ITOps, DevOps, AIOps - All Things Ops

The best teams don’t chase perfection—they reduce friction.

Ever been told you can’t improve a system because “the documentation isn’t up to date”?

In this episode, Elias Voelker sits down with Connor Clark-Lindh, VP of Consulting and Operations at OrionW, to unpack what really drives operational excellence—and what gets in the way.

Connor shares how over-documentation can become a blocker instead of a support system, especially as teams scale.

He also told me how lately he's seen teams push for new tools or AI solutions before clearly defining the problem—and how he avoids that by going back to basics: talking to people, shadowing their work, and solving real problems from the inside out.

This episode is packed with grounded insights for IT Operations, DevOps, and AI Ops leaders looking to build smarter, more sustainable systems.

You’ll learn:

1. Why documentation is critical for small teams—but can stall large ones
2. How to avoid solving the wrong problem with the right tool
3. Why replicability is more valuable than superstar performance
4. What to keep in mind before using AI to drive efficiency

___________

Get in touch with Connor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connorclarklindh/

___________

About the host Elias Voelker: Elias is the VP for North America at Checkmk. He comes from a strategy consulting background but has been an entrepreneur for the better part of the last 10 years. In his spare time, he likes to do triathlons.

Get in touch with Elias via LinkedIn or email [email protected].

___________

Podcast Music:

Music by Ströme, used by permission
‚Panta Rhei‘ written by Mario Schoenhofer
(c)+p 2022, Compost Medien GmbH & Co KG
https://stroeme.com/
https://compost-rec.com/

Thanks to our friends at SAWOO for producing this episode with us!

Jordon Peeple is Head of IT Infrastructure Operations at Acrisure—the fast-growing fintech powerhouse you’ve probably used without even knowing it.

In this episode, Jordon shares how his team turned 5,000 ignored alerts into a focused, AI-ready monitoring system. He explains how they cut through the noise, rebuilt escalation chains, and shifting from reactive ops towards a proactive, business-aligned observability—supported by a complete IT org restructure.

You'll learn:

1. How to reorganize your ops team for scale and collaboration
2. Why reducing alerts boosts reliability and response time
3. What makes or breaks your escalation chain strategy
4. Why involving business owners early pays dividends in monitoring
5. What it takes to future-proof observability for hybrid infrastructure

___________

Get in touch with Jordon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordonpeeple/

___________

About the host Elias Voelker: Elias is the VP for North America at Checkmk. He comes from a strategy consulting background but has been an entrepreneur for the better part of the last 10 years. In his spare time, he likes to do triathlons.

Get in touch with Elias via LinkedIn or email [email protected].

___________

Podcast Music:

Music by Ströme, used by permission
‚Panta Rhei‘ written by Mario Schoenhofer
(c)+p 2022, Compost Medien GmbH & Co KG
https://stroeme.com/
https://compost-rec.com/

Thanks to our friends at SAWOO for producing this episode with us!

How do you ensure reliability across hybrid infrastructure when the cloud half isn’t fully in your control?

In this episode, host Elias Voelker talks with Divya Veerapandian, Senior Director for Infrastructure Reliability Engineering and Global Head of Infrastructure Network Services at Visa. From network automation and hybrid observability to AI-driven operations and inclusive engineering teams—Divya shares what it takes to deliver reliable infrastructure in one of the world’s most mission-critical environments.

You’ll learn:

1. The difference between SOPs and MOPs—and why both matter for automation
2. How to tackle observability across hybrid cloud and on-prem environments
3. Where AI fits (and fails) in reliability engineering today
4. Why end-to-end visibility is still an unsolved challenge
5. What it takes to build a more inclusive reliability engineering culture

___________

Get in touch with Divya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/divya-veerapandian-89410525/

___________

About the host Elias Voelker: Elias is the VP for North America at Checkmk. He comes from a strategy consulting background but has been an entrepreneur for the better part of the last 10 years. In his spare time, he likes to do triathlons.

Get in touch with Elias via LinkedIn or email [email protected].

___________

Podcast Music:

Music by Ströme, used by permission
‚Panta Rhei‘ written by Mario Schoenhofer
(c)+p 2022, Compost Medien GmbH & Co KG
https://stroeme.com/
https://compost-rec.com/

Thanks to our friends at SAWOO for producing this episode with us!

For Lydia Nicola’s IT team, a security breach isn’t just a risk—it could mean life or death for the people they protect.

In this episode, Elias Voelker speaks with Lydia Nicola, Head of IT Operations at Amnesty International, about the unique challenges of running IT for a global nonprofit. Lydia shares how her team secures infrastructure in politically volatile regions, optimizes cloud costs, and combats shadow IT—all while defending against cyber threats from nation-states. She also reveals how “Infrastructure Days” drive efficiency, why documentation is a game-changer, and what IT leaders can do to build more diverse, resilient teams.

You'll learn:

1. How Amnesty navigates IT security threats from hostile state actors
2. The strategy behind “Infrastructure Days” and why they work
3. How to rein in shadow IT when vendors offer free software
4. The keys to optimizing cloud costs—without cutting corners
5. What IT leaders can do to attract and retain diverse talent

___________

Get in touch with Lydia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiamn/

___________

About the host Elias Voelker: Elias is the VP for North America at Checkmk. He comes from a strategy consulting background but has been an entrepreneur for the better part of the last 10 years. In his spare time, he likes to do triathlons.

Get in touch with Elias via LinkedIn or email [email protected].

___________

Podcast Music:

Music by Ströme, used by permission
‚Panta Rhei‘ written by Mario Schoenhofer
(c)+p 2022, Compost Medien GmbH & Co KG
https://stroeme.com/
https://compost-rec.com/

Thanks to our friends at SAWOO for producing this episode with us!

How can you drive data center efficiency without compromising performance?

In this episode, host Elias Voelker sits down with Martin Casaulta, Chief Technologist at Hewlett Packard Enterprise Switzerland, and Martin Hirschvogel, Chief Product Officer at Checkmk. They discuss data center efficiency—from traditional metrics like PUE to the impact of AI workloads—and share strategies for optimizing IT operations. Martin Casaulta highlights the Swiss Data Center Efficiency Association’s work on decarbonization, while Martin Hirschvogel explains how IT monitoring helps identify and resolve inefficiencies.

You'll learn:

1. Why IT monitoring is essential for improving data center efficiency
2. The limitations of PUE and how PUE Plus is changing the game
3. How to manage the rising energy demands of AI workloads
4. Practical strategies to optimize underutilized resources
5. Why sustainability initiatives are as rewarding as they are necessary

___________

Get in touch with Martin Casaulta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-casaulta-1b9bbb78/

Get in touch with Martin Hirschvogel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-hirschvogel-28034210/

___________

About the host Elias Voelker: Elias is the VP for North America at Checkmk. He comes from a strategy consulting background but has been an entrepreneur for the better part of the last 10 years. In his spare time, he likes to do triathlons.

Get in touch with Elias via LinkedIn or email [email protected].

___________

Podcast Music:

Music by Ströme, used by permission
‚Panta Rhei‘ written by Mario Schoenhofer
(c)+p 2022, Compost Medien GmbH & Co KG
https://stroeme.com/
https://compost-rec.com/

Thanks to our friends at SAWOO for producing this episode with us!