Speaker Spotlight
Orin Thomas is a Principal Hybrid Cloud Advocate at Microsoft with more than two decades of experience in IT operations, cloud architecture, and technical education. He is a leading authority on Microsoft technologies, having authored over 45 books for Microsoft Press on subjects ranging from Windows Server and Azure to Microsoft 365 and cybersecurity.
Since joining Microsoft in 2001, Orin has played a pivotal role in supporting IT professionals through the creation of certifications, credentials, training materials, and documentation. He is the principal architect behind several key Microsoft certifications, including the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate (AZ-800/AZ-801) and Applied Skills credentials in Active Directory and Azure Monitoring.
Beyond his work at Microsoft, Orin has served as a technical instructor, courseware designer, and contributing editor, delivering deep expertise across cloud infrastructure, server administration, and security. His training content—developed for Microsoft Learning, Pluralsight, and institutions such as the University of Melbourne—has supported IT teams in government, defense, and the enterprise sector.
Orin holds a Master of Computing Research from Charles Sturt University and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from the University of Melbourne.
