Hi, I’m Sam Akroyd. I’m a technology enthusiast who has occupied a variety of positions in operational from 1st line support, right up to leading and architecting public and private cloud infrastructure at a leading UK transport company.
However since 2021 I have made the step into the world of software vendors, initially with VMware (by Broadcom) as a Lead Solutions Architect but now as a Cyber Security Solution Consultant at Palo Alto Networks.
I decided to start a blog for a few reasons, firstly as an opportunity for me to engage with like-minded colleagues and friends on technology topics that I’ve worked on, or come across in my role. Secondly, I felt it would be a good place to share some of my work, whether that be some automation or just a quick thing I learnt in my day-to-day job.
Without giving you a blow-by-blow of my career (If you’re bothered, visit my LinkedIn profile), I’ve been lucky enough to experience plenty of roles within the IT realm/ As I learnt more, I’ve been fortunate to be recognised by my peers and senior colleagues and given opportunities to further my career eventually focusing on infrastructure where I have spent a majority of my career.
I’ve recently appreciated the value of gaining some certifications alongside my working knowledge, however as I have always said – just cause you hold the paper, doesn’t mean you’re the fountain of all knowledge! So with that in mind, be easy on my content – there could be massive holes in my knowledge!
There’s a few links to a few sessions I’ve had the pleasure of being involved in as a customer, from panels, to podcasts to reference videos.
VMWorld Europe 2018 Customer Panel
VMWare Cloud on AWS Reference Video
VMware Digital Workspace Podcast 2021
The public speaking and the change of my role away from hands-on tech to showing business value from tech is why I initially moved to work for VMware, and my interest in security is why I’ve got the pleasure of working for Palo Alto Networks,
If you want to get in contact with me, to discuss anything technology or to share your experiences, drop me a line on Twitter or LinkedIn.