Get to know Principal Cloud Consultant and AWS Practice Lead Colin Barker!
He talks spearheading the build & growth of Expert Thinking’s AWS practice, becoming the best AWS consultancy globally, and the importance of having strong mentors throughout your career.
You’re a Principal Cloud Consultant and the AWS Practice Lead at Expert Thinking. What does your role entail?
As a Principal Consultant, I oversee teams delivering projects to customers while also doing some of the project delivery. Guiding consultants, maintaining standards, and serving as a technical escalation point to ensure projects are completed successfully.
As the AWS Practice Lead, I also spearhead the build and growth of ET’s AWS practice. Working together with the wider team on everything AWS, from partnerships to (pre)sales, delivery and customer success, setting the roadmaps and technical direction. But also fostering an AWS community internally, with strong knowledge sharing.
When I joined, I was one of first Practice Leads, so I had the opportunity to help define the role and influence ET’s evolving ways of working. Initially, there were fewer AWS experts, so I focused on building up that expertise.
While I’ve worked with Azure clients and I’m cloud agnostic, my main goal is to continue to propel the growth of the AWS practice. ET’s flexible and agile culture allows me to address any challenges head-on by discussing solutions with the right people and implementing changes efficiently. At the end of the day, we want to be seen at the best AWS consultancy globally!
What are you most proud of in your journey with Expert Thinking so far?
One of my key goals since joining was achieving AWS Advanced Partner Status for Expert Thinking, and I’m happy that we got there! It was a huge team effort that requires a lot of time and work. This will open a lot more doors open for us, and enable our customers to get more value out of their platforms with us.
Another achievement I’m really proud of is achieving AWS Ambassador status. It’s a massive honour, to be perfectly honest. The fact that a big company like AWS recognise and acknowledge the contributions I’ve made internally and externally, and that I’ve become part of a very small, exclusive community is huge. It takes a lot of work to get onto the programme itself. So, I’m just really glad and honoured to have received the accolade.
And most recently, we also secured AWS Well-Architected Partner status. This achievement demonstrates the high level of trust AWS has in Expert Thinking and as a result, we are now able to deliver Well Architected Reviews, not only to existing customers, but all AWS customers, to ensure all users get the best value from the AWS platform.
It’s been a great journey so far, with a lot more in the pipeline. Stay tuned!
Your background is in hardware and data centre work. How did you end up transitioning to the cloud?
Thanks to a mentor, I moved to the cloud and that opened many new possibilities. From driving hours to restart a data centre to doing everything remotely and more diverse work.
Thanks to another mentor, I also quickly realised the importance of understanding cloud concepts rather than specific technologies. My transition from a private cloud to AWS came naturally as it became a dominant player in the cloud market. But I also explored other cloud providers like GCP and Azure, leveraging a conceptual understanding of the cloud to navigate different platforms effortlessly.
This shift in mindset propelled me from a tech support role to leading the AWS practice at ET, where I aim to share my knowledge and mentor others, just as I was once mentored.
Mentoring is also a crucial aspect of your role now. How do you approach it?
As you can tell, I’ve had mentors who’ve made a significant impact on my own career and personal development, so I understand the value they bring.
My approach is to create a supportive and empowering environment where people feel heard, valued, and encouraged to grow. Whether it’s guiding someone through technical challenges, helping them navigate career decisions, or providing a listening ear.
Ultimately, my aim is to empower people to reach their full potential and achieve their goals. Seeing them grow, succeed, and become happier and more fulfilled in their roles is incredibly rewarding and drives me.
As a Lead SME for the AWS certification programme program, what’s your stance on certifications?
For me, certifications have always been about personal growth rather than just fulfilling requirements. While I may be a Lead SME for the AWS certification programme program, my own journey through these exams has been very personal. Each certification I’ve earned has been a testament to my ability to push myself and achieve new heights.
It’s never about boasting that I’ve passed an exam, but rather about proving to myself that I have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. Even as I’ve progressed to writing exam questions, it’s been about challenging myself to continually improve and reach new levels of expertise.
I see certifications as milestones in a larger journey of professional development. They’re markers of progress and indicators of the depth of knowledge and critical thinking required in the field.
Ultimately, certifications should be used as tools for personal assessment and growth, rather than mere checkboxes on a resume. It’s about constantly challenging yourself and striving for improvement, rather than comparing against others or simply meeting minimum requirements.
You’re very passionate about what you do. Why did you decide to join Expert Thinking?
My choice was driven by a mix of factors: a company culture where people’s voices are heard, the opportunity to build out the AWS practice and ET’s agile and innovative way of working. It’s refreshing.
Knowing that we have the flexibility here to adapt and innovate quickly without being bogged down by bureaucracy or lengthy processes is incredibly motivating. We can iterate, experiment, and pivot as needed to drive progress and success.
The shift from being one voice among thousands to having a voice that’s heard and valued at every level of the organisation is one of the most significant differences I’ve experienced between larger businesses and a dynamic, growing company like ET.
It means we can address challenges and implement solutions in a matter of days rather than months. And having the support and trust of leadership to take that initiative and make decisions makes a huge difference.
You have the opportunity to make an impact and push the boundaries of what’s possible, within a supportive environment.