Building the Future of Cloud Infrastructure

I'm Rayne Welch, an Azure Architect passionate about designing secure, scalable, and cost-effective cloud solutions that drive business success.


Rayne Welch

I'm a highly practical Azure Architect with a strong technical focus on every project. My passion lies in leveraging modern cloud and hybrid infrastructure to build robust solutions that prioritize business continuity, disaster recovery, and cost efficiency.

I excel at using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to create optimized, automated processes that are secure, scalable, and maintainable. I believe that comprehensive, high-quality documentation is key to team efficiency and project success.

As a collaborative team player, I'm known for being approachable and supportive. I'm enthusiastic about sharing knowledge, whether it's through training, mentoring, workshops, or troubleshooting alongside my colleagues.

  • Azure Architecture & Governance

    Designing scalable, secure, and efficient architectures based on the Cloud Adoption and Well-Architected Frameworks. Implementing robust governance with Azure Policies and cost management.

  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC) & DevOps

    Automating infrastructure deployment and management using Terraform, ARM, and Bicep. Building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines with Azure DevOps and GitHub for streamlined, repeatable processes.

  • PaaS & IaaS Solutions

    Expertise in a wide range of Azure services, from App Services, Functions, and AVD to Virtual Machines, Networking, and Storage. Migrating legacy systems to modern, cloud-native solutions.

  • Advanced Networking

    Designing and deploying complex Hub & Spoke architectures, vWANs, VPN Gateways, and Azure Firewalls. Ensuring secure and performant connectivity for hybrid and cloud-only environments.

  • Security & Compliance

    Implementing best practices for cloud security using Managed Identity, Sentinel, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Ensuring compliance through Azure Policies and Conditional Access.

  • Automation & Optimization

    Utilising PowerShell, Logic Apps, and Automation Accounts to reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency. Consistently identifying opportunities for cost savings without compromising performance.

Modern SaaS Migration & Cost Optimisation

Employer: Slicedbread Ltd

This project involved tackling a significant technical backlog at a rapidly growing platform services company. The main goals were to modernise their infrastructure by migrating key services to more efficient Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions, drastically reduce operational expenditure, and automate development workflows to improve efficiency and speed of delivery.

Result: Reduced backup and storage costs by 43% in Production and 85% in Pre-Production.

Cloud Architecture: Consulting on PaaS migrations, including moving from VMs to Kubernetes and from SQL on VMs to Azure SQL.

  • Cost Management: Analysing and reducing expenditure on Azure services like Backup and Storage.

  • DevOps & Automation: Creating one-click deployment solutions for Proof of Concept environments using Terraform and Azure DevOps, and setting up GitHub Actions for CI/CD with Application Services.

  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Consolidating and packaging dormant infrastructure into a reusable IaC repository.

Scalable IoT Infrastructure & Security Hardening

Employer: Utopi Ltd

As the primary cloud engineer for a startup in the ESG sector, I was tasked with designing and implementing a highly scalable, secure, and cost-effective Azure infrastructure to support the deployment of up to 100,000 IoT devices. Key priorities were ensuring robust disaster recovery and minimising operational costs while enhancing the platform's security posture.

Result: Reduced the attack surface of the entire Azure estate by 95%.

  • Azure Networking: Retrofitting a Hub & Spoke network model into a live production environment with zero downtime, incorporating an S2S VPN, Private DNS, and Azure Firewall.

    Security Architecture: Hardening the environment by removing public-facing services and leveraging Front Door, API Gateway, and Firewall DNAT to secure endpoints.

    Cost Management: Achieving significant cost reductions of 84% in non-production and 64% in production environments through strategic use of reserved instances and rebalancing App Service Plans.

    Automation & Scalability: Implementing automation pipelines to reduce change time by 40% and increasing scaling capacity for App Services using Front Door and Elastic plans.

Enterprise Cloud Transformation & Landing Zone Delivery

Employer: KPMG UK

This role involved consulting with large, international clients to guide their cloud transformation journeys. I was responsible for the entire project lifecycle, from initial scoping and high-level design to the hands-on deployment of secure and scalable Azure Landing Zones, followed by client-focused handovers, workshops, and training.

Result: Successfully delivered end-to-end cloud projects, acting as the sole consultant interacting directly with clients.

  • Azure Landing Zones: Designing and deploying enterprise-grade Landing Zones using automation tools like Terraform, Bicep, and ARM, adhering to best practices.

  • Solution Architecture: Creating High-Level and Low-Level Designs, presenting recommendations on architecture, tooling, and operational models to international clients.

  • Client Management & Consulting: Directly liaising with customers, scoping projects, and delivering workshops and handover documentation.

  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Utilising a variety of IaC tools (Terraform, Bicep, ARM) to automate the deployment of complex cloud environments.

Hybrid Cloud Solutions & High-Availability Deployments

Employer: Transparity

As an Azure Technical Consultant, I worked on a diverse range of projects focused on delivering robust and highly available solutions for clients with exacting specifications. This included designing hybrid cloud architectures, implementing modern backup strategies, and deploying critical services like Azure Virtual Desktop and secure file transfer solutions.

Result: Deployed high-uptime solutions with active/active and active/passive configurations and delivered successful Azure Virtual Desktop implementations for corporations of various sizes.

  • Azure Virtual Desktop: Delivering AVD solutions for a variety of clients with specific customisation and security requirements.

    Networking & Security: Deploying and configuring Azure Firewalls, VPNs for hybrid connectivity, and implementing modern backup solutions with full encryption.

    Identity Management: Designing, deploying, and consulting on Privileged Identity Management (PIM) and other identity management solutions.

    Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF): Incorporating Microsoft best practices to ensure the successful delivery of all projects.

Certifications

  • Azure Solutions Architect Expert

  • Azure Network Engineer Associate

  • Azure Administrator Associate

  • Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty

  • ITIL 4 Foundation

Let's Build Something Amazing

I'm always excited to discuss new projects and challenges in the cloud space. If you're looking for a dedicated Azure Architect to help bring your vision to life, I'd love to hear from you.