Who am I?
I am an engineering leader passionate about modernising software delivery and building high-autonomy teams.
While my background is in Quality Engineering, my focus today is on organisational health, creating the sustainable processes and culture that allow technology teams to move fast and learn, rather than break things. I don’t just look for bugs; I look for the systemic frictions that slow down development and erode culture.
Currently, I lead the Quality function at 15gifts, where my role sits at the intersection of technical strategy and people development.
My philosophy
I believe that great software is a byproduct of great teams. Over the last decade, I’ve learned that you cannot “test quality in” at the end. You have to build it into the DNA of the organisation. That means:
- People Growth: Mentoring engineers to build careers, not just features.
- Strategic Transformation: Moving from manual gatekeeping to automated, strategic engineering.
- Operational Excellence: Reducing lead times and cognitive load through better tooling and clearer processes.
My Journey
15gifts (Present) As Head of Quality and a member of the Extended Leadership Team, I am helping to shape the engineering culture of a rapidly scaling business. My work here focuses on bridging the gap between executive strategy and operational reality, empowering teams to own the full software lifecycle and driving the shift toward high-autonomy engineering and continuous delivery.
Nominet My time at Nominet was defined by culture building. I established a formal Mentoring Ecosystem to connect learners with subject matter experts and launched a Quality Community of Practice that broke down silos between teams. It was here that I learned the vital importance of engineering culture, realising that without community and connection, even the best technical strategies struggle to take root.
Zoopla (now Houseful) I spent nine years at Zoopla, growing from a Senior Quality Engineer writing C# frameworks to an Engineering Manager leading multi-disciplinary teams across Software, Data, Infrastructure, and Quality. This was where I cut my teeth on high-scale transformation, migrating legacy stacks to modern tools, implementing DORA metrics, and developing the “Zoopla Holistic Testing Model.” It was during this time that I solidified my belief that people grow best when they have a structured, supportive environment and the autonomy to solve hard problems.
Behind the keyboard
When I’m not thinking about organisational design or engineering strategies, I’m a 40-something-year-old retro-gaming enthusiast, car lover, and problem-solver based in Shropshire.
I live with my wife, our son, and our Dalmatian, all of whom think that I spend far too much time tinkering with old tech and driving things that make more noise than is reasonable.
Community & Mentoring
I started The Quality Duck to share the messy, real-world lessons of engineering leadership. I am passionate about mentoring people at all stages of their career and helping to craft the next generation of engineering leaders.
If you are interested in mentorship, want me to speak at your event, or just want to chat, feel free to get in touch.
