AI & LLM Systems Engineering
Production AI, not prototypes: retrieval pipelines, agentic tool-calling, natural-language querying over real data, and the evaluation harness that tells you when a release has quietly got worse.
Services
What I’m engaged to do
Most engagements fall into one of six areas. They overlap more often than not — an AI system that handles regulated data is an architecture problem, a security problem and a governance problem at the same time.
Cloud Architecture & Modernisation
Legacy estates moved to cloud-native without a big-bang rewrite, and over-provisioned estates right-sized. Serverless and containers where they earn their keep, not everywhere by default.
Cybersecurity & Compliance
Defending web applications and APIs against automated and human attackers, and getting organisations audit-ready in regulated sectors — mapped to the framework the auditor will actually use.
Enterprise Architecture & Integration
Making systems that were never designed to talk to each other work together reliably — ERP and CRM modernisation, API and multi-tier design, and high-volume data exchange that fails loudly instead of silently.
AI Governance & Risk
A defensible boundary between what a model may do on its own and what a human signs off. I use a tiered-autonomy model that classifies every automated action, so the human-in-the-loop line is explicit and auditable rather than assumed.
Executive Technology Advisory
For leaders who need an independent read on a build-versus-buy call, a vendor claim, a modernisation roadmap or an architecture already in flight — explained in business terms, with the trade-offs stated plainly.
How I work
Engineering fluency, executive translation
I still write the code. That is the point — advice about an architecture is worth more from someone who has had to operate one at three in the morning.
Understand before proposing
Scoping, requirements across departments, and an honest inventory of what already exists. Most failed modernisations were mis-scoped, not mis-built.
Prove it on the real thing
Pilots validated against actual business scenarios and real data, not a demo path. Problems surface while they are still cheap.
Measure what matters
Releases gated on measured accuracy and output quality, not just uptime. A system that is up and wrong is not working.
Hand over properly
Runbooks and documentation so your team owns the system afterwards. The goal is to make myself unnecessary.
Technical depth
Where the hands-on experience sits
Not a tool list for its own sake — these are the areas where I can design, build, review and debug rather than only advise.
AI & Machine Learning
- RAG and hybrid vector search
- Agentic systems & tool calling
- Text-to-SQL and NL analytics
- Embeddings & semantic retrieval
- MCP servers and AI gateways
- Model governance & drift detection
Cloud Platforms
- AWS — Lambda, Bedrock, Kinesis, Step Functions, Aurora, DynamoDB, API Gateway, CloudFront
- Azure — OpenAI, AI Search, Functions, Data Factory, Front Door
- GCP — Vertex AI, BigQuery
- Oracle OCI — Cloud Guard, Security Zones
Security & Governance
- WAF, bot mitigation, DDoS posture
- IAM, Zero Trust, encryption & KMS
- Penetration testing & forensics
- SIEM, CSPM and CNAPP tooling
- GRC programmes and audit readiness
Engineering
- Python, C/C++, TypeScript & JavaScript
- Node.js, PHP, .NET, SQL
- React and Angular front ends
- Docker, ECS and Kubernetes
- CI/CD automation
Data & Analytics
- ETL and large-scale data movement
- Databricks, Snowflake, Redshift
- Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL
- Power BI, Tableau, Splunk, DataDog
Enterprise Systems
- Oracle Fusion Cloud & E-Business Suite
- SAP, NetSuite, Dynamics 365, Epicor
- Salesforce, HubSpot, ServiceNow
- Shopify, Magento, WordPress, Drupal
- EDI and enterprise data exchange
Credentials
Formal qualifications
TOGAF 9 CertifiedEnterprise Architect
AWS Certified SecuritySpecialty
AWS Certified AI PractitionerApplied AI on AWS
AWS Certified Cloud PractitionerCloud foundations
U.S. Government ClearanceConfidential
U.S. Patent 11,244,357Named inventor — rules-based content targeting
Contact
Let’s talk about the problem
Whether it is an AI system you need built properly, an architecture you want a second opinion on, or a compliance deadline you have to hit — start with the problem and we will work out whether I am the right person for it.