Our People. Data Intellect

EAT, SLEEP, CODE, REPEAT.

We are solutions-oriented thinkers. We’re not afraid to have an opinion, to try new things, push boundaries or take risks.

We’re here to challenge the industry norm to be better and do better.

Our Culture

Meet the team.

STEVE TURNER

Chief Executive Officer

STEVE TURNER.

Chief Executive Officer.

Data Intellect is Belfast’s best-kept secret.

Having been a rower at an Olympic level, he knows a thing or two about streamlining – this is Steve. Drawing on considerable experience in Finance, Sales, Consulting, and senior leadership roles within the technology space, Financial Services and Banking sectors, Steve is expertly poised to steer Data Intellect along its growth trajectory. A driven athlete with an insatiable hunger for the next challenge, Steve hopes to pass on his proven, peak-performance mentality to the Data Intellect team and realise the potential of everyone both personally and professionally. Having worked and lived around the world, Steve’s favourite place is Vietnam, for its culture, food, people and history.

JONNY PRESS

Chief Technology Officer

JONNY PRESS.

Chief Technology Officer.

Don’t worry what other people say about your thick curly hair – it looks fabulous and doesn’t last long.

When his colleagues say ‘hot off the press’, it means the technology oracle has spoken, meet Jonny. Having specialised in building data capture and analysis systems with Kx System’s technology since 2004, Jonny brings his vast knowledge to ensuring Data Intellect’s training needs are well met. In the financial sector he has helped design, develop and deliver a range of platforms to banks, regulators, exchanges and hedge funds around the world. Outside of finance he has built systems for IoT and Clinical trials clients. Within Data Intellect, Jonny is responsible for project delivery and having been a part of the team from the early days, he works hard to maintain that agile, challenger feel as the company trajectory continues its upwards trend. When asked to describe his job in three words, Jonny’s response was simply: “Code, talk, email.”

CIARA MCCLOSKEY

Director of People

CIARA MCCLOSKEY.

Director of People.

Describe your job in three words - busy, but fun

Both in work and at home, Ciara is motivated by, passionate about and responsible for people. Superbly juggling staff across the UK, US and Asia. Ciara’s duties include managing the recruitment of new employees across different business streams whilst also overseeing training and development, implementing strategies and initiatives in alignment with business strategy. A Data Intellect founder, Ciara has been central to the evolution of the business culture, is excited by its growth potential, and recognises that the calibre of people they employ has always been intrinsic to the success the company has enjoyed. Ciara enjoys wholesome days out with the family and moonlights as a taxi driver to three little people.

STEVEN JOHNSTON

Director of Business Development

STEVEN JOHNSTON.

Director of Business Development.

Advice for a younger you - “Get out of bed earlier!”

In his world, the best clients are happy clients, enough said, meet Steven. After 20 years of working in roles from software development consultancy, business analysis, leading a new product development global team and an executive board level position, Steven is unequivocally equipped with a wealth of industry experience. He is passionate about high performance applications and how to harness innovative technologies to optimise performance in capital markets with cloud system integration and mobile IoT coupled with effective team building and scalable business growth. Steven loves to travel anywhere hot and dry, except when he’s on the golf course, when he stays well away from the sand.

DAVID RICHARDSON

Director of Operations

DAVID RICHARDSON.

Director of Operations.

Believe and commit 100% to whatever you do.

He’s an ‘nth’ level ‘in the know’ master, meet the ‘all-seeing eye’ that goes by David. Having considerable past experience in areas as process improvement and global customer and project management, David offers a uniquely eclectic skillset. This positions him perfectly to oversee the next evolution of the company. Drawn to Data Intellect by its palpable growth potential, David is an admirer of CEO Steve’s energy and enthusiasm and has every faith that the culture of the organisation will be richly complemented as a result. A natural team player, David still enjoys playing football and whilst he is confident in his abilities to bolster the steady growth of the business, he is not quite so sure-footed these days whilst on the pitch. His favourite place to travel is Australia, going the width of the world to keep in touch with old friends.

RICHARD DUNSEATH

Head of Solution Delivery

RICHARD DUNSEATH.

Head of Solution Delivery.

I love the fact Data Intellect is a local firm operating with a global footprint.

Putting progress before praise, this is Richard. Richard heads the Project Delivery and Management division for Data Intellect providing consulting services to several top tier investment banks. With over 15 years in Financial Services and his background in Capital Markets, he was a natural choice for what he says is a fast-paced, varied and enjoyable role. His aspirations for Data Intellect are to make the company the dominant force in the industry. Much like the women’s rugby team he coaches, his work team consists of diverse and passionate characters; but both on and off the rugby pitch, Richard is motivated and ever determined to recruit more talent for his teams.

JAMIE GRANT

Technical Director

JAMIE GRANT.

Technical Director.

Be curious and look for opportunities to learn from every role and situation.

Just like his server cabinet, he’s chilled to perfection, meet Jamie. Drawing on over 10 years implementing KX Technology at top-tier investment banks and hedge funds, Jamie’s experience answers every question Data Intellect throws at him. Describing his job in three words as “Architecture, Coding and Design” Jamie applies a technical artistry to create every type of platform from large scale data warehouse to high throughput real-time analytics, with a particular focus on low latency, high-frequency trading systems, across a range of asset classes. Having been with Data Intellect from the beginning, he relishes the chance to influence how the company will grow whilst continuing to bring cutting edge excellence to meet and even exceed client challenges. Fave place to travel: Iceland, for the culture and incredible landscapes.

GARY DAVIES

Head of Time Series Data

GARY DAVIES.

Head of Time Series Data.

Life is all about transferrable skills, you aren’t limited to your initial domain.

He’s a man who chooses his words, very wisely. When asked to describe his job in just three, he said: “Advise, Design, Lead” This is Gary. As Head of Time Series Data, he specialises in delivering solutions to complex problems for global clients. In his role, Gary gets to advise on, design and develop global time series data applications across the capital markets space, research on the latest developments, technologies and architectures and work with, and learn from, his team of subject matter experts, while developing a talent pipeline. Hobbies include building Lego and collecting Oakley sunglasses which come in very handy when he visits his favorite spot; the Canary Islands.

PATRICK FARREN

Head of Software Engineering

PATRICK FARREN.

Head of Software Engineering.

Describe your job in three words: I solve problems!

If computer whispering was a thing, he’d be the guy you go to - this industry expert is Patrick. A driven and dedicated IT professional, Patrick joined Data Intellect to bolster the software engineering offering with 30+ years development experience and 25 years’ experience within financial services and utilities. Hard working and technically adept, Patrick’s expertise as a team coordinator and project planner makes him ideally situated to realise both his and Data Intellect’s aspirations, building upon early but significant achievements. A passionate hill walker in his spare time, Patrick also tends to a small vineyard of 30 vines, producing around 110 bottles of red wine annually.

RYAN MCCARRON

Head of Data Analytics and Engineering

RYAN MCCARRON.

Head of Data Analytics and Engineering.

Cooking and coffee to an obsessive degree!

This is Ryan and he loves it when a plan comes together. In his own words, the meat and veg of Ryan’s day to day is analysis and leadership. With more than 6 years as head of data science, he is a tireless problem solver and hopes to assemble a crack team of data analysts and engineers, ready to take on any and all client problems. Ryan is a software developer with a keen interest in data collection, manipulation, and visualisation. Indeed, he was initially drawn to the challenge at Data Intellect because of a shared passion for learning how to tease insight and information from the numbers. His industry hero is Tim Harford, aka the Undercover Economist, for his expertise in concisely explaining complex financial and data issues.

JEMMA BORLAND

Financial Software Developer and Head of Time Series Learning and Development

JEMMA BORLAND.

Financial Software Developer and Head of Time Series Learning and Development.

My industry hero? - Everyone who works with kdb+ has to say Arthur, right?

Boasting one of the longest job titles in Belfast, this is Jemma. Never afraid to venture outside her comfort zone, Jemma brings tough love and resilience to her work with kdb+ and associated technologies as a financial software developer, both at home and as a remote globetrotter. An employee with ambitions to match those of the business, Jemma wants to help to develop the best Time Series training program for both experienced colleagues and those just entering the market.

CLAIRE POLAND

Financial Software Developer and Head of Time Series Learning and Development

CLAIRE POLAND.

Financial Software Developer and Head of Time Series Learning and Development.

My industry hero? - J.B. – they know.

Programming skills over everyday thrills for this kdb+ queen, meet Claire. Claire’s high programming, mathematical and statistical knowledge makes her a developer any team would be lucky to have. She uses her combined knowledge of software development and finance to help solve the most complex data problems and hopes to make Data Intellect a foundry of knowledge to help the next generation of data specialists come through. If she had one piece of advice for her younger self, it would be to speak up if you don’t understand something. The right people will be there to guide you in the right direction and Claire’s passion for giving others a leg up will ensure this philosophy rings true. From dog-walks to Pilates practice, Claire is a keen explorer of life and destinations near and far.

KENT LEE

Principal KDB+ Developer

KENT LEE.

Principal KDB+ Developer.

My hobbies? - That’s cute. My latest origami project was a 555-piece torus ring!

Unlike his mega-origami projects, Kent never folds under pressure. Kent is an enthusiastic and hardworking kdb+ developer who leads a 5 strong team on client projects. A mirror to the Data Intellect business ethos, Kent also mentors and manages Time Series developers in collaboration with the team lead. A determined and patient soul who sees the value in long term investment, both for the company and for himself, Kent brings his own personal and cultural life lessons to how he conducts himself in the day-to-day. Attracted to the enormous growth potential he sees in the company; Kent hopes to be able to influence those who come through at a junior level with the strong leadership and passion for developing talent, that made him the skilled senior dev he is today. Favourite place: Malaysia – Kent’s hometown, and home to so much good eating!

MATT DOHERTY

Principal Engineer and Time-Series Technical Lead

MATT DOHERTY.

Principal Engineer and Time-Series Technical Lead.

Advice for your younger self: Write down the problem. Think really hard. Write down the solution.

He’s a real thinker with a kaleidoscopic appreciation of data, this is Matt. Data Intellect’s principal engineer and senior line manager, Matt specialises in kdb+ and the finance sector. An enthusiastic Software developer/engineer/data person, he describes the work at Data Intellect as “Fast paced, challenging and rewarding. With a broad interest in almost anything relating to high technology or computing, particularly applications of data and data visualization, outside of work, Matt is currently working on building little 3D printed models of cycling/hiking routes which you can check out here: picodoc.org/model-making.html Favourite place: “Switzerland, maybe someday I’ll be rich enough to go again!”

ANDREW BARROW

Principal kdb+ Developer

ANDREW BARROW.

Principal kdb+ Developer.

Advice for younger me - Travel more … and buy Bitcoin.

He’s been there, done that and got the t-shirt in every colour, meet Andrew. A Consultant/KDB+ Developer by day, Andrew provides specialist data management, data analytic and data mining services to clients operating in the financial industry and capital markets. Andrew possesses a considerable tech skill set, in addition to a fundamental knowledge of the mechanics of various Financial Instruments. What drew Andrew to Data Intellect was the opportunity to grow professionally, join a dynamic community of driven individuals and be a part of a thriving company. We think he made the right choice. When not solving problems or building stuff, Andrew can turn his hand to most sports, enjoying golf, tennis, football, squash and cricket.

LOUISA-JANE VANCE

Head of People/HR

LOUISA-JANE VANCE.

Head of People/HR.

Get me on a plane and I’ll go literally anywhere

Her passport has more stamps than a stamp collector, this is Louisa-Jane. An experienced HR Consultant with over 15 years at the senior level, Louisa-Jane brings invaluable knowledge covering all aspects of HR, employment and legislation. Her talent for implementing impactful HR functions into the Data Intellect organisation ensures the HR strategy aligns seamlessly with company goals and objectives. Her vision for the future of Data Intellect is an ambitious one, putting the right people in the right roles, supported by a structure that will allow for growth that matches the expectations of the team already in place. When asked what advice she would give to her younger self - “Don’t be frightened of failure, it’s about progress, not perfection, so relax.”

WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW.

Leading the way in technology and data solutions for the world’s leading financial institutions means you need people who can perform.

You’ll know if you’re up to the challenge.

Join Us

Our People.