Reading UK Regional Spotlight event for Microsoft Build

Today, 25 May 2022, I was at the Microsoft Build regional spotlight event at Reading in the UK.

I had the amazing honour to speak at the event. I was a part of  two very different sessions. 

Where are all the cloud and data engineers? with Richard Conway and Dr Victoria Holt

Photo credit: Craig Porteous

The number of cloud and data engineers currently on the market are too few to satisfy the demand for the global digital transformation agenda. Where are they all? How do we entice new people into this exciting field and better prepare new graduate engineers to use cloud patterns and practices?

In the table topic we talked about the shortage of cloud and data engineers. The possible reasons for this and discussed actionable insights on how business and people can help increase the number engineers and how it is a continuous learning journey.  We answered questions poised by the in person and online attendees. The session was recorded and will be posted for on demand viewing here. 

Gain agility with an integrated data platform with Pragati Jain, Dr Victoria Holt, Richard Conway and Andy Cross

Photo credit: Andy Cutler

How you can accelerate innovation on your application with an integrated data platform that adapts to your needs with Hybrid and multi-cloud capabilities?

We started this ask the expert session discussing the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform that was announced yesterday and told a story of the apps from the core foundations of data governance, Microsoft Purview, moving through to Azure Synapse to digital twins and Power BI. We answered questions from the in person audience and online attendees on various topics.

The session was recorded and will be posted for on demand viewing here. 

It was a very rewarding day with plenty of opportunity for learning and making new friends. I would like to thank  the other speakers in my sessions for their amazing help,  the amazing tech team, producers, other MVPs , and the audience for selecting our sessions to attend.