About Me
Solutions Architect and Technical Lead with 15+ years designing resilient enterprise systems. I’m also an IAPP Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP), specialising in building privacy-aware architectures from the ground up.
Background
My engineering foundation wasn't built in a server room; it began on the flightline. Serving as an Armourer in the Royal Air Force, my daily operational baseline involved zero-margin-for-error systems—from armaments to assisted escape mechanisms. Handling ordnance and maintaining fast jets teaches you a fundamental truth about engineering: complex systems fail at their integration points, and security can never be an afterthought. That environment instilled a pragmatic, fault-tolerant approach to architecture that I still apply to software design today.
Over the past 15 years I've applied those same principles to software and infrastructure, helping organisations solve complex technical and operational challenges while modernising the systems they depend on. During my tenure on the Senior Management Team at Higgidy, I directed the IT strategy through a period of rapid scaling where company turnover tripled. This included managing six-figure departmental budgets, executing ground-up infrastructure overhauls, and leading complex, zero-downtime migrations of legacy ERP systems.
Today, as a Lead Architect, I design highly scalable B2B2C platforms and distributed ecosystems. I’m also a Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) with the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and my background makes me eligible for UK SC clearance. This allows me to ensure strict data governance and regulatory compliance are baked into the architectural foundation of every product I build.
Architectural Principles
Privacy as Architecture
Security shouldn't be bolted on at the end of a sprint. As an IAPP FIP and Corporate Privacy Manager, I integrate data mapping, secure transactional models, and DSAR compliance directly into the database schema and API layer.
Anticipating Failure
Hardware dies and networks drop. I architect for extreme fault tolerance, using containerised services, serverless failover paths, and careful state management to ensure mission-critical operations survive infrastructure hiccups.
Pragmatic Modernization
I bridge the gap between legacy enterprise systems and modern cloud environments. Whether optimizing T-SQL queries for legacy software or deploying Next.js serverless edge functions, I choose the right tool for the business constraint.
Commercial Alignment
Engineering only matters if it solves real business problems. Having managed IT departments and six-figure budgets, I ensure technical roadmaps directly support operational efficiency, stakeholder requirements, and bottom-line ROI.
Credentials
Privacy & Security
Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP)International Association of Privacy ProfessionalsRecognized for comprehensive knowledge of privacy law, data protection frameworks, and corporate compliance practices.
CIPP/ECertified Information Privacy Professional/Europe
CIPMCertified Information Privacy Manager
CIPTCertified Information Privacy Technologist
Engineering Foundations
BTEC Level 3 DiplomaAeronautical Engineering (Double Merit)- BTEC Level 3 DiplomaGeneral Engineering (Merit)
- NVQ Level 3Aeronautical Engineering (Aircraft Mechanical)
Ready to scale your technical operations?
If you're planning a complex platform or infrastructure shift, let's talk.