Ben Halstead
About Ben Halstead
Ben Halstead is a Principal Engineer with extensive experience in designing high-volume cloud-native architectures, particularly on AWS. He has held various leadership positions in notable companies, including roles as Chief Architect and Director of Platform Engineering.
Current Role at The Economist
Ben Halstead serves as a Principal Engineer at The Economist, a position he has held since 2023. In this role, he focuses on developing and implementing engineering solutions that align with the organization's strategic goals. His expertise in cloud-native architectures plays a crucial role in enhancing the technological capabilities of The Economist.
Previous Experience at BSkyB
Before his current role, Ben Halstead worked at BSkyB as the Head of Software Architecture from 2009 to 2010. During his tenure, he was responsible for overseeing the architectural design and implementation of software systems, ensuring they met the company's operational requirements.
Professional Background in Engineering
Ben Halstead has a diverse professional background in engineering, having held various roles across multiple organizations. He worked as a Consultant at OVO Energy from 2016 to 2018, and as Chief Architect at CloudFactory from 2018 to 2022. His experience also includes positions such as Director of Platform Engineering at Tide and Lead Application Architect at lastminute.com.
Education and Expertise
Ben Halstead studied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Sussex, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.). He specializes in designing high-volume cloud-native architectures, particularly focusing on AWS. Additionally, he has a strong interest in programming with Go (Golang) and integrating DevOps practices within organizations.
Leadership and Team Building Experience
Throughout his career, Ben Halstead has built and led development teams across various sectors, including startups and large corporates. His leadership experience is complemented by his roles as Chief Architect at multiple companies, where he guided teams in implementing effective engineering solutions.