About the speaker
Experience behind the talk
David Parry is an accomplished Principal Architect with over 25 years of experience in software development, spanning enterprise systems, cloud architecture, and emerging AI integration technologies. His journey began in 1996 when he discovered the fascinating world of programming through Java applets—a technology that, while now obsolete, sparked a lifelong passion for building software that connects people to information and services.
Throughout his illustrious career, David has been involved in numerous high-profile projects that demonstrate his ability to deliver scalable, reliable systems under demanding conditions. He has successfully built and implemented content management systems for a wide range of global clients, including the prestigious Johnnie Walker brand and its renowned keepwalking.com platform. These projects required not only deep technical expertise but also an understanding of how technology serves brand storytelling and customer engagement at scale.
As a consultant at a Big 4 firm, David played a pivotal role in solving critical issues for enterprise customers across industries. He developed a reputation for diagnosing complex problems in high-traffic web platforms and architecting solutions that balanced immediate business needs with long-term technical sustainability. This consulting experience sharpened his ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and to navigate the organizational dynamics that often determine whether technology initiatives succeed or fail.
Never one to shy away from innovation, David has continuously expanded his skills to embrace emerging technologies. He has worked extensively on mobile applications and embedded Android TV systems, delivering streaming services that provide customers with exceptional viewing experiences. These projects demanded expertise in performance optimization, real-time data handling, and the unique constraints of embedded environments—skills that translate directly to modern distributed systems and edge computing architectures.
Currently, David holds the position of Principal Architect at Qodo.ai, where he oversees strategic planning and execution of architectural designs for customers building AI-powered development tools. His current focus includes integrating large language model APIs with enterprise Java systems using Spring AI, designing Model Context Protocol server architectures, and building the infrastructure that enables AI agents to interact securely with external tools and data sources. This work sits at the intersection of his deep Java expertise and the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-assisted software development.
David is passionate about sharing knowledge with the developer community. He actively contributes to open-source projects and speaks at conferences about practical approaches to AI integration, cloud architecture, and Java development patterns. His workshop on building MCP servers from scratch reflects his teaching philosophy: developers learn best by building real systems, understanding protocols at the wire level, and debugging their way to mastery.
Having witnessed the evolution of Java development from applets to microservices to AI-native architectures, David brings a rare combination of historical perspective and forward-looking vision to every project. His wealth of experience, strategic mindset, and hands-on technical skills make him an invaluable asset to any organization navigating the complexities of modern software architecture. When he's not architecting systems, David enjoys mentoring junior developers and exploring how AI can augment—rather than replace—human creativity in software development.