The Journey
The Graduate
It started with some graduate scheme luck which transpired to be one of the most impactful career decisions I’ve made. 3 months post joining I relocated to the Middle East to support a Nation State Cyber Security programme - taking on what would be my first challenge to enhance and drive Engineering Excellence - several months later we achieved it.
The Rapid Scale-up
Pivot and then I am travelling across Europe, leading and supporting the development of a Cyber Security capability for one of the world’s largest Sports Data companies. A two year whirlwind journey of implementing technology, scaling Cyber Security teams, building a culture, developing and applying what would become the Excellence Tactics. All of this was driving towards us becoming fit enough for IPO - we achieved it.
The Regulator
Twist and I’m at the UK’s Financial Regulator, a spin I didn’t expect, but when the opportunity of building a Cyber Security capability from the ground up was presented - with the ability to experiment with the blueprint which I had formed over the past two years in a new environment - I couldn’t resist.
Our DevOps engineering approach is industry recognised, it works and it will evolve further.
The Launch
Building on everything I’ve learnt so far, I launched Seek Excellence—a framework for achieving DevOps excellence. At its core, the approach seeks to remove the stress and friction that software defects can create in business relationships. It is underpinned by three key pillars: Ambition, Influence, and Patterns, supported by a range of cultural tactics designed to encourage collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Through my blog and speaking engagements at conferences and product events, I share practical insights and real-world experiences to inspire others and drive meaningful change within the industry.
Continuing the Journey
Let’s have a conversation about the Seek Excellence journey and how you might be able to adopt it.