Mark Horwell
Wahroonga,NSW
Summary
Mark is a Solutions Architect with over 20 years of experience in the engineering and financial industries. His expertise in operations, development and networking underpin his architectural capability.
He has strong communication skills and has held several strategic roles at various companies where he has worked. Mark works well with business and technical stakeholders, achieving the desired outcomes.
He is a positive self-starter and is always keen to provide value wherever he works.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Temporary Technical Team Lead
Snowy Hydro
04.2024 - Current
- Oversaw the day-to-day work and deliverables of development team ensuring consistency and efficiency inline with business expectations.
- Updated and improved existing development standards using new and improved standards.
- Hand regular meetings with business and technical stakeholders to ensure that short term tactical and long term strategic objectives could be met.
- Boosted employee engagement levels with regular one-on-one meetings, discussion, and monitoring KPAs.
- Championed innovative solutions and encouraged creative problem-solving, driving continuous improvement within the organization.
- Resolved critical issues in a timely manner by identifying root causes and implementing effective corrective actions.
Water Uplift Programme -Solution Architect
Snowy Hydro
10.2022 - 04.2024
- Developed comprehensive documentation for solution design specifications, ensuring clear communication between stakeholders at all stages of project lifecycle.
- Managed the development team responsible to deliver the initial components.
- Facilitated seamless communication between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders by effectively translating complex concepts for all parties involved in projects.
- Worked with Business Analyst to interpret and document technical aspects of the business requirements. This included mathematical formula's, algorithms and engineering documentation.
- Provided technical leadership to the project team to ensure efficient delivery
- Presented solution for review and approval by various technical bodies.
- Oversaw the adoption of new technologies include NoSql Database and GraphQL APIs
Architect for Commercial Payment Systems
First National Bank
01.2022 - 09.2022
- Maintaining a high‑level architectural view across various teams and systems.
- Interact with Business regarding requirements and ensure alignment with long term IT
goals. - Interact with other Business Units and vendors that work in the payments space.
- Provide technical input that will assist decision‑makers.
- Present solutions at various Enterprise Boards (Security and Risk Committee, Enterprise Architecture Board and Cloud Committee), ensuring we align with enterprise standards.
- Drive long term payment road map. (Maintain 5 year outlook for payment systems in the bank)
Interact with various Enterprise Architects across the First Rand Group.
Lead a architecture team (2 ‑ 3 staff members)
Mentor and develop junior architects.
Merchant Services Solutions Architect
First National Bank
09.2019 - 01.2022
- Maintaining a high‑level architectural view across various teams and systems.
- Interact with Business regarding requirements and ensure alignment with IT goals and capacity.
- Interact with other Business Units and vendors that work with Merchant Services.
- Provide technical input that will assist decision‑makers.
- Present solutions at various Enterprise Boards (SRC, ITAB and Cloud), ensuring we align with enterprise standards.
- Participated in yearly strategic planning sessions for Merchant Services.
- Management of a team dedicated to solutioning and system analysis (Currently 8 staff members)
- Mentor and develop junior staff members.
- Conduct yearly HR performance reviews and other HR tasks.
- Participate in various segment level forums
Software Architect / Team Lead of Integration
First National Bank
07.2013 - 07.2019
- Manage and lead a development team (2 Systems Analysts and 4 developers.)
- Define and document system architecture
- Interact with the business to guide decisions related to strategy and requirements
- Lead Java Development
- Conduct yearly HR performance reviews and other HR tasks
- Mentor junior java developers and graduates
Android Developer
First National Bank
07.2012 - 07.2013
- Member of the android development team that worked on the mobile and tablet app.
Java Developer
First National Bank
08.2010 - 07.2012
- Maintained Mobile USSD systems
- Maintained pre‑existing WAP site
- Developed WAP site for high‑end devices
- Developed a system to detect network speed between mobile device and web servers
- Developed security widget to improve security when using WAP
- Developed Android security widget for FRB India project
- Developed an EE framework to compile, package and distribute mobile applications
Development and Technical Lead
Visible Touch
12.2009 - 08.2010
- Developed mobile applications using J2ME framework and Nokia's QT platform.
- Developed scalable applications using Java EE standards (JBoss)
- Implemented highly available MySQL databases
- Implemented application in data centres
Programme IT Lead for HMMG Project
Hatch Africa
11.2006 - 12.2009
- Designed and Implemented the networking and systems to support the project
- Managed 1 ‑ 10 technical staff and IT helpdesk
- Developed IT procedures and documentation
- Participated in project risk analysis sessions and participated in E&Y audit
- Developed solutions to streamline the interactions between various engineering and operational teams.
Lead Developer and Consultant
Veilside Consulting
11.2001 - 11.2006
- Developed a desktop application to manage and report on all workplace assessments
- Developed PDA application (.Net Framework using C#) for use by assessors
- Managed and oversaw system implementations for Anglo Gold, Harmony, Anglo Platinum
- Conducted training and managed relationships with business stakeholders
Team Leader
Sonlife Training and Development
01.2001 - 11.2001
Junior Technical Specialist
Hatch Africa
07.1999 - 11.2001
Education
Advance Diploma - Information Resource Management
University of South Africa
Pretoria, GAU07.2018
Diploma - Information Technology
University of South Africa
Pretoria, GAU07.2016
Skills
Leadership & Management
Architecture
Communication & Presenting
Project Management
Cloud Technologies & Architecture
Accomplishments
- Was recognised with a Commercial Award in 2020 for my efforts.
- Won 1st place in FRBʼs code fest competition with a proof of concept demonstrating a virtual credit card system
- Achieved 5th place in the 2nd FRB code fest competition with a proof of concept demonstrating peer‑to‑peer lending platform that ran on blockchain technology
- Won a cash prize for reducing merchant service SLAʼs time to under 4 hours
- Won a minivation award for a high‑end WAP project
J2Me application achieved 6th place in Nokia's "Calling all Innovators", Africa Competition
Certification
- HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (003), Hashicorp, 2023
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals, Microsoft, 2022
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS, 2022
- Digital Transformation: Platform Strategies for Success, Emeritus, 2021
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, AWS, 2021
- Oracle Certified Associate (Java SE), Oracle, 2018
- ITIL Foundations, Axelos, 2018
- TOGAF 9.1, Torque IT, 2017
- Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist (MTST / MCITP), Microsoft, 2009
- Certificate in Project Management Fundamentals (PM-BOK)
and Change Management, Pm Ideas, 2009 - Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco, 2001
- Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft, 1999
Timeline
Temporary Technical Team Lead
Snowy Hydro
04.2024 - Current
Water Uplift Programme -Solution Architect
Snowy Hydro
10.2022 - 04.2024
Architect for Commercial Payment Systems
First National Bank
01.2022 - 09.2022
Merchant Services Solutions Architect
First National Bank
09.2019 - 01.2022
Software Architect / Team Lead of Integration
First National Bank
07.2013 - 07.2019
Android Developer
First National Bank
07.2012 - 07.2013
Java Developer
First National Bank
08.2010 - 07.2012
Development and Technical Lead
Visible Touch
12.2009 - 08.2010
Programme IT Lead for HMMG Project
Hatch Africa
11.2006 - 12.2009
Lead Developer and Consultant
Veilside Consulting
11.2001 - 11.2006
Team Leader
Sonlife Training and Development
01.2001 - 11.2001
Junior Technical Specialist
Hatch Africa
07.1999 - 11.2001
- HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (003), Hashicorp, 2023
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals, Microsoft, 2022
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS, 2022
- Digital Transformation: Platform Strategies for Success, Emeritus, 2021
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, AWS, 2021
- Oracle Certified Associate (Java SE), Oracle, 2018
- ITIL Foundations, Axelos, 2018
- TOGAF 9.1, Torque IT, 2017
- Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist (MTST / MCITP), Microsoft, 2009
- Certificate in Project Management Fundamentals (PM-BOK)
and Change Management, Pm Ideas, 2009 - Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco, 2001
- Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft, 1999
Advance Diploma - Information Resource Management
University of South Africa
Diploma - Information Technology
University of South Africa
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