist team at the intersection of cloud networking and infrastructure security.
Managed a high-performing team of Specialist Solutions Architects while establishing the group's operational foundation and reference architectures.
Designed and delivered networking architectures (Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, AWS Network Firewall, CloudWAN) for Fortune 500 customers and strategic partners.
Published technical content including AWS blogs, whitepapers, and reference architectures; delivered sessions at re:Invent and AWS Summits.
Trained and enabled 200+ Solutions Architects, Professional Services Consultants, and Technical Account Managers on advanced networking patterns.
Drove product roadmap influence through customer feedback loops and cross-team collaboration with AWS Networking service teams.
Served as the dedicated technical advisor for a strategic enterprise customer, ensuring architecture best practices and operational excellence at scale.
Designed and validated application architectures to handle peak traffic events and major business initiatives.
Acted as the voice of the customer within AWS, driving prioritization of service improvements and escalation resolution.
Led cost optimization, deployment planning, and performance tuning across the customer's AWS footprint.
Founded New Zealand's cloud-based common operating platform, enabling real-time geospatial collaboration and a Common Operating Picture (COP) for public safety, defense, and emergency management.
Architecture & AI: Deployed an enterprise-grade TAK platform on AWS featuring GenAI-powered, doctrine-aware chatbots (Bedrock + RAG) to give real-time guidance to first responders.
Data Integration: Implemented real-time vessel tracking and IoT data pipelines to map personnel and asset positions dynamically.
Shipped HTTP/2 + SPDY support across 1.8 million domains, increasing HTTP/2 adoption on the Alexa 1M list by 3x.
Delivered origin load balancing for a top-tier customer — geo-distributed traffic steering based on lowest latency with automated origin/path failover.
Architected the VMware Validated Design (VVD) program for Software-Defined Data Centers — design blueprints adopted as the standard for repeatable enterprise deployments.
Led re-architecture of three global data centers, driving simplification, cost reduction, and improved serviceability.
Served as "Customer Zero" for emerging VMware releases, providing engineering and product management with operational feedback prior to GA.
Consulted on IPv6 readiness across the vSphere suite, defining transition scenarios and validation test frameworks for enterprise and service provider adoption.
Introduced technology intelligence processes across Cisco to identify disruptive technologies — both competitive threats and adjacency opportunities.
Recruited and managed a global technology scout network for early discovery of emerging technologies.
Delivered actionable intelligence briefings to C-suite executives.
Provided technology advisory for M&A transactions, strategy alignment, and product category definition in data center and virtualization.
Created a framework for evaluating startup product quality and human capital, reducing analysis time and effort across the team.
Developed the technical due diligence audit process for acquisition targets — leveraging domain experts and ensuring consistency across deals.
Identified and captured value from technology disruptions, driving new market creation through innovative product and service prototyping.
Developed intra- and extra-company collaboration strategy for Lufthansa Technik's IT organization as part of university placement.
Led international rollout of professional training and coaching for Windows XP, Office XP, and airline applications across four continents while studying.