My career began in the early 1990s, long before cloud platforms, mobile devices, or remote support were everyday realities. My first steps into the world of technology were taken inside Carisbrooke High School, where I worked as a Library Support Technician. It was here that I first discovered the satisfaction of helping people understand and use technology, supporting staff and students, keeping the library system running, and managing the physical library with the precision of the Dewey Decimal system. It was a small role, but it planted the seed for everything that followed.
From there, I moved into data, becoming a SIMS Database Operator. This was my first real immersion into structured information systems. I learned how data shapes decisions, how accuracy builds trust, and how schools depend on reliable information. It was meticulous work, but it taught me discipline, responsibility, and the importance of getting things right the first time.
By 1997, I stepped into a role that would define the next decade of my life: IT Support Technician for the Isle of Wight Council. This was hands‑on, high‑impact work, supporting schools across the Isle of Wight, solving problems face‑to‑face, installing servers, configuring workstations, and helping staff navigate SIMS, MS Office, email systems, and early internet technologies. These years built my technical foundation and shaped my reputation as someone who could be relied upon to fix problems quickly, calmly, and professionally.
My growing expertise led me to Capita Education in 2007, where I became an MIS Technical Consultant. Suddenly, my work wasn’t just local, it was national. I travelled across the UK, supporting schools and colleges, delivering consultancy, and solving complex MIS issues both remotely and on‑site. This period strengthened my communication skills, broadened my technical range, and exposed me to the diverse challenges faced by educational institutions everywhere.
In 2009, I returned to the Isle of Wight to take on a major leadership role at Nine Acres Community Primary School. As Network Manager, Leader of New Technology, and Assessment & Data Manager, I became the backbone of the school’s ICT strategy. I planned infrastructure, implemented new systems, maintained networks, monitored backups, and ensured performance stayed strong. I wasn’t just supporting technology, I was shaping it. For nearly ten years, I helped the school evolve through rapid changes in digital learning, cloud adoption, and modern classroom technology.
After leaving the education sector, I briefly stepped into a completely different world: hospitality and customer service. As a Tour Representative for IOW Tours Ltd., I managed bookings, payments, and specialist requests for military reunions across the Army, Navy, and RAF. It was a shift from technical work, but it sharpened my customer‑service instincts and taught me how to manage complex logistics with empathy and precision.
Then came the COVID‑19 pandemic, a period of uncertainty, adaptation, and resilience. I used this time to stay connected to the industry, track changes in the job market, and prepare for the next chapter of my career.
That chapter arrived in 2021, when I joined the Isle of Wight Council once again, this time as an ICT Desktop Support Officer. I return to council ICT marked the beginning of a rapid rise. My technical strength, reliability, and mentoring ability quickly became evident. Within a year, I progressed to Senior ICT Desktop Support Officer, where I coached junior staff and strengthened the team’s technical capability.
By late 2022, I was trusted to step up as Acting ICT Desktop Support Team Lead, a dual role balancing leadership with hands‑on technical work. I guided the team, managed incidents, coordinated training, and ensured services met corporate SLAs. My leadership style emphasised clarity, support, and resilience.
In July 2023, I officially became ICT Desktop Support Team Lead, a role I continue to hold. Today, I oversees the entire Desktop Support function, ensuring that customer requests, incidents, and problems are handled efficiently and professionally. I develop training, mentors staff, and maintains a dependable, cost‑effective service that supports the council’s digital operations.
Across more than three decades, My career has been defined by growth, adaptability, and a deep commitment to helping people use technology effectively. From library systems to nationwide MIS consultancy, from school networks to council ICT leadership, my journey reflects a rare combination of technical expertise, customer focus, and steady, reliable leadership.