About

I’m Ben Smith, a technologist with over 20 years of experience building and scaling systems, teams and functions across the public and private sector.

I’ve worked hands-on across infrastructure, cloud, networking and security — starting as a support analyst and growing into architecture, consulting and engineering leadership roles. I’ve delivered in high-pressure, high-scale environments including financial services, government and now product.

Today, I lead the technology team at PortSwigger, covering platform engineering, security, tech ops and user success. My focus is on building resilient systems, enabling high-trust teams and aligning technology with real-world outcomes.

I’ve previously led DevSecOps at Barclays, consulted at ThoughtWorks, and held architecture leadership roles across DWP, Co-op Bank and more. From early-career network engineering to shaping organisational strategy, I’ve always cared about delivery, clarity and building technology that actually matters.

This site is where I write about AI, engineering leadership, systems thinking and the constant evolution of technology and teams.