13th May, 2025
More Than a Badge—A Commitment to Excellence
Cloud Bridge has officially joined the top 1% of AWS partners worldwide, achieving AWS Premier Partner status—the highest level of recognition in the AWS Partner Network. But this isn’t just an accolade; it’s proof of our deep technical expertise, customer success, and commitment to innovation.
Reaching this milestone wasn’t easy. It required relentless dedication, strategic investments, and an unwavering focus on delivering real value to our clients. This blog takes you behind the scenes of our Path to Premier—the challenges, the breakthroughs, and what this means for businesses looking for a cloud partner that truly delivers.
Why AWS Premier Partner Status Matters For Our Customers
AWS Premier Partner status is more than a title—it’s a seal of trust from AWS. AWS thoroughly vets and selects Premier Partners based on:
- Proven customer success in deploying AWS solutions at scale.
- Deep technical expertise, with multiple AWS Competencies & Certifications.
- Commitment to innovation, with cutting-edge cloud, AI and FinOps solutions.
- Rigorous validation through an in-depth AWS audit.
When you work with a Premier Partner like Cloud Bridge, you’re choosing an elite AWS-certified partner that can help you architect, build, manage, and optimise cloud solutions that drive real business results.
Simon Walker, Founder and CEO, shares why Premier Partner status is a game-changer:
"Becoming an AWS Premier Partner isn’t just about recognition—it’s about what it enables us to do for our customers. This status unlocks even deeper collaboration with AWS, giving our clients early access to new AWS innovations, dedicated technical resources, and unparalleled cloud expertise."
The Cloud Bridge Journey: From Startup to the Top 1%
Cloud Bridge was founded with a simple yet powerful vision: to help businesses harness the full potential of AWS and drive digital transformation with confidence. Since day one, we've been laser-focused on AWS - building an organisation that delivers real business value across key industries:
- Financial Services – Enabling secure, compliant, and scalable AWS solutions
- Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) – Helping SaaS companies scale efficiently
- Small & Medium Businesses (SMBs) – Empowering rapid growth and cloud agility
- Public Sector – Driving cloud adoption for government, education, and healthcare
Adam Thornton, CRO and Co-Founder, reflects on Cloud Bridge’s evolution:
"We started Cloud Bridge with a small but ambitious team, believing that deep AWS expertise—not just general cloud knowledge—would be the key to making a difference. We've scaled rapidly, but our commitment remains the same: delivering AWS solutions that are not just cutting-edge, but that truly impact our customers' success."
Key Milestones on the Path to Premier
2018
Founded
* By CEO Simon Walker
* First office opens in Slough
2020
Expansion Begins
* Established HQ in Marlow
* Opened London office
* Expanded to the Philippines
2021
Growth Accelerates
* Adam Thornton joins
* Team grows to 50+ employees
2022
AWS Recognition Milestones
* AWS Advanced Partner status
* AWS Rising Star Partner UK&I
2023
Global Expansion & Awards
* AWS Rising Star Partner EMEA
* Opened Dubai office
* AWS Migration Competency
2025
Premier Partner!
* Recognised among the Top 1%
* Expanded into Canada
What It Takes to Become a Premier Partner
Becoming a Premier Partner isn’t just about technical expertise—it’s about consistently delivering exceptional customer outcomes. Here’s what AWS looks for:
Advanced Technical Capabilities
- Deep AWS expertise across multiple domains (Compute, Security, DevOps, AI/ML, etc.).
- Certified AWS architects and engineers.
- Successful deployments of complex, high-impact solutions.
A Proven Track Record of Customer Success
- Real-world case studies demonstrating measurable impact for clients.
- High customer satisfaction and repeat business.
- Industry recognition and AWS Competency validations.
Rigorous AWS Validation
- Undergoing an extensive AWS audit, covering technical proficiency, security best practices, and customer success metrics.
- Meeting strict performance benchmarks and industry standards.
Tom Kerswill, CTO, highlights the most challenging part of the process:
"Waiting! Premier status requires demonstrating that we're operating at an elite level, over a sustained period of time. So it's not just a snapshot or a collection of tick-boxes. We knew a year ago that we'd exceeded our numbers of AWS certified experts, gained the competencies we needed, and were operating at the level we needed to. We then entered a holding pattern. Sometimes the hardest thing is to keep doing what you're doing, and resist the urge to tweak! Once that time period elapsed, we were ready to pull everything together and secure our status as a premier partner."
Beyond Premier: The AWS Managed Service Provider Competency
Achieving AWS Premier Partner status is already an elite distinction—placing Cloud Bridge in the top 1% of 140,000+ AWS partners worldwide. But what makes us even rarer?
We also hold the AWS Managed Service Provider (MSP) Competency, a certification so exclusive that only 0.1% of AWS partners globally have achieved it.
AWS Premier + MSP Competency: An Ultra-Elite Combination
- Only ~1,400 AWS partners worldwide are Premier Partners (Top 1%).
- Only 130 partners globally (0.1%) hold the AWS MSP Competency.
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Just 31 partners in EMEA have both.
Cloud Bridge is among this select group—a Premier Partner with AWS MSP expertise, ensuring unmatched cloud excellence.
What This Means for Our Customers
- Continuous optimisation – Maximizing AWS efficiency, security, and performance.
- End-to-end cloud management – From migration to long-term operational excellence.
- Proactive security & cost savings – Helping businesses get the most from AWS.
By combining AWS Premier Partner status and AWS MSP certification, Cloud Bridge offers an unmatched level of expertise and managed cloud services.
What’s Next for Cloud Bridge?
Becoming an AWS Premier Partner is just the beginning. Our goal is to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the cloud and continue delivering game-changing solutions for businesses worldwide.
Here’s what’s next:
- Expanding our AWS service offerings to include cutting-edge technologies like AI/ML and advanced security.
- Growing our global footprint to help more businesses scale with AWS.
- Strengthening partnerships with AWS to unlock even more value for clients.
Simon Walker shares what excites him most about the future:
"This achievement is a testament to our team’s relentless pursuit of excellence. We aimed for the summit, continuously refining our approach to deliver the highest-quality AWS solutions. And now, as an AWS Premier Partner, we’re setting even bigger goals—pushing ourselves further, innovating faster, and delivering even greater value to our clients. The future is bright, and I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey with this incredible team."
AWS Premier Partner status is more than a milestone—it’s a commitment to excellence. At Cloud Bridge, we’re dedicated to helping businesses innovate, scale, and thrive in the cloud.
Want to see what it’s like to work with a top 1% AWS Partner? Contact Us today,
