Our Journey
Here’s how Christian spent his 10,000+ hours
They say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master
1997
Certified Novell Administrator
Christian got his first job in IT with British Aerospace at age 18. There, he worked with early versions of Windows and Novell Netware, and became a Certified Novell Administrator.
1998
Microsoft Certified Professional1999
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Windows NT 4.02001
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Windows 20002002
Microsoft Certified Database Administrator: SQL Server 20002002
Joined Microsoft
At Microsoft, Christian worked with Enterprise clients in finance and government. He specialised in Microsoft SQL Server, working in a new business unit as a Dedicated Supportability Engineer. Christian was only the second SQL hire within the team.
2004
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Windows 20032006
Microsoft Certified Database Administrator: SQL Server 20052007
Founded SQL consultancy business, Coeo
Christian left Microsoft to support medium and large clients running much of their business operations with SQL Server. Still closely allied with Microsoft, Coeo’s team of 50 offered valuable guidance on SQL performance and Microsoft products.2008
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 20052008
Microsoft Certified Architect: SQL Server 2005
Christian became the first person outside of Microsoft to become a Microsoft Certified Architect. Building on his work to become a Microsoft Certified Master, Christian gained first-hand immersion with the SQL product development team. There he encountered some of the most complex SQL Server applications and came to understand each SQL component on a granular level, allowing him to resolve what many would consider ‘unsolvable problems’.2008
Published SQL Server 2005 Performance Tuning2009
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 20082009
Published Professional SQL Server 2008 Internals & Troubleshooting
Christian was the lead author of this seminal work drawing from his Microsoft tenure, exploring enterprise support, change management, and SQL Server’s intricate architecture. It became a vital industry resource, resonating with professionals globally, prompting an update in 2012.
2010
Published Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administration for Oracle DBAs2012
Published Professional SQL Server 2012 Internals & Troubleshooting2013
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 20122014
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Data Platform2016
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Data Management and Analytics2019
Founded Cloud Rede
Christian established Cloud Rede, with the goal of building enduring client relationships. Later joined by Karl, Cloud Rede, excels in both AWS and Microsoft Azure platforms, delivering agile, platform-agnostic solutions through automation and a lean, remote team.
2020
Microsoft Certified Azure Database Administrator2020
AWS & Microsoft Certified Solutions Architect
Christian gained the highest level certifications for both the AWS and Azure platforms, allowing Cloud Rede to deliver the best support for clients using any SQL platform.
2020
Law Degree
Christian gained a first class degree in law specialising in Data Protection and GDPR, enhancing our ability to work in sensitive data environments.
2021
Made a Fellow of the British Computer Society
Christian was awarded fellowship of the BCS in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to Information Technology.