About

I am a Software Development Manager specializing in the deployment of large-scale web applications, utilizing Agile and Lean principles to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget. With dual UK/US citizenship and over a decade of experience in the tech industry, I offer a global perspective and a proven track record of leading teams to success.

My focus is on optimizing processes and fostering environments that support innovation and exceed project expectations.

Where I've Worked

Vanguard

Application Engineering Chapter Lead (December 2020 - Present)

As a leader of an engineering team at Personal Investor Technology, I manage the development and maintenance of electronic trading systems tailored for retail clients.

My role centers on leveraging advanced technologies like Node, AWS, and Angular to boost trading efficiency and resilience, thereby enhancing client satisfaction.

Additionally, I handle the recruitment of new talent, conduct performance evaluations, and oversee organizational changes, ensuring our team remains agile and responsive to the rapidly evolving market demands.

Ally Financial

Manager, Real Time Data Intelligence • (December 2019 - December 2020)

I lead a dynamic team of software developers and operations specialists at Ally Invest, focused on maximizing application performance and ensuring reliability in the fast-paced financial market. Leveraging real-time operational data and monitoring tools, our team drives automation, proactive and reactive issue resolution, and scalability both in AWS and on-premises environments.

Development Manager, Invest Sustain & Site Reliability • (October 2018 - December 2019)

I led a team specializing in site reliability, disaster recovery, and capacity planning, with a strong focus on monitoring systems to prevent unplanned work among development teams. My role involved managing multiple direct reports, including a full stack team of Angular and Java developers, as well as operations and support personnel.

Senior Application Developer • (May - October 2018)

I was involved in developing and enhancing account application and money transfer systems, including ACH and check processes. My technical role encompassed planning, architecture, and implementation, utilizing Node, RabbitMQ, Angular, .NET Framework, and .NET Core to deliver robust solutions that improve transactional efficiency and user experience.

Global Payments (Xenial)

Senior Software Engineer • (February - May 2018)

I was promoted to the role of Senior Software Engineer, with a primary focus on AWS cloud architecture and design. In this capacity, I engaged in discussions, architected, and led the implementation of complex systems tailored for the restaurant industry.

Web Developer • (March 2017 - February 2018)

As a Full Stack Web Developer, I specialize in using Angular 1 and 2 for front-end development, complemented by Node.js and AWS for back-end solutions. I lead a team that leverages AWS components, including Kinesis, SNS, and Lambda, to construct data pipelines and warehousing solutions.

Sky Betting & Gaming

Lead Software Engineer • (June - November 2016)

In my management role at Sky Betting & Gaming, I oversaw multiple direct reports and was pivotal in implementing payment technologies across the company's entire portfolio.

I led the design and implementation of Apple Pay, positioning the company as an industry leader by being the first to market with this technology, which resulted in substantial customer adoption and significant media attention. Additionally, I successfully identified and remedied single points of failure within our systems, greatly enhancing their resiliency and uptime.

Software Engineer • (2015 - 2016)

As a Software Engineer on the Account Payments team, I specialized in leveraging PHP, Node.js, and SQL to develop robust payment solutions capable of handling significant traffic fluctuations during sporting events. My role focused on creating scalable and resilient systems that maintained high performance and reliability under varying loads, enhancing user experience and supporting critical business operations during peak times.

Prototype Creative

Web Developer • (2012 - 2015)

In my role as a web developer, I collaborated with a team of designers and developers to create and maintain various types of websites, including those featuring content management systems, e-commerce functionalities, and bespoke e-learning platforms. My expertise helped ensure that these websites were not only visually appealing but also functionally robust, catering to the specific needs of our clients and enhancing user engagement.

Things That I've Built

I try to contribute back to the open source community. Here are some things that I have done:

• Home Assistant Integration for Starling Hub (Python)
• Pentair Home Addon for Home Asistant (Go)
• Traefik to Unifi Container (Docker / Python)
• Pool Controller (Node.js)
• Find more on my GitHub

My Published Articles & Presentations

• Increasing Login Capacity by Using Node.js

  This is an article that I wrote for the Sky Betting & Gaming Engineering Blog explaining how we went about transitioning key parts of our stack to Node.js to benefit from the asynchronous nature that it brings.

• Powering Payments with Node.js

  This was a presentation I delivered at a Sky Betting & Gaming tech talk about how we powered our payments stack.