Curriculum Vitae

$ Whoami

Kubestronaut (#26 in Belgium), Technical Lead and Platform Engineer/Architect with a deep passion for Kubernetes, cloud-native architecture, and open source. One of the first in Belgium to hold all five Kubernetes certifications, reflecting a sustained commitment to mastering the full CNCF ecosystem.

Platform engineering is at the core of what I do: designing and operating resilient, self-service platforms that reduce operational overhead and accelerate software delivery. Every engagement is grounded in GitOps and Infrastructure as Code principles, ensuring that every change is versioned, auditable, and automated across the full software delivery lifecycle. CI/CD is not an afterthought but a first-class citizen, enabling teams to ship with speed and confidence.

Beyond hands-on engineering, I lead as a technical lead and architect, guiding teams through complex platform decisions, mentoring engineers, and bridging business requirements to scalable and maintainable infrastructure. I thrive where deep technical ownership meets cross-functional collaboration.

With a strong interest in the intersection of AI and cloud-native platforms, I actively follow how these fields are reshaping how infrastructure is built, operated, and evolved.

Socials

Education

2013-2014 - Howest - Digital Arts & Entertainment
2015-2018 - PXL - Applied Computer Science – System & Network Administration (Bachelors degree)
2018-2019 - Howest - Computer & Cybercrime Professional (CEH certificate)

Certification

2026 - Kubestronaut - #26 in Belgium
2026 - CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist)
2025 - CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator) - Reobtained
2025 - CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer)
2025 - KCSA (Kubernetes and Cloud Native Security Associate)
2025 - KCNA (Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate)
2021 - CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator)
2021 - Kubernetes Fundamentals
2019 - CEHv10 (Certified Ethical Hacker)
2019 - ITIL Foundation

Recent Training & Courses

2022 - Go Training - Interactive training on programming in Go
2023 - RedHat Openshift ACM - Advanced Cluster Management
2023 - Kasten K10 - Kubernetes backup and disaster recovery
2025 - Architecting on AWS - AWS Solutions Architect Associate

Continuous Learning

2015-2026 - Homelab - Built and maintained a personal tech environment for hands-on learning and staying ahead of the curve with industry trends. This has provided me with invaluable knowledge. I strive for enterprise grade, production-ready systems to push my skills to the limits and become the best version of myself in a fast evolving landscape.

Languages

Dutch - Native Speaker
English - Fluent (Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening)
French - Basic (Reading, listening)

Experience

HostYou (02/2018 - 04/2019)

Internship

Creating an automated test environment for web development at HostYou. I also made a custom CLI tool to manage it.

CentOS | Fedora | Docker | Python | Bash | Powershell | Ansible
Infrastructure Solutions Advisor

Supporting clients to offer the best possible solution for their hosting needs. My responsibility was maintaining the datacenter, including firewalls, switches and HPE servers. It was also my job to automate the provisioning of the LAMP stacks and a wide range of other small tasks to make sure minimal manual work was needed.

VMware | CentOS | Fedora | LAMP | Ansible | Python | Gitlab | Watchguard | HP Aruba | Cisco | HP VSA | PHP | Drupal | MySQL | Varnish | Zabbix

Aarixa (04/2019 - 06/2022)

DevOps Consultant at Digipolis

Platform9 Kubernetes Infrastructure As Code

Automating the creation and management of Platform9 Kubernetes clusters as code. Users only need to commit changes to a git repository, after that the automation tools take over to create or update all the required infrastructure.

Platform9 | Kubernetes | Terraform | Python | Gitlab CI/CD | Infoblox | vSphere
AVI Infrastructure As Code

Creating and maintaining IAC pipelines to automate the configuration of AVI network loadbalancers. Migrating from F5 BigIP to VMWare AVI.

AVI | Infoblox | Gitlab CI/CD | Ansible | Python | Kubernetes | F5 BigIP
Application Lifecycle Management

As a member of the ALM team it was my responsibility to support the developers in their deployment process by providing a platform as well as a set of automation tools to facilitate their process.

Openshift | Kubernetes | Platform9 | Atlassian Stack | Gitlab | Sonatype Nexus | CI/CD | Chef | Bitbucket | Bamboo
MyACPaaS

Working on the "My Antwerp City Platform as a Service" platform, I was part of the Workplace team, the team that was responsible for Gitlab and some custom build side components to automate the deployment process. These components consisted of custom build Python API's and applications to automate the communication between Gitlab and other systems like Kafka, Vault and S3. Everything was created as containers, either to be used in the pipelines or to run on Kubernetes.

Gitlab CI/CD | Kubernetes | Python | Kafka | Sonatype Nexus | Hashicorp Vault | S3 | Ansible | Ceph

Nexuzhealth (06/2022 - 10/2023)

Technical Software Engineer - DevOps Engineer

As part of the Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team, I was responsible for ensuring system reliability, keeping infrastructure up and running, and continuously seeking improvements. I worked extensively with Google Cloud, maintaining all infrastructure as code using Terraform, eliminating manual configurations entirely. The approach was infrastructure as code first, along with pipelines as code to streamline operations. Additionally, I used a custom GitOps tool in Go, comparable to ArgoCD or Flux, to enhance deployment workflows. I focused on automating workload management on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), ensuring scalability, efficiency, and high system availability.

Projects:

UZ Leuven: Migration from Openshift 3 to Openshift 4

I successfully migrated from OpenShift 3 to OpenShift 4, setting up the entire infrastructure as code using Terraform. I was responsible for defining application deployments, leveraging custom Groovy Jenkins pipelines and Terraform to ensure a seamless, automated rollout.

Terraform | Jenkins | Groovy | Gitea | EFK Stack | Grafana | Mimir
Migration from Jenkins to Gitlab-CI for MOAPR

I carried out a major migration from complex Jenkins Groovy libraries to GitLab CI for the MOAPR (Mother Of All Patient Records), the core product NXH. This transition streamlined the CI/CD processes, improving maintainability, efficiency, and automation.

Jenkins | Groovy | Gitlab-CI | Go | GKE
Setup and maintenance Observability Stack

I designed and implemented a cloud-native observability stack on top of GKE to monitor all GKE clusters. This setup leveraged Prometheus for metrics collection, Grafana for visualization, Loki for log aggregation, and Phlare/Pyroscope for profiling, ensuring comprehensive monitoring, performance insights, and efficient troubleshooting across our infrastructure.

Grafana | Prometheus | Phlare | Pyroscope | Loki
Setup and maintenance Security products

I needed a clear view of dependency management through the use of SBOMs, ensuring transparency and security across our software supply chain. To achieve this, I implemented automatic SBOM generation for dependency management and leveraged Dependency Track for tracking dependencies. Additionally, I used Trivy Operator for container image scanning and Defect Dojo for vulnerability management, enabling us to collect, analyze, and visualize data on dependencies and security risks effectively.

Dependency Track | Defect Dojo | Trivy Operator

Piros (10/2023 - 01/2024)

I had two combined roles across Piros and Qubr, with significant responsibility in both technical and leadership capacities.

Piros: RedHat DevOps Consultant

Piros is the biggest Belgian RedHat partner. I provided expert advice on DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) best practices, helping customers optimize their infrastructure and workflows. Additionally, I supported the sales team from a technical perspective, offering insights and guidance that were crucial in securing business opportunities.

Openshift | Ansible | RedHat
Qubr Teamlead

Qubr is a subdivision under Piros, offering managed services to customers. I was teamlead of a team of six, primarily composed of junior and medior profiles. My responsibilities included designing infrastructure architecture for customer projects, with a strong focus on Kubernetes and OpenShift solutions. I also played a key role in supporting and mentoring junior team members, helping them grow and develop their skills. Additionally, I was responsible for the setup and maintenance of Qubr’s infrastructure, ensuring the reliability and scalability of our systems.

Proxmox | Bind9 DNS | Cloudflare | RHEL9 | RedHat Openshift | RedHat ACM/ACS (Advanced Cluster Management + Advanced Cluster Security) | Gitlab

Sopra Steria (01/2024 - Now)

DevOps / Platform Engineer / Technical Lead

Projects:

DiSo (01/2024 - 06/2026)

Within the DiSo (Digital Solutions), previously called Digital Factory and Design & Develop, we operate as a pool of DevOps engineers across multiple customer projects.

I did the setup and maintenance of their Kubernetes based container platforms, leveraging a GitOps approach for streamlined management. Utilizing a diverse range of tools from the CNCF landscape, I specialized in building scalable, secure and automated platforms that enhance operational efficiency and reliability for our customers.

With a strong focus on automation, I developed and optimized CI/CD pipelines across various technologies, enabling seamless software delivery, reducing manual effort, and improving deployment efficiency.

Cloud: AWS | Azure | DigitalOcean
Kubernetes: EKS | AKS | DOKS | OpenShift | K3S
Keycloak | ArgoCD | Gitlab CI | Jenkins | Terraform | Observability | Datadog | Prometheus | Thanos | Loki | Grafana | Gatus | CNCF Landscape
Internal Observability (01/2024 - 07/2024)

To enhance visibility and gain deeper insights on our internal EKS clusters, I have designed and implemented a distributed multi-cluster observability platform using Thanos, Prometheus, Loki, and Grafana, providing centralized monitoring, log aggregation, and improved visibility across these complex cloud-native environments.

Terraform | Observability | Datadog | Prometheus | Thanos | Loki | Grafana | Gatus
SkeyDrone (02/2024 - 10/2025)

SkeyDrone is a fast-growing startup founded in 2020, born from a collaboration between Skeyes and Brussels Airlines, developing software for drone applications around airports. I helped to design, build, and maintain their Kubernetes GitOps platform on DigitalOcean DOKS to host all microservices of their drone software. The entire platform was defined as code, with a full GitOps based deployment workflow.

DOKS | ArgoCD | Terraform | CloudNativePG | Keycloak | Prometheus | Grafana | Loki | S3
UCLouvain (06/2024 - 12/2024)

Designed and delivered a highly available, on-premises cloud-native platform on Kubernetes to support the developer team rebuilding the university's entire web platform. We deployed K3S on local VMs to achieve an HA Kubernetes setup, with all workloads installed and managed through ArgoCD and GitOps. CI/CD for application builds ran on GitLab CI, where we developed a complete pipeline library to handle the multiple web applications and high-intensity development pace. The platform was designed to absorb large traffic spikes, such as the surge in concurrent users when exam results were published.

K3S | PostgreSQL | ArgoCD | GitLab CI
FOD BOSA (03/2025 - 06/2026)

FOD BOSA (Beleid en Ondersteuning / Appui Strategie) is the Belgian Federal Government department responsible for delivering software and digital services to citizens. As part of a project team of me as DevOps engineer, backend and frontend developers, and designers, we have built multiple citizen-facing services, including an AI chatbot to help citizens navigate Belgian government websites. The services run on OpenShift with a strong focus on security, including extensive SAST and security scanning integrated across all pipelines.

OpenShift | GitLab CI | S3 | Artifactory | Java | Python | npm | PostgreSQL | Kibana

Jorselutions (02/2022 - 02/2024)

Secondary Occupation (bijberoep)

I developed a custom web platform for a local funeral undertaker, enabling efficient management of documents and appointments. Integrated Belgian eID for secure authentication and streamlined operations.

Infrastructure as a Hobby (2018 - Now)

Hetzner Cloud-Native Platform

In my spare time, I built a cloud-native platform, leveraging Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to provision and manage Talos Kubernetes clusters in Hetzner Cloud, with integrated autoscaling for dynamic resource management. The solution utilizes a GitOps approach with ArgoCD to streamline deployment and management. It incorporates robust security with CrowdSec and Cloudflare, ingress management, SSO, and integrated observability tools. Custom node pools and cloud-native database management were implemented, alongside a custom private container registry powered by Harbor. Additionally, a multi-cluster mesh was established using Tailscale, ensuring secure and efficient cross-cluster communication. Secure secret management was integrated with HashiCorp Vault and External-Secrets to safeguard sensitive data across the platform. This infrastructure supports the deployment and management of self-written applications and Kubernetes operators, ensuring seamless, automated operation.

Homelab - Private Projects - Hobby (2015 - Now)

Since my school years, I have been passionate about technology. In my spare time, I enjoy experimenting with new technologies, continuously learning, and exploring tools that I could potentially introduce at work. I design and build complex systems for my homelab, developing custom APIs, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code to deepen my expertise and stay ahead of industry trends.

I run these workloads on a mix of old HPE ProLiant servers, mini PCs, and custom-built machines, scaling them up to Hetzner Cloud, ensuring a flexible and scalable infrastructure for experimentation and development.

Apart from infrastructure, I have a strong passion for programming. I enjoy developing custom APIs to automate tasks at home and within my infrastructure, as well as building Kubernetes operators to streamline operations on my own clusters. My projects are primarily written in Python and Golang, allowing me to create efficient and scalable automation solutions.

Tech Stack:

Virtualization with Proxmox on HPE ProLiant servers, mini PCs and custom-built machines
Kubernetes distributions: Talos, K3S, K0S, Rancher
Network segmentation with VLANs, PfSense/OPNsense firewalls, Ubiquiti networking
VPN mesh: Tailscale, NetBird, OpenVPN
Hetzner Cloud: Terraform + Ansible IaC, multiple GitOps-managed clusters via ArgoCD
Secret management with HashiCorp Vault
IoT home automation on a dedicated Talos edge cluster

Projects:

Backup Viewer - A React frontend to visualize backup state across Kubernetes clusters
Gatus Operator - A Kubernetes operator in Go that auto-configures Gatus monitoring through Kubernetes service discovery
Kubeless - Kubernetes but keep it simple, less is more. In this project I aim to build production-ready kubernetes clusters while keeping everything as simple as possible and avoid the complexity creep that Kubernetes can bring to the table.
Gitlab CI Library - A centralized pipelines library covering all my personal CI/CD needs, built up over years of use.
Hetzner gitops-k8s - A complete GitOps based Kubernetes platform on Talos and Hetzner, with autoscaling, SSO, secret management, and full Terraform IaC.