Senior Software Engineer

An experienced software engineer with over 30 years (yikes!!!) of experience, working in Ireland, Spain, Canada, and the USA, for everything from small startups to multinationals like Microsoft, Cisco, and Symantec. An entrepreneur who developed and eventually sold a small tech company called ToolProof in 2000. I’ve always had a passion for software done right. I love solving problems, big or small. I love being part of the process of rearing software – from MVP to making it gradually better and better, micro-architecting as you go, maintaining quality while meeting timelines, and helping your baby grow and prosper. I’ve worked on server and client, desktop and web. My passions come out a lot more in front-end development. I love to see the fruits of my labor and see other people use my creations. I started my career in Symantec as a Localization Tools Developer, where my co-workers in the localization department used my tools to do their jobs every day, and that direct connection with my users helped me develop into an engineer with a passion for good UI and good UX. In the last decade, I migrated to web development. And, in the last several years, I have become an expert in Digital Accessibility. 90% of the web fails WCAG compliance – part of that 90% was developed by me. But now I know a lot better, and making accessible UI is a foundational requirement for everything I create. All accessibility experts know that part of the job is looking after yourself, and part is making sure everyone else joins in. UX, dev, QA, product, marketing… hardware and software. I have morphed from a software engineer to a company leader, looking after all aspects of accessibility. I've helped close sales that depended on A11Y compliance, and guide architects and engineers on site design for EV charging installations. I've worked on VPAT audits, assisted the policy team with Access Board requirements. I've hosted workshops and training sessions, and even presented at the company all-hands and other company-wide events. I love it – I love the influence I now have at the corporate level. But, I’m still a software engineer at heart.