Celebrating Chris Collins’ 15 Year ‘Boxiversary’

I joined Box UK straight out of University and 15 years later…well…here I am.  A lot has changed in that time, not least the technology! But one thing that has remained the same despite the growth in team numbers – the culture, it’s still as innovative, empowering and collaborative as it promised on the job advert.

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Tom Houdmont

Head of Business Solutions

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Tom leads Box UK’s Business Solutions team and has over 15 years experience in the web industry.  Tom is passionate about creating impactful solutions that solve real problems and deliver the outcomes our clients need.

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My first role was as a Developer, primarily doing front-end work for a range of clients. I applied for the role as the job advert stood out from others – it talked about being passionate about software development, which as a fresh graduate and self confessed ‘techie’ really resonated with me.  When I first joined, Box UK was predominantly focussed on supporting clients with CMS implementations of our own CMS (Amaxus) and I primarily did the front-end side of these integrations.  Faced with the opportunity to get more involved in back-end development I was able to expand my knowledge further and grew into a more senior development role.

In the 15 years I’ve been here I have also been able to grow my technical expertise across a range of applications as the business has evolved to support bespoke development for enterprise clients operating locally and globally.

Typically no one day for me is the same, and now as a Principal Developer I am not only involved in the running of client projects from a technical perspective; writing and reviewing code and defining technical approaches but I also champion coding standards and automated testing across the business to ensure we are constantly following best practices and demonstrating continual improvement. 

Since being at Box UK I’ve worked on prestigious projects like the homepage and travel news sections of bbc.co.uk. I have been the technical lead on projects for institutions like BCS, UNISON and The National Gallery. And best of all I also get to lead, coach and support the development of a team of expert developers.

It’s not unusual to stay at a company like Box UK for 15 years – it’s an infectious culture – everyone takes pride in their work and the exceptional outcomes that their colleagues deliver every day.

More about Chris

I met my wife at Box UK; Sophie and I married last year. I have a 6 year old son who I love spending time with. I’m a big Tottenham Hotspur fan and enjoy photography in my spare time.

Chris Collins

Software Delivery Manager

Chris Collins is a Software Delivery Manager at Box UK with nine years of experience. Specializing in back-end PHP and database development, he has worked on projects for clients like the BBC and The National Gallery. He is an advocate for testing and coding standards in software development.