I'm passionate about sharing knowledge on cloud-native technologies, platform engineering, and the human side of tech. With experience speaking at major conferences like KubeCon and numerous community events, I bring practical insights from real-world implementations across fintech, gaming, and government sectors.
🔥 The Human API: Engineering Better Conversations
- Focus: Communication patterns in engineering teams, API design principles applied to human interaction
- Audience: Engineering teams, tech leads, SRE/DevOps practitioners
- Previous venues: SRE Days London 2025, Cloud Platform Engineering London
⚽ From Free-Kicks to Git Commits
- Focus: Leadership lessons from sports applied to engineering teams, building high-performing tech teams
- Audience: Engineering managers, team leads, developers interested in leadership
- Previous venues: KCD UK 2024, SRE Days 2024, Civo Navigate Europe 2024
🚀 GitOps & Platform Engineering
- Focus: Real-world GitOps implementations, platform engineering best practices, FinTech transformation stories
- Audience: Platform engineers, DevOps teams, technical decision makers
- Previous venues: Multiple conferences and meetups since 2020
- Platform Engineering & Team Topologies
- GitOps & Cloud Native Architecture
- Engineering Leadership & Culture
- Kubernetes & CNCF Ecosystem
- FinTech Infrastructure Challenges
- Technical Workshop Facilitation
- Panel Moderation & Discussion Leadership
Steve Wade | The Pragmatic CNCF Guy | Founder, Platform Fix
Steve rescues failed Kubernetes migrations, transforming platform chaos into clarity in 30 days. After saving £100M+ in doomed cloud-native projects and successfully leading 50+ CNCF transformations, he created Platform Fix OS™ - a systematic approach to platform simplification.
Known for his "learn by breaking" philosophy and no-BS take on Kubernetes complexity, Steve delivers the uncomfortable truths vendors won't tell you. His signature talk, "From K8s Chaos to Clarity" has helped thousands of engineers escape the complexity trap.
Steve is the straight-talking engineer organisations call when their cloud-native dreams become expensive nightmares. He speaks at KubeCon, DevOps Days, and enterprise summits worldwide, helping teams achieve freedom through radical simplification.
- 🌍 Global speaker at major conferences and community events
- 🎓 Experienced trainer delivering cloud-native workshops
- 💼 Platform leadership across multiple industries
- 🤝 Active in the CNCF community
- 📝 Regular content creator and podcast guest
- BitSummit Hamburg 2025 - Featured speaker with "The CFO Question That Exposed £2.3M in Hidden Risk"
- DevOps Pro Europe 2025 - Major presence with 4 engagements:
- 🎓 Full-day workshop: "Fundamentals of Kubernetes"
- 🎤 Conference talk on GitOps transformation
- 🎙️ Moderator for the Kubernetes panel
- 👥 Panelist on "The Future of DevOps"
- KubeCon EU 2025 - Featured speaker with "Cloud Native Wheel of Fortune"
- SRE Days London - Delivered keynote on "The Human API"
- Multiple Conference Appearances - Including KCD UK, Civo Navigate Europe, TechMids
- Podcast Features - DevSecOps Overflow, We Chat Tech
- Community Leadership - Continued growth of The Cloud Native Club
Steve Wade - CNCF Migration Specialist | Fixing Failed Kubernetes Transformations
Steve fixes failed Kubernetes migrations. With 50+ successful CNCF transformations under his belt, he helps enterprises go from "drowning in YAML" to "shipping daily" in 30 days. Known for his "learn by breaking" approach and pragmatic take on the CNCF landscape, Steve speaks the uncomfortable truths about cloud-native adoption that vendors won't tell you. Former Flux maintainer, current migration firefighter.
✅ Engaging Presentations - Interactive talks that blend technical depth with practical insights
✅ Reliable Professional - Consistent track record at major conferences
✅ Audience Connection - Known for making complex topics accessible and entertaining
✅ Flexible Topics - Can adapt talks for different audiences and formats
✅ Community Builder - Help promote your event through The Cloud Native Club network
- 30+ Conference Talks delivered globally
- 10+ Podcast Appearances on major tech shows
- 5 Industries represented in case studies
- Active in 3 Continents - Europe, North America, Asia
"Steve's talk on GitOps was both informative and entertaining. He has a gift for making complex topics accessible." - Conference Attendee
"One of the most engaging speakers we've had. Steve's real-world examples really resonated with our audience." - Event Organizer
Available for:
- 🎤 Keynotes & Conference Talks
- 💼 Corporate Tech Talks
- 🎓 Workshops & Training (Half-day to multi-day)
- 🎙️ Podcast Appearances
- 👥 Panel Discussions & Moderation
- 🎬 Virtual Events & Webinars
Preferred Topics: Cloud Native, Platform Engineering, GitOps, Engineering Culture, Leadership
Location: Available globally (in-person and virtual)
Ready to bring engaging cloud-native content to your event? Let's connect!
- 📧 Email: [email protected]
- 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stevendavidwade
- 🌐 Blog: medium.com/@swade1987
- 💻 GitHub: github.com/swade1987
2025 Talks
- The Killer Question: How One Sentence Can Transform Your Engineering Career - DevFest 2025 (Prague) | 🎥 Watch
- The CFO Question That Exposed £2.3M in Hidden Risk - BitSummit 2025 (Hamburg, Germany) | 🎥 Watch
- DevOps Pro Europe 2025 - Multiple engagements:
- Workshop: "Fundamentals of Kubernetes" (Full day)
- Talk: How GitOps Enabled Us to Answer an Unanswerable Question 🎥 Watch
- Panel Moderator: Kubernetes discussion
- Panelist: "The Future of DevOps"
- Cloud Native Wheel Of Fortune - KubeCon EU 2025 (London) | 🎥 Watch
- The Human API - SRE Days London | 🎥 Watch
- The Human API - Cloud Platform Engineering London | 🔗 Details
2024 Talks
2020-2022 Talks
Last updated: January 2025