Facilities and Product Surveillance, 2014 - present

In parallel with my own small business and freelance activities below, I also work for pharmaceutical company Allergan in Marlow where I help run their Product Surveillance and Facilities functions.
Freelancer, blogger
Data visualisations, 2012 - present

An enthusiast for data analysis and data visualisation, I have published a number of online tools. Built variously using Microsoft Power BI, Google Public Data Explorer, Tableau Public, Python, Excel VBA, HTML, CSS, Javascript and D3 data visualisation library, a number are featured on my Publications Page.
Business Owner, 2009 - present

I run my own small business involving the production and marketing of photographic products, the output of my own work as freelance photographer and digital artist. I sell paper products such greeting cards and postcards in high street shops and digital images online through the Elvimage and other stock photography websites.
Webmaster, 2001 - present

I supply webmaster services to Hull based trekking company Nepal Trekking. I designed their website in 2001 and have been retained by them ever since to carry out periodic updates on a part time, home based arrangement using HTML, CSS, Javascript and Dreamweaver.
GUI Team Leader 1998 - 2001

I worked with this international technology company in Slough for three years. I headed up a GUI team responsible for development of the front end of a large syndicated lending system. The base system, which was developed in Linc for banks in London, Zurich and New York, had over 300 screens, and was designed to run on Unix with dumb terminals. My GUI team provided an optional Windows style user interface using Powerbuilder 6.5. PVCS was used for source management. On completion of the syndicated lending project, I joined Unisys’ International Banking Services section on a part time basis, again doing Powerbuilder front end work on their core banking products.
EDS Defence, Hants.
Consultant analyst/programmer 1996 - 1998

In 1996 I joined an EDS team bidding to win a contract to develop 'TAFMIS', a large training development and administration system for the Army Training and Recruitment Agency. The prototype system I helped develop using S-Designor and RAD techniques eventually won the bid for EDS and I was invited to stay with the project team to help develop the 'real' system. I spent my first few months post award in data analysis, and authored the first cut of the logical data model. Later I co-authored the functional specification for the first tranche of the system. The detail design was achieved through an iterative prototyping approach in collaboration with user representatives. Following design, I worked on construction, testing and implementation and had the satisfaction of seeing a large project all the way through from requirements capture to live running. My final task was the construction of a distribution mechanism based on SQL Server Replication for the transport of trainee details around the various Army training schools that used TAFMIS
Beckman International, Nyon, Switzerland
Consultant analyst/programmer 1994 - 1995

Beckman had an ageing Sales Order Entry system written in Cobol, with TurboImage databases, KSAM files, and Vplus screens. Their chosen migration path to a client server architecture involved a first step of changing the user interface only. I was recruited to replace the old Vplus screens with a Windows style Order Entry facility, but to still capture the data to the original Image databases. I used Powerbuilder 3.0a to develop the screens and used Reflection PPL (Process to Process Link) to interface Powerbuilder to TurboImage and KSAM. I was the sole designer / developer on this project, and saw the system through construction, testing and implementation. I also produced technical documentation and stayed on for user support. This project gave me 12 months intensive experience of Powerbuilder design and development
Baring Asset Management, City
Consultant analyst/programmer 1989 - 1994

I worked on many projects during my five years with this City firm, mainly in the area of investment management. Initially I was involved in the technical design for a dealing support system using Cobol and SQL. Later, I spent a few months developing PC based project management utilities in Excel and PMW. Finally, I was part of a team building a client server fund management MIS system with a Powerbuilder front end supported by an SQL relational database. Initially implemented with HP Allbase/SQL under MPEXL and Powerbuilder v2, we later converted it to Sybase under Unix on a HP9000 accessed with Powerbuilder v3
Pitney Bowes Leasing, Holborn
Consultant analyst/programmer 1988 - 1989

I joined a ten man Richard Irwin Associates team developing a leasing system for their client PB Leasing in Holborn using a high powered macro-based form of Cobol and large normalised TurboImage databases
Amersham International Plc, Bucks
Consultant analyst/programmer 1988

Three months solving database corruption problems and developing Transact programs for a sales analysis suite
Richard, Irwin Associates, Abingdon
Consultant analyst/programmer 1985 - 1988

I spent 3 years working with Abingdon based database consultancy Richard Irwin Associates working on projects for their client Shell Expro. Most of the work was around Shell's large corporate materials system EMA/3000, which played a central role supporting their offshore oil exploration and development operations and one of the large HP3000 systems in the world at the time. The work was carried out mainly in Shell's premises in Aberdeen, Lowestoft and Norway
A/S Norske Shell, Tananger, Norway
Consultant analyst/programmer Jan 1988 – Feb 1988

In Norway I implemented an upgrade to EMA/3000 - Shell's large Materials Administration system for stock control and purchase ordering; I also carried out local tailoring and enhancement work.
Shell Expro (UK) Ltd, Aberdeen
May 1987 – Dec 1987

Post implementation support work for Shell's combined Aberdeen/Lowestoft EMA/3000 system (see below
Shell Expro (UK) Ltd, Lowestoft
Aug 1986 – May 1987

In Lowestoft I was detail designer on a nine man team. The project was the conversion of Shell Lowestoft's MM/3000 system into Expro's corporate materials system, EMA/3000; also the incorporation of Lowestoft onto the Aberdeen machine. The resulting combined Aberdeen/Lowestoft system was rated one of the largest HP3000 systems in the world.
Shell Expro (UK) Ltd, Aberdeen
Aug 1985 – July 1986

In Aberdeen I joined a team installing EMA/3000. I was particularly involved in the development of a subsystem for recording warehouse receipts written in Transact. Duties included specification, programming and system testing. I had my first taste of data analysis using entity/relationship modelling and normalisation techniques on this project.
K-Tel International (UK) Ltd, Middlesex
Analyst/programmer 1983 - 1985

In September 1983 I joined record company K-tel as Senior Analyst Programmer, taking responsibility for all their domestic computer systems. I carried out extensive reviews of their internal accounting systems and converted their sales order processing system from KSAM and RPG II to Image/Fastran/QUIZ. In Sep 1984 I switched to freelance status but remained with K-Tel on a consultancy basis until July 1985
Prolog Systems Ltd, Wimbledon
Analyst/programmer 1982 - 1983

I was one of the first employees of the newly formed software house Prolog Systems. I worked onsite for one of Prolog's major clients, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, where I joined a large team developing a bespoke system for the storage, distribution and sale of Government documents using Jackson Structured Cobol and Quiz
Data Logic Ltd, Middlesex
Analyst/programmer 1979 - 1982

On graduating from Loughborough University I joined software house Data Logic. During my time with them I worked on a variety of projects for their clients including Hecht Heyworth and Alcan, Outspan, Liptons Export Ltd, Watney Man Breweries, Godfrey Davis, Hammicks Wholesale, Glaxo Holdings Inc. and The Consumers Association
Royal Greenwich Observatory, Herstmonceux Castle, Sussex
Sandwich Student 1977 - 1978

As part of my four year degree course I spent a year with the RGO at Herstmonceux Castle, Sussex. I worked on a research project analysing deviations in the Earth's rate of rotation over the past three centuries. I was responsible for data management and for the development and maintenance of Fortran programs to process the astronomical observations that formed the source data for the project. The results of the project were subsequently published in leading science journal Nature and presented at a number of international scientific conferences