Stephen Bethke Email & Phone Number

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

• I consult to the IT executive on IT related decisions• I learned to operate in Azure and have done the lion’s share of application design, deployment and deployment automation in both PAAS and IAAS solutions in Azure.• We had to bring a third-party Cake/PHP/Node-js application in-house after our provider gave notice, and I managed to get the application deployable and running in a docker container in Azure within a month. This included instrumenting it with application insights so that we can adequately monitor and debug. (I had no experience in Cake, PHP or Node-js before this.)• I designed, architected, and secured a RESTful API to expose our key functionalities to our major business partners. This is an ongoing project of which phase 1 is complete, and other phases will follow. This is a behaviour driven development project and includes a fully automated regression test pack making maintenance low risk and quick to implement. Deployment of infrastructure and application are also fully automated in Azure Devops, enabling us to redeploy to another zone very quickly.• I’m currently contributing to architecting our Azure presence to conform to the “Azure Well Architected Framework” according to our specific requirements. I’m also actively working on scripting all our PAAS applications using BICEP in a manner which will allow us to deploy from Azure Devops and immediately use the applications with no further intervention. In other words, the deployments cover all the inter-component settings and keys, all the security assignments and all the dependant modules. There are still some challenges to be overcome which mostly revolve around data migration between resources.

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Cape Town Area, South Africa

• I lead the development team in the implementation of an online quoting system to be used by our clients. The system will run on Azure and makes use of a micro-services architecture with a service-bus for ensuring completion of transactions.

Cape Town Area, South Africa

I am part of a team who have set up the systems required to administer our retirement annuity business.More specifically:• I initially lead the charge in customising our Sage CRM implementation• I developed an intranet portal for requesting quotations.• I shared in the administration of Active Directory and Office 365.• I created a native word document template system which uses document variables to enable the use of word as a template for creating output documents. This is piped into open office to produce quality output PDFs• I created an MVC summary view of complex retirement quotations to enable actuaries to quickly work out and select which quote options are best for both client and company.• I delivered the complex back-end calculator for blending Living Annuities with Retirement Annuities to help clients to determine their best split between the two products. I was also able to make quick adjustments to the API to enable the front-end to work correctly even though its implementation was not to spec. All this in time for the original deadline!• I helped to architect a fully-fledged endowment quotation and implementation system and lead the development team to a successful 6-week implementation.

Cape Town Area, South Africa

I was hired to kick-start a rewrite of Verso's EB administration system using current technologies. Part of this process is to redesign portions of the system to better handle volumes and to make it cloud ready. This has necessitated a redesign of the database as well as the underlying architecture of the application. My approach has been to;1. Inventory all the current objects in the system.2. Evaluate potential technologies.3. Design a new three tier architecture around the chosen technologies.4. Produce a draft plan to rewrite.5. Create a basic framework implementing the new architecture.6. Document all existing database objects.7. Document the new architecture at both overview and detail levels.

Cape Town Area, South Africa

I was responsible for the environments in which the IN.pensions employee benefits administration system runs. My responsibilities included installations, production support, information extraction, SQL performance, troubleshooting, strategic technical planning and technical assistance for developers.I was the "go to guy" for any SQL issues our developers encounter, and I was often called upon to streamline bulk data updates or write queries that were too complex for the developers.Some notable highlights include:1. I created a program to rapidly gather and assimilate meta data around our system to enable a precise and consistent view of all our client installations. This assists greatly in troubleshooting discrepancies.2. I created SQL scripts to help synchronise database structure and key configuration data between installations.3. I automated the infrastuctural portion of tax submissions including all the underlying connections and ftp.4. I was seconded to attorneys as an expert witness involving information extracted from a system's backend SQL database.

I owned a share in and ran a small development shop doing mostly bespoke development for one or two large clients. This grew out of my previous company when we joined forces with another small outfit with similar but complementary skills.

Cape Town Area, South Africa

I owned a share in a consultancy / development shop and I managed operations. I earned my salary as a systems architect on an application called Neuron, which is used in the administration of employee benefits. My day-to-day technical activities include maintenance, development and client liaison. I used Delphi, C# and SQL server 2000 on a day to day basis.Some of my achievements are as follows:1. Created a direct automated interface to SARS for tax directive processing.2. Created a direct to excel format data export (does not require MS office to function)3. Created the main interest roll-up engine for calculating member share values (A SQL CLR stored procedure.)

I programmed and managed the development team. I used Delphi, MS Access, Visual Basic and MS SQL 6.5, 7 and 2000 and Oracle 8.1.6. I was largely responsible for the technical design of the company's employee benefits application.

Sunninghill, Johannesburg

I programmed in Delphi, MS Visual C, MS Access, Visual Basic and MS SQL 6.5/7.0. I had responsibility for all technical aspects in the company including management of programming staff, product planning, development and implementation.I managed the Group Office support account for major client including responsibility to GM: Strategic Resources for LAN Administration, Strategic IT Planning, IT Security, budgeting and chairing of the Group Office IT forum. I managed the technical staff complement at Group Office.

Fourways

I programmed in Delphi, Borland C, MS Visual C, MS Access, MS Visual Basic, Visual Basic for Applications, MS SQL 6.5 an 7.0 BETA, and Borland Interbase. I had responsibility for all aspects of software development.

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

I became the first employee of a consultant and later became the development manager as the company grew. I wrote solutions in Paradox, MS Access 1.0 and 2.0 and later MSSQL 4.2 and 6.0.My most notbale acheivement was the development of the technical portion of a high level accounting analysis system in MS Access to assist accountants in expressing their forecasts taking into account inflation.I also wrote a system to assist in the budgeting process.

Santon

I a programmed in Microfocus COBOL in OS/2 and later C. I worked on two projects, the first of which was a property listing service. I later moved on to the ATM team after learning C.

Diploma In Cobol Programming, Cobol

I acquired a background in computer systems and also learned how to write control-break COBOL programs.

Matriculation Certificate, Sciences