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Top 20 Appexchange Consultants Available

fun facts software developers - Top 20 Appexchange Consultants Available

From technical architects and open-source pioneers to award-winning evangelists and startup founders, this global list of the top Salesforce AppExchange consultants showcases the brightest minds shaping the future of the SF ecosystem.

These individuals are expert coders, trusted advisors, and community leaders who give back through blogs, tools, mentorship, and innovation, representing the best of the Salesforce community.

  1. David Liu
  2. Andy Fawcett
  3. Abhinav Gupta
  4. Mohith Shrivastava
  5. Philippe Ozil
  6. Dan Appleman
  7. Jitendra Zaa
  8. Daniel Ballinger
  9. Ben McCarthy
  10. Scott Wells
  11. Keir Bowden
  12. Anup Jadhav
  13. Paul Battisson
  14. Melissa Shepard
  15. Gemma Blezard
  16. Kevin Poorman
  17. Pat Patterson
  18. Gaurav Kheterpal
  19. Adam Olshansky
  20. Matt Lacey

Now, let’s delve deeper into their qualifications and achievements.

David Liu

david liu - Top 20 Appexchange Consultants Available

Photo: sfdc99.com

A Google and Salesforce alumnus best known as the creator of SFDC99.com, the legendary blog that has taught thousands how to code on Salesforce​.

A Salesforce MVP Hall of Famer and 3-time Dreamforce keynote speaker, David achieved his “dream job” as a SF developer at Google​ – exemplifying how admins can transform into developers.

Now a Director of Product Management at Salesforce (Trailhead), he continues to inspire the community through speaking and writing. David’s journey from teaching himself Apex to becoming a Salesforce celebrity highlights his passion for sharing knowledge and empowering new developers.

Andy Fawcett

As good as the platform is at abstracting a huge amount of the complexity of managing and securing modern day applications for you, there is no escaping having to fully understand good architecture principles that would, and do, in most cases apply elsewhere, such as query optimization and indexing

The former CTO at FinancialForce and a Salesforce MVP Hall of Famer who literally wrote the book on Salesforce enterprise architecture​.

He’s a pioneer of Salesforce open-source solutions – notably creating the widely used Apex Commons library while at FinancialForce​ – and has led innovative product development for over two decades. Now a Product Management executive at Salesforce, Andy remains a hands-on architect who bridges startup agility with enterprise-scale coding.

His thought leadership (through his Andy in the Cloud blog and book Salesforce Platform Enterprise Architecture) and his open-source contributions have set coding standards followed by Salesforce developers worldwide.

Abhinav Gupta

A veteran architect and was the first Salesforce MVP from India​. An 8x MVP, he co-authored the book Force.com Tips & Tricks and has made notable open-source contributions in the Salesforce ecosystem​.

Abhinav has been delivering enterprise Salesforce solutions since 2004 and is a frequent speaker at international Salesforce events​. In recent years, he has bridged into Web3 technologies while continuing to lead global SF projects, demonstrating a rare blend of cloud CRM expertise and cutting-edge tech savvy. His long tenure and community contributions have cemented his status as a Salesforce thought leader in Asia.

Mohith Shrivastava

Mohith Shrivastava - Top 20 Appexchange Consultants Available

Photo: TDX

A Principal Developer Advocate at Salesforce and a prolific engineer who helps shape the platform for developers​.

With 13+ years of hands-on Salesforce experience, Mohith is known for bridging product development and community needs – often by building code samples, prototypes and open-source projects that empower others​. He has contributed to popular developer tools (like CLI plugins and Apex testing utilities) and regularly shares insights via blogs and webinars.

Formerly a Salesforce MVP, Mohith has won multiple hackathons and now inspires tens of thousands of developers through advocacy, showing how curiosity and consistent innovation can elevate a SF dev to the next level​

Philippe Ozil

A Principal Developer Advocate at Salesforce known for combining full-stack coding skills with a knack for education​.

Before Salesforce, he was a Technical Evangelist at an open-source BPM company, which honed his passion for open technologies and community engagement​. Philippe has built numerous sample apps (from IoT demos to VR games on LWC) to inspire developers, and he writes extensively on the SF Developers Blog.

Based in France, he co-leads the Paris Salesforce Developer Group and regularly appears in webinars and events to share best practices. Whether it’s digging into Lightning Web Components or integrating Salesforce with Postman, Philippe’s content is a goldmine for developers – one reason he was recognized as a Salesforce MVP before joining Salesforce’s staff.

Dan Appleman

A legendary figure in the SF world – a developer’s developer who authored Advanced Apex Programming, the first deep-dive book for Apex coders​.

With a software career spanning back to the PC revolution, Dan brought his expertise to Salesforce as CTO of Full Circle Insights, where he architected major AppExchange packages and mentored teams. A Salesforce MVP and Force.com MVP in the early 2010s, he was recognized for generously sharing knowledge, including creating Pluralsight courses on Apex and Visualforce​.

Dan’s influence extends beyond Salesforce (he’s known in .NET circles too), but within the ecosystem he’s revered for instilling coding best practices and pushing the platform’s limits. Now semi-retired from coding, he continues to speak, write, and challenge developers to think critically – especially about proper testing and design patterns.

Jitendra Zaa

Jitendra Zaa - Top 20 Appexchange Consultants Available

Photo: Elements cloud

A Salesforce Certified Technical Architect and an MVP Hall of Famer (2014–2022) renowned for his deep-dive technical content​.

With over a decade of experience, he has been a in the community, sharing advanced tutorials on his blog and answering 1,200+ questions on developer forums​. Jitendra has a knack for demystifying complex concepts – like design patterns (his “Gang of Four” blog series) and security – making him a go-to mentor for aspiring architects​.

He currently leads architecture teams at a global firm, solving difficult problems with innovative solutions. Jitendra’s exceptional leadership and community contributions exemplify the elite tier of SF architects.

Daniel Ballinger

The Director of Apex Product Management at Salesforce, responsible for shaping the Apex language used by millions​.

Hailing from New Zealand, Daniel built a reputation through his blog FishOfPrey.com, where he dissected Salesforce’s internals (like obscure object key prefixes) and contributed tools for the developer community. Prior to joining Salesforce, he spent years as a consultant and ISV engineer, even developing open-source utilities for metadata and security.

Now an Apex PM, and a former Salesforce MVP, Daniel ensures that the platform’s core language evolves with developer needs. His unique journey – from answering forum questions to literally steering Apex’s future – makes him one of the most technically impactful ex-consultants in the ecosystem.

Ben McCarthy

Ben is the founder of SalesforceBen.com, the largest community-driven Salesforce blog and media site in the world​.

An entrepreneur at heart, Ben started SalesforceBen in 2014 to share tips as a young consultant in London, and grew it into a powerhouse platform with hundreds of contributors and thousands of articles. He also co-founded the consultancy EMPAUA in his early career​, gaining practical experience which he channels into content for admins and devs alike.

Ben is a Salesforce MVP Hall of Famer and uses his influence to highlight voices across the ecosystem, from new app founders to community leaders. His site has become a go-to hub for release news, tutorials, and career advice. By coupling blogging with business acumen, Ben has created an enduring resource that upskills professionals globally.

Scott Wells

The developer behind MavensMate and Illuminated Cloud, tools that transformed how Salesforce developers write code.

An accomplished software architect with 20+ years experience​, Scott was frustrated with the old Eclipse-based IDE and pioneered MavensMate (an open-source Salesforce IDE for Sublime Text) in the early 2010s – an effort that empowered thousands of devs to move beyond Salesforce’s default tools. He then founded Rose Silver Software and created Illuminated Cloud, a robust Salesforce plugin for JetBrains IDEs, which he updates relentlessly​.

Scott’s one-man ISV journey – coding, supporting, and improving a professional-grade dev tool – is legendary (as the saying goes, we wonder when he even sleeps​!). A former Force.com MVP, he exemplifies how an individual’s open-source contribution can elevate the whole developer experience on the platform.

Keir Bowden

Keir Bowden - Top 20 Appexchange Consultants Available

Photo: Digital Revolution Awards

A 10x Salesforce MVP (Hall of Fame) and a SF Certified Technical Architect​.

As CTO at BrightGen (now Salesforce practice lead at Credera), Keir has over 35 years in IT and spearheaded countless Salesforce implementations. He authored the Visualforce Development Cookbook and regularly blogs technical tips on the “Bob Buzzard” blog, reflecting his constant pushing of Salesforce’s limits​.

Keir is also a familiar speaker at Dreamforce and community events worldwide. From building one of the first UK Salesforce consultancies to mentoring new speakers through Speaker Academy​, Keir’s influence runs deep. He combines enterprise rigor with a hacker’s curiosity – a true “architect’s architect” in the ecosystem.

Anup Jadhav

A long-time Salesforce Developer MVP, Anup co-founded the London Salesforce Developers User Group and has been instrumental in mentoring the community there​. He’s particularly passionate about CI/CD and source control on Salesforce – topics he’s spoken about on podcasts and blog posts. Anup has helped large enterprises implement robust release management (he contributed to the early discussions on tools like Git and Jenkins for Salesforce).

He also shares interesting side projects on his GitHub, ranging from Salesforce DX utilities to visual cheat sheets. As a technical architect at a major consultancy, Anup still codes and remains approachable on Twitter, where he often advises on overcoming org limitations. His governance-focused mindset helps countless teams deliver quality Salesforce apps faster.

Paul Battisson

A multi-talented Salesforce expert from the UK – a 7x Salesforce MVP Hall of Famer, published author, and tech executive​.

He started his career as an Apex developer at FinancialForce and rose to become COO of a consultancy (Cloud Galacticos) by his early 30s​. Paul has written several books, including Learning Salesforce Development with Apex and Mastering Apex Programming, distilling advanced concepts for the masses​. He’s also known for his community contributions: running the Manchester SF Developer Group and co-hosting the Salesforce Posse podcast.

In 2023, Paul joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a Principal Architect, bringing Salesforce know-how into the larger cloud world. Despite an executive trajectory, he still loves to code and frequently shares tips on blending Salesforce with emerging tech. Paul’s journey shows how far curiosity and constant learning can take a developer – from Apex code to the C-suite.

Melissa Shepard

Melissa Shepard - Top 20 Appexchange Consultants Available

Photo: Cairo Dreamin

A 38x certified Salesforce CTA (Certified Technical Architect) and one of the few female architects leading a Salesforce consultancy​.

As the founder & CEO of ScaleUp Archs, she coaches underrepresented groups towards architecture careers​. Melissa brings 20+ years of IT experience, including building solutions across Sales, Service, and Marketing Cloud for Fortune 500 clients. She’s a recognized MuleSoft Ambassador and Well-Architected champion as well​, reflecting her breadth beyond core Salesforce.

Melissa is also the creator of Architect Ohana Slack, a community hub where thousands of aspiring CTAs learn and share​. Despite her numerous accolades, Melissa still “gets her hands dirty” with code and integrations. Her dedication to mentorship (especially for women in tech) and her technical excellence make her a global role model among Salesforce consultants.

Gemma Blezard

A trailblazing architect and entrepreneur in the SF ecosystem.

A 2x Salesforce MVP and 16x certified CTA​, Gemma founded Ladies Be Architects in 2017 to empower women pursuing the CTA path​. She also launched The Architech Club, a UK-based Salesforce consulting firm where she was CEO​. Gemma’s impact on the community was immense – she openly documented her own CTA journey, survived cancer while building her career, and inspired countless others with her resilience and generosity​.

Under her leadership, Ladies Be Architects became a global movement for diversity in tech architecture. Gemma sadly passed away in 2023, but her legacy lives on through the community initiatives she started and the many architects (male and female alike) who credit her for guiding them. She exemplified vision, empathy, and technical brilliance, truly a “powerhouse” in the Salesforce world​

Kevin Poorman

A Senior Developer Evangelist at Salesforce (formerly Technical Architect at an SI) who is widely known for his work in Salesforce testing and automation.

A former Force.com MVP, Kevin authored Mastering Application Development with Force.com and has taught Apex best practices to thousands of developers​. He created the “Apex Testing” series and frequently live-codes on Salesforce’s official CodeLive streams, demonstrating advanced topics like Lightning Web Components, Streaming APIs, and lately, Salesforce + AI integrations.

Kevin’s blog (once known as codefriar.com) and his witty Twitter persona have made him a beloved figure for making complex dev topics fun. He’s also the inventor of Apex Kit, an open-source framework of reusable code, showing his commitment to coding productivity​. Whether on stage at TrailheaDX or on YouTube answering live questions, Kevin excels at breaking down technical barriers for developers.

Pat Patterson

A veteran evangelist known as “Metadaddy,” who helped put Salesforce on the map for developers in its early days.

As a Principal Developer Evangelist at Salesforce starting in 2010, Pat specialized in identity, integration, and security – he literally wrote the book on SAML-based SSO for Salesforce and often drew the history of identity on a whiteboard for audiences​. Prior to this, Pat was a Sun Microsystems evangelist, and he carried that open standards ethos into the Salesforce world.

He contributed to projects like the SF OAuth 2.0 implementation and created popular demos (e.g., a Salesforce-to-Google integration toolkit). After Salesforce, Pat led developer evangelism at StreamSets and Citrix, and today he’s the Chief Technical Evangelist at Backblaze​. With over 30 years in the industry, Pat is the consummate community champion who connects platforms and people – and he still experiments with APIs for fun, sharing his findings on his “Superpatterns” blog.

Gaurav Kheterpal

Gaurav Kheterpal - Top 20 Appexchange Consultants Available

Photo: salesforcerepublic.co

A multi-cloud expert and CEO of Vanshiv Technologies who stands out as a Salesforce MVP Hall of Famer and a serial hackathon champion.

He has an astonishing 45 Salesforce certifications to his name​ and has won multiple global coding competitions – from Salesforce’s $1M Hackathon to Dreamforce mini-hacks​. Gaurav is a frequent speaker at community events and leads the Jaipur Salesforce Developer Group​.

He’s also a certified instructor and Mulesoft Ambassador, reflecting his breadth across tech stacks​. Whether developing mobile SF apps or architecting large enterprises, Gaurav still actively codes, and his passion for continuous learning and teaching has inspired developers across India and beyond.

Adam Olshansky

He holds 17 Salesforce certifications​ and has been an MVP for many years due to his prolific blogging and community mentorship. Adam is known for his approachable teaching style – he’s authored popular Pluralsight courses and spoken at countless events to help others learn Salesforce development​.

Starting as a self-taught admin in 2014, Adam achieved his dream of working at Google on Salesforce projects. Despite his young age, he remains extremely passionate about giving back, exemplifying humility and helpfulness. Adam’s influence through user groups, articles, and answers has made him one of the most beloved Salesforce influencers in the world.

Matt Lacey

The co-founder and VP of Technical Innovation at Proximity Insight, an ISV building retail solutions on Salesforce – and he’s widely regarded as one of the most inventive developers in the ecosystem​.

A Salesforce MVP Hall of Famer, Matt is the “tech brains” behind his company’s mobile clienteling app, for which he’s written tons of code to push Salesforce to new frontiers. His background spans game development to enterprise cloud, which means he brings serious dev chops and an appreciation for user experience to every project​.

Matt also moderates on Salesforce StackExchange (where he’s a top user) and often shares tongue-in-cheek “developer life” snippets on Twitter. He speaks at events like London’s Calling, usually on advanced developer topics or lessons learned scaling an AppExchange product. Matt’s combination of hardcore coding skill, entrepreneurial drive, and community humor make him a truly unique consultant-turned-product guru.

Wrap Up

These legends represent exceptional talent, making them extremely challenging to headhunt. However, there are thousands of other highly skilled IT professionals available to hire with our help. Contact us, and we will be happy to discuss your hiring needs.

Note: We’ve dedicated significant time and effort to creating and verifying this curated list of top talent. If you intend to share or make use of it in any way, we kindly ask that you include a backlink to the original source – EchoGlobal.

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