I’m Michael Coutanche, Practice Lead for Cloud & AI Platforms at Cloud Direct, a leading Microsoft Partner and Azure Expert MSP based in the UK. I help organisations design, build, and evolve modern cloud and AI‑enabled platforms on Microsoft Azure, with a strong focus on modernisation, innovation, and secure‑by‑design foundations that support scale, resilience, and continuous change.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Microsoft in a variety of roles. One of the highlights was serving as a Partner Technical Solutions Professional (P‑TSP) for Azure, which gave me deep, hands‑on exposure to how Azure is adopted and operated in complex, real‑world environments. More recently, I was invited to join the Microsoft Partner Advisory Council (PAC), where I’ve contributed to both the Azure Infrastructure PAC and the Azure Migrate & Modernize PAC, working alongside global experts to help influence the future direction of Azure platform capabilities and partner‑led delivery.
My work today sits at the intersection of cloud platforms, cybersecurity, AI‑enabled platforms, and innovation. I spend much of my time helping organisations modernise legacy estates, adopt cloud‑native and AI capabilities, and build platforms that accelerate innovation through technologies such as Azure Landing Zones, Zero Trust security, hybrid and multicloud architectures, AI platforms, responsible AI, and AI governance. A key part of this work is enabling modern operational capabilities through InfraOps, policy‑as‑code, automation, and continuous compliance.
A growing area of focus is agentic cloud operations, leveraging AI‑driven agents to support platform management, optimisation, remediation, and operational decision‑making. When combined with modern InfraOps and platform engineering practices, this approach enables platforms that are increasingly adaptive, intelligent, and innovation‑ready, reducing operational friction while enabling teams to move faster and innovate safely.
I hold multiple Microsoft certifications, including Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Cybersecurity Architect Expert, and Azure AI Fundamentals, amongst several others. These complement years of hands‑on experience delivering large‑scale migration, modernisation, and innovation programmes, shaping a pragmatic, capability‑led approach focused on outcomes rather than theory.
Outside of work, I enjoy training my German Shepherds, an activity that reinforces patience, trust, and consistency. I also love travelling with my daughter, supporting her as she chases an ambitious goal of competing in the 2032 Olympics. When I’m not doing that, you’ll usually find me supporting my wife with her horses and competing, which ensures there’s never a dull moment away from a keyboard.
This blog is where I share lessons learned, platform patterns, and opinionated insights on Azure cloud and AI‑enabled platforms, modernisation, innovation, Zero Trust security, AI governance, InfraOps, modern operational models, and agentic cloud operations, grounded in real‑world delivery experience and close collaboration with customers, partners, and Microsoft.