I'm a Chemical Engineering graduate with twenty years' IT experience (both dev and support) in the financial services industry. Simplifying people's working lives, usually using technology, is what I love most about IT.
By engaging with end users and understanding their needs and wants, I've regularly reduced process execution times by 50%-80% (sometimes even more). As importantly, what's left behind is a better-structured, documented solution that's easier on the end user and anyone who has to maintain it.
I'm looking for more of the same: the opportunity to have people actually enjoy their work because the tools they use are so awesome. I've worked in many different areas in finance and I'd be very happy to explore opportunities elsewhere as well.
VB/VBA/VBScript is my main skill right now and I've used it to solve business problems and automate business processes and reporting for a long time: my level of expertise is rarely matched. I have been told a couple of times that the performance I seek is impossible using VBA. On one occasion my rebuttal took the form of re-writing a data load process (including newly crafted data validation rules) and achieving a 97% reduction in execution time (~1hr down to under 2mins).
There's always more to learn, but I'm starting to feel the boundaries and limits of VBA.
SQL has always been a secondary skill that's often complemented my VBA. I have a good grasp of it and know sufficient database theory to set up databases and trouble-shoot queries. I'm most comfortable with SQL Server, but I have worked with Sybase and Oracle.
I have some limited experience with PowerShell, gained through one of my contracts at HSBC. I used it to help to automate the analysis of a large database my team was looking to demise.
During the course I covered these technologies and more:
- OOP, TDD, MVC
- Agile/XP
- Ruby, Rails, JavaScript
- RSpec, Jasmine, Capybara
- Introduction to Computer Science and Programming using Python (online)
- Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (C#)
- Chemical Engineering (pass)
- Social secretary for Chem Eng society
- 2nd XI hockey
RBS (Apr 2017 to Aug 2017)
Data Analyst
HSBC (Jul 2016 to Mar 2017)
Systems Analyst
RBS (Oct 2014 to Jul 2016)
Senior RAD VBA Programmer
HSBC (Sep 2012 to Sep 2014)
Senior RAD VBA Programmer
Credit Suisse (May 2011 to Sep 2012)
RAD VBA Programmer
Deutsche Bank (Jul 2010 to Dec 2011)
RAD VBA Programmer
M&G Investments (May 2008 to Jul 2010)
RAD VBA Programmer
Merrill Lynch (Feb 2007 to May 2008)
RAD VBA Programmer
Barclays Capital (Jan 2006 to Feb 2007)
RAD VBA Programmer
DBS Limited (Aug 2005 to Jan 2006)
RAD VBA Programmer
Unilog (Jan 2004 to Nov 2004)
RAD VBA Programmer
Independent travel to Armenia, Latin America and Australia (Mar 2002 - Dec 2003)
HSBC Securities (Sep 1999 to Mar 2002)
RAD VBA Programmer
HSBC Midland (Oct 1997 to Aug 1999)
Microsoft Office Support