About

  • T.D.Mac Consulting ceased trading 30/09/2023.

  • This site remains as a portfolio site and personal blog.

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T.D.Mac Consulting

Tom Macdonald

A professional profile

Learn more about the contributory routes of experience that have led to this point.

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Tom Macdonald

Developer & Digital Consultant

Having worked in many roles, across several industries, I pull from that wealth of experience to rapidly understand client operations and better aid their businesses. Finding the best solution for a client’s specific circumstance is always the main focus. I’m an asset to businesses who need a developer that looks at problems at a high level, not just from a technical delivery perspective.

Experiences

With a background in both engineering and operations, you can trust that every decision regarding your project is grounded in extensive experience and expertise. Here are some of the key career highlights that showcase the sources of my knowledge and skills.

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VAFO Digital

Front-End Developer

In my role at VAFO Digital, I have grown my technical ability significantly. Having a wealth of knowledge available from such a talented group of colleagues, diversified my technical knowledge, expanding my understanding of coding principles and technologies.

Working on greenfield platform migration projects, using bleeding edge technologies, I was able to deliver innovative solutions under tight time constraints. As a much larger team, the work at VAFO has been much more collaborative and agile methodologies employed have aided this greatly. The regular practice of these methods have cemented my understanding of how they work and why the are a key driver in the team's success.

The main content of my work with VAFO Digital has been service integrations, edge functions, middleware, endpoints, caching, sessions, and client-side web components. While I have worked on nearly every area of the front-end of the platform in some capacity, key features I have helped deliver include: multi-currency support, the PDP, cart, checkout, and the subscription builder.

I can confidently say my time at VAFO Digital has been my most rapid and sustained period of growth as a developer.

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Clarity Growth

Developer

In my role at Clarity Growth, I transitioned from junior frontend to a mid-level full stack developer, significantly expanding my technical skill set. I worked competently as both a project and account manager, ensuring client needs were met while delivering high-quality solutions.

Collaborating closely with the CTO & CEO, I provided solutions architecture services, conduct technical audits, and craft business intelligence reports that inform strategic decisions for clients. I honed my skills across various technologies - including Laravel Nova, Vue, React, React Native, and more - and also took the opportunity to mentor a junior developer, fostering their growth and confidence.

Operating with autonomy when needed, I effectively balanced multiple responsibilities while maintaining strong communication with stakeholders. This combination of leadership, technical expertise, and project management cemented my role as a vital member of the team.

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T.D.Mac Consulting

Developer

As a sole trader under T.D. Mac Consulting, I expertly managed my business while honing my skills as a junior frontend developer. I exceeded client expectations from my very first project, leading to continuous contracts for over two years with Clarity Growth and its predecessor, Velox.

Initially, I provided basic HTML & CSS templating services, then integrated the content management for the Drupal site. As my expertise grew, I worked with Statamic and expanded my offerings. Highlights include creating several Statamic sites, and developing a UI kit for designers and developers. Other successes included building a custom migration app using NodeJS to transition a client from Magento to Shopify, complete with a dynamic image scraper and a stock syncing app for integration with a third party POS system.

This experience was pivotal to my growth as a developer, enabling me to refine my technical skills and implement effective web solutions while introducing me to key practices and processes of agile development.

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Alpserve

Operations Manager

At Alpserve, I started as an operations coordinator and within three weeks I took charge as Operations Manager, crafting a successful operational model for 15,000 customers by week six. This clean-slate venture emerged to fill the void left by a failed predecessor that had suffered significant revenue losses.

I drove the transformation to profitability through digitisation, automating admin tasks and customer communications. As the business evolved, I managed the diverse income streams, including the world’s first mobile ski slope hire, and at it's peak, the largest preloved retro-skiwear rental and retail business in the world. All of this while working with our digital partner Velox to develop a bespoke app for our rental stock management to aid our main operation.

As COVID-19 loomed, I reflected on the future direction of the business and realised my operational and data skills could be better utilised in development. This insight inspired me to pivot my career toward a full-time study path to become a developer and enter the world of digital transformation.

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Hanon Systems

C.A.D Designer

During my time at Hanon Systems (formerly H.V.C.C Global), I honed effective cross-team and stakeholder communication skills as a CAD designer. I transformed client requirements into working 3D designs and accompanying technical drawings for prestigious automotive brands including McLaren, Aston Martin, JLR, Ford, Hyundai/Kia, and more.

I embraced project-based work, which allowed me to collaborate closely with clients & colleagues and deepen my understanding of engineering-based problem-solving methodologies, including Six Sigma. Additionally, I first utilised version control systems in a professional setting, giving me an experienced understanding of their purpose in version and collaboration management - all transferable to my current work.

Beyond engineering, I was proud to engage in community outreach, raising over £2,000 for charity through fundraisers and leading a LEGO club for primary school children in a disadvantaged area, providing a positive male role model. I also taught STEM workshops in secondary schools, providing valuable learning experiences. These experiences enriched my professional journey and expanded my transferable skills, which I apply in my current work every day.

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