I am the founder of Database Evolution Ltd, a company which specialises in providing the right database solution. Today my focus is on the new generation column store databases and I am pleased to be representing Vertica here in Europe.
Prior to setting up my company I was a Product Manager for the Oracle Corporation for over 13 years. During that time I was responsible for a number of features in the Oracle Database which were developed either at Oracle's headquarters in San Francisco, or at the New England Development Centre in New Hampshire in the USA, although I was located on the south coast of the UK. I also developed Oracle's ILM strategy which pioneered using the database as the platform for ILM rather than a storage device. Previously I also specialised in designing and tuning the Oracle Rdb database. As a consultant within the development team, I was fortunate to have worked on many systems that you probably use daily and take for granted. It can be very interesting seeing what goes on behind the scenes.
My Phd was awarded by Southampton University in the UK for research into a software tool which automated the process of creating a CODASYL database from the conceptual stage through to physical design. My first days with databases involved building the largest CODASYL database in Europe. So you can see that I have experience of all different types of database systems.
Just remember that whenever somebody tells you the computer did it, it only does what a human told it to do!
The photograph of me was taken on the mainland in Antarctica. The ship behind me is Explorer II which took us down to Antarctica, crossing the Drake Passage. We were taken ashore in small zodiac landing craft. Although it was summer, as you can see it is overcast and was snowing shortly before this photograph was taken.