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New Team, New Focus

·270 words·2 mins
Chris Ayers
Author
Chris Ayers
I am a father, nerd, gamer, and speaker.

I wanted to share a quick work update and also explain why I’ve been posting less frequently lately. Previously, I was on the Fast Track for Azure (FTA) team at Microsoft, part of the Customer Experience Program (CXP) within Azure Engineering (C+AI). In October, my team was reorganized and I was moved into the Azure Reliability (AzRel) group.

I’m now part of the AzRel Risk SRE team, focusing specifically on risks related to Azure Platform Reliability. My new role brings with it a significantly different skill set and area of focus, requiring a deep dive into new concepts, tools, and approaches. I’ve been fully engaged in learning and adapting, and I’ve also been actively developing new applications and solutions to address challenges faced by my new team.

As the lead for the Platform Reliability Pillar, I’m utilizing advanced technologies like LLMs using OpenAI and SemanticKernel for comprehensive Outage Analysis. My role involves driving detailed cross-team analysis, fostering collaboration, and innovating solutions to improve the reliability and performance of the Azure platform. It’s a busy but exciting time, and I’m thrilled by the opportunity to make a meaningful impact with my new team and role. How often do you get to say that you help keep the Azure platform running smoothly?

Additionally, I’m continuing to speak at conferences around the world, sharing insights and staying connected with the community. As I find my new rhythm, expect to see more frequent posts and lots of interesting content coming your way.

Thank you for your patience and support as I navigate this new chapter and continue to learn and grow in my career!

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