Nicki Borell: Microsoft MVP Interview Part 2
The Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) Award is the highest honor that can be awarded annually by Microsoft since 1995. One of those honored is Nicki Borell. In the first part of our interview, we learned what Mr. Borell enjoys doing most in his free time. Click here to go to the first part of the interview. Who is the biggest inspiration for the MVP award winner? What was his most formative experience in the past, and what projects has he planned for the future? All of this and much more can be found in the following second part of our interview.
Interview with Nicki Borell – Part 2
How did your interest in Microsoft develop? Who or what inspired you particularly?
In my then job as a database administrator for Microsoft SQL Server, I came into contact with people from Microsoft. There was a project together with Microsoft Consulting Services. That’s how I got to know SharePoint, which was used in the project as a document storage system. SharePoint fascinated me. Through an internet search, I found the SharePoint User Group in Saarbrücken, and that’s how it all took off.
How did you choose your focus area at Microsoft? Why exactly this area? See previous question. To add to that, I can say that the SharePoint community emerging in Germany at the time played a major role. MVP Michael Greth founded this community, and more and more local groups formed that met regularly. I really liked that and traveled around the country to give talks on the topic of SharePoint.
What did you originally want to become when you were younger?
Actually, I can’t consciously remember having a dream job. However, technical topics have always interested me. After school, I completed an apprenticeship as a radio and television technician, then worked as a radar electronics technician for the German Armed Forces, and later entered the IT industry.
What are your most important projects from the past?
In recent years, there have been many projects in the context of IT security and compliance. On one hand, this relates to topics such as GDPR. On the other hand, the shift towards mobile working, home office, etc., has given rise to new IT security scenarios.
Which projects have you planned for the future, if you’re allowed to share a little bit about them.
Currently, we are working on a concept on the topic of “Azure Security Advisor”. As bad as the Corona pandemic was, it did lead to the industry tackling topics that had been neglected for a long time. This led to more and more cloud services being used in recent years. In most cases, the initial goal was simply to remain operational. However, services like Azure Files instead of the classic file server must also guarantee access security, etc. And that’s where something like an Azure Security Advisor workshop comes into play.
Do you actually stay in touch with other MVPs around the world?
We meet regularly in calls with the product groups. For the last two years, the annual MVP Summit took place exclusively via Teams. Normally, it is a week-long event held on-site at Microsoft in Seattle / Redmond. Of course, friendships are formed there and people meet up / exchange ideas.
What would you advise a newly minted MVP Award winner?
I hope that local MVP events will return soon. Before the Corona pandemic, they also took place once a year and, in our case, were hosted by Microsoft Germany. You should definitely attend those, especially as a new MVP.
What has been the most defining experience during your years as an MVP?
In 2014, I gave a talk at the SharePoint Conference in Las Vegas. The topic was “SharePoint Server 2013 Search Analytics”. At the time, the analytics engine was almost completely undocumented. It was essentially a black box. I had a very interesting conversation about it with people from the product group at the MVP Summit. I was curious about how everything worked, and they were curious about what I had already figured out myself and what customers expected from the analytics component. During this conversation, the idea for the session at the SharePoint Conference emerged. In the end, we agreed that I would give this talk.
Thank you for this exciting interview, Mr. Borell!
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