Wayde Gilchrist is a seasoned CTO, senior technology leader, trainer, author, and consultant with over 20 years of experience working with both large enterprises and startups. He holds every AWS Certification ever published, a testament to his deep expertise in cloud technology.

With two decades of experience in software development and solutions architecture, Wayde has played a pivotal role in shaping the AWS Cloud Institute. He has been instrumental in designing, authoring, and approving curriculum content, technical assessments, hands-on labs, and capstone projects. His leadership has been critical in the development and delivery of high-stakes assessments and AWS Certifications. Wayde is deeply passionate about building end-to-end certification solutions, reducing reliance on third-party systems, and managing platform development and tooling to deliver top-tier certification experiences.

As a Senior Technical Manager for AWS Certifications, he led teams that included Principal Solutions Architects, Data Analytics Engineers, and Program and Project Managers. He also contributed to global strategies focused on ensuring question accuracy and clarity in certification exams. His innovative approach led to the development of streamlined exam creation processes, resulting in a 40% productivity increase. Wayde also oversaw the development of data analytics solutions and envisioned new AWS practice exam products, including the integration of labs into certification exams.

Prior to his tenure at AWS, Wayde held a variety of impactful roles. He served as a Senior Content Author at Linux Academy, a Consultant, Trainer, and Author at Gilchrist Technology Consultants, and CTO at both Zindigo, Inc. and Green Jobs Inc. In these roles, he led development initiatives, mentored technical teams, and provided both technical and strategic guidance for startups. His broad technical expertise spans software development, cloud architecture, and business innovation.

Throughout his career, Wayde has demonstrated a strong commitment to knowledge sharing and community contribution. He continues to develop courses and write books on AWS, Data Engineering, Machine Learning, AI, and Generative AI. He has contributed to various publications and holds patents in areas such as social commerce and job matching.

Wayde holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Engineering Physics from Stevens Institute of Technology and a complete suite of AWS certifications, underscoring his comprehensive mastery of cloud technologies.