Role & Background
Worked across software development, business intelligence, systems administration, IT security and early search-engine optimization.
- Created Windows applications for data warehousing, data mining, statistical analysis and business intelligence.
- Administered web servers and supported company IT infrastructure and security.
- Managed small web-development and online-marketing teams while implementing SEO initiatives.
Early Search Marketing
Working on SEO before it was a conventional job title
I joined Discover Group in October 1999 initially to improve the search visibility of a large portfolio of online properties. Search-engine optimization was still an emerging discipline, so much of the work involved learning directly from how contemporary search engines crawled, indexed and ranked sites rather than following an established professional playbook.
That work became the foundation for the SEO consulting practice I later continued through Link Ranker Marketing.
Software & Business Data
Internal tools for data manipulation, analysis and reporting
The role expanded after management realized I could also develop software. I began creating internal Windows applications and utilities used to manipulate business data, support statistical and business-intelligence work and produce reporting that was frequently delivered in spreadsheet form.
The software work grew alongside the marketing role rather than replacing it, creating an early pattern in my career of moving between data, applications and business operations as the problem required.
Infrastructure
From applications into servers and data-center operations
Responsibility expanded again when the company invested in new server infrastructure. I configured and maintained systems in Vancouver, including servers that were prepared locally and then shipped to an overseas data center for production use.
That brought systems administration, web infrastructure and IT security into the same role as application development and online marketing.
Team Leadership
Web development, marketing and design became part of the remit
As the scope grew, I became responsible for a small multidisciplinary group spanning web development, internet marketing and graphic design while continuing to work directly on websites, infrastructure and internal tooling.
The business operated a large portfolio of online-gaming properties supported by internal development, infrastructure and marketing teams.