Career Journey
From Pioneering Programmer to AI Consultant
A lifetime of innovation and continuous learning across technology landscapes
Current Role - Enterprise AI Consultant
2025 - Present
Founded AIBizzApps Limited after 23 years as CTO at Phoenix Software Ltd. Focusing on AI strategy and rapid prototype development for enterprise clients with 37+ years of IT experience.
Continuing Partnership: Retainer positions with both Bytes Group and Phoenix Software Ltd, contributing AI expertise across the Bytes PLC Group.
Phoenix Software Ltd - Growth & Leadership
2002 - 2025 (23 Years)
Joined as employee #40, helped grow company to approaching £1 billion revenue with 500+ employees. Career progression: Technical Lead → Principal Consultant → IT Services Manager → CTO → Board Director.
Phoenix - Team Leadership
Building High-Performance Teams
Built and led 160+ IT professionals across Microsoft and VMware technologies. Management philosophy: "Hire exceptional people, trust them completely, and give them autonomy to excel."
Became known as the "secret weapon" in business development through deep technical knowledge and business acumen.
Phoenix - Infrastructure Excellence
Enterprise Projects & Innovation
Worked with HSBC, Atomic Energy Authority, Barclays. Pioneered FusionIO NVME cards in servers (2010). Designed large-scale End User Computing with disaster recovery solutions. Received awards from VMware and Microsoft.
Built 24x7 Managed Services, Professional Services, Security (SOC/GRC), Cloud, and AI/Power Platform teams.
Phoenix - Security Innovation
AzGuardian Invention
Invented proactive Azure security solution delivered as managed service. Features prevention, slowdown, and stop approach protecting against cryptomining, insider attacks, and privilege escalation.
Phoenix - AI Transformation
Mid-2023 - 2025
Beginning mid-2023, became deeply absorbed in AI/machine learning, building real-world applications and championing AI adoption. This intensive 2-year period laid foundation for AIBizzApps consulting practice.
HSBC Bank & Merrill Lynch
2000 - 2002 (2.5 Years)
Senior Project Manager/Technical Specialist at HSBC Global Datacentre (Sheffield/London). Managed datacentre with thousands of hosts, petabytes of data. Responsible for integration, security, mainframe connectivity, disaster recovery, and automated application release processes.
Comet Group PLC
1996 - 2000
IT Manager/Senior Project Manager. Rebuilt infrastructure for North of England operations. Implemented Microsoft NT Domains and Exchange Server for 2,500 users. Designed call center IT systems.
Hoskyns/Cap Gemini PLC
1993 - 1996
Senior Project Manager & Consultant. Designed first Internet connectivity across company/Europe for thousands of users. "Parachuted in to turn around large complex projects" for Atomic Energy Authority, Prudential, pharmaceutical, and retail sectors (Sainsburys, M&S).
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
1988 - 1993
IT Technical Specialist. Designed sewer flow computer simulations. Implemented first council End User IT systems, networks, and computers. Designed CAD Long Section Application sold to Sheffield City Council and Yorkshire Water.
Received Mayor's innovation award of £1,000
Currys Electrical & Delta Surveys
1986 - 1988
Currys: Top sales within 3 months; promoted to senior salesperson within 6 months.
Delta Surveys: Technical report writing, applying early computing skills to professional documentation.
Formative Years & Early Computing
1979 - 1986 (Age 9 - 16)
Self-taught programmer from age 9, pioneering work with early computing platforms. Age 9: Programming on Texas Instruments TI99/4a. Age 13: Selected for adult college O'Level Computing. Age 16: Built and sold thousands of audio digitizers for Amiga 500 worldwide.
Career Milestone - Steve Wozniak
A Defining Moment
Dinner with Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder and visionary technologist who offered employment. "A proud moment that validated the path chosen." A pivotal connection between early computing pioneers and modern enterprise technology.
