As we move into 2026, I wanted to pause and document an important milestone in my professional journey — one that reflects years of deliberate learning across enterprise architecture, cloud computing, security, project management, and engineering practice.
This journey is not about collecting badges, but about building depth, integration, and leadership capability across complex technology ecosystems.
The Certifications
TOGAF® Enterprise Architect
I started 2026 strong by clearing the TOGAF® Enterprise Architecture certification in January.
TOGAF represents the culmination of enterprise architecture thinking — a comprehensive framework for designing, planning, implementing, and governing enterprise information architecture.
What TOGAF Strengthened
Enterprise Alignment
Seeing the organization as an interconnected system
Business-IT Integration
Translating business goals into technical architectures
Governance
Creating sustainable, evolvable architectures
ADM Methodology
A proven methodology for architecture delivery
This certification sharpened my ability to operate at a strategic and systems-thinking level, especially in large, multi-stakeholder environments.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
Cloud architecture remains a core pillar of modern enterprises. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certification is one of the most rigorous cloud certifications available.
Core Capabilities Validated
- Scalable & Resilient Design Building systems that handle millions of users with high availability
- Security at Scale Implementing defense-in-depth across complex cloud environments
- Cost Optimization Making architecturally sound decisions within budget constraints
- Hybrid & Multi-Account Handling real-world enterprise complexity and integration
This complements enterprise architecture by grounding strategy in practical, deployable cloud solutions. TOGAF provides the “what” and “why” — AWS provides the “how.”
PMP® – Project Management Professional
Strong architecture still needs strong execution. The PMP certification represents the gold standard in project management.
PMP ensures that architectural vision is delivered effectively, not just designed well. It bridges the gap between strategy and execution.
P.Eng – Professional Engineers Ontario
The P.Eng designation represents professional accountability, ethics, and engineering rigor — a commitment to public welfare and professional responsibility.
Public Trust
Engineering decisions affect people’s lives and require professional responsibility
Ethical Practice
Upholding professional standards and integrity in all technical work
Professional Accountability
Being personally responsible for technical decisions and their outcomes
This designation anchors technical leadership in professional standards and responsibility, ensuring that innovation never comes at the expense of safety or ethics.
Why These Together?
These certifications aren’t random achievements — they represent an intentional integration of complementary disciplines
What’s Next?
Rather than rushing to the next certification, the focus going forward is on application and impact
- → Applying these disciplines together, not in isolation
- → Leading architecture and transformation initiatives
- → Mentoring and guiding teams
- → Driving outcomes, not just frameworks
- → Building sustainable, secure, scalable systems
The goal is impact — architecting systems, organizations, and teams that scale responsibly, securely, and sustainably.
The Journey Continues
This certification journey represents more than credentials — it represents a deliberate investment in becoming a well-rounded technology leader capable of thinking strategically, executing tactically, delivering reliably, and acting ethically.
Strategy → Implementation → Delivery → Ethics
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