About

Who I am and what I do.

Hi, I’m Jessica.

My work focuses on turning complex platforms into scalable, high-performing organisations. I’ve spent my career navigating the complexities of high-scale technology, while supporting a culture of continuous improvement and learning. Whether I’m overseeing the architecture for a large organisation or stabilising a legacy monolith, my goal is always the same: to leave things in a better state than I found them, both the code and the culture.

Why Work With Me?

I’ve worked across the full spectrum of company sizes and maturities, primarily in highly regulated environments. My expertise lies at the intersection of technical strategy and cultural change.

I understand that technical debt isn’t just a code problem, it’s a people problem. It’s about the teams who are maintaining the systems, the stakeholders who rely on them, and the business outcomes they enable. My approach is holistic: I focus on sustainable solutions that empower your teams and align with your business goals, rather than quick fixes that may lead to more debt down the line.

When we work together, you get a technical leader who bridges the gap between high-level strategy and deep-dive execution:

  • Collaborative & Technical Insight: I provide a range of technical expertise; with past experience including leading large-scale architectural initiatives. I work closely with your teams to understand their challenges and co-create solutions that are both technically sound and practically implementable.
  • Empowered Implementation: I don't dictate solutions with a one-size-fits-all approach; I focus on maintainability, stability, and security. I ensure your engineers understand the why behind every solution, empowering them to take ownership and drive continuous improvement long after our engagement ends.
  • Radical Transparency: Drawing on my experience as a senior technical leader, I maintain clear communication with stakeholders at every level. My proposals are battle-tested and practical, focused on solving real-world technical debt rather than chasing theoretical perfection.
  • Value-Driven, Sustainable Change: I focus on technical changes that move the needle for the business, whether that’s improving system resilience or passing rigorous audits, without compromising the developer experience or the mental well-being of the teams supporting the system.

Beyond the Screen

Beyond my architectural work, I am deeply invested in the tech community. I’ve spoken at international conferences and meetups worldwide, covering topics like stabilising legacy systems, monitoring cultures, and technical debt, and I am always open to discussing speaking opportunities related to the work we do together.

Leadership & Organisation

  • Community Board Roles: Member of the .NET Foundation Board of Directors and Chair of the Membership Committee (2022 – 2024).
  • Event Founder: Director and Co-Founder of DDD East Midlands (2019 – 2025), a not-for-profit conference supporting the local tech community and under-represented voices.
  • Meetups:Co-founder and organiser of Women In Tech, Nottingham (2015 – 2017) and lead organiser of the .NET Nottingham Meetup (2020 – 2025).

Speaking & Conference History

  • International Events: NewCrafts Paris, NDC Oslo, NDC London, NDC Porto, NDC Copenhagen, NDC Sydney, and NDC Minnesota.
  • Podcasts & Panels: Regular contributions including Unhandled Exception, .Net Rocks, and technical discussion panels at the Microsoft MVP Summit and Women Tech Makers Paris.

For a complete historical archive of all my past conference talks, panel discussions, podcasts, and community contributions, please visit my Industry Engagement page.

Relevant Qualifications

  • TOGAF Enterprise Architecture - Foundation (10th Edition)
  • TOGAF Enterprise Architecture - Practitioner (10th Edition)
  • Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Developer Technologies (2019 - 2025)
  • .NET Foundation Board of Directors (2022 - 2024)

Let’s Build Something Sustainable

If you’re looking for someone who is as passionate about your business goals as they are about clean code and healthy teams, I’d love to talk.

To read more about the services I offer, please visit my Services page.

You can contact me via direct message on LinkedIn or via email at jessica@jbrentnalldigital.com.