I want to help companies be better by getting the most value from the effective combination of technology, people and practices.

Since 2004 I have worked for rapidly growing, technology led companies, that have disrupted the markets they joined. As a senior leader in the technology teams I’ve supported this growth by creating and maturing teams in various disciplines (including infrastructure, security, business continuity, development and business intelligence), and overseen strategic partners, with the aim of making all these parts key contributors in achieving strategic goals. The principals I try to follow to achieve this are:

• Focusing on the problem that needs to be solved
• Amplify the existing good practices
• Seek to demonstrate benefits of solutions as early as possible

Within the teams I lead, I try to build capabilities that allow robust, sustainable practices to be formed. Different approaches can be required in different contexts, but the core capabilities I try to develop are:

• Considering both needs and constraints when creating new technical solutions, finding a way to balance these competing demands
• Clearly articulating the intent behind any tasks to enable quicker decision making
• Ensuring standards and controls are sustained through any changes, taking a risk based approach
• Develop leaders at all levels

Outside of day to day work, I firmly believe in the value that comes from being connected to a wider community of practice. I’ve been a co-organiser of Lean Agile Edinburgh since August 2017. I also regularly attend other community events in various disciplines around Edinburgh and Glasgow. As someone with a broad range of interests, I’m always interested to see how practices from one group transfer to another and enjoy the chance to connect and share experiences with others. I also enjoyed being invited to sit on the oversight board for the creation of CodeClan by ScotlandIS, and have been delighted at how it has grown since then.

Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about improving resiliency of organisations, beyond simple business continuity planning, and how it can be something that can adds real value to everyday activities, instead of just being a document which is updated twice a year. I gave a talk at Lean Agile Edinburgh in January 2017 on some of what I’ve learned so far.