https://www.digital-mojo.com/ • gav_jackson@yahoo.com • 07587 426 936
I truly believe that the frontend, the thing that users interact with, makes or breaks a digital product. Solid, robust and performant frontends show that you are trust worthy and established. Shonky, janky, slow frontends will harm your brand. Frontends can elevate your users' experience beyond your competitors, they should be beautiful but they can also delight through attention to detail, consistency and cool micro interactions.
- I am a Frontend specialist with over 20 years of professional experience.
- I have been involved in two multi-million pound company exits, both centred around the products I built.
- Most of my career has been spent in senior, tech lead or head positions where I lead the frontend development of multiple cross-functional, distributed agile teams.
- I have spent the last 10 years working in FinTech where I have written my own low-code frontend framework "Integro CX", which has been used to deliver multiple enterprise level wealth management platforms.
- Before that I spent 6 years working in Advertising creating web experiences for some of the biggest brands in the world.
- I have a keen eye for design, and I understand how to deliver robust, accessible, performant and delightful user experiences, writing high quality code, whilst being able to understand and influence the business requirements and wider strategy and architecture.
Dunstan Thomas (1% shareholder in 2nd company exit)
Group Head of Frontend Engineering, Permanent, Remote, Oct 2018 - Current
Dunstan Thomas are a FinTech software house and this is my current position where I continue to add features to my low-code frontend framework for creating Single Page Applications consisting of Dashboards and Forms. I also build tools to improve the developer experience, hire, mentor and manage a team of Frontend developers with the goal of building a community with resilience. I encourage innovation and lead by example, supporting our backend developers, working alongside our business analysts and am involved in the sales pipeline and company strategy.
I became a shareholder in Dunstan Thomas, holding a 1% stake when in 2020 we sold Dunstan Thomas to Curtis Banks, this was my second multi-million pound company exit.
Digital Keystone (5% shareholder in 1st company exit)
- Head of Frontend development, Permanent, Remote, May 2015 - Oct 2018
- Lead Frontend developer, Contract, Remote, Apr 2012 - May 2015
- Flex developer, Contract, Bath, Mar 2011 - Apr 2012
In 2015, I was offered a 5% stake in Digital Keystone, a FinTech software house, and the permanent position of Head of Frontend Development where I focused on productising my low code frontend framework which was a successful strategic move to create value for the company, as in 2018 we sold Digital Keystone to Dunstan Thomas in my first multi-million pound company exit.
In 2012 I was promoted to Lead Frontend developer where I started designing and building my frontend framework, which was used to deliver enterprise level client projects, mainly in financial services. My framework also won the Platforum 'Best in show' award.
I began my fintech journey in 2011 when I joined Digital Keystone as a contract Flex Developer to build and maintain wealth management applications for Novia Financial and Aegon, whilst working onsite in Bath.
Flash developer, GDS International, Contract, Bristol, Feb 2011 - Mar 2011
This was a short term contract to build a Flex video player where I was brought in to save the project. I did this by rewriting the code base and introduced a second by second profile of the video to work out, even after scrubbing, when to insert adverts into the stream, very similar to how YouTube works today, but over 10 years ago!
Flex developer, Estee Lauder, Contract, Remote, Jul 2010 - Dec 2010
An ex-colleague was running a project that ran into problems and I was brought in to save the project where we built a Flex website for the Jo Malone brand of Estee Lauder. One of my favourite parts of the project was creating a fruit machine style gift box generator where Jo Malone products were seemingly picked at random to build a gift box at a certain value, I had a lot of fun with blurred spinning animations and writing the algorithm to pick the products.
Technical lead, Oakwood DC, Contract, Bristol , May 2010 - Jul 2010 & Feb 2010 - Apr 2010 & Feb 2009 - Aug 2009
I left the digital agency Oakwood DC as a permanent employee and continued on as a contractor where I headed up a team of 8 Flash Developers to deliver a £300k project for the electronics division of Mattel US. We delivered the project on time and on budget.
I re-joined Oakwood DC several times for short term contracts to help out on various Flash projects.
Flash developer, Enable Interactive, Contract, Bristol, Apr 2010 - May 2010 & Dec 2009 - Jan 2010
I worked at the digital agency Enable Interactive as a contractor on two occasions, the main project I worked on was for DrinkAware and it combined my Flash website with a huge interactive billboard in Covent Garden.
Flash developer, Bay Leino, Contract, Remote, Aug 2009 - Oct 2009
At the digital agency Bray Leino I worked on a point of sale Flash application for Intel that was used on shop floor laptops.
Senior Flash developer, Oakwood DC, Permanent, Bristol, Feb 2007 - Feb 2009
As Senior Flash Developer at the digital agency Oakwood DC, I worked on a number of Flash projects for globally recognised brands such as Barbie, Hotwheels, Disney's Cars, Scrabble and The Simpsons. I also trained and mentored junior Flash developers.
Web developer, Publicis Mojo, Contract, Melbourne, Jan 2006 - May 2006
I worked in Australia for the digital agency Publicis Mojo as a Web Developer for clients such as Nike, Hertz, HP and the Victorian Government. A highlight was working on the Nike Football website for World Cup 2006.
Web developer, Sol-Tec, Permanent, Reading, Apr 2003 - Apr 2005
Web developer, Strudwick & Young, Permanent, Reading, Jul 2002 - Feb 2003
Web designer, ACS, Contract, Remote, Sep 2001 - May 2002
Web designer, ACS, Permanent, High Wycombe, May 2000 - Jul 2001
1998 - 2002: De Montfort University Leicester
Multimedia Computing: 1st BSc (Hons) - Graduated top of my class
1997-1998: Amersham & Wycombe College
A-levels: Computing (A), Maths (D), Physics (D)
1992-1997: Holmer Green Upper School
GCSE: 9 x grade C or above