Sometimes we forget the humans behind the tech in our ever busy world. DSF is fortunate enough to know some incredible tech leaders across the world and has the privilege of hearing them present at our events. That being said, our Speaker Spotlight sets the stage to get to know our speakers on a more personal level and connect them with our growing community. Read the mini interview below!

A bit about Len:

I am a Partner Solutions Architect at AWS with over 18 years of experience in networking, security, and cloud architecture. Based in Liverpool, UK, I work with top ISV partners across EMEA, helping them build and scale innovative solutions on AWS from cloud networking and security to Generative AI. I started my career in a data centre and have grown from a networking engineer to a cloud architect, driven by a passion for continuous learning and technology.

How did you start out in your tech career?

I was enrolled in a Networking university course (first year) offered only in the evenings. In my second semester, I landed an entry-level job at a Data Centre from 4PM to midnight, that was an opportunity I couldn’t miss. I froze my studies to take the job, eventually moving to a night shift (11PM–6AM) to get back to university. It wasn’t easy, but it gave me the hands-on exposure I needed. From there, things flourished: experience, certifications, and maturity followed, and I never looked back.

What are the signs of success in your field?

As a Partner Solutions Architect at AWS, success means seeing my partners thrive. Whether that’s launching a product built on AWS, achieving a programme competency, or closing a deal that benefits the partner, AWS, and the end customer. Those are the moments that matter. Thought leadership, like co-authoring technical blogs or running workshops, is also a strong signal that I’m adding real value beyond just technical guidance.

What is the best and worst thing about your job role? 

The best part is the constant exposure to cutting-edge technology. I started as a networking engineer and have evolved to cover security, AI, resiliency, and cloud architecture. I genuinely learn something new almost every day. The worst part is the sheer pace innovation. With hundreds of new features and services announced each year, it’s nearly impossible to stay on top of everything and occasionally a partner or customer will mention something I haven’t heard of yet!

What can you advise someone just starting out to be successful?

Build a strong foundation first understand the fundamentals deeply before moving to the practical. Get hands-on experience through labs and real-world scenarios. Certifications are a great plus and help solidify knowledge. Invest in both technical breadth and depth, especially in an area you’re passionate about. And above all, learn AI. It’s not just the future, it’s already the present. Every partner I work with today is building with AI in some form.

How do you switch off?

Quality time with family and phones and laptops must be away, fully present. A good barbecue when the weather allows. And sport is a must: spin bike, football, or a walk in the park. These things genuinely recharge me.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Start learning English earlier. Portuguese is my first language, and I only began learning English at 24, which made getting certified harder than it needed to be since most exams were only available in English at the time. Language opens doors. Once I became fluent, I was able to join AWS at 28. Don’t underestimate the power of communication skills alongside technical ones.

What is next for you?

I love what I do, helping AWS partners succeed genuinely motivates me. Next up is a promotion in my current role, and continuing to deepen my expertise in AI, Networking, and Security, which are my core focus areas. Personally, I want to keep growing as a technical thought leader, contributing more blogs, workshops, and community events.

If you could do anything now, career-wise or personally what would you do? Why?

Career-wise, I’d double down on Generative AI and Agentic AI as it’s the most transformative shift I’ve seen in my 15+ years in tech, and I want to be at the forefront of helping partners build responsibly and securely with it. Personally, I’d love to spend more time travelling with my family and experiencing different cultures.

What are your top 5 predictions in tech for the next 5 years?

  1. Agentic AI goes mainstream – autonomous AI agents will handle complex, multi-step business workflows across every industry, moving well beyond chatbots.
  2. Security becomes AI-native 0 threat detection, vulnerability management, and incident response will be fully AI-driven, with platforms like the ones I work with my partners.
  3. Networking becomes invisible – cloud networking could be fully abstracted and policy-driven, with solutions like AWS VPC Lattice and CloudWAN making complexity disappear for developers.
  4. Edge and hybrid cloud accelerate – more workloads will run closer to the data source, driven by latency, data sovereignty, and cost requirements.
  5. AI regulation shapes the industry – governments will introduce meaningful AI governance frameworks, making responsible AI architecture a core competency for every cloud architect.

Thank you to all our wonderful speakers for taking part in our Speaker Spotlight!

Want to become a DSF Speaker? Apply here!