I bring 40 years of experience in software engineering, IT, and AI enterprise application deployment and training to this workshop.
I’ve always been curious about how things work. This curiosity has helped me solve what others often regard as impossible problems. It has also supported my education and allowed me to pivot into different career directions.
I wasn’t particularly good at most subjects in school, even managing to get an ungraded score in English (my only language!). However, when the first home computer was released in 1982, it changed everything for me. My school had a single Commodore PET and some newer BBC Micros. I convinced my parents to buy a Commodore 64, and though we didn’t have much money, they got one on a hire purchase scheme. I still remember the store where we bought it 42 years later. The only “A” I received at school was in computer studies, thanks to coding on that home computer.
Fun Fact: The computer was bought for both my sister and me. I used to trade and barter with her for more time to code.
After school, I trained as a radio officer for four years before moving into telecommunications, starting as a support engineer. Over 15 years, I progressed to principal engineer, the go-to person for resolving complex problems and providing technical training.
I then shifted to working for a cloud service provider in London, quickly learning about IP networks. Starting in support, I eventually took on an architectural role, where I introduced new technology that helped land a big client. This involved delivering three separate services over a single physical connection. Despite challenges from the CTO, I worked with the product team and project managed the solution alongside my day job. The project was a success, resulting in more orders.
Later, I moved to Perth, Australia, and worked as an architect for an ICT service provider, eventually becoming an enterprise architect. After several roles in various ICT service providers, I transitioned to a large mining company as IT and Communications Manager, before being promoted to Chief Information Officer and then changing roles to create a new AI department.
Key Qualifications
- Knowledgeable in software engineering and AI technologies.
- Experienced in developing AI-powered business solutions.
- Skilled educator, focused on making AI accessible to non-technical professionals and the public.
My approach combines technical expertise with real-world business insights, ensuring participants gain practical, immediately applicable AI skills.
