From a teenage webmaster building gaming communities in the ’90s to scaling retail empires and navigating global finance deals – my career’s been a wild, unpredictable ride across tech, startups, and business services.
From running Quake3World.com, diving headfirst into web dev amid the early internet boom. By my 20s, I was growing a Selfridges concession by 288%, co-founding a VC-backed retail venture with 22 UK stores, and crafting financial models for billion-dollar infrastructure projects.
Fast-forward to today: As CEO of Peninsula Canada, I’m leading HR and business services growth across Canada, reporting to founder Peter Done. Now settling roots in Toronto after stints in Ireland and beyond, I’m all about connecting with fellow trailblazers who’ve embraced the chaos.
Quake3World.com
At just 16 years old, I stepped into the role of Webmaster for Quake3World.com, a vibrant fan hub for id Software’s groundbreaking FPS game, Quake III Arena. Launched around the game’s 1999 release, the site became a go-to spot for 40,000 gamers seeking news, mods, maps, forums, and community discussions. From 2000 to 2001, I handled site maintenance, content updates, and user engagement, building my early skills in web development amid the excitement of the emerging online gaming scene.
Selfridges & Co - Micro Anvika
At 20 years old, I took on the role of Concession Manager for Micro Anvika’s outlet within the iconic Selfridges department store, overseeing a premium tech retail space specializing in computers, gadgets, and accessories. I held sole responsibility for the entire department and a team of 13 staff members, driving significant growth by scaling the business from around £800k to £3.1M in annual turnover within just 18 months, honing my leadership and operational skills in high-end retail.
Tec7
At 24 years old, I teamed up with Ravi Virdi to co-found Tec7 Limited, a venture capital-backed retail startup 7 launched in 2007, which rapidly expanded by acquiring 22 concessions within House of Fraser department stores across the UK. Officially titled Head Buyer, I served as the right-hand operational force, overseeing inventory management, systems implementation, hiring the office team, maintaining infrastructure, and running procurement, essentially tackling any task required to propel the business forward in the competitive retail landscape.
Financial Mechanics
At 25 years old, a chance encounter with John Richter on a train led to an irresistible offer, pulling me into the world of corporate finance at Financial Mechanics – a specialist firm focused on delivering financial modeling resources, training, and support for global projects. From 2008 onward, I collaborated closely with John and Kenny Whitelaw-Jones under this umbrella, contributing to model development and training initiatives worldwide for over a year, notably building the financial model used for the I-595 Corridor Roadway Improvements Project in Florida, a $1.8 billion infrastructure endeavor that introduced reversible express toll lanes and became the state’s first public-private partnership of its scale.
Peninsula Group
At 29 years old, I stumbled into Peninsula, a leading provider of HR, employment law, and health & safety services founded by Peter Done in 1983. I’ve been with the company since, advancing through pivotal roles from Business Intelligence Analyst, where I built reporting systems in MS SQL, to Group Information Officer, Vice President of IT and Finance, Group Head of Growth, and ultimately CEO in Ireland in 2022 before returning as CEO of Peninsula Canada in late 2023. Working on key brands like Peninsula and BrightHR, the group’s award-winning HR software launched in 2015, I report directly to Peter Done, supporting the organization’s global growth in business services.
