About
Scott Bell — Databricks SME
Expert data engineer, solution architect, and AI security specialist. 3x Databricks certified, 28 Microsoft certifications, SQLBits speaker, creator of DailyDatabricks. When you hire databricks.expert, this is who does the work.
Background
Who I am
My background spans data engineering, data science, and cloud solution architecture — most of it on Spark and Databricks. Before going independent I was the UK&I Databricks SME at Avanade, the person other consultants escalated to when a lakehouse design was wrong, a migration had stalled, or a DBU bill had stopped making sense.
I hold a Masters Degree in Computer Science specialising in Secure Machine Learning in the Cloud, which is why AI security is not a bolt-on for me. Governance, threat modelling, and guardrails for GenAI workloads are part of how I design platforms, not a slide at the end.
I've delivered in environments — including regulated ones — where "it works on my cluster" is not an acceptable answer; the full engagement history is on my LinkedIn. The common thread: Unity Catalog done properly, Delta Lake pipelines that don't fall over, and platforms whose costs are understood before the invoice arrives.
Credentials
Certifications
Three current Databricks certifications — including both Professional-level exams — plus 28 Microsoft certifications across data, AI, security, and architecture.
Databricks
- Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional
- Databricks Certified Machine Learning Professional
- Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate
Microsoft
28 Microsoft certifications across data, AI, security, and architecture.
Proof of work
Public work — verify me yourself
Anyone can claim expertise on a landing page. Mine is on stage, on YouTube, and in public repos. Check it before you email.
SQLBits speaker, 2022–2026
Sessions at Europe's largest data platform conference, including "Navigating Data Governance in the Age of Generative AI" (2024). Returning for SQLBits 2026 with the two-part "Building Context, Not Vibes: Practical AI Augmented Data Engineering".
sqlbits.com →AI security talks
"Danger in Dialogue: The Security Risks of Large Language Models" — prompt injection, data leakage, and why GenAI needs guardrails before it needs use cases. Full speaking history on Sessionize.
sessionize.com/scott-bell →Creator of DailyDatabricks
"Documenting the undocumented" — a micro-tips project covering the Databricks behaviours, flags, and internals the official docs skip. Followed by practitioners worldwide.
dailydatabricks.tips →Writing at MyYearInData
Long-form engineering posts: architecture decisions, migration lessons, and platform deep dives written up in public rather than locked in client decks.
myyearindata.com →Open source on GitHub
Databricks tooling and open-source code under fusionet24. Commit history is the one case study nobody can fake.
github.com/fusionet24 →Career history, certifications, and recommendations in one place — the same story you're reading here, independently visible.
linkedin.com/in/scottjamesbell →Working with me
How I work
Remote-first, worldwide
Video call and screen share in your workspace or mine. UK-based, working regularly across US and European time zones.
Direct, not outsourced
No bench, no juniors, no handoffs. The person you email is the person on the call and in the code.
Limited concurrent engagements
I cap how many clients I take at once so every engagement gets real attention. If I'm at capacity, I say so immediately.
Published rates, NDA-friendly
Prices are on the site before we talk. NDAs signed before I see code or data. No discovery phase, no procurement maze.
Opinions
What I believe about Databricks platforms
You're not hiring a neutral pair of hands. These are the opinions you get with me — argue with them in the first session if you like.
Governance first
Unity Catalog is not a migration afterthought. Get identity, permissions, and lineage right early and everything downstream — sharing, GenAI, audits — gets cheaper. Retrofit it later and you pay twice.
Cost is architecture
A runaway DBU bill is not a finance problem — it's a design decision made without looking. Cluster policies, Photon, serverless, and job design are where the bill is actually written.
GenAI needs guardrails
Mosaic AI and Genie are powerful, but an LLM with access to your lakehouse is an attack surface. Prompt injection and data leakage are engineering problems — solve them before launch, not after the incident.
Want the long versions? I write these up properly in the Databricks guides.
Work with me directly
One email gets you a reply within one business day, a recommended format, a fixed price, and a slot — usually the same week. Or start with consulting, urgent help, mentoring, or team training.
Book a consultI take a limited number of engagements each month. If I'm at capacity, I'll tell you straight away.