Tell us who you are?
My name is Robert MacLean and I live and work in Johannesburg, South Africa. I like to introduce myself like this: Take one part geek, add a pinch of Scottish accent, mix in two cups of South African pride, chop and add too many interests and finally cook until cyclist tan appears. Serve with whiskey  It does leave out my additional work as a VSTS Ranger which is something I am very proud of as it is a very special opportunity to build items that may become part of the product one day.

Tell us about your MVP history, when were you first awarded?
I have been just been awarded a Team System MVP this year in January for the first time.

What do you do in order to keep up with latest tools and technologies?
As most people, I spend a considerable time reading blogs and watching videos off of the internet but I find I get a lot of information from my team mates. As I work in a research and guidance team our focus is to keep up to date and share knowledge so the team itself is a great place to learn.

What does being an MVP mean to you?
Being a MVP is an honour to me and I hope it will open more doors for me to speak to and help other developers.

What do you do when you are not building software’s?
South Africa has some of the best climate and most beautiful nature in the world to spend outdoors and so I try to enjoy that as much as possible. My favourite activities outside are on my bicycles, be that on the roads or mountain biking. I also enjoy cooking and when you combine that with the South African weather that means plenty of braai’s (similar to a BBQ) and potjies (like a stew, but cooked outside in a cast iron three legged pot).

If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be?
Computers are a privilege in Africa with many people not having access to them however the cellphone penetration is huge so I would ask him about how Microsoft plans to tap into those markets, be it in producing a cheap Windows Mobile phone or server technologies designed for simple devices.

Had a chance to attend “MVP Global Summit”? When and how was your experience?
I have not had a chance to attend the summit, but I am looking forward to attending this year.

What makes you a great MVP?
I believe what makes me a great MVP is the fact I am passionate about the pursuit of perfect development. To find that I am often at events, be it as a community lead, presenter or just as someone who wants to learn more. I also have great ties with the TFS team through my work with the VSTS Rangers projects.

What you think about the MVP’s role in promoting technology in Middle East?
I think the MVP’s role, regardless of location, is to bring balance to the promotion of technology. As people who have been acknowledged by Microsoft as being leaders or experts in the field, yet are not influenced by Microsoft corporate strategy or sales targets we can be more direct and able to give a balanced talk technology.

What is in your computer bag?
Laptop covered in stickers:

Who are your top 5 favorite Middle East MVPs?

• Rudi Groblar – as a college he has helped me become a MVP and he is super smart with WPF.
• Zayd Kara – he brings a much needed view of the server and infrastructure requirements to the complex TFS products.
• Gail Shaw – she has done so much for SQL in South Africa and being an author on a recent SQL book is very impressive.
• Zlatan Dzinic – The lone voice for SharePoint in Cape Town and one of my favorite speakers.

If you get a chance to suggest one conference in Middle East? What would it be and why?
My favourite conference is the small Dev4Dev’s event that is run in South Africa. It is not a flashy event and doesn’t attract a big audience but what it has is that every speaker is very passionate and in the space of a few hours you get to see many topics. It also allows people who have never spoken before a chance to do public speaking and get noticed (Important to become an MVP)!

What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP?
I recently got to spend two weeks at the Microsoft Canadian Development Centre and a week at Redmond doing focused development with the VSTS team around my VSTS Rangers work.

Who are your top 5 technical experts in your professional circle (from your country)?

• Michael O’Donovan – He works at Microsoft South Africa and has a deep knowledge of SharePoint.
• Veronique Palmer – I like to think she “brings balance to the force”, as a SharePoint power user who had a deep understanding of non-developers she helps me learn how to better help all users not just developers.
• Rein Hillman – One of my colleagues and continuous forcing me out of my comfort zone and think about development, design, languages and tooling.

Which was the last book you read?
20000 Leagues under the Sea – I can’t remember when I last read fiction, but while catching the great public transport in Canada I was able to find the time to read it.

If there was one place you could travel to, right now, where would it be and why?
Japan is a place that interest me greatly, and I would love to see what it is like there

How can one be a part of MVP Club? Any suggestions for them?
If someone wants to be a MVP, the best approach is to not aim for it directly. Rather get up each day and ask how you can help others be that through talks, blogging, joining user groups etc… and what you will find is that one day you will become a MVP for the work you have been doing.

Your contact information?

• MVP Profile Link –https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Robert.MacLean
• Blog / Website – http://www.sadev.co.za
• Twitter – @rmaclean
• Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/robertmaclean
• LinkedIn – http://za.linkedin.com/in/macleanr

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feeds, twitter or facebook page to get notified about the interviews with different MVPs in future.

Related posts

1. Meet Paul Somers – BizTalk Server Architect MVP from South Africa Tell us who you are? I’ve been working with integration of disparate systems for many many years, well before Microsoft was even in the game. BizTalk and more recently connected systems is my new world, and we all love WCF,...
2. Meet Daniel Andrew Chileshe – MSP from Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa Tell us who you are? My name is Daniel Andrew Chileshe, I am 21 years old, four months short of 22 and in my 4th and final year of University. I am studying a BTECH IT degree, majoring in Business...
3. Meet Ruari Plint – Microsoft MVP Lead for Middle East & Africa Tell us who you are? I am simply put a professional GEEK and Gadget nutter (I have a remote for my remote) which is probably why it was inevitable that I have ended up working for Microsoft in the MVP...
4. Meet Matteo Emili – Visual Studio Team System MVP from Italy Tell us who you are? Hi! My name is Matteo, I’m an Italian guy really passionate about ALM and IT in general. In fact, despite I’m a developer, I love to be in contact with subjects such as IT Infrastructure,...
5. Meet Adil Mughal – Visual C# MVP from Pakistan Tell us who you are? I’m Adil Mughal. I’m Microsoft MVP for Visual C#. I’m leading two most influential User Groups in Pakistan “DevNext” and “Emerging .NET Devs”. I’m Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist and participate actively in community through organizing and...