Azure & DevOps Podcast Graham McMillan: Database DevOps - Episode 385
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Jan 19, 2026 Graham McMillan, CTO at Redgate Software and a savvy leader with decades of tech experience, shares his journey from curious consultant to Database DevOps expert. He reveals how round-the-world sailing instilled crucial leadership lessons. Graham emphasizes the evolving role of DBAs in ensuring data integrity and performance. He discusses the impact of AI on SQL tooling, advocating for developer empowerment while maintaining safety. He also highlights the need for clean data as AI initiatives rise, emphasizing innovative Redgate products designed for modern data challenges.
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Curiosity And Sailing Shaped His Leadership
- Graham traced his curiosity from early mainframe DevOps to modern leadership and sailing lessons that taught team clarity and resilience.
- He applies those sailing lessons to engineer leadership and close customer collaboration at Redgate.
Solve Today's Problem, Not Hypothetical Ones
- Many infrastructure problems are already solved and can be consumed as services instead of rebuilt from scratch.
- Focus on whether deep optimization is business-differentiating before investing time in low-level details.
Databases Are The Foundation
- Databases are the foundational layer and often the most complex engine of an application stack.
- Getting data design right early makes everything else flow more easily and prevents long-term pain.