A knack for music
Michael found his groove early. At 14, he picked up drumsticks, later learned to play the piano by himself, and composed songs for fun. Even as a computer science student at CAU Kiel, he wrote jingles for radio and local cinema ads. His talent for sound led him to found an audio engineering studio with his brother. Besides sound, they also worked on video post-production and commercials. However, at those times, Michael also started to enjoy coding quite a bit.
Fast forward to 2003, Michael is sitting on his couch in the studio, reading the Kieler Nachrichten newspaper. A small company, then called macio (today part of Cloudflight Germany), was hiring software developers. It was a tiny team of 10, scrambling for each customer, but with heaps of enthusiasm. With five years of experience in coding, Michael initially joined as a freelancer, drawn to improve his coding skills in C# and .NET, cutting-edge technologies everyone was just beginning to explore.
A few years later, Michael went full-time. He progressed from developer to project leader, then team leader, and ultimately a cluster leader, mastering various Microsoft technologies. Now, as a senior project leader and mentor, he guides his mentees, helping them tackle challenges coming from various, often unexpected, angles.
“Work together, push each other, and make something great.” Michael on how to work as a team.
More than software
Outside work, Michael’s life pulses with energy. He plays in two bands: The Regulators, a rock and blues group, and Re:funktion, delivering funky grooves. At Cloudflight, he’s the heartbeat of Loudfight, the company’s three-piece band of bass, piano, and cajon. While they have not played in years, the word is that they are rehearsing for a potential Winterfest performance. On weekends, Michael enjoys his second lifelong passion – football. Every week he plays with the same vitality and drive as when he kicked the ball for the first time.
It is not just free time – there are strong parallels between his work and his passions. “Composing a song is like building software,” he says. “It’s never truly done – you keep tweaking, collaborating, fighting for better.” Whether mentoring a colleague or chasing a goal on the pitch, Michael thrives on responsibility and teamwork. At Cloudflight, he has found a place where his drive for excellence fits.
