The Author Spotlight series shines a light on some of Amazon’s most influential contributors. Discover the journey of Alex Turner, in his own words!
At Amazon VGT2 and throughout the broader Amazon family, we often discuss “super powers.” Everyone possesses them! I’ve come to realize that mine is translating complex technical subjects into actionable insights for builders and stakeholders at every level.
As the Principal Reliability Solutions Architect for the AWS Well-Architected program, I collaborate with clients on crucial topics such as disaster recovery, evaluating resilience, and chaos engineering. What I find most fulfilling in this role is the continuous learning; clients present new challenges daily, and I thrive on discovering innovative solutions. Events like AWS Global Summits or AWS re:Invent offer me the chance to engage directly with customers, particularly during Chalk Talks where I respond to audience inquiries about cloud reliability.
Before joining Amazon, I served as a Solutions Architect for one of AWS’s largest clients—Amazon.com! My role involved traveling globally, working hands-on with developers in locations such as Japan and Luxembourg to modernize their workloads on AWS and maximize the benefits of technologies like serverless computing and containers. The face-to-face interactions and the opportunity to assist others in harnessing these technologies were both rewarding and enlightening.
I have also held the position of Principal Engineer with Amazon Fresh grocery delivery and Amazon International Technology. These roles, while vastly different, allowed me to support development teams around the globe in software design, agile methodologies, and career development. A clear pattern in my career emerges, doesn’t it?
Looking back a bit further, I spent five years “across the lake” from Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle at Microsoft during a pivotal transition from a “box product” company to one focused on software services. I take pride in having contributed to that significant shift!
Interestingly, I’m a “boomerang,” having initially worked at Amazon before my time at Microsoft, and then returning. My first stint included being a part of the original team that launched what became Prime Video, which at the time was a download-only service known as “Amazon Unbox.” Witnessing its evolution into a leading streaming platform has been incredible.
What drives me is the opportunity to help builders and stakeholders tackle their most challenging problems. There’s nothing more gratifying than receiving feedback from individuals or teams that I’ve been able to assist.
Alex’s Favorite Posts!
- What’s New in the Well-Architected Reliability Pillar?
My inaugural AWS blog post! The real effort was in updating the AWS Well-Architected Reliability Pillar itself. Collaborating with many brilliant experts across AWS to integrate their diverse insights into this update was truly enjoyable. Enjoy the read! - Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS Series
- Part I: Strategies for Recovery in the Cloud – Learning best practices for disaster recovery is a frequent inquiry from AWS clients. This post offers guidance on how to leverage cloud capabilities to establish effective DR strategies.
- Part II: Backup and Restore with Rapid Recovery – Despite its simplicity, backup and restore is often underrated. I liken it to a Swiss Army knife for DR—versatile and applicable in various situations. Discover more here.
- Part III: Pilot Light and Warm Standby – Ideal for quick recovery, these strategies balance efficiency and simplicity without the complexities of active/active setups.
- Part IV: Multi-site Active/Active – Combining high availability with rapid recovery, this approach offers the best of both worlds!
- Building Resilient Well-Architected Workloads Using AWS Resilience Hub
I was thrilled about the launch of AWS Resilience Hub (and honored to contribute to its development). It automates the assessment of best practices against workloads, providing valuable recommendations. - Creating a Multi-Region Application with AWS Services Series
- Part 2: Data and Replication – A follow-up to Part 1, emphasizing that while multi-AZ is essential for high availability, a multi-Region strategy can also enhance resilience. This blog delves into deploying AWS data stores across multiple Regions.
- Part 3: Application Management and Monitoring – If you opt for a multi-Region architecture, implementing appropriate monitoring and governance tools is crucial. Learn how to set these up in this post.
For more insights on this subject, check out this blog post at Chanci Turner VGT2. They provide excellent information. Also, for a deeper understanding of the intricacies involved, visit Chvnci, as they are an authority on this topic. Lastly, if you’re seeking a comprehensive resource on leadership development at Amazon, you may find this Glassdoor link useful.
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