About me
Mark Hughes
Cloud Architect
I started in IT supporting school networks and never really stopped moving forward. Fifteen years later I design cloud architecture for organisations that actually depend on it - from NHS bodies and local councils to mid-market businesses and enterprise clients. I write this blog because I think too much cloud content is either too shallow or too vendor-specific. I want to put out the kind of thinking that actually helps architects and engineers make better decisions.
What I do
I work across the full Azure and Microsoft 365 stack - from initial scoping through to production delivery. I have a particular focus on the work that actually matters: getting the architecture right, securing the environment, and making sure migrations don't break things.
Azure Architecture
Landing zones, server migrations, Azure Virtual Desktop, Backup, and Site Recovery. I've designed and delivered these at scale across the public and private sectors. The foundation has to be right before anything else.
Microsoft 365
End-to-end M365 delivery - Teams, SharePoint, Exchange Online, Intune, Defender, Conditional Access. Not just the easy parts. I've done the complex migrations, the security hardening, and the user adoption work that makes it stick.
Security & Identity
Entra ID, Zero Trust frameworks, Conditional Access policy design, MFA rollouts, and Identity Protection. Security that protects the organisation without making people's working lives miserable.
Solution Design
High-level designs, technical proposals, PoC delivery, and architecture reviews. I write documentation that people actually read and produce designs that engineers can actually build from.
Public Sector
NHS, local government, education - I understand the constraints, the procurement cycles, and the political realities. Delivering meaningful cloud transformation in the public sector is genuinely hard. I've done it.
Team Leadership
Microsoft Certified Trainer with hands-on experience leading project engineer teams. I take the technical relationship with customers seriously and I make sure what gets sold actually gets delivered.
Experience
My career started on the frontline - 1st and 2nd line support in schools, building networks, supporting infrastructure. That grounding matters. I understand why things break because I spent years fixing them.
Over the following decade I progressed through enterprise desktop engineering, 3rd line platform support, and into architecture. I designed ICT strategy and led digital transformation programmes in the public sector, where cloud adoption is harder, procurement is slower, and the stakes are higher - critical services depend on getting it right.
For the last few years I've been working in the private sector as a Senior Solutions Consultant at a Microsoft Partner, leading Azure and M365 delivery across a wide range of industries. I own the technical relationship with customers, manage project engineers, and take accountability for outcomes - not just deliverables.
Certifications
A broad certification portfolio across Azure, Microsoft 365, security, identity, and enterprise architecture - plus AWS and VMware. I maintain these actively because the landscape moves fast and the details matter.
Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Microsoft Certified - AZ-305
Azure Security Engineer Associate
Microsoft Certified - AZ-500
Azure Network Engineer Associate
Microsoft Certified - AZ-700
M365 Enterprise Administrator Expert
Microsoft 365 Certified
Identity & Access Administrator Associate
Microsoft Certified - SC-300
Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty
Microsoft Certified - AZ-140
Microsoft Certified Trainer
Active MCT status
TOGAF® 9 Certified
The Open Group - Enterprise Architecture
VMware Certified Professional
VCP - Data Center Virtualization
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Amazon Web Services
Security Operations Analyst Associate
Microsoft Certified - SC-200
Information Protection Administrator
Microsoft Certified - SC-400
Azure Administrator Associate
Microsoft Certified - AZ-104
Windows Server Hybrid Administrator
Microsoft Certified - AZ-800/801
M365 Security Administrator Associate
Microsoft 365 Certified
Teams Administrator Associate
Microsoft 365 Certified
Modern Desktop Administrator Associate
Microsoft 365 Certified
ITIL v3 Foundation
IT Service Management
Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate
Microsoft Certified - AZ-600
Messaging Administrator Associate
Microsoft 365 Certified
Teams Support Engineer Specialty
Microsoft 365 Certified
MCSE: Core Infrastructure
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert
MCSA: Windows Server 2016
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Foundations
Oracle Certified Associate
Azure Fundamentals
Microsoft Certified - AZ-900
Azure AI Fundamentals
Microsoft Certified - AI-900
Azure Data Fundamentals
Microsoft Certified - DP-900
Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
Microsoft Certified - MS-900
Power Platform Fundamentals
Microsoft Certified - PL-900
Security, Compliance & Identity Fundamentals
Microsoft Certified - SC-900
Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (CRM)
Microsoft Certified - MB-910
Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (ERP)
Microsoft Certified - MB-920
Juniper Networks Certified Associate
JNCIA-Junos
VMware Digital Business Transformation
VMware Certified Associate
Education & Contact
University of Hertfordshire
I'm always happy to talk cloud architecture, share what I know, or explore new opportunities. Find me on LinkedIn.