Background
Technology leadership that moves with the business.
25+ years building secure, scalable systems for organisations that can't afford to stand still.
I started in hands-on IT support and infrastructure, building up through MSP environments where I managed the technology estate for 23 large-scale clients simultaneously at IT Lab. That breadth — across sectors, sizes, and maturity levels — is where the pattern recognition comes from.
In 2019 I moved into Lily's Kitchen as embedded IT Manager through Correct Group, then directly as Head of IT following the Nestlé Purina acquisition. I've led the digital transformation strategy through that transition: hybrid cloud infrastructure, security and compliance, a £1.2m annual budget, and teams across the globe. The AI and automation work — generative AI, agentic workflows, Azure Fabric data model — is the current chapter.
I've run RichardHam.co.uk in parallel since 2014, working with SMEs and PE-backed businesses on the things that don't need a full-time hire but do need a senior person: security posture, IT leadership, compliance prep, M&A due diligence, and AI strategy. I work fractionally because it's a better model — for the businesses I help, and for me.
Core Expertise
Emerging Focus
Tech Stack
Philosophy
My Approach
"Security that the business can't operate with isn't security — it's a tax."
Good security is invisible to the people who don't need to think about it and clear to the people who do. If your controls are slowing down the business, they're the wrong controls.
"I don't write strategy documents nobody reads. I make decisions with you and then go and execute them."
Most businesses don't need another consultant's report. They need someone who can sit in the room, understand the constraints, and actually move things forward.
Credentials
Professional Certifications
CompTIA Security+ (SY0-601)
Microsoft MCP: Windows Desktop, Windows Server, Hyper-V Virtualization
National Diploma in Management (NVQ Level 3)
Cyber Essentials Certified
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
ITIL Foundation