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xepps logo

Xepps Ltd

Company Number: 08808530

Registered Office: 6 The Ferns, Kirkham, PR4 2BF

Career History

I started my career as a software engineer at the BBC, where I worked on products used by millions of people - a truly humbling experience. That experience taught me early on how much impact thoughtful design and engineering can have on users, and it shaped my belief that software teams should be focused on solving real problems and delivering value. From the start I was drawn to practices like pairing, TDD, and fast feedback loops, and they’ve remained at the core of how I work.

At Matillion I became a front-end subject matter expert, building the company’s component libraries, application templating tools, and modern front-end infrastructure. From there I moved into leadership at Netacea, where I scaled engineering teams, introduced modern DevOps and testing practices, and created an environment where quality and ownership were the default. I’ve always balanced being hands-on with shaping organisations and culture, making sure teams are set up to deliver effectively without losing sight of technical excellence.

Most recently, at Partful and through my consultancy Xepps Ltd, I’ve been working as a software engineering leader. I guide businesses through SaaS transformation, architectural choices, and cultural change, using approaches like EventStorming, Wardley Mapping, and a buy-over-build mindset to accelerate delivery of real outcomes. What ties all of my roles together is my focus on enabling engineers to thrive, removing wasteful practices like estimation, and aligning technology strategy with business needs so teams can deliver the right value, faster.

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  • Led cross-functional replatforming of core managed-service product into a modern SaaS application, owning architecture, technical delivery, and team execution across 2 major product lines as hands-on technical lead.

  • Raised engineering standards by embedding agile practices, automated testing, and true CI/CD — cutting deployment cycles from two weeks to continuous delivery.

  • Scaled the engineering org from 6 to 18 engineers post-Series A, introducing hiring frameworks, onboarding playbooks, and org design that enabled efficient scaling while maintaining quality and culture.

  • Drove security and compliance by leading ISO27001 accreditation across the business, introducing lightweight tooling and processes that balanced security with developer agility.

  • Stepped into Interim CTO role, reporting directly to the CEO and acting as technical lead on SLT; partnered with fractional CTO and used strategy tools (e.g., EventStorming, Wardley Mapping) to define product-aligned engineering vision.

Key Skills: AWS, TypeScript, Event-driven architecture, ISO27001, React, Node.js, CI/CD, Domain-Driven Design, Agile/XP, Hands on Full stack engineering

  • Led delivery of the core SaaS “Designer” experience, establishing Matillion’s new micro-front end strategy, delivering component libraries, and meeting GA, beta, and preview milestones across multiple product lines.

  • Acted as SME for front-end architecture, building foundational tooling and leading a front-end chapter that influenced company-wide UI strategy.

  • Built and scaled a 25-person front-end org, hiring engineers across multiple squads to support Matillion’s transition to a modern SaaS architecture.

  • Introduced engineering standards for front-end development, including TDD, component-driven testing, and observability via Cypress and Datadog.

  • Advocated engineering excellence, delivering internal and external tech talks, mentoring senior engineers, and embedding quality as a core cultural value.

Key Skills: React, TypeScript, SCSS, Cypress, TDD, AWS, Datadog, Micro-frontends, Agile

  • Promoted from Technical Lead to Head of Software Development within 3 months, recognised for rapidly improving delivery pace.

  • Stayed hands-on with development: applied TDD and pair programming to build and deliver multiple features in rapid succession with a small team.

  • Oversaw multiple squads of developers and testers, balancing active coding with leading the product development department.

  • Introduced product-focused practices including design sprints, refined technical feature processes, and agile improvements.

  • Revitalised hack days into "lab weeks", boosting innovation and receiving strong company-wide feedback.

  • Launched a “TDD Champions” initiative, engaging engineers in quality practices and embedding test-driven development across teams.

Key Skills: Node.js, Vue.js, AWS, ElasticSearch, Python, Cypress, Agile, TDD

  • At BBC Education, led the cloud migration of Bitesize’s content discovery platform, replacing legacy PHP with scalable React/Node.js architecture and introducing multivariate testing.

  • Delivered the national launch of BBC Teach, a new content platform built using React/Node, and designed the search pipeline to auto-index articles — reused across other BBC education platforms.

  • Line-managed graduate and apprentice engineers, setting growth plans, mentoring on delivery best practices, and supporting early-career development.

  • At BBC Sport, contributed to large-scale digital events (e.g. Olympics, World Cup), delivering high-traffic components under tight broadcast deadlines.

Key Skills: Node.js, React, PHP, AWS, Jest, Java, Ruby, Internal BBC Systems