NORCROSS, GA, December 10, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ronald J. Brakefield has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Brakefield has established a distinguished career in health care information technology, earning recognition for his expertise and leadership across several prominent organizations. Since 2022, he has served as principal solution engineer for Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data and AI in Atlanta, Georgia, focusing on Health and Life Sciences (HLS) customers. In this capacity, he has leveraged his extensive background to drive innovation and deliver advanced solutions in data and artificial intelligence, influencing over $500 million in contractual agreements with strategic tier HLS customers worldwide. He has also developed innovative demo environments for emerging AI services including ChatGPT and Microsoft Fabric, creating internal self-development materials to upskill staff-level architects and technical specialists across the Microsoft Azure ecosystem.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Brakefield built upon his previous experience as global director of cloud, data, and information technology operations at Proto AI, LLC from 2021 to 2022, where he led a global team of AI technical engineers in deploying secure, scalable Azure-based solutions and oversaw critical infrastructure projects powering a precursor to current LLM-based AI technology.

In 2021, Mr. Brakefield held the role of senior lead Azure data and artificial intelligence architect at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta. There, he built and led an Azure data platform architecture team serving global needs across five continents, playing a pivotal part in designing scalable data architectures that supported the company's worldwide operations. His expertise was further demonstrated during his tenure as data lab architect at Amazon Web Services in Atlanta from 2020 to 2021, where he led highly focused, accelerated data and AI labs for customers around the world and developed innovative solutions for enterprise clients seeking to modernize their data environments.

From 2018 to 2020 began his first tenure at Microsoft where Mr. Brakefield was senior cloud solution architect. There he provided strategic guidance on cloud adoption and digital transformation initiatives, leading Azure implementation at higher education accounts across the Southeast region and co-creating an academic medical center-focused (AMC) technical pod in the U.S. Education division of Microsoft. His earlier experience includes serving as senior solutions architect at Ensono in Nashville from 2017 to 2018, where he led enterprise-level projects focused on cloud migration and infrastructure optimization and helped initialize the Azure cloud practice at Ensono, a top-tier Microsoft Partner.

As principal enterprise architect at Provisions Group in Franklin from 2016 to 2017, Mr. Brakefield designed comprehensive technology roadmaps for clients navigating digital change while developing the cloud computing practice.

His leadership was also evident during his time as director of cloud architecture at HCA Information Technology & Services in Nashville from 2014 to 2016. In this role, he achieved several notable accomplishments: helping establish a data center for HCA in China, creating the first cloud practice at a health provider system—a milestone both for HCA and the broader health care industry—and leading governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) remediations ensuring regulatory compliance with HIPAA, HITRUST, SOX, and PCI-DSS standards. He also managed the migration and oversight of more than 800 virtual hosts as part of a comprehensive cloud adoption strategy.

Mr. Brakefield's journey with HCA Information Technology & Services began as consulting platform engineer in Brentwood from 2012 to 2014, followed by roles as senior platform engineer in Nashville from 2011 to 2012 and senior systems engineer from 2010 to 2011. These positions allowed him to develop deep technical expertise while contributing to mission-critical health care information technology initiatives.

His professional foundation was laid at Spheris in Franklin, where he worked in field engineering from 2008 to 2010 after starting as client technical engineer from 2007 to 2008. Throughout these formative years, Mr. Brakefield demonstrated resilience and determination, qualities that were shaped by his upbringing in a modest environment. He is particularly proud of overcoming past hardships by leveraging connections that ultimately led him to a pivotal opportunity with HCA, providing long-sought financial stability.

Mr. Brakefield's academic achievements have been instrumental in supporting his career progression. He earned a Master of Business Administration in management information systems from Western Governors University in 2013 after completing a Bachelor of Business Administration in computer information systems at Middle Tennessee State University in 2007. He is currently pursuing a Master of Healthcare Administration at Western Governors University, further enhancing his credentials within the health care sector.

Mr. Brakefield's commitment to professional development is reflected in numerous certifications across all three major public cloud platforms. His credentials include academy accreditation as an Azure Databricks platform architect from Databricks in 2025, master's certification in Microsoft Health in 2025, data acquisition and management certification from CITI Program in 2021, AWS certified solutions architect – associate designation from Amazon Web Services in 2020, Google Cloud Platform engineer associate certification in 2022, Microsoft certified Azure data engineer associate in 2020, Microsoft certified solutions expert (MCSE), and VMware certified professional status.

Beyond his organizational responsibilities, Mr. Brakefield has established himself as a thought leader in health care data and AI. He has authored numerous technical articles and blog posts on platforms including LinkedIn and Medium, covering topics such as Azure OpenAI implementations, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) testing frameworks, and Microsoft Fabric healthcare data solutions. He has also contributed to the open-source community by creating the FHIR Landing Zone GitHub repository, which automates the creation of FHIR test environments in Microsoft Azure using synthetic data and best practices—a resource that has aided health care organizations in rapidly testing interoperability implementations.

Mr. Brakefield attributes his success to openness toward feedback and criticism, a philosophy he applies both as a mentor and mentee. He values servant leadership for its ability to foster humility and inspire excellence among colleagues. Over two decades, these principles have guided him through various leadership roles and continue to influence his approach today.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Mr. Brakefield is actively involved with civic-minded organizations and sports teams. He served as coach of the Atlanta Bucks Rugby Football Club from 2021 to 2024 and continues as assistant coach, a role he first took on in 2021. Additionally, he has contributed as instructional facilitator for MetroHacks since 2019 and served as coach of the Nashville Grizzlies Rugby Team from 2016 to 2018.

Born in Nashville, Mr. Brakefield remains committed to advancing health care information technology while mentoring others within the industry regardless of location. Looking ahead, he aims to serve as a virtual chief data officer for multiple accounts under his management and is considering future opportunities such as director or chief information officer roles, particularly within health care or organizations aligned with his values.

Contact Information
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joeybrakefield
Email: [email protected]

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