Akmal helps build global developer communities and raise awareness of technology through presentations and technical writing. He has over 25 years of experience in IT. He has previously held roles as a developer, consultant, product strategist, evangelist, technical writer and technical trainer with several Blue Chip companies and Big Data startups. He has regularly presented at many international conferences and served on the program committees for several major conferences and workshops. He has published widely and edited or co-edited ten books. He holds a BSc (1st Class Hons.) in Computing and Information Systems, MSc in Business Systems Analysis and Design and a PhD in Computer Science. He is a Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS) and a Chartered IT Professional (CITP).