Hello! 👋

I'm Michael Aicher

Cloud Architect

About Me

Hi, I’m Michael Aicher — Cloud Architect at Netcloud AG. I design and build scalable, secure cloud platforms and help organizations turn complex requirements into pragmatic cloud solutions. Originally from Munich, I studied Computer Science and Telecommunications in Vienna before moving to Switzerland in 2016. Since then, I’ve been working in cloud engineering and architecture roles, combining hands-on experience with a strong architectural mindset. Today, I live near Winterthur with my family and enjoy balancing modern cloud technologies with life close to nature.

Architecture AWS Terraform Python Docker Github-Actions gitlab-ci Scrum Linux Prometheus Kubernetes TOGAF Project Management

Projects

Large-Scale Research Data Ingestion & Controlled Distribution Platform

Research & Science

Design and implementation of an AWS-based data ingestion and distribution architecture to securely collect data from multiple sources, replicate it cross-region, provide controlled access for download, and archive datasets in S3 Glacier.

Key Responsibilities

Design of target cloud architecture and implementation

Definition of IaC standards and reusable modules

Coordination of different teams

Advisory role during migration execution

Design of operational and monitoring concepts

S3LambdaStep FunctionsTerraformDirectConnectS3 GlacierCloudWatchRDSPythonSQS

AWS Account Lifecycle Automation & Self-Service Platform

Industrial Technology / Advanced Manufacturing

Development of an automated AWS account provisioning and management platform enabling secure self-service while meeting compliance and audit requirements.

Key Responsibilities

End-to-end architecture of an account orchestration platform

Definition of guardrails, baseline configurations, and policies

Design of self-service workflows for internal teams

Integration of security and compliance controls

Ongoing architectural consultancy and platform evolution

LambdaStep FunctionsPythonAPI GatewayDynamoDBCodeBuildCloudFormation StackSetsIAMTerraformSwagger

Enterprise Cloud Landing Zone & Account Governance Platform

Media & Communications

Design and implementation of a standardized AWS landing zone enabling secure, scalable multi-account environments with strong governance and automation.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture and design of a multi-account AWS environment

Definition of security, networking, and governance standards

Design of account lifecycle and onboarding processes

Technical lead and architectural advisor for customer teams

Review and alignment with AWS Well-Architected Framework

AWS ControlTowerAWS OrganizationsSecurityHubCloudtrailAthenaLambdaDynamoDBTerraformPythonSNSAWS Config

AWS Platform Standardization & FinOps Enablement

Consulting & Professional Services

Standardization of AWS environments across multiple teams with a focus on cost transparency, operational stability, and long-term scalability.

Key Responsibilities

Design of standardized AWS architectures and patterns

Definition of tagging, cost allocation, and monitoring strategies

Architectural reviews of existing workloads

Advisory support for platform and application teams

Long-term roadmap definition for cloud platform evolution

FinOps Setup to get an in-depth and complete assignment of all costs to the correct cost centers

TerraformAWS QuickSightAthenaGlueLambdaDynamoDBStep FunctionsAWS ControlTowerCloudFormation StacksetsAWS OrganizationsAWS Backup

Experience

Cloud Architect

Netcloud AG

January 2025 – Today

Design end-to-end cloud architectures aligned with business, security, and compliance requirements
Translate customer goals into scalable, resilient, and cost-efficient AWS platform designs
Design and govern multi-account AWS environments with clear security, networking, and ownership boundaries
Support customers at an architectural and strategic level across multiple teams and stakeholders
Guide long-term cloud adoption strategies and platform evolution

Senior Cloud Engineer

Netcloud AG

January 2023 – Today

Lead the design and implementation of complex AWS architectures for production workloads
Define and enforce AWS best practices across security, networking, and cost optimization
Develop reusable Terraform modules and platform components to standardize customer environments
Act as a technical mentor for cloud engineers and a trusted advisor for customers

Cloud Engineer

Netcloud AG

September 2021 – January 2023

Consult customers on their AWS journey, designing fit-for-purpose architectures and selecting appropriate AWS services
Evaluate and plan migration paths from on-premises or legacy infrastructure to AWS
Implement infrastructure as code using Terraform, enabling automation and repeatability
Provide self-service platforms and ongoing technical consultancy for cloud environments

Senior System Engineer

foryouandyourcustomers Zurich AG

August 2016 – August 2021

Consulted customers on their transition to a cloud ready company
Helped find the best architecture for their (cloud) infrastructure
Supported migration from OnPremise solutions to cloud environments
Implemented new solutions with configuration management tools like Ansible or Terraform
Supported getting services up and running in kubernetes

Middleware Engineer

foryouandyourcustomers Wien GmbH

May 2014 – July 2016

Supported and developed OnPremise and Cloud environments with puppet for customers
Responsible for further development and operations of cloud infrastructure
Managed internal services like Confluence, Jira and company website

Internship Mobile Developer

foryouandyourcustomers Wien GmbH

February 2014 – April 2016

Completed Bachelor's degree internship as Mobile Developer
Responsible for Google Analytics implementation for iOS & Android App
Implemented automated UI testing for the biggest B2B e-commerce shop in Switzerland

Certs

AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional

Amazon Web Services

Issued: 01/04/2024

Expires: 01/04/2027

AWS Certified Security – Specialty

Amazon Web Services

Issued: 30/03/2023

Expires: 30/03/2026

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

Amazon Web Services

Issued: 16/09/2021

Expires: 01/04/2027

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Amazon Web Services

Issued: 27/02/2023

Expires: 01/04/2027

The Open Group Certified: Applied TOGAF® Enterprise Architecture Practitioner

The Open Group

Issued: 05/09/2024

The Open Group Certified: TOGAF® Enterprise Architecture Foundation

The Open Group

Issued: 30/08/2024

The Open Group Certified: TOGAF® Enterprise Architecture Practitioner

The Open Group

Issued: 05/09/2024

Education

Master of Science in Engineering (M.Sc.) in Telecommunications and Internet Technologies

University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien

Sept 2014 - June 2017

Part-time program strengthened knowledge in mobile development, cloud computing, Internet applications, project management, network technology and IT security
Successfully managed to work full time while completing part-time master's program
Master thesis: automatic server configuration and CI/CD in infrastructure - compared Ansible, Chef, Salt and Puppet frameworks

Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.Sc.) in Computer Science

University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien

Sept 2010 - June 2014

Enhanced general IT expertise and in-depth knowledge on managing Linux systems
Developed with C, C++, C#, ObjectiveC, PHP, CSS and Java
Combined with business and project management courses and real customer IT projects
Two bachelor theses: iOS Maps service comparison and UI automated testing of iOS applications