About
Join us as we unpack why cloud migration—specifically to AWS—has become a more compelling choice for companies seeking to modernize IT infrastructure. We delve into the risks, costs, and cultural shifts associated with leaving behind traditional client-server models in favor of scalable, cloud-native architectures. Featuring insights on compliance, security, and operational continuity, this episode provides a roadmap for CIOs and IT leaders to harness cloud transformation as a pathway to resilience and competitive advantage.
Presenters
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Amanda Scheldt
Cybersecurity Writer and Webinar Host
Amanda Scheldt is a cybersecurity writer with an extensive background in cybersecurity research, threat intelligence, national security intelligence, and security awareness training. She has a Masters of Science in Cybersecurity from Webster University. Amanda combines her past industry expertise along with a passion for writing to promote more awareness and education in cybersecurity.
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Tom Spalding
CGO, Effectual
As Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Effectual, Tom Spalding is responsible for driving customer acquisition strategies and aligning the company’s solutions architects, sales team members, and sales delivery teams with Effectual’s overall vision as a modernization service provider. Tom possesses deep cloud business development experience as well as the ability to articulate the impact of technical strategies, transformations, and migrations on real world business considerations with authority and in relatable terms for non-technical audiences. His business insights and technical qualifications have proven invaluable to customers ranging from Fortune 500 commercial enterprises to large public sector customers. He holds numerous technical certifications including: AWS Solutions Architect Professional, AWS Solutions Architect Associate and Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect. Tom is also proficient in Physical Datacentre footprints and VMWare cloud solutions. During his career, Tom has brokered technology partnerships, run enterprise consultancy sales engagements, and has worked across Financial Services, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Software as a Service, Media and Entertainment and Professional Services verticals. In addition, Tom ensures that all sales activities maintain the continuity of Effectual's value proposition during the sales process and that customer feedback is collected, evaluated and measured. Tom’s goal is to ensure Effectual's value proposition is translated into compelling solutions for their valued customers.
Tom is a strategic problem solver with a 'Can Do' attitude. He is always keen to learn no matter what the topic or skill, and enjoys finding creative & strategic applications for what he’s learnt. Tom is thorough, curious, and focused. Since he loves what he does, Tom has never had the 9 to 5 mentality. Outside of work, Tom loves to travel and his background includes time spent in London, New York, Sydney, Amsterdam, and Paris, having lived in all five over the past 15 years.
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Michael J. Parks
CIO, Effectual
A technology visionary in network and infrastructure design, Michael co-founded Datapipe in 2000. As the lead technology expert, he was instrumental in closing complex, multimillion-dollar customized managed services agreements serving Fortune 100 companies across multiple industry sectors. His strategic technology vision was instrumental in growing the company to a 10-figure valuation.
Providing industry leading uptime for Datapipe clients he created an agile, responsive network that continually adjusted traffic routes based on demand. Under his direction Datapipe achieved a 100% success rate moving highly complex solutions between geo-diverse locations, mitigating outages for global systems supporting billions in revenue for publicly traded multinational clients.
Expanding Datapipe’s global data center footprint, Mike led the build out of data centers in the US, retrofitted data centers in Europe, and connected multiple data centers throughout Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China.
Mike began his career in the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Agency where he was recognized with the Air Medal for Search and Rescue, Helicopter Rescue of the Year 1985, and a Presidential Citation.
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Mitch Ashley
VP and Practice Lead, DevOps and AppDev - The Furuturm Group
Mitch Ashley is VP and Practice Lead of DevOps and Application Development for The Futurum Group. Mitch has over 30+ years of experience as an entrepreneur, industry analyst, product development, and IT leader, with deep expertise in software engineering, cybersecurity, DevOps, DevSecOps, cloud, and AI. An in-demand CTO, CIO, engineering, and DevOps leader, Mitch has the pulse on the latest in software engineering, including the AI's impact in development, testing and security, cloud-native architecture, application and software supply chain security, platform engineering, ITOps, SecOps, AIOps, and DataOps. In his career, Mitch has brought to market multiple industry-impacting software-based products, including cybersecurity products, SaaS applications, Internet services, large telecommunications and financial applications, mobile applications, managed PKI services, and broadband networks. At Futurum, Mitch advises and guides leaders in delivering contemporary and next-generation software and security strategies critical to their business strategies.