Hi, I'm Matthew

I'm the Technical Director at Elysium, where I lead our delivery team and oversee the architecture of our client projects - from legacy applications that have been running since 2005 to modern AI-backed platforms built with the latest Ruby on Rails.

In any given week, that might mean planning a major Rails upgrade for a long-standing client, reviewing the architecture of a new AI integration, or helping a customer work out whether they need a bespoke build at all. The variety is the point - after 25 years in software, the problems I find most rewarding are the ones that sit at the intersection of technical complexity and real business decisions.

I care deeply about software that's secure, scalable, and built to last, and about translating dense architectural decisions into clear language that the people running a business can actually act on.

Background

Before leading the technical vision at Elysium, I built my foundations at the highest levels of UK infrastructure and industry. My work with Lloyds Register of Shipping and BAA instilled a safety-critical mindset - one where technical debt isn't just an inconvenience, but a genuine business risk. That background in high-stakes environments still defines how I approach software today. Elysium has been delivering bespoke software for over 31 years. We specialise in taking products from prototype to production - whether that means modernising a legacy codebase or rebuilding an unstable prototype into something robust enough to scale. I've written about what that looks like in practice on my blog.

Writing

I've recently started writing about the intersection of software architecture, engineering leadership, and the practical realities of building software that lasts. You can read my articles on the blog, where I cover topics from AI-agent readiness to the operational realities of maintaining bespoke software over decades.

Beyond the Screen

When I'm not working on software architectures or mentoring the [team](https://elysium.uk/team/, you'll usually find me out in the landscape with a camera, wandering around a National Trust house or gallery, or soaking up the energy of live music. You can see some of my creative work in my photography collection. Whether it's a composed landscape, a well-preserved slice of history, or a clean line of code, the thread is the same: craftsmanship that holds up.

Get in Touch

The best way to reach me is via the contact page.

You can also find me on LinkedIn.