BespokeDevOps
Curriculum vitae

Mark Speller

Lead Platform Engineer · Microsoft Azure

Consultant with 20+ years in IT, the last seven leading Azure platform engineering for government, financial services and major UK brands. A technical problem solver who defines, designs and delivers automated, scalable platforms in high-pressure, highly regulated environments.

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Based
London, United Kingdom
Specialism
Azure landing zones & platform engineering
Environments
Secure, highly regulated public sector & financial services
Engage via
BespokeDevOps Ltd
2000first systems administration role
2019Azure platform consulting since
19clients across public & private sector
ExpertAzure Solutions Architect
Key skills

What I bring

Cloud & platform

Microsoft AzureLanding zonesAKSDockerEntra IDAzure PolicyWindows Server

Infrastructure as Code

TerraformBicepARMTerratestReusable modules

CI/CD & DevSecOps

Azure DevOpsGitHub ActionsYAML pipelinesKey VaultJenkins

Security & resilience

IT Health Check remediationGovernanceRansomware resilienceDisaster recovery

Data & AI

Azure AI landing zonesDatabricksData FactoryData LakeCosmos DB

Automation & languages

PowerShellBashPythonGoHCLYAMLTypeScript
Experience

Recent engagements

Filter by skill:

Lead Platform EngineerCURRENT

Central government department
Jun 2025 – Present
  • Managing and enhancing the department's Azure landing zone platform, and decommissioning legacy landing zones.
  • Leading the design and maintenance of high-traffic infrastructure in secure production environments.
  • Designing and implementing secure CI/CD pipelines across Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions.
  • Remediating IT Health Check findings in a highly regulated environment.
  • Strengthening platform security through proactive monitoring.
  • Azure AI landing zones.
Azure DevOpsGitHub ActionsAKSDockerBicepARMPowerShellPythonSecurityAI

Azure DevOps Engineer

Marks & Spencer
Oct 2024 – Jun 2025
  • Integrated Azure Key Vault across all applications at platform level.
  • Led the design and maintenance of high-traffic production infrastructure.
  • Terraform and GitHub Actions on Azure, with Python and TypeScript.
  • Automated Akamai configuration with Terraform and PowerShell.
TerraformGitHub ActionsKey VaultPowerShellPythonSecurity

Azure DevOps Engineer

WeShape
Aug 2024 – Sep 2024
  • Discovery for consolidating multiple Azure DevOps organisations: projects, repositories, test dependencies and security.
  • Delivered the assessment, migration plan, discovery report and roadmap.
Azure DevOps

Azure Principal Engineer

FedEx
Jan 2023 – Aug 2024
  • Member of a cloud-native platform engineering team delivering highly available, scalable and secure Azure infrastructure for mission-critical applications.
  • Automated provisioning with Terraform, reducing deployment times and errors.
  • Implemented CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, shortening deployment cycles.
  • Managed data environments with Delphix, delivering substantial time and cost savings.
  • Monitored and optimised platform components; automated business processes.
TerraformGitHub ActionsData

Azure Lead Consultant

National Grid
Jun 2022 – Jan 2023
  • Advised on methodologies and prototyping for new data landing zones.
  • Delivered Azure data products and enabled adoption of Terraform and Azure DevOps.
  • Data Factory, Databricks, Data Lake, Cosmos DB, Striim, ML workspaces and AKS.
TerraformAzure DevOpsAKSDataAI

Azure DevOps SME

Centrica
May 2022 – Jun 2022
  • Designed and implemented ransomware-resilience measures.
  • Reviewed and advised on Azure best practice.
  • Scripted bulk Azure AD changes for a minimum viable company.
SecurityPowerShell

Solutions Engineer

Financial services institution
Oct 2021 – May 2022
  • Designed and built enterprise-scale Azure landing zones and secure applications.
  • Migrated on-premises applications to Azure.
  • Reusable Terraform modules tested with Terratest; GitHub Actions and Docker.
  • HCL, PowerShell, Bash, YAML and Go.
TerraformGitHub ActionsDockerSecurityPowerShell

Lead Cloud Engineer

Central government
Jun 2020 – Oct 2021
  • Built a modular, greenfield enterprise-scale landing zone for a container platform and other products.
  • Delivered the production digital delivery platform.
  • Created Azure Policy governance and managed stakeholders; aligned the estate to best practice.
  • Azure DevOps YAML pipelines, reusable Terraform modules, and Azure AD and B2C automation.
TerraformAzure DevOpsAzure PolicyDockerPowerShellPython

DevOps Technical Lead → DevSecOps

Nationwide
Nov 2019 – May 2020
  • Delivered Nationwide's greenfield Azure landing zone.
  • Then secured it, building DevSecOps controls into the Azure DevOps YAML pipelines with the Azure DevOps Security Toolkit.
  • Terraform, Jenkins, ARM templates and APIs; PowerShell, Bash and Python.
TerraformAzure DevOpsARMSecurityPowerShellPython

DevOps Technical Lead

Lloyds Banking Group
Feb 2019 – Aug 2019
  • Delivered the bank's public cloud environment with Azure DevOps, Jenkins, ARM templates, Terraform and Chef.
TerraformAzure DevOpsARM

Earlier career

Aug 2015 – Dec 2018DevOps Engineer Cloud · Senior Automation Engineer · Automation EngineerDeloitte UK
Apr 2015 – Aug 2015Infrastructure ArchitectThe Access Group
Oct 2014 – Apr 2015ConsultantInframon
Jun 2010 – Apr 2012Infrastructure Projects EngineereasyJet
Feb 2009 – Jun 2010Citrix / AD Infrastructure EngineerBarnet Council
Jan 2008 – Feb 2009Data / Backup Storage AdministratorBarnet Council
Oct 2007 – Jan 2008Server SupportThe Internet Group
May 2005 – Oct 2007Field EngineerNorthgate Information Solutions
Feb 2003 – May 2005IT Support SpecialistCamden Motors
Jul 2000 – Dec 2001Systems AdministratorM2S
Certifications

Certified

Azure Solutions Architect ExpertMicrosoft Certified · valid to 2027
Azure AI FundamentalsMicrosoft Certified · 2024
MCSE: Cloud Platform & InfrastructureMicrosoft · 2017
Earlier certifications (17)
MCSE: Private CloudMicrosoft · 2014
Hyper-V & System Center SpecialistMicrosoft · 2014
MCSE (2012)Microsoft · 2013
MCSA: Windows Server 2012Microsoft · 2013
MCSA: Windows Server 2008Microsoft · 2013
MCITP: Server AdministratorMicrosoft · 2013
MCTS: Windows 7 ConfigurationMicrosoft · 2013
MCTS: Active Directory ConfigurationMicrosoft · 2010
MCTS: Network InfrastructureMicrosoft · 2010
ITIL FoundationITIL · 2010
MCSA+Messaging: Windows Server 2003Microsoft · 2008
Dell Certified Systems EngineerDell · 2006
HP APS: ServersHP Accredited
HP APS: Workstations & NotebooksHP Accredited
HP P-Class BladesHP Accredited
CompTIA Server+CompTIA
CompTIA A+CompTIA

Mark is exceptionally organised, technically brilliant, and incredibly conscientious. He takes real pride in the quality of his work and consistently delivers to a very high standard.

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