In the fast-evolving world of cloud technology, staying ahead is about more than just knowing your way around a console. It’s about embracing the next big thing, continuously learning, and sometimes putting your brain through a certification boot camp that makes traditional boot camps look like beach holidays. At Inde, we’re proud to have a team that’s not only certified, but truly passionate about building solutions that matter for our customers.
Andre Bezuidenhout is the new Technical Director of AWS Cloud at Inde, who comes highly accredited with an AWS Golden Jacket – rumoured to be one of 100 around the globe! We caught up with Andre to find out what this shiny jacket meant and how it will help Inde’s customers!
I come with a fair amount of certification (including AWS’s Golden Jacket, which means I’m sporting all of the certs, and yes, I’m still getting the new ones!). But I’m not here to put the Golden Jacket on a pedestal. Rather, I want to share why certification—though not the be-all, end-all—represents something crucial in our approach to cloud services. It’s about curiosity, skill refinement, and, let’s face it, the guts to take on hours of exam prep just to prove you know your stuff.
At Inde, we believe that certification reflects a hunger for knowledge, a dedication to learning, and a willingness to tackle tough challenges—qualities that go far beyond any printed credential. Sure, a piece of paper doesn’t always show you how someone will perform under real-world pressures, but more often than not, certifications are a solid sign that someone is committed to mastery, detail, and growth. For Inde, this commitment aligns perfectly with our values:
One thing we’re particularly proud of here at Inde is that learning is encouraged, not enforced. Our engineers and architects are free to explore, build, and fail (and then build again) without anyone applying pressure about certification timelines. This organic drive to learn makes a world of difference, allowing our team to innovate in ways that genuinely benefit our customers, as well as providing them with the freedom and opportunity to seek out and learn in areas that they are passionate about.
We’re lucky enough to have some of the brightest minds on our team, so those just starting their certification journey have access to a wealth of knowledge. At Inde’s HQ, we’ve got experts who have conquered some of the most challenging domains, acting as mentors, guides, and occasional exam pep-talkers. They’re here to help fast-track learning, support skill-building, and ensure our team is always up to speed on the latest industry advancements.
Let’s face it, you’re here because you want reliable, efficient, and scalable solutions—not just because we can flash some fancy credentials. Our technically-led and skills-focused approach helps us deliver just that:
New Zealand is known for its achievements across many fields—whether it’s dominating on the sports pitch, leading in agriculture and sustainability, or setting benchmarks in healthcare, Kiwis have a knack for performing well on the global stage. But here’s a fun fact that might surprise you: New Zealand’s IT talent is gaining serious momentum in the cloud space too. Did you know that in just the past two years, our small but mighty nation has produced around 10 AWS Golden Jacket holders? That’s right on the heels of our neighbours across the ditch. As we continue to build on this momentum, it’s safe to say New Zealand is well on its way to becoming a major hub for cloud expertise in the APJ region.
Personally, I was recognised in NZ as Bee Gee number one, minus the hair and musical talent, when I got my jacket, but truth be told, several others across NZ had technically earned theirs first— either not being counted at some arbitrary timestamp, or only needing to conquer the latest AWS certs, to bring a little extra sparkle to their wardrobes.
New Zealand may be small, but our potential is mighty. Here at Inde, I’m inspired to raise the standard for professional IT services across NZ and the APJ region—not only by guiding our team, but by actively supporting the broader tech community. We’re all in this together, after all. Certification isn’t a competition, it’s a collective journey to build better, smarter, and more resilient cloud solutions.
And, most importantly, that includes our customers. We recognise and appreciate the talent within our customers’ teams, and in fact, we attribute many of our shared successes to a mutual culture of learning. Whether you’re just starting with AWS or have years of experience under your belt, but haven’t made it to certification yet, we’re here to support your journey. Let’s work together to create a pathway for certification that enriches both your internal expertise and our collaborative success. Connect with us today!