I started out as an industrial mechanic, picked up a computer‑science degree from FH Frankfurt, and spent the early 2000s migrating 80.000 users from Windows NT 4.0 into Active Directory. Since then I've kept following the same thread: how do we make identity, networks and the Microsoft stack genuinely secure — without breaking the business? On the side I maintain several open‑source PowerShell modules for AD and Windows forensics, plus a Home Assistant integration for my motorhome.