Matt Freestone

Summary

A customer-focussed senior developer with full project lifecycle experience gained in the financial services sector. A good communicator, able to work with users and developers to deliver solutions. Now seeking a senior developer role in Java or C++ with potential for gaining team lead or project management experience.

Skills

Programming Languages: Java including Swing, JDBC, Ant, Visual C++ including MFC and STL, SQL, XML.

Operating Systems: Windows NT 4/2000, Linux.

Database Platforms: Microsoft SQL Server 7, Oracle 9i, IBM DB2.

Analysis: requirements definition with users, issue resolution between users and development, use case analysis.

Design: object oriented design, UML, client server systems design, GUI design.

Project: experience of full project lifecycle, ability to lead design and development, basic project management skills, experience of agile methods.

Personal: assimilate new information quickly, work well in a team, good at presenting logical arguments and options, creative thinker.

General: full driving licence since 1989, Languages - basic level of French, German and Japanese.

Work History

Sungard Trading and Risk Systems (Cambridge)
2004-2004

Projects

Panorama/Adaptiv: Currently getting up to speed on maintaining the huge codebase for Panorama. This will involve extensive work in C++ using COM.

Autonomy Corporation (Cambridge)
2003-2004

Projects

Aungate: Developed cross-platform server in C as a middle tier to integrate with relational and proprietary data stores as part of a small team developing a new product for managing compliance of email and other types of communication.

Mercator Software (now part of Ascential) (London)
1999-2003

Projects

Mercator InsideOmgeo CTM: Led the design and development of a new product within an existing 3-tier Java-based architecture inside set deadlines. Co-ordinated delivery of designs and code with project manager, internal product management staff, and external technology partner. Introduced automatic Ant build system and iterative development techniques.
Trade State Management: Led the design and development of a key component within a Java and Mercator Integration Broker product for the management of financial messages. Specified user interface in conjunction with product management staff. Led a small group of developers at a remote site to implement client and server code.
Gemini 3: Took over maintenance development of a C++ based matching and reconciliation product. After 3 months, became the sole developer working on the server code. Extended matching functionality of the product. Refactored code to introduce more object-oriented style to improve maintainability. Fixed bugs for demanding clients (e.g. Deutsche Bank) to tight timescales.

Lloyds TSB Bank (London)
1996-1999

Projects

Branch Reference Data Development: Learned Visual Basic and used it to design and develop a small system for internal users, to manage a complex set of Branch Reference Data, and export it from a database.
Bank Letters Design: Developed a design for parts of a system of centrally produced letters for the merged banks, using a system with an extremely restricted set of controls and facilities.
Counter Application Design: Designed and prototyped parts of a Visual C++ system for branch counter staff in conjunction with internal users. Analysed requirements for cheque clearing aspects of the system to be produced by a supplier to the bank.

The Woolwich Building Society (Bexleyheath, Kent)
1993-1996

Projects

Mortgage Origination Project: Designed aspects of the new mortgage origination system for the Woolwich. Worked with internal users, developers and external consultants (Accenture) to resolve issues. Reviewed code and supported developers with less experience of the CASE tool in use at the Woolwich.
Counter Application Development: Wrote and unit tested GUI dialogs to specification. Resolved issues relating to the detailed design of the dialogs. Worked with mainframe developers to ensure the front-end programs integrated fully with the back-end transactions. Fixed bugs during system test.
Technical Support: Administered a large Netware 3 LAN with OS/2 and DOS/Windows clients. Learned how to resolve PC hardware and software problems. Worked in a team to set up a complex Netware 4 WAN/LAN environment.

Qualifications

BA, 1989-1993. The BA course took three years. I stayed for a fourth year to do the Certificate of Advanced Study in Mathematics (aka Part III).
University of Cambridge
Subjects: Mathematics (2.1).

I have 4 A levels: Maths (A), Further Maths (A), Physics (A) and Electronics (B). I also have grade 1 in the Cambridge STEP (S level equivalent) Maths paper.

I have 12 O and AO levels in various subjects including English, French, and German

Interests

Running. I go running regularly. In 1998 and 2000, I completed the Great North Run, a half marathon around Newcastle. On each occasion I raised over £200 for Amnesty International.
Website. My personal website is at http://www.furthermore.org.uk. I have also developed sites for my former Amnesty International local group (now at http://www.aibg.org.uk) and for a science fiction group (at http://www.concatenation.org). Both sites are now maintained by others as I don't have time to for them now I have a daughter!

Referees

References are available on request

Last Modified: April 2004.