From TAP to Azure UK team

Post • 3 min read

Tom Lloyd, Azure Engineer, talks about trust, pace of change and Ralph the Cockerpoo!

  Where are you from and how did you end up at Nordcloud?

I live about 15 minutes outside of Cambridge, in a quiet (but great) town called Godmanchester. Having previously worked alongside Ian Sharpe (Cloud Enablement Lead) at a previous employer, he was forever raving about Nordcloud and saying I should apply. Knowing I was possibly not ready for a more senior cloud role, I thought my chance was missed, that was until I heard about the Talent Acceleration Program. After one interview I was hooked! I was lucky enough to be selected on the first Azure TAP track in January 2019, and I've been glad I was ever since!

  What is your role and core competence?

I'm an Azure Cloud Engineer, working as part of our professional services team.  My core competence upon joining Nordcloud would have been Azure Infrastructure.

The TAP program was a fantastic introduction to a great many Azure services and I’m now on a long-term project helping migrate an eCommerce platform into Azure Kubernetes Services, leveraging Azure DevOps. The pace at which public cloud evolves makes it difficult to pick a singular core competence, it seems to change daily!

  What do you like most about working at Nordcloud?

The trust that Nordcloud places in their employees. We are treated as professionals, given the autonomy to manage our own time and if we choose to work remotely that is totally at our discretion  – as long as we are keeping our clients happy and delivering good work, how we go about doing that is up to you!

In addition, the diverse nature of our workforce! Working with colleagues from so many different countries and backgrounds is great fun.

  What is the most useful thing you have learned at Nordcloud?

You never stop learning. We are fortunate to have so many hugely talented people, in such a wide range of areas, lots of room for continuous professional development!

  What sets you in fire/ what's your favourite thing with public cloud?

The pace of change, ease of access to new technology and the agility it brings to both Nordcloud and our clients. Due to the fact you can get left behind so quickly, it constantly keeps you on your toes!

  What do you do outside work?

Maintain a busy social life! I love to travel and experience new places. Pretty much any sport (whether playing or watching), football and golf primarily, I’m a long-suffering Arsenal fan. Trying (and often failing) to tame my crazy dog, Ralph the Cockerpoo. And, of course, a few beers when the opportunity arises.

  Best Nordcloudian memory?

Successfully completing the TAP program. I loved it. The 6 weeks were fantastic, getting to visit new colleagues in our Poznan office, learning from genuine Azure experts and realising the move to Nordcloud was the right one was really rewarding. I’ve no doubt there will be more good memories along the way, but that sticks out for now!

  How would you describe our culture in 3 words?

Professional, Flexible, Fun.

  How does Nordcloud UK differ from our other offices in your opinion?

Having an office in central London, the best city in the world, is a major win for us!

Seriously though, that’s a tough one, all Nordcloud offices are full of fantastic people and are unique in their own way. The UK team are a very close-knit group, full of true industry experts, that are great at what they do. I could not have felt more welcome upon joining, and I know colleagues that have joined since will feel the same.

  What's your greetings/advice for someone who might be considering applying for a job in Nordcloud? Easy; do it! You won’t be disappointed. If you want to work for a company that provides interesting projects, trusts you to work as a professional and truly wants you to succeed, then Nordcloud is the place for you. I’ve never worked for a company that places such a high value in employee work/life balance, and that so often an afterthought for companies. Sounds good, right?
Aarne TalmanGlobal Machine Learning Practice Lead
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