Michael van Camp

About Michael van Camp

I am an engineering leader who still loves the dopamine rush of optimizing a SQL query, but I’ve found my true calling in unlocking the potential of the people and systems that build them. With a career spanning over 30 years—from co-founding an ISP to leading SRE for Fortune 100-level security products—I specialize in bridging the gap between complex infrastructure and business-critical outcomes. Today, I am particularly focused on AI Prompt Engineering to drive organizational efficiency, using data-driven automation to inform executive decision-making and streamline high-stakes workflows.What I do best is hire, develop, and lead \"rock star\" engineering teams. I’ve spent my career transforming \"Them vs. Us\" work cultures into high-functioning DevOps partnerships through active coaching. My background is deeply technical, with hands-on experience in Linux/BSD, AWS, and full-stack development, allowing me to provide tactical advice that is reliable and insightful. Whether launching a Technical Emmy-winning product or managing 24/7 global support, my goal is to foster an environment where engineers can do what they do best: solve problems.Core Expertise- AI Prompt Engineering: Improving organizational processes and workflow efficiency using data to inform executive decision-making- Service Reliability & Operations: Scaling SRE for global infrastructures at Proofpoint, Symantec, and Yahoo! to ensure near-perfect uptime- Strategic Cloud Migration: Driving massive transitions from on-premise to AWS, resulting in millions in annual savings- Performance Engineering: Leading horizontal teams at Apple to optimize iOS hardware and software for hundreds of millions of users- Compliance & Governance: Guiding organizations through SOC2 audits and instituting ITIL-compliant processes.What My Teams & Peers Say:Beyond technical milestones, I am proud of my reputation for balancing high-stakes execution with mentorship- Strategic Prioritization: Recognized for teasing apart issues and stacking priorities into clear, actionable timelines- High-Trust Leadership: Described as a \"consummate delegator\" who provides engineers the ownership and \"shield\" they need- Organizational Agility: Noted for \"managing up and across\" to align business goals with engineering feasibility- Optimistic Problem-Solving: Valued for a \"can-do attitude\" that defuses pressure during high-visibility projects- Exceptional Communication: Cited as one of the best communicators colleagues have worked with.

Experience

1. Director, Service Reliability Engineering, Proofpoint Security Products Group

   Proofpoint

   Mar 2019 — Present · Sunnyvale, CA, US

   Manage Service Reliability Engineering for Proofpoint\'s flagship Email Protection, Threat Detection, and Data Loss Prevention suites, ensuring high availability and resilience for cloud and on-premises environments. By leveraging data-driven insights and AI-forward methodologies, I partner with Product Owners and Infrastructure teams to streamline workflows and improve organizational efficiency. My focus remains on delivering next-generation cybersecurity solutions that protect nearly 50% of the Fortune 100 and more than 30% of the Fortune from sophisticated malware and business email compromise (BEC) threats.Key Results & Strategic Impact- Enterprise Scale: Directing SRE operations for mission-critical security products that serve as the primary defense for the world’s largest organizations- Cross-Functional Leadership: Partnering across Engineering and Product divisions to transition legacy workflows into modern, reliable, and automated delivery pipelines- Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing deep operational metrics to inform executive strategy and ensure infrastructure capacity meets the rigorous demands of global email traffic.

Education

• University of California, Riverside

  BS, Computer Science

  2004

Skills

• Engineering Management
• Linux
• Program Management
• Subversion
• Junit
• Software Product Management
• Mobile Technology
• Mysql
• Web Analytics
• Freebsd
• Agile Project Management
• Hiring
• Testing
• Apache
• Soa
• High Availability
• Offshore Software Development
• Social Media
• Java
• Network Administration
• Os X
• Mac Os X
• Rest
• Team Building
• Management
• Mobile Applications
• Jenkins
• Phpunit
• Vendor Management
• Php
• Osi Model
• Javascript
• Software Project Management
• Selenium
• Scrum
• Perl
• Performance Measurement
• Lean Development
• Social Networking
• Snmp