# Marcel Heers

> I work where architecture decisions and hands-on implementation both matter — migrations, platform foundations, security and delivery, mostly for teams under real pressure.

## Facts

- Role: Independent platform, cloud, security, and delivery consultant
- Experience: 15+ years across software, platform, and consulting; independent since 2009
- Location: Crete, working across EU time zones.
- Working languages: English, German
- Availability: consulting engagements, advisory work, and focused delivery support.
- Email: marcel@heers.it
- Booking: https://cal.com/marcel-heers
- GitHub: https://github.com/mheers
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-heers/
- Company page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heers-it-cloud-solutions/
- Business site: https://heers.it

## Services

- **Platform and cloud modernization** — I clarify the target architecture, migration path and delivery guardrails for complex platform work. Engagement shape: Assessment, architecture lead, or hands-on implementation support. [Details](https://marcelheers.de/#offers)
- **Secure delivery and DevSecOps uplift** — I improve delivery flow, policy controls, supply-chain hygiene and operational confidence in high-stakes environments. Engagement shape: Architecture, platform enablement, or rescue support. [Details](https://marcelheers.de/#offers)
- **Data and integration-heavy internal systems** — I design or stabilize internal services, workflows and platform-connected systems that have to work reliably under real constraints. Engagement shape: Technical advisory plus hands-on build support. [Details](https://marcelheers.de/#offers)
- **Fractional architecture and delivery leadership** — I add senior technical direction during migrations, restructures or delivery-critical phases where teams need clarity and momentum. Engagement shape: Fractional lead, advisor, or short intensive engagement. [Details](https://marcelheers.de/#offers)

## Selected work

- **Enterprise retail: a 600,000-user Microsoft-to-Google migration** (Retail, enterprise) — A Microsoft-to-Google migration needed provisioning, audit logging, exception handling, and backend services for roughly 600,000 users across multiple business units. Outcome: Built Go services, Pulumi providers, and GCP infrastructure for provisioning, reconciliation, imports, and rollout. [Details](https://marcelheers.de/#case-studies)
- **Insurance: a global authorization platform for 320,000 users** (Insurance, enterprise) — A large organization needed a shared authorization service with common policies, decision logging, and secure delivery for around 320,000 users. Outcome: Designed the OPA-based platform, built Go decision-logging components, and improved CI/CD, testing, and policy tooling. [Details](https://marcelheers.de/#case-studies)
- **SaaS: a multi-tenant event platform for live events** (SaaS, scale-up) — A virtual events platform needed product expansion, stronger tenant automation, and reliable operations while supporting multilingual events with up to 15,000 users. Outcome: Delivered new collaboration features, tenant provisioning, CI/CD improvements, and performance work for large live events. [Details](https://marcelheers.de/#case-studies)
- **Industrial data: self-service integration on Kubernetes** (Sensor and automation technology, multi-team-platform) — Data teams needed self-service integration, automated provisioning, and consistent policy, logging, and connectivity across NiFi, Trino, AKS, and supporting services. Outcome: Added operators, platform automation, observability, and security controls that made the platform easier to extend and use. [Details](https://marcelheers.de/#case-studies)

## How engagements work

1. Frame the real problem quickly, with the technical and delivery context that actually matters.
2. Turn that context into clear architecture decisions, priorities, and execution guardrails.
3. Work hands-on where implementation is risky, blocked, or delivery-critical.
4. Leave the team with stronger patterns, clearer decision-making, and practical enablement.

## Collaboration

- Remote-first collaboration.
- On-site workshops and delivery sessions by arrangement.
- Short assessments, fractional support, or focused implementation phases.

## Questions and answers

### What does Marcel Heers do?

I am an independent consultant for platform, cloud, security and delivery work. I help CTOs, founders and engineering leads settle difficult technical decisions, unblock delivery, and stay hands-on where the implementation risk is highest.

### What kinds of engagements do you take on?

Typical engagements are platform and cloud modernization, secure delivery and DevSecOps uplift, data and integration-heavy internal systems, and fractional architecture or delivery leadership. They often start as a short assessment and continue into hands-on implementation.

### Are you available for remote work across the EU?

Yes. I am based in Crete and work remote-first across EU time zones. On-site workshops and delivery sessions are possible by arrangement.

### Which technologies do you work with?

Kubernetes, infrastructure as code with Pulumi and Terraform, Go backends, OPA and Rego policy, CI/CD and supply-chain security, observability, and data platforms such as NiFi and Trino. I also take on pragmatic AI and automation work where it improves delivery.

### How does an engagement usually start?

A short note with the team context, the problem to solve and the expected timing is enough. I reply with the most sensible next step, which may be a short assessment, an architecture session, or a scoped implementation engagement. You can also book an intro call directly.

### Do you work with smaller teams as well as large enterprises?

Yes. I have worked with small product teams and with enterprise environments serving hundreds of thousands of users. The common fit is complex platform, cloud, security, data or delivery work where senior technical judgment and hands-on support are both needed.

### Do you offer training and workshops?

Yes. I run workshops, mentoring and technical sessions on Kubernetes, infrastructure as code, Go, cloud platforms, DevOps and DevSecOps, policy and authorization, and related topics, either as part of an engagement or as focused enablement.

## Pages

- [About Marcel Heers](https://marcelheers.de/about/)
- [Contact](https://marcelheers.de/contact/)
- [Open-source projects](https://marcelheers.de/open-source/)
- [Platform and cloud modernization](https://marcelheers.de/services/platform-cloud-modernization/)
- [Secure delivery and DevSecOps](https://marcelheers.de/services/secure-delivery-devsecops/)
- [Data and integration-heavy systems](https://marcelheers.de/services/data-integration-systems/)
- [Fractional architecture and delivery leadership](https://marcelheers.de/services/fractional-architecture-leadership/)
- [Case study: Microsoft-to-Google migration](https://marcelheers.de/work/microsoft-to-google-migration/)
- [Case study: global authorization platform](https://marcelheers.de/work/global-authorization-platform/)
- [Case study: multi-tenant event platform](https://marcelheers.de/work/multi-tenant-event-platform/)
- [Case study: industrial data platform](https://marcelheers.de/work/industrial-data-platform/)

## German pages

- [Startseite](https://marcelheers.de/de/)
- [Kontakt](https://marcelheers.de/de/kontakt/)
- [Plattform- und Cloud-Modernisierung](https://marcelheers.de/de/leistungen/platform-cloud-modernisierung/)
- [Secure Delivery und DevSecOps](https://marcelheers.de/de/leistungen/secure-delivery-devsecops/)
- [Daten- und integrationslastige Systeme](https://marcelheers.de/de/leistungen/daten-integration/)
- [Fractional Architecture und Delivery Leadership](https://marcelheers.de/de/leistungen/fractional-architecture/)

## Links

- [Homepage](https://marcelheers.de/)
- [Expertise](https://marcelheers.de/#expertise)
- [Selected work](https://marcelheers.de/#case-studies)
- [Services](https://marcelheers.de/#offers)
- [How I work](https://marcelheers.de/#how-i-work)
- [Contact](https://marcelheers.de/#contact)
- [Imprint](https://heers.it)

## Optional

- [Contact card (VCF)](https://marcelheers.de/marcelheers.vcf)