Now

Building

• This website. What started as an idea to tidy things up has turned into a much bigger project. I'm gradually bringing together my work, interests, writing and projects in one place, while learning more about the web development side of things along the way.
• Writing more. I've wanted to write more for a long time, particularly about technology, software development and things I've learned along the way. This site is partly an excuse to finally do it.
• Personal projects. I enjoy building things simply because I'm curious about how they work. Some projects are useful, some are experiments, and some start as a good idea and evolve into something considerably more complicated.

At work

I'm a Software Engineer at IBM, working on software development and test automation within the CICS and Liberty areas.

A significant part of my work involves developing automated tests and the frameworks and tooling behind them. I'm particularly interested in making testing more reliable, repeatable and useful: not just writing tests, but improving the systems around them so that failures can be understood and fixed quickly.

I'm also involved in areas including Java, MicroProfile, OpenTelemetry and Galasa, and I enjoy the combination of software engineering, problem-solving and working with people across different teams and locations.

Learning

• Always learning. One of the things I enjoy most about working in technology is that there is always something new to understand. I've never been particularly good at being satisfied with simply knowing how to use something — I want to understand how and why it works.
• Web development. Building this site has given me an excuse to explore parts of modern web development that aren't necessarily part of my day-to-day work.
• AI and developer tooling. I'm interested in where AI genuinely helps software development, rather than simply where it makes for an impressive demo. I'm using it more and more as a tool, while still being very aware that it can confidently make things up — as this website has occasionally demonstrated!
• Technology in general. My background is in electronic engineering, but I've always had a broad interest in technology, computers and how things work.

Outside of work

• Football. I'm a lifelong football fan and follow Southampton. I'm also getting back into playing, including 11-a-side veterans' football. I play in midfield, although these days I'm more interested in finding the right pass than covering the entire pitch!
• The gym. I train regularly and enjoy the combination of weight training and spin classes. It's a good way to switch off from work, and I like having something completely different from sitting at a computer all day.
• Aviation. I've had a fascination with aviation for as long as I can remember. I enjoy everything from the engineering and history of aircraft to visiting aviation museums and air shows.
• Travel and history. I like travelling for the history, culture and places themselves rather than simply sitting by a pool. Some of my favourite trips have involved seeing things I'd previously only read about.
• Films and science fiction. I'm a big fan of science fiction, particularly films such as the Alien series and The Martian. I'm always happy to revisit a good film rather than assume everything needs to be new.
• Family and friends. Outside technology, a lot of my time is simply spent with the people who matter to me, whether that's family, friends, football or finding an excuse to get out and do something different.