My Story
My story isn't just about code and systems - it's about people.
The Early Years: Building for Purpose
My journey began by starting a simple freelance web development business, creating websites for charities and small organisations. Those early projects allowed me to leverage a lesson from my technical theatre degree: the best technology is invisible - it just works, allowing people to focus on what they do best.
Working with limited budgets forced me to be creative and efficient, but it also showed me how technology could amplify the impact of people doing important work.
Growing Through Challenge
At Alfresco, I learned that technical problems are rarely just technical. Leading UI development across multiple teams, I discovered that the hardest challenges were often about communication, trust, and helping people navigate change.
I also learned the value of open source - not just as a development model, but as a way of thinking about transparency and collaboration. Moving our codebase to GitHub and championing open development practices taught me that the best solutions emerge when smart people can see, understand, and contribute to the work.
AI and Human Connection
As Director of Engineering at Exari, I led the development of AI/ML models that became a key factor in our strategic acquisition by Coupa. But the real success was in keeping a global team together during uncertainty, proving that technology succeeds when people feel valued and heard.
Managing a team of 20 engineers across 4 offices during an acquisition taught me that change is hard, but it's also an opportunity. By focusing on empowerment and ownership rather than control, we not only delivered groundbreaking AI capabilities but actually grew stronger as a team. Trust, it turns out, is the best technology stack.
Scaling with Heart
At Shopify, I've had the privilege of leading teams that helped the platform cross $100 billion in offline GMV. We've scaled POS systems from 20 to over 1,000 store locations per merchant.
Being one of the first companies to deploy GitHub Copilot at scale taught me that the future isn't about replacing humans with AI - it's about augmenting human creativity and capability. When engineers can focus on solving interesting problems instead of writing boilerplate code, everyone wins: the team, the product, and ultimately the merchants we serve.
Service Beyond Code
For over 15 years, I volunteered with Search and Rescue, using data analysis and technology to find missing people. Whether it's innovating with fitness app data or leading technical rescue teams, this work reminds me why technology matters: it's about helping people when they need it most.
Being honoured with medals from both Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III for this service means the world to me, and it proves that the combination of technical skills and human compassion can literally save lives.
What Drives Me
Adventure racing has taught me that endurance isn't about never stopping - it's about knowing when to push and when to rest, when to lead and when to support your teammates. Software development is an endurance sport too.
When you're navigating unknown terrain with people depending on you, you learn what really matters: clear communication, mutual support, and a commitment to bringing everyone home safely. This applies in the board room as much as it does the mountains.
