What are your main responsibilities at MLA?

I oversee IT, projects and reporting, covering everything from the day-to-day technology that keeps the business running to longer-term change projects.

This includes our infrastructure and cloud environment, information security and compliance, case management and reporting platforms, and relationships with IT suppliers. I also manage our data and business analysis team, helping to ensure the business has the reporting and insight it needs to make informed decisions.

How long have you worked at MLA, and how has your role developed?

I joined MLA in November 2024 as IT Service Delivery Manager. Initially, my role focused on keeping our technology running effectively and strengthening the fundamentals.

As the IT function grew, my responsibilities expanded to include supplier management, security governance, certification and project delivery. In June this year, I became Head of IT, Projects and Reporting, bringing reporting and the wider project portfolio together under one function.

It has been a great progression so far, and there is still plenty on the roadmap.

What do you enjoy most about your role and working at MLA?

The variety. No two weeks look the same, and my work can range from technical problem-solving to working with the senior team on the future direction of the business.

I’m trusted to make decisions in the best interests of MLA, which means we can move quickly. Colleagues across the business are also genuinely open to changing how things are done when it will make their work easier or improve the service we provide.

Working with people who care about getting things right for our clients makes the technology side of the role particularly rewarding.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I’m currently on a health kick, so I’ve been cycling regularly – although there is no Lycra involved, and there never will be!

Living in Wales gives us plenty of places to explore, and I’ve invested in the equipment needed to take the bikes away on family trips.

With three children aged twelve, nine and four, weekends are usually a mixture of days out, tidying up after them and acting as a WWE referee.

I’m also interested in retro gaming and tabletop role-playing games, including Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy. Because I clearly don’t get enough technology at work, I run a home lab and have been experimenting with AI. I even used it to build my own Dark Heresy character creator.

Thank you to Colin for giving us an insight into his role and life outside MLA.