aws · architecture · cost · security · migration
AWS Cloud Consultant UK
I help teams design reliable, cost-effective AWS infrastructure — from Well-Architected reviews to migration planning and security hardening. AWS Solutions Architect Certified, based in the UK.
the problem
Common AWS problems
AWS bill keeps growing
Costs climb every month and nobody can explain the biggest drivers or what to do about it.
The account is a mess
Everything in one account, no tagging, no budget alerts, and no idea who owns what.
Security posture is unclear
IAM is too permissive, public S3 buckets exist, and there's no audit trail for account activity.
The architecture doesn't scale
It worked fine at low traffic. Now it creaks under load and changes are becoming risky.
Cloud migration is stalled
Everyone agrees you should move to AWS, but nobody knows where to start or what to move first.
Nobody owns the cloud
Infrastructure decisions happen ad hoc, there's no standard architecture, and onboarding is painful.
the output
What I deliver
- ✓Well-Architected Framework review — findings across reliability, security, performance, and cost
- ✓Cost optimisation analysis — rightsizing, reserved capacity, spot usage, and waste elimination
- ✓IAM audit — least-privilege policy review, role separation, and access boundary design
- ✓VPC architecture design — subnets, routing, NAT strategy, and network segmentation
- ✓Multi-account strategy — AWS Organizations, SCPs, and account vending patterns
- ✓Migration assessment — workload inventory, migration strategy, and sequencing plan
- ✓Tagging and FinOps — cost allocation tags, budget alerts, and anomaly detection
- ✓Security baseline — GuardDuty, CloudTrail, Config rules, and findings remediation
aws services
AWS services and tooling
Enterprise AWS experience across financial services, retail, and SaaS — combined with Terraform-based IaC for repeatable, auditable infrastructure.
engagement models
Typical engagements
Architecture Review
1–2 daysWell-Architected Framework assessment of your current AWS setup. Written report with findings, risks, quick wins, and a prioritised improvement roadmap.
Cost Optimisation Audit
1–2 daysDeep dive into your AWS bill. Rightsizing recommendations, reserved capacity analysis, and an ordered list of cost reduction actions.
Migration Planning
1–2 weeksWorkload inventory, migration strategy selection (lift-and-shift, replatform, rearchitect), and a sequenced migration plan with risk assessment.
Infrastructure Implementation
2–6 weeksTerraform-based implementation of AWS infrastructure — VPC, EC2, RDS, IAM, and application platform — with CI/CD and documentation.
credibility
Why work with me
AWS Certified
Solutions Architect – Associate
Terraform Certified
HashiCorp Associate
14+ years
Software engineering and cloud infrastructure
Enterprise clients
Financial services, retail, enterprise SaaS
Enterprise cloud experience
At Waypoint Trading Solutions I worked on financial market connectivity infrastructure at enterprise scale. At Wunderman Thompson and Collinson, I worked on AWS-hosted retail and SaaS platforms serving high-traffic global audiences. The problems are different at every scale — I've seen most of them.
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Frequently asked questions
Do you work with Azure or GCP?
AWS is my primary cloud platform and where I have the most depth. I understand Azure and GCP architecturally, but won't overstate equal expertise. If your workload is already on Azure or GCP, I'd be upfront about where that boundary is.
Can you identify quick wins on the AWS bill?
Often yes. Unused EBS volumes, oversized RDS instances, missing reserved instances, and unattached Elastic IPs are common and can be found in a 1-day review. Savings of 20–30% are not unusual in accounts that haven't been audited.
Do you have experience with regulated industries?
Yes. Financial services experience at Waypoint Trading Solutions and enterprise SaaS at Collinson means I understand compliance-adjacent design — audit trails, encryption, IAM controls, and logging standards.
What's the smallest engagement you offer?
A 1-day architecture review or cost audit — fixed scope with a written output. It's a low-commitment way to get an expert perspective and prioritised action list without a long engagement.
Can you help with EKS specifically?
Yes. EKS is a natural bridge between AWS infrastructure and Kubernetes expertise. I can help with cluster setup, managed node groups, IAM for service accounts (IRSA), and integrating EKS into your CI/CD and GitOps workflows.
get in touch
Get a clear picture of your AWS infrastructure
Whether you need a cost audit, architecture review, or migration plan — let's start with a conversation.