About
Hey, great to have you here! Thanks for dropping by, here’s a little bit about me. My name is Valentin Mazhar, but most people call me Val.
I write about my insights, lessons learned, and some practical tips about the Power Platform that I’ve gathered along the way, with a focus on Governance. I hope you’ll find some of it useful! Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’ve got any questions or thoughts – I would love to hear from you.
My journey so far
I fell for the Power Platform in 2019 while working as the IT Manager at Bel UK, London. Being a team of one (yes, being a team of one is as lonely as it sounds 🙄), I felt limited in making a bigger impact for the business.
That’s when I stumbled upon the Power Platform, and it was a game-changer. The possibilities were endless: I was able to streamline, digitalize and automate processes as well as replace expensive legacy apps.
I didn’t want to stop there… What if I could help more people? How about empowering an entire organization with the skills to harness this platform? At the end of 2020 I joined Zurich Insurance Group to establish its Power Platform Center for Enablement, where I still work today.
My focus has shifted from building business solutions solo to empowering the global workforce to embrace this incredible low-code platform. Establishing a solid governance strategy has been the key to unlocking its full potential at scale. And the best of it all? I work with a team 😀 We’re small yes… but we do a great job, and this is a pure joy.
Highlights
Microsoft MVP
I received the Microsoft MVP Award in May 2024. Big thank you to Eickhel Mendoza for the nomination!
Live discussion with Nacho Cepa
In 2023 I was invited by Nacho Cepa to discuss governance and some of the Admin Tools I am sharing via this blog. The recording of the discussion can be found here.
PowerToYou Event in Milan
In 2022, I was invited as a speaker in the Microsoft PowerToYou event organized in Milan. The topic for my presentation was “Empower at scale with the Power Platform, a hybrid approach between centralization and decentralization”.
Microsoft Customer Success Story
Microsoft recognized Zurich Insurance and our Power Platform Center for Enablement team in a Customer Success Story, later updated in July 2024.
Certifications earned:
- PL-600
- PL-500
- PL-400
- PL-300
- PL-200
- PL-100
- PL-900
- MB-918