Web design experience
I started designing websites way back in 1996, long before Google appeared.
Having originally started as a freelance web designer producing websites for various sectors of industry, sports companies and small businesses, in late 2000 I was invited to join Hertz, the multi-national car rental company.
Hertz were putting together a team to build and maintain their multilingual international car rental websites, and I spent the first 8 years with the company developing their core websites using HTML, ColdFusion, JavaScript and SQL Server.
We then developed a new global java platform, incorporating the Interwoven content management system, and later adding AEM (Adobe Experience Manager) into the mix.
As a side interest I began working with PHP and MySQL, developing PHP websites for personal use as well as for building websites for local businesses.
Multi-lingual website management
Expanding on this new Java platform, which at its peak generated over $3.5 billion USD in annual sales, I was responsible for the implementation and management of a number of translated versions of the Hertz website for Europe, Middle East, Africa, Thailand, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
28 different languages and dialects were implemented on the core websites, and Interwoven was later replaced with the more adaptable content management system by Adobe called AEM (Adobe Experience Manager).
Management of franchise and partnerships
Having then been appointed the role of role of Franchisee and Partner manager, I was responsible for overseeing the implementation and management of a number of websites developed on external 3rd party platforms whilst integrating with the core Hertz fleet, locations and reservations systems.
This 3rd party integration allowed partnerships and affiliations with corporate airline partners including Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Etihad and Qatar Airways to form, and enabled access to the Hertz booking system to be included within their flight booking process, and car rentals to be made alongside flight reservations.
GDPR and legal compliance
I also spent since 2014 responsible for ensuring that our websites complied with international laws, including rules set out by the EU Commission, CMA, and regulatory bodies in the US, Canada, Australia, etc.
This included GDPR, pricing clarity and transparency, and rules around the capture and handling of personal data, which differ from country to country.
You can dig a little deeper into my career history on LinkedIn.
Digital transformation
My last few years with the company were spent working with teams from IBM and Accenture on a multi-million dollar digital transformation, encompassing a complete front end redesign, and back end system overhaul.
My career in eCommerce at Hertz continued for over 20 years until I decided to leave during the recent covid pandemic and return to freelance web design.
You can dig a little deeper into my career history on LinkedIn.
Relevant web skills
- Front End Web Development
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- PHP
- mySQL
- Responsive Web Design
- Web Graphics (PhotoShop)
- User Experience (UX) Design
- User Experience Testing
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Web Project Management
- Web Content Management
- Web Consultancy
- Website Compliance and GDPR
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)
- Business Analysis
Web project management and collaboration
Providing a list of relevant web skills is one thing, but having had years of experience of web design, development and website management, excellent communication skills have been vital in the successful collaboration within website production teams and management at all levels.
Managing and collaborating on multiple web projects within application release cycles where development and testing takes place in various staging environments, requires a very disciplined approach, great attention to detail, and working under pressure.
NDAs, location and working arrangements
Professional discretion is very important, and therefore I am happy to sign non-disclosure agreements for any work I carry out on your behalf.
My home office is based near Spalding in south Lincolnshire, and I am happy to work remotely or on site.
