Hi, I’m Mark, and I’m a dev team manager and WordPress developer that focuses on optimised, custom WordPress and PHP website development.

I’m hard-working and have been around a bit, so I know a thing or two about all aspects of delivering web solutions. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some great organisations and with some amazing people over the past two decades.

I have a diverse technical skillset. I’ve worked with PHP and WordPress for over a decade now. I tend to specialise in customisation and optimisation of WordPress installs. If you’d like to get a flavour of what I can do, please check out my skillset and CV. The short version, though, is that I have a wide range of development and delivery skills that, design aside, make me useful at most stages of a project.

I’ve worked with all sizes of websites, from SME/lifestyle business brochure sites to international, fully transactional, high-availability offerings. I also have a good amount of experience working within Government teams.

I’ve held managerial/owner positions for over a decade. I know about being self-motivated and taking responsibility. I think of myself as a self-starter and have always been keen to enable others to progress. A key personal driver for me is to help those that I work with to improve and develop their mindsets and skillsets a notch or three. It’s why I got involved with organising LeedsJS (formerly NodeUpNorth) a few years back, helping to grow the group to over 100 members.

I also spent a couple of years working with an international recruiter, Aquent, as part of their technical interviewer team. This entailed speaking to candidates across the globe, assessing their front-end and WordPress skills, providing them with advice and then producing reports for Aquent’s talent agents.

Current role

I’m currently Head of Technology & Operations at Leeds-based Shopify Plus partner agency, Onstate. The role is principally a strategically focused one, and I oversee and direct our development and project management streams of work.

Away from the day job

I’m a Formula 1 fan and an avid reader of sci-fi and modern crime fiction. I love live music so get to as many gigs as I can. Twice a year, my wife and I disappear into the wilderness that is Wester Ross in the Highlands of Scotland. I’m also a hobbyist photographer, having covered many styles over the years.

Current Availability

Please note I am not taking on new projects.

Image courtesy of Jonathan Wootton.