Intro 👋

Hello! I'm an Engineering Manager in the Create Stage at GitLab. I've been with GitLab since 2020, and a manager in the tech space since the early 2000s.

For most of my career I have been involved in infosec; sometimes because of the company I worked at, and other times as part of my role's responsibilities. I like using semicolons.

Availability

• Usually in the Sydney, AU 🇦🇺 time zone (UTC+10 or UTC+11, depending on DST).
• If I happen to be working on a different time zone, I will update my Google calendar and Slack working hours.
• I prefer to work on my mornings. My usual hours are 07:00-15:00.
• There's no need to ask me before booking meetings; if you see an opening in my calendar, take it. If it turns-out I can't make it, I'll reach-out.
• I aim to keep all my evening meetings on the same day. Currently this is on Tuesdays (Sydney time). I am happy to make exceptions, but I am likely to reject recurring evening meetings on other days.
• I currently don't have Slack on my phone, however my mobile number is listed on Slack; for urgent matters you're welcome to reach-out to me via Signal, WhatsApp, or text message (though the latter doesn't always work realiably across countries and phone OS).

Communication style

• I have been known to jump to conclusions. If you believe you're seeing this happen, please call me out immediately. I don't mind if it's in public or in private. If you say the magic "jumping to conclusions" words, I will know what you're talking about.
• I find stand-up updates very valuable, and I start my day reading them. If you're an IC reporting to me, I'll probably ask you to do them daily.
• I work exclusively off my TODOs and I don't read GitLab email notifications. If you want me to see it, tag me.
• I aim to respond to all my TODOs within 2 business days. When I'm running behind, I update my GitLab status so you know responses are delayed. You can always Slack me for a TODO that requires immediate attention.
• I'm not very good at reading unspoken intentions. If you need something from me, or if you need me to know something, please be direct.
• My sense of humor can be quirky or flat-out strange, and I like using memes and emojis to convey emotions. This can sometimes miss the mark, so please let me know if it isn't working for you.
• If we're doing a video call, do not feel forced to have your camera on. If your camera is off, I will not ask why.

Personal interests

• Efficiency. If there's a cheaper/faster/better way to achieve something, I get a kick out of trying it out. This is probably why I jumped at the chance to add a solar system to my home.
• Automation. I enjoy giving menial tasks to machines. I'm currently using home assistant to automate a bunch of things at home.
• Family. I got a wife, two kids, and a dog, and I'm interested in them.

Other

• I sometimes post on Mastodon.