# Sam Debruyn

> I'm Sam — freelance data platform architect. I help technical teams design and ship platforms on Microsoft Fabric, Azure, and dbt. Co-author of integrations between Microsoft data platforms and open-source technologies — if you run dbt or Soda on Fabric, you're probably running my code.

I’ve been building data platforms for over a decade — first as a software engineer, then as a data architect, and now as a freelance consultant running my own practice.
My focus is the practical, unglamorous middle layer: turning sprawling company data into platforms that engineers can actually develop on, that analysts can actually trust, and that finance can actually predict the cost of.
I co-authored the integrations between Microsoft data platforms and open-source technologies — if your team runs dbt on Fabric, you’re probably running code I wrote. I co-organize the dbt Belgium meetup and speak regularly at conferences across Europe, usually about the corners of Microsoft Fabric, dbt and lakehouses where the marketing slides stop and real engineering starts.
When I’m not at a keyboard, I’m probably tinkering with my homelab or at a concert or festival somewhere.

Key expertise:

- Microsoft Fabric (Lakehouse, Warehouse, pipelines)
- dbt (Core and dbt Platform)
- Azure data services
- Apache Airflow, Spark, DuckDB
- Data governance, data quality, and observability
- Delta Lake and lakehouse architecture

## Key pages
- [About](https://debruyn.dev/about/): Who is Sam Debruyn?
- [Services](https://debruyn.dev/services/): Freelance data platform consulting, architecture reviews, training, and hands-on engineering.
- [Speaking](https://debruyn.dev/speaking/): Conference talks, workshops, and slide decks on Microsoft Fabric, dbt, and data engineering.
- [Blog](https://debruyn.dev/blog/): Technical articles on Microsoft Fabric, dbt, data engineering, and lakehouses.
- [Contact](https://debruyn.dev/contact/): Contact Sam Debruyn for data platform consulting, training, or speaking inquiries.

## Services
- [Ad-hoc by-the-hour](https://debruyn.dev/services/ad-hoc/): Need a sounding board? Schedule a 1-on-1 to pick my brain about Fabric, dbt, Airflow, architecture trade-offs.
- [Architecture review](https://debruyn.dev/services/): Two focus days where I dig through your data platform end-to-end and deliver a detailed report with concrete improvements you can act on.
- [Training](https://debruyn.dev/services/): Hands-on programs on Microsoft Fabric and dbt. From half-day intros to multi-day deep dives — built around your codebase, your warehouse, your team.
- [Data platform consultancy](https://debruyn.dev/services/): Long-term engagements on architecture, data engineering, governance, and MLOps. The Microsoft stack is where I feel at home.

## Awards

- [Microsoft Data Platform MVP](https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-US/mvp/profile/1540cd7b-03d9-4081-9ed8-272d8311cd72) (2024-2026)
- [dbt Champion](https://www.getdbt.com/dbt-champions/directory?champion=sam-debruyn) (2026)
- [dbt Community Award](https://www.getdbt.com/blog/coalesce-2023-brought-the-dbt-community-together) (2023)

## Recent blog posts

- [Introducing the Fabric Data Warehouse CLI and MCP Server](https://debruyn.dev/2026/introducing-the-fabric-data-warehouse-cli-and-mcp-server/) (2026-06-29)
- [Fabric under the hood: project Vegas](https://debruyn.dev/2026/fabric-under-the-hood-project-vegas/) (2026-06-08)
- [Fabric under the hood: the Bare-Bones Cluster](https://debruyn.dev/2026/fabric-under-the-hood-the-bare-bones-cluster/) (2026-05-24)
- [All Microsoft Fabric icons for diagramming (2026 edition)](https://debruyn.dev/2026/all-microsoft-fabric-icons-for-diagramming-2026-edition/) (2026-05-14)
- [Cooling the Dell Perc H200](https://debruyn.dev/2025/cooling-the-dell-perc-h200/) (2025-06-17)
- [Quick Tip: Fabric Runtime preinstalled packages](https://debruyn.dev/2025/quick-tip-fabric-runtime-preinstalled-packages/) (2025-04-23)
- [All the different ways to authenticate to Azure SQL, Synapse, and Fabric](https://debruyn.dev/2025/all-the-different-ways-to-authenticate-to-azure-sql-synapse-and-fabric/) (2025-04-13)
- [All Microsoft Fabric icons for diagramming (2024 edition)](https://debruyn.dev/2024/all-microsoft-fabric-icons-for-diagramming-2024-edition/) (2024-10-26)
- [I just took the new Fabric DP-700 Data Engineering Exam: here's what you should know](https://debruyn.dev/2024/i-just-took-the-new-fabric-dp-700-data-engineering-exam-heres-what-you-should-know/) (2024-10-22)
- [Connecting Neon with dbt Cloud](https://debruyn.dev/2024/connecting-neon-with-dbt-cloud/) (2024-05-02)

## Optional

- [Curis Solutions](https://curissolutions.net/)
- [dbt Labs](https://www.getdbt.com/)
- [Flemish Government](https://www.vlaanderen.be/en)
- [Hubo](https://www.hubo.be/)
- [Immoscoop](https://www.immoscoop.be/en)
- [Post LU](https://www.post.lu/en/)
- [Swatch Group](https://www.swatchgroup.com/)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/sdebruyn)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueldebruyn/)
- [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/debruyn.dev)
- [RSS](https://debruyn.dev/blog/index.xml): Blog feed