Michael Card

Novus Strategy

Enterprise Architect · Novus Strategic Partner

Designing orchestration capabilities for complex multi-party workflows, automating documentation across a large microservice estate, and building AI-powered codebase intelligence. Delivered enterprise-scale architecture while mentoring teams and establishing standards.

Architect for BPP's greenfield learner dashboard and apprenticeship progress engine. I led the architecture across three repositories, introduced .NET Aspire for a true F5 development experience, and used Claude Code to ship a working front-end and back-end proof of concept inside the first week.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)

Solutions Architect · Toptal Strategic Partner

Conducted independent technical due diligence for Medecins Sans Frontieres, analysing their existing codebase, challenging a development agency's modernisation proposal, and delivering executive reports that enabled leadership to make informed vendor decisions.

LimeFlight

Solutions Architect · Toptal Strategic Partner

Reduced page load times from 12-30 seconds to 2-3 seconds for a French airline logistics platform through strategic caching implementation, while identifying deeper database architecture issues that would require significant restructuring to fully resolve.

Operational Solutions

C# Developer

Built event-driven sensor integrations for a Ministry of Defence security contractor, implementing MQTT-driven workflows for hardware-based security systems that support automated drone deployment at sites including decommissioned nuclear facilities and Heathrow Airport.

Waverly Studios

Solutions Architect · Toptal Strategic Partner

Transformed a struggling US startup's backend from minimal implementation to production-ready architecture, implementing CQRS patterns, integrating Stripe/SendBird/SendGrid/Auth0, and resolving critical issues including memory leaks.

Spa Space Inc

Chief Technology Officer

Fractional CTO for a US wellness marketplace startup, architecting a 45+ microservice platform, managing teams of up to 20 developers across three agency engagements, and learning critical lessons about authority, title, and technical leadership in volatile business environments.

Greggs plc

C# Developer

Contributed to Greggs' digital platform modernisation as Senior Frontend Developer, integrating StoryBlok headless CMS with their Vue.js frontend and gaining first exposure to the Mediator pattern in their C# backend architecture.

SureView Systems

C# Developer

Brief engagement with a US-based enterprise security company, integrating a new video feed vendor into their Vue.js platform - an early exposure to security hardware integration that would inform later work at Operational Solutions.

PIMSS Data Systems Limited

C# Developer

Migrated a well-established Silverlight application to Vue.js for a property management company while advising leadership on Agile adoption - delivering 90% of the migration before the internal team took over for completion.

First introduction to true microservices architecture - built web scraping infrastructure for an Innovate UK-funded sustainability comparison platform, working with Docker and Kubernetes on Google Cloud while the startup attempted to solve the challenge of sourcing reliable sustainability ratings.

The Silver Corporation

Solutions Architect

Served as sole technical resource for an Isle of Wight-based online retailer, reverse-engineering and rebuilding their warehouse management system from VB6 to C#/WPF, migrating from Microsoft Access to MongoDB, and implementing predictive stock analytics - all while balancing this fractional engagement alongside Holiday Caravans Direct.

Holiday Caravans Direct Ltd

Technical Director

Stepped in as sole technical lead to rescue and rebuild a UK holiday caravan marketplace, modernising a legacy .NET Framework platform to .NET Core and Vue.js while designing an SEO pre-launch strategy that outranked competitors before pandemic-related funding constraints ended the project.

Activus Ltd

C# Developer

Transformed from a contract developer to a recognised authority for a B2B insurance platform, building a component-based jQuery framework that predated modern patterns, migrating from WinForms to MVC, and upskilling a 15-person development team through dedicated training and pair programming.

JLT Group (now Marsh)

C# Developer

Worked as Senior C# Developer at JLT Group on BenPal - a pioneering pensions and benefits platform serving major UK employers. Designed event-driven architecture using BizTalk for automated document generation and built white-labelling with Less CSS just-in-time compilation.

Lyons Davidson Solicitors

C# Developer

Applied SOLID principles to dramatically reduce code duplication in a law firm's legacy codebase, building a reflection-based database access framework that cut typical class sizes from 4,000 lines to 400 lines and demonstrating the business value of clean code practices.

Brightside Insurance Group

C# Developer

Began professional career as a C# Developer at a major insurance company, building a distributed test automation system that reduced UAT execution from half a day to 30 minutes, integrating with price comparison platforms, and learning the foundations of professional software development.