Software Department Manager

Allied Telesis Labs (New Zealand)

March 2006 – December 2008

Allied Telesis is a world-wide company, and is one of the world’s leading producers of computer networking equipment. It has offices all over the world, including the USA, the UK, Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, China, Singapore, India, etc.

This role was responsible for the leadership, development and management of a Software Department. Seven Software Team Managers reporting directly with up to 65 software engineers reporting indirectly.

  • Leadership Provided direction for the software department, accountable for software delivery from ATLNZ to the global group.
    • Responsible for restructuring/change.
  • Agile Development Helped introduce Agile Development to the Company. Used it in a range of development types. Worked with Senior Managers to gain acceptance.
  • Project Management Project managed many feature developments. Responsible for balancing the full resourcing for each quarterly software release.
  • Team Management Responsible for coaching, mentoring and growing engineers and managers. Financial and budget responsibility for the Department.

Software Team Manager | Senior Software Engineer  | Product Development Manager

July 2001 – February 2006

Several roles over 5 years with responsibility for the leadership, development and management of a team of up to 15 software engineers. The team worked on new product and feature development as well as customer support for existing products.

Research and Development Engineer

Lincoln Ventures Ltd (now know as Lincoln Agritech)

February 1996 – April 2001

A science and technology company owned by Lincoln University, New Zealand, engaged in research, product development and consultancy services. Working with a broad range of industry partners in biotechnology, image analysis, measurement, modelling, and agrichemical applications.
This role at Lincoln Technology Ltd, the commercial arm of Lincoln University, encompassed a wide range of skills and abilities.  
  • Strategic Management Short and long term planning, SWOT analysis, risk management, and environmental scanning
  • Engineering Research Creation of electronics devices for Research Institutes. Managed Lincoln Ventures Network  
  • Project Management Client project management of bleeding edge research.
  • Business Development Selling personal and group skills to industry through technical meetings and events.

Woodworking & Cabinetry

I have built my own cabinet and woodworking workshop, including movable workbenches, and have used it to make bedroom furniture and coffee tables

Current Workshop
Bedroom chest of drawers
600600Made from an old Telegraph Pole
Pedestal Coffee Table with hidden draw from old rimu dining table
Chest of drawers copied from a distressed look piece
deck chairs
Table
Shoe Cupboard
TV Riser for the bottom of the bed

Craft Beer Brewing

Fully automated brewing set-up using a 3 kettle approach. Built a temperature controller for the fermentation to precisely controlled fermentation and remote control.

Current Set-Up

Electronics & Software

Built home automation projects for RFID Cat-flap, remote controlled Home Alarm, Remote Garage Door operation, Beer Fermenter controller, PID controlled Coffee Roaster, Large Screen Cricket Score Board, AndroidAuto box with wheel control, retro arcade games console, all using ARDUINO and RASPBERRY PI and peripherals.

Beer Controller

Other Stuff too…

Psychology, designing websites and company logos, reading, playing the guitar, Taskmaster (for the kids), cooking, coffee roasting.

And some fun stuff

Teams Meeting Background
Meeting the Chairman
Danger
1986 when I was flying jets
Oh yeah!
How we do CI
For all those conspiracy theorists