Welcome
Ronald Bradford is an industry leading expert in the open source relational database field. He is currently CTO at ProxySQL - the leading transparent database proxy for MySQL and PostgreSQL compatible databases including AWS and AWS Aurora.
With 30 years of experience in large-scale data systems, Ronald specializes in designing automated, resilient, and scalable data solutions. His hands-on approach transforms complex challenges into measurable business success.
As an Enterprise Data Architect and Principal Data Strategist, Ronald is a recognized MySQL Subject Matter Expert, published author, and conference speaker with AWS certifications. He has delivered 180+ presentations across 22 countries and authored multiple books in the Effective MySQL series.
Explore below to learn more about his published works, speaking engagements, and professional achievements.
Books
Published Titles:
- Effective MySQL: Replication Techniques in Depth
- Effective MySQL: Backup and Recovery
- Effective MySQL: Optimizing SQL Statements
- Expert PHP and MySQL
Presentations
Recent Highlights:
- 180+ presentations across 22 countries
- 2025: MySQL BR Conference, São Paulo
- 2025: MySQL Heatwave Summit, San Francisco
- Expertise in MySQL, AWS, and Cloud Computing
Awards & Recognition
Awards:
- MySQL Rockstars Hall of Fame - Legend - 2025
- Oracle MySQL ACE Director - 2010 - 2018
- MySQL Community Contributor of the Year - 2013
- MySQL Community Member of the Year - 2009
- All-time top blogger at Planet MySQL - 2011
Certifications:
- AWS Certified Database Specialty
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect
- Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.6
Recent Blog Posts
Improving your MySQL Security Posture Presentation
At the MySQL BR Conference 2025 I had the opportunity to speak about Improving Your MySQL Security Posture. You can find a copy of my slides on my Presentations , and a Portugese (Brazil) translation.
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MySQL and Heatwave Summit Presentation
Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the MySQL and Heatwave Summit in San Francisco. I discussed the impact of the new MySQL 8.0 default caching_sha2_password authentication, replacing the mysql_native_password authentication that was the default for approximately 20 of the 30 years that MySQL has existed.
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Readyset QueryPilot Announcement
At the MySQL and Heatwave Summit 2025 today, Readyset announced a new data systems architecture pattern named Readyset QueryPilot . This architecture which can front a MySQL or PostgreSQL database infrastructure, combines the enterprise-grade ProxySQL and Readyset caching with intelligent query monitoring and routing to help support applications scale and produce more predictable results with varied workloads.
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