Object First Aces
The Object First Aces Program recognizes our community leaders and showcases their expertise and contributions to data backup protection.
About the Aces Program
Object First Aces are a distinguished group of expert and Veeam Backup and Replication software admins who are committed to advancing the industry, sharing candid points of view, and helping the wider community to succeed in their pursuit of data protection.
These individuals have been selected based on their remarkable accomplishments, extensive Object First and Veeam product knowledge, and commitment to engaging with the community both in person and online.
Values
Our community thrives on collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and mutual support. The Aces embody the values we cherish:
Helping peers and newcomers alike.
Collaborating to solve problems and innovate.
Sharing expertise and insights to benefit the entire community.
Benefits
Join Object First Aces and connect with a network of professionals dedicated to data protection. Members benefit from:
Early insights into new product features and updates.
Connections with industry leaders and fellow experts.
Access to webinars, tutorials, and hands-on training sessions.
Meet the Object First Aces
The Aces are not just experts but pioneers who lead by example. Meet our distinguished Aces below and learn what makes them invaluable members of the Object First community.
ARAl RasheedUnited StatesAl Rasheed is a Senior Technical Engineer with NVIDIA with nearly 20 years of IT experience. In addition to this, Al is a member of the VMUG community, VMware vExpert, and Veeam Vanguard.
CCChris ChilderhoseCanadaChris works for ThinkOn as an Enterprise Architect. He has a passion for technology & stays on top of the ever-evolving IT realm. He’s a Veeam Vanguard 8*, Veeam Legend 4*, vExpert 6*, and VMCA/VMCE certified. He is also the author of Mastering Veeam Backup & Replication 10/11/12 by Packt Publishing.
Chris Childerhose, VMCA/VMCE/VMCE-SP, Veeam Vanguard/Legend, VCP/VCAP, vExpert, Tanzu Vanguard, Object First Ace, Cisco Champion
(Chil-der-hose) | he/him
CBChristopher BarrUnited KingdomChris Barr is the Technical Director and one of the founders of Central Technology Ltd in the UK, heading up the Cloud and Data Services division. CT is one of the largest Veeam Services Providers in the EMEA region and provides a wide range of managed and cloud services.
Chris has a passion for technology and has been working in the IT industry for over 22 years and has lots of experience in Juniper network infrastructure, virtualisation, backup and disaster recovery.
DHDaniel HernandezMexicoDaniel is a solutions architect and founder at Datta, a professional consulting located in Queretaro City in central Mexico and has been working with virtualization, hybrid cloud, data protection and IT infrastructure for over 14 years. He's a former Veeam Systems Engineer and specializes in Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity.
He's passionate about technology and spends his time at Datta designing data protection solutions for critical systems and working at his lab.
EBEric BeckUnited StatesExperienced Infrastructure Lead at Vantage Point Solutions in Mitchell, South Dakota, specializing in backup infrastructure and virtual environment management within the telecommunications industry. Skilled in Veeam, VMware vSphere, Active Directory, and Windows Server Hybrid Infrastructure. Expertise in Backup as a Service (BaaS) and Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) using Veeam's platforms. VMCA (2024) and VMCE (2024)
JJJim JonesUSAJim Jones is a Senior Product Infrastructure Architect at 11:11 SYSTEMS. Jim has over 20 years of experience both as a Systems Administrator in SMB and Enterprise organizations as well as an architect for service providers, specializing in virtualization and disaster recovery capabilities. Holding technical certification from vendors such as Cisco Systems, Veeam and VMware. Jim also holds degrees from Marshall University and University of Maryland. He can be found most places online @k00laidit and blogs at https://koolaid.info.
JMJonah MayUnited StatesJonah is a Product Architect and Engineering Manager at CyberFortress, a Platinum VCSP known for its innovative tech solutions. He oversees Veeam product offerings and marketing, backed by certifications such as ITIL 4 Foundations, VMCE, and VMCA. A five-time Veeam Vanguard and Certified Architect, Jonah is recognized as a visionary leader. He was an inaugural Object First Ace and now serves his second year, also leading the Aces Group. He drives the Texas and Automation Desk Veeam User Groups and co-founded the Veeam Community Hackathon. Outside of work, Jonah gives back as a Scout leader for Troop 254, where he earned his Eagle Scout rank as a youth.
KBKarinne BessetteUSAWith expertise in network and security, she has held certifications in Microsoft 365, Azure, and Veeam Software since 2017. As a Technical Storyteller at Veeam Software’s Office of the CTO, she focuses on Microsoft 365 and backup technologies, collaborating with peers and providing valuable product feedback. Karinne is also an instructor at Knox County Career Center, a certified MCT, and an Object First ACE, teaching CompTIA and Microsoft Azure courses with a hands-on approach. (See badges on Credly: Karinne Diamond Bessette's profile on Credly ).
KCKen CiolekUnited StatesKen Ciolek is a Team Lead and Sr. Solutions Architect at SHI International and works in their Customer Innovation Center (CIC). I work closely with our Sales teams to position product demos around Veeam, Ootbi, and several other data protections, storage, and HCI products. Ken has over 25 years of experience with data protection and storage. Holding various technical certifications from Dell, Veeam, Commvault, Ootbi, and many more. He's an Object First ACE and Commvault Global Ambassador.
LPLuciano PatraoGermanyI'm a Senior Solution Architect and freelance consultant with 15+ years of experience in infrastructure design, cloud migrations, and data protection. I specialize in VMware (vSphere, vCenter, vSAN, NSX, Cloud Director), Veeam Backup & Replication, and hybrid cloud with AWS, Azure, and VMware Cloud. I've led complex projects—from VMware to Hyper-V or Proxmox, NSX-V to NSX-T, and large-scale VM migrations using HCX and VCF—focused on security, performance, and resilience. I'm the author of VMware vSphere Essentials and Cybersecurity Awareness Training, and I share insights at provirtualzone.com. As a longtime VMware vExpert and Veeam Vanguard, I contribute to the community through writing, speaking, and consulting.
MLMarco LuvisiItalySupport Engineer in the ERGON Group, I deal with second and third level support on virtualisation, backup and storage issues.
Senior with more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry.
Certification:
Vmware: VCP-DCV 2021, VCAP-DCV Design 2021- vEXPERT 2025
NetApp: NCTA, NCDA, NCSE, NAHSE
Microsoft: Azure Administrator
I am enthusiastic about helping you to protect your data with various technological solutions !
MMMaximilian MaierGermanyMax is working as a Systems Engineer for Veeam in Germany and has over 15 years experience in IT with a focus on data protection & virtualization. He is active in many IT Communities and likes to share his knowledge with others.
MAMuhammad AdelMontenegroFormer Nuclear Engineer | University Lecturer | Packt tech advisory board member | Digital Transformation evangelist | FinTech | Podcaster | vExpert ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️| Veeam Vanguard ⭐️⭐️| Nutanix SME | MBA | AWS ABW Grant’23
NVNicolas VeranoChileSolutions Architect with 10+ years of experience in infrastructure and operational continuity. I specialize in VMware platforms across diverse hardware: Cisco UCS, HPE Synergy, Lenovo, Dell, and HPE servers, integrated with storage systems like Dell, Pure Storage, Hitachi, and HPE, plus data protection tools like Veritas, Cohesity, Veeam, and Commvault, alongside archiving solutions such as DataDomain, StoreOnce, ExaGrid, and Object First. I focus on building fault-tolerant, compliant infrastructure solutions that help businesses grow while ensuring data protection.
Personally, I’m an old school geek, action figure collector and photographer, comics lover and Star Wars fan.
SPScott PattersonCanadaScott is an Information Systems Specialist with over 20 years of IT experience, specializing in Storage, Servers, Disaster Recovery, Backups, and Virtualization. He is a Veeam Legend, Object First Ace, and holds multiple industry certifications.
TGTobias GregoriusDEIn my 25 years in IT field service, I have worked on many topics and "experienced" quite a bit. I have always had a strong interest in IT security, which I consider the foundation of any design. My second "passion" is the area of backup and disaster recovery. I have been working in this field for 8 years, advising companies on defining SLA classes and building backup solutions.
TJTyler JurgensCanadaTyler Jurgens is a Cloud Infrastructure Engineer specializing in Cloud Infrastructure, Backup, and Disaster Recovery at Stage2Data Inc. He’s an Object First Ace, Veeam Legend, vExpert, Tanzu Vanguard, and has his VMCE and VCP. He has a passion for technology and community building, running the Calgary VMUG community and being a Veeam User Group leader in Canada. Family is his passion above all, so expect proud Dad conversations from him about his children.
VAVince ArzagaUSAI work on many various technologies. This includes Azure, VMware, NSX, VEEAM/OOTBI and Microsoft.
Team Lead for the Datacenter team, I help team members with various issues in IT.
Also proud of a super big lab my team and others use for testing/proofing new technologies.
ADAntonio D’AndreaItaly25 years of experience in IT, I was born as a Microsoft engineer, but I worked in different areas such as virtualization and also in governance. Curiosity is the gift that sets me apart and has always led me to anticipate my work choices. For the past 12 years or so, I've been getting familiar with backup and DR solutions.
Now I work as a Solution Architect in Sorint.lab, so I'm always facing new challenges when it comes to implementing and remediating backup infrastructures.
South-Italy based, I love a challenge and beer! :)
Oh, just one last thing! Come visit Cilento area!
CEChristian EromoseleGermanyA seasoned IT Infrastructure Professional and the founder of TechDirectArchive with expertise and a strong commitment to knowledge sharing and community engagement. With a proven track record of success in technology and project delivery, operations management, and IT service management.
He is a Microsoft MVP, Veeam Legend and Cisco Champion.
CCClaudio CastroArgentinaEnterprise Architect. Cloud & onprem Pre-Sales Professional. Cybersecurity Specialist Pre-Sales and Post-Sales Professional Passion for designing solution architectures for potential clients and supporting the sales team to achieve revenue goals.
Motivated and passionate technology leader with a strong work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit.
I think outside the box to help clients and my team achieve goals. Always ready to learn new technologies and take advantage of challenging opportunities.
DLDerek LosekeUSASenior Systems Engineer at Kidwell Technologies in Omaha, Nebraska focusing on SMB’s after spending several years at a private cloud service provider. With over 20 years of IT experience, Derek is VCP6-DCV and CCNA certified with a focus on Data Protection and Business Continuity, Virtualization, Infrastructure and Cloud Services. Derek is also a former Veeam Legend and current Veeam Vanguard.
EBEric BlackUSAExperienced Solutions Architect specializing in Veeam backup and recovery solutions for cloud and on-premises infrastructures. With deep expertise in VMware virtualization, Cisco UCS, and extensive experience integrating backup systems across leading storage platforms, I deliver reliable, high-performance architectures that drive efficiency and ensure robust data protection. I’m dedicated to creating solutions that prioritize data integrity and availability, empowering organizations to protect their most critical assets. I've had the privilege of working with industry giants like Microsoft, NetApp, EMC, and Avnet.
JSJoaquim SantosBrazilJoaquim is an IT Solutions Architect with over 15 years of experience. He loves hardware, virtualization, and backup. It dedicates every possible effort to promote and ensure the IT communities are continually growing. He is also a blogger, VMUG and VUG Leader, vExpert, and Veeam Vanguard.
JMJos MaliepaardNetherlandsJos is a data protection consultant the Netherlands. His days are filled with giving advice, designing and implementing Data Protection, Business Continuity, and VMware solutions. VMware VCP-DCV, VMCE + VMCA, HPE ASE and NL VUG Leader.
KSKeiran SheldenAustriaKeiran is an Infrastructure Engineer with REDD based in Australia. He has over 18 years experience in the IT industry starting out in education through to the Service Provider space. Keiran has a keen interest in backup and virtualization. Keiran is an 11 year vExpert and Veeam Vanguard.
KPKristof PoppeBelgiumDesign of HA, stable, secure, and performant IT architectures on-prem, hybrid, or in public cloud. Strong expertise in hardware/software and certified in project management (Prince2). Networking: Cisco, Juniper, Ubiquiti, Sophos, TP-Link, D-Link. OS: all MS client/server, Linux, OS/400, Citrix/RDS, NUTANIX AHV. Virtualization: VMware ESXi/vSphere (20+ yrs), XenServer, Horizon View (7+ yrs). Datacore Certified, Veeam VMCE/VMCA (15+ yrs), ITIL & Prince2. M365, Intune & Entra, MS-SQL, SonicWall, Checkpoint CCSE. Antivirus/backup: ESET, Sophos, McAfee, TrendMicro, Crowdstrike, CA, Veeam. Programming: VB6, LabView, Assembler (PIC). Warehouse automation: SICK, Rockwell SLC/CLX PLC, SCADA.
LALuis Alberto Freixas ReyesSpainWorking as Global Infrastructure Business Analyst, passionate about virtualization, data protection and technology, With more that 20 years of experience in the IT world. Now focused on helping others and share knowledge and experiences. vExpert, VMUG Leader, VUG Leader, Blogger, Father, Friend.
MKMaurice KevenaarNetherlandsMaurice Kevenaar is a System Engineer at INFO located in Amsterdam, NL, Package maintainer and moderator for the Chocolatey Community Repository (CCR), and contributor to OSS projects. Creator of Veeam Chocolatey packages and BoxStarter scripts. Veeam Vanguard 2020-2024, Veeam Legend 2023-2024, Leader of the Automation Desk, Leader of Veeam Usergroup Netherlands and Co-founder of the Veeam Community Hackathon.
MPMichael PaulUnited Kingdom"Michael Paul is a Solutions Engineer from the United Kingdom. Michael currently works at Veeam, specialising in Microsoft Cloud & SaaS data protection. Michael can be frequently found blogging over at Michael Paul | @micoolpaul or delivering talks on data protection best practices!"
NSNico SteinUSANico Stein is a VP of IT at Signal Financial FCU, a Maryland based Credit Union. Originally started with IBM Germany, he has over 25 years of IT experiences, managing campus networks, people, and critical systems. He is also a Veeam Vanguard, VMUG leader, Cisco Champion, and vExpert.
PLPierre LefebvreFrancePierre has been an IT expert for the last 15+ years, involved in designing highly resilient production environments for the French market.
He is a technology enthusiast and love sharing real life experiences. He started working with VMware & Veeam technologies in late 2000s, holding multiple certifications. Fast-forward to the 2020’s, he’s now focused on delivering end-to-end cyber-resilience with Enterprise reliability to French customers.
SMStijn MarivoetBelgiumStijn is a Veeam system engineer based in Belgium, covering Belgium-Luxembourg. He has a strong focus on end-user based problems and therefore also solutions. He loves having an audience and is fan of events. For assisting more partners then he could handle he started to promote his www.veeamclick.be website.
TMTom MayUSAThomas May is a dynamic tech expert, influencer, and disruptor specializing in Disaster Recovery and Security. He has held key roles throughout his career, notably as CIO at Global Data Vault, where he drove the company's growth as a leading Veeam Cloud and Service Provider. As the founder and CEO of Different Dev, Thomas leads a team focused on cutting-edge business continuity solutions. Recognized as a Veeam Vanguard and an inaugural member of the ObjectFirst Aces program, his visionary leadership and expertise continue to shape the future of IT, driving innovation and impactful change in Disaster Recovery and Security.
VWVictor WuMacaoVictor Wu is a Chief Architect and a Veeam Vanguard for 7 years, a vExpert for 12 years, and VMCA/VMCE/VCIX-DCV certified. With over 17 years of expertise in system infrastructure, he specializes in storage, virtualization, active-active data centers, data protection, and hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) solutions, among other key areas of focus.