A day in the life of - Richard Collins

As Head of Technology at Demarq, I split my time between working closely with customers and getting hands-on with the tech.

A typical day often starts with client calls — designing analytics and AI platforms built on Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS), usually involving SAS Viya or SAS 9.4. The goal is always the same: build something reliable, scalable, and fit for purpose.

I still enjoy writing code — whether that’s a quick Bash script, a Python utility, or something in Go. These are often the small pieces that help join things up or solve problems that enterprise software doesn’t quite cover.

Performance is a particular focus of mine — especially around storage and I/O. There’s real satisfaction in figuring out how to make systems run more efficiently and reliably.

I try to share what I know as much as possible, both with our team and with customers. Holding onto knowledge doesn’t help anyone — sharing it builds trust, skills and better outcomes all round.

To stay up to speed, I keep a regular eye on Hacker News, Ars Technica, Slashdot and Reddit. It’s a good way to stay connected to what’s changing — and what isn’t.

Outside of work, I’m usually being outsmarted by my four-year-old daughter, who makes me laugh daily. And on weekends, you’ll often find me DJing with a friend at When We Were Young — our night dedicated to indie, house, and the sounds of the late '90s and early 2000s.

My days are shaped by focus, problem solving, and collaboration — with enough room for a bit of creativity and curiosity too.