About Ruan Steyn
Automation with Altitude — that’s the idea behind everything I do.
I’m a DevOps engineer, private pilot, and builder of things both digital and physical. My work lives where infrastructure meets imagination — from self-healing Kubernetes clusters to home labs that hum with purpose. I believe that good automation isn’t just efficiency; it’s craftsmanship.
Since 2021, I’ve worked as a DevOps Engineer for Discovery Holdings, remotely from Switzerland, designing, deploying, and automating global infrastructure. My toolkit includes Terraform, Kubernetes (TKGm & k3s), Azure, AWS, and vRealize Automation, with scripting languages like PowerShell, Bash, and Python doing most of the heavy lifting. Before that, I spent over a decade deep in VMware’s world — optimizing clusters, designing automation frameworks, and teaching systems to behave themselves.
What I Do
- Infrastructure Automation: Terraform, SaltStack, vRealize, and pipelines that actually work.
- Hybrid Cloud: Azure, AWS, and on-prem VMware environments running in sync.
- Platform Engineering: CI/CD, Kubernetes, and cloud-native application delivery.
- Performance & Reliability: Monitoring, optimization, and zero-downtime obsession.
- DevOps Culture: Automation as an enabler — not a buzzword.
Background
My technical story started in South Africa, building and repairing computers while figuring out how networks breathe. I went from shop owner to systems engineer to technical specialist and finally into full-blown automation work — a career arc powered by curiosity more than titles.
Along the way, I picked up a few badges:
MCSE, MCITP Enterprise Admin, VMware VCP-DC, VCP-CMA, and VCAP5.
These days I focus on simplifying complexity — whether it’s through clean infrastructure code or a well-designed automation pipeline.
Beyond the Console
When I’m not coaxing infrastructure into order, I’m in the cockpit. I hold a Swiss EASA Private Pilot Licence (PPL-A) and spend as much time as possible flying general aviation aircraft around Europe and southern Africa. Aviation sharpens the same instincts DevOps demands — precision, situational awareness, and calm when things get weird.
Outside work and flying, you’ll usually find me cycling, skiing, cooking, or chasing new places with my family.
The Mission
techlotse is my platform — a blend of automation, aviation, and creativity. It’s where technical deep dives meet flight plans, and where I document projects that make digital systems and daily life run smoother.
I build. I automate. I fly.
And if it breaks, I’ll probably fix it just to see how it ticks.
To learn a bit more about me, feel free to check out my links