About me
I'm Julian Calleja — Head of Data Platform at Elantil, based in Malta. I build the real-time data platforms iGaming operators run on, and I care as much about the decisions the data drives as the pipelines underneath it.
Now: Elantil
I lead Elantil's data platform — a ground-up lakehouse rebuild on Apache Iceberg, with Kafka streaming into AWS Glue, Athena for querying, and dbt handling the Bronze/Silver/Gold transformation layers. Open table formats, event-driven, built to outlast any single vendor.
The technical work is only half the story. The rebuild shifted how the company makes decisions - from gut-feel to evidence - and I've presented the platform directly to C-level and key clients. That's the part I optimise for: data that changes what the business does, not dashboards nobody opens.
Before: GiG (2019–2024)
I spent five years at Gaming Innovation Group, progressing from Data Engineer in Test to Senior Data Engineer during the early days of GiG Data, their real-time data product. Two highlights:
The data migration framework - I led it from requirements to delivery. It let GiG onboard large, established operators, moving 20,000+ customer records (balances, consents, profiles) in under 30 minutes, and was referenced in GiG's Q1 2024 earnings call as a new revenue opportunity.
Broker CRM - a real-time pipeline I initiated and built, delivering live player events to platforms like Symplify. It scaled from zero to 300k events per hour across 10+ operator clients.
In between GiG and Elantil, a stint as Data Architect at SpinCity Solutions: I took a BI team from zero historical access to querying a 6+ TB dataset in under 20 minutes.
On the side
I ran experimental iGaming affiliate projects — crypto gambling, competitive intelligence, player acquisition — which means I see the market from the operator's side, not just the platform's. It's a perspective most data engineers don't have, and it shapes how I connect infrastructure to commercial outcomes.
Outside of work
I lead the Rabat Scout Group in Malta — planning, coordination, and mentoring young people. It's a different kind of leadership: patience, communication, and building something that lasts beyond any one project. Beyond that: reading, hiking, camping.
Common questions
Do you only work in iGaming? Primarily, yes. Seven years focused on casino, sports betting, lottery, and crypto gambling means I understand the domain, the data, and the regulatory landscape in ways a generalist doesn't. The systems themselves — real-time pipelines, event-driven architectures, lakehouse platforms — transfer anywhere.
What's your current stack? Kafka for streaming, AWS Glue for ingestion, Apache Iceberg tables, Athena (Trino) for querying, and dbt for Bronze/Silver/Gold transformations. Java where it counts. Open formats first — the data outlives the tooling.
Are you open to freelance or consulting work? I'm open to conversations, short engagements or longer-term. Start with a LinkedIn message or an email.
What makes your approach different? I don't just build pipelines. I think about who uses the data, what decisions it drives, and how it connects to product and commercial outcomes. Building infrastructure professionally while operating in the market independently is what shapes that thinking.