Email: DarrenStevens2009 (at) mindovermidi (dot) com
Voice: 1-604-572-7671
Darren is an object-oriented architect and developer who is passionate about model-centric design, efficient systems development and processes that result in long-term maintainable scalable systems. As a consulting system architect, software developer and team lead, Darren has contributed to the success of projects for companies from startup to Fortune 500, including Amazon, Automatic Data Processing (ADP), NCS Pearson, Port of Vancouver, Strangeloop, Surrey Metro Savings (now Coast Capital), Pacific Blue Cross, YVR and MarketMax (now SAS). For startup companies, Darren has taken the lead in helping successfully structure product development groups and processes based on CMM and RUP, hire and manage talent and bring products to market. For larger companies, Darren has helped deliver critical projects on schedule and bring overall architecture into focus for multi-team groups with as many as 180 developers.
Empowering teams to succeed with effective mentoring and team leadership. Architecture and hands-on implementation. Improving efficiency, reducing costs and increasing revenue. An expert resource in OOP/OOD, C++ and Java EE, Darren designs and develops cross-platform object-oriented systems for Windows and UNIX/Solaris/BSD/Linux that effectively utilize XML, XSLT, HTML, XHTML, CSS, W3C DOM, UML, RUP, CMM, SOAP, SQL, AJAX, JSP, Swing, AWT, EJB, JMS, Applets, Servlets, JNI, JCA, Custom Tag Libraries, JavaScript, SSL, SMTP, SMS, SMPP, Sockets, Threads, Windows API, NET, BEA WebLogic, Apache, JBoss, IBM WebSphere, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and Sybase.
www.pac.bluecross.ca – Jan 2009 to July 31, 2009, as Contract Lead Developer, ACES Project, Metro Vancouver, BC
Led teams with technical implementation of multi-million dollar ACES project to automate health and dental insurance administration and replace legacy mainframe systems. Provided training and mentoring to development staff and contractors. Designed and implemented development processes, improved efficiencies and empowered teams to deliver under budget and ahead of schedule. Designed and implemented gaps, defect corrections and integration systems using Sparx Enterprise Architect, XML, XSD, XSLT, VB6, .NET, Ant/Nant, C#, Managed C++, COM+, ASP.NET, SVN, VB Script and SQL Server in a Java-based asynchronous Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) environment. Designed and implemented code management strategies, patterns and processes for parallel releases and concurrent development efforts leveraging Subversion (SVN). Designed and implemented automated build systems, including an incremental system that solved VB6/COM+ "DLL Hell" and could compile/verify changes to any of over 300 VB6/COM projects with over 5 million lines of code in as little as 9 seconds.
www.virtualperception.net – Jan 2005 forward, as Director / Chief System Architect / Java EE / C++ Developer, Metro Vancouver, BC
Co-founded software company to market security and monitoring software products to corporations, governments and consumers. Designed and developed secure, scalable web applications using Java EE and client-side software products using C++. Implemented systems using JBoss, Apache, MySQL and C++ on Windows, Solaris 10 and OSX. Designed and developed MySpy (www.my-spy.com), a digital protection system that monitors bank accounts and delivers digital transaction receipts to the account holder's cell phone, and EEP IntelliBase, a firewall/router/web server/log file intelligence-building and monitoring system. Designed and implemented Space/Time Navigator (www.spacetimenavigator.com), a Java EE GPS-based location-sharing system for the Web, allowing users to securely share GPS tracks, waypoints, photos and other geo-tagged information in real-time, navigate using a variety of online maps and mapping systems, communicate with other users and archive, replay and share their personal history. Designed and developed licensing and C++/Java EE distribution systems (www.virtualperception.net) including recurring billing, SaaS, partner sales and wholesale licensing systems supporting referral partners, resellers and private labels. Developed a cross-platform, cross-language library of core technologies written in C++ and Java, applications and services for Microsoft Windows, Solaris, BSD and OSX. Used foundations developed to create products and web applications for third-party companies under contract, including a virtual encrypted storage system that used a USB Fob to encrypt multiple local virtual file systems. Designed systems using RUP/UML/Rational Rose. Developed systems using C++, Java, HTML, XHTML, DOM, CSS, XML, XSLT, JCA, JMS, Java EE, servlets, JSP, custom tag libraries, EJBs, entity beans, session beans, message driven beans, applets, JavaScript (ECMAScript), VB Script, COM, Crypto libraries, Solaris 10, Windows Platform API, Windows 98/ME/NT4/2000/XP/Vista/2003/2008, OS/X, MySQL, SQL, and ODBC.
www.pac.bluecross.ca – Sept 2008 to January 2009, as System Architect, Enterprise Architecture and Technology Planning, Metro Vancouver, BC
Designed and documented enterprise architectures and system integration for one of BC’s leading providers of health and dental insurance. As system architect and developer team lead, empowered PBC’s employees and contractors to deliver under budget and ahead of schedule on critical phase of a multi-million dollar project. Work included code review, mentoring, process design, gap analysis, system design, implementation and integration of COM+, Visual Basic, C# and ASP.NET systems with over 6 million lines of code into a Java-based Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) architecture.
www.mindovermidi.com – January 1990 forward, as Chief System Architect / Java EE / C++ Developer, Metro Vancouver, BC
Founded software and consulting company in 1990. Engaged in design, coding, packaging, marketing and distribution of real-time Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) software products until roughly 1993 when a shift to the contract development of business systems and consumer products across a wide variety of industries was made. Nearly all positions described in this resume were contracts through MIND over MIDI.
www.strangeloopnetworks.com – Dec 2006 to Aug 2007, as Contract C++ Developer / Advisory Board Member, Vancouver BC
Strangeloop won Best of Tech Ed 2007 and subsequently received one of the largest rounds of private series A financing in Canadian History. Designed to make ASP.NET web sites scale without any code changes, Strangeloop’s ASP.NET / AJAX AS1000 network accelerator appliance is capable of providing more than 10 times throughput and speed increases for ASP.NET-based web sites. Darren designed and developed the management and analytics user interfaces and supporting high-performance cross-platform C++ networking code libraries for controlling and monitoring the AS1000, a UNIX based appliance. The management, network communications and analytics systems designed and implemented by Mr. Stevens successfully and efficiently controlled and instrumented the appliance under loads in excess of one thousand transactions per second. Delivered robust production code and cross-platform proprietary OO-RPC networking systems well ahead of schedule.
www.mmsi.com – Jan 2005 to Jan 2006, as Contract System Architect / Trainer / Mentor / Analyst, Metro Vancouver, BC
MMSI, a Komatsu company, has 80% of the world market share for mining systems. Developed and implemented Java 5 / J2EE 2.0 training course for Modular's engineering teams. Acted as mentor to company's architects. Captured requirements and use cases and defined architecture for Next Generation products under CMM/RUP guidelines. Reverse engineered legacy C++ systems, transformed proprietary language systems to C++ / SQL, designed production, historical and real time databases, designed upgrades to J2EE, Windows 2003 Server and Microsoft .NET 2.0. Helped facilitate outsourcing to companies in India and Brazil and reviewed work products.
www.blive.com – Dec 2002 to Dec 2004, as Contract System Architect / C++ / J2EE Developer, Metro Vancouver, BC
BLive competes with WebEx, GotoAssist, and Microsoft Live Meeting. Empowered and guided the product development group at BLive Networks. Designed the flagship product BLive, a hosted sales and support tool featuring online conferencing, desktop sharing and instant messaging. Implemented host software in C++, back end in J2EE and client software using the Internet Explorer Browser, JavaScript, Applets and ActiveX Plugins. Provided and managed subcontractors.
www.discoverysoft.com / www.ncs.com – Sept 2001 to Sept 2002, as Contract System Architect / J2EE Developer, Metro Vancouver, BC / Mesa AZ
NCS Pearson is the leading provider of school administration and education systems. Working with Discovery Software under CMM/RUP guidelines, designed and developed key portions of NCS’s flagship product, the Concert Online Education Community. Initial target capacity of the system was one million concurrent users, with tight security requirements associated with US child protection laws. Worked with BEA consultants to design and implement key portions of the system, including Grading and Lesson Planning modules for Student, Teacher and Parent using J2EE, Oracle 8i and the BEA Portal Server 4.0 application server. Designed architecture of key system components and helped improve scalability and efficiency of data access systems.
www.marketmax.com / www.amazon.com – Dec 1999 to Dec 2000, as Contract System Architect / J2EE / C++ Team Lead, Boston MA / Seattle WA
MarketMAX, Inc., the leading provider of integrated e-business, merchandise planning and optimization solutions for the $2.7 trillion retail market, has since been bought by SAS, the largest private company in the world. Designed migration of MarketMAX's high-volume retail decision support system from a 2-tier C++ MFC/Windows NT architecture to a cross-platform multi-user NT/UNIX 3-tier web/ASP model. Played key role in facilitating the sale of technology to Amazon by defining the scalable Solaris J2EE implementation that was required by Amazon. Worked with MarketMAX's architects to define web based, B2B and J2EE version of MarketMAX software. Lead MarketMAX's C++ team to port the core OLAP-style retail planning engine to a JNI component interfacing with the ATG Dynamo Application Server 4.5. Researched and interviewed Internet technology vendors including ATG, BEA and IBM and made technology recommendations. Reverse engineered and provided documentation for legacy systems. Helped initiate model centric development processes, improve developer productivity and increase code reuse and object-orientation, decrease developer ramp-up time, and helped MarketMAX move to a multi-tiered web-centric architecture.
www.adp.com – Sept 1995 to Nov 1999, as Contract System Architect / C++ / COM / VB Developer, Metro Vancouver, BC
ADP (Automatic Data Processing) is a Fortune 500 Company. ADP Dealer Services Division provides dealer sales tools, vehicle inventory management, process management, customer management and parts and catalog systems for the retail automotive industry. Working with ADP's development group, designed and developed the foundations for Sales Alliance. Designed and coded functionality to manage vehicle sales, customer management, inventory management, data catalogue management, finance and insurance calculations, taxation, reporting, and automated forms printing using C++, COM, Visual Basic and Sybase SQL. Designed and built componentized connectivity to external data systems including credit bureaus, credit applications, industry data sources, and Unix/Pick legacy systems integration. Designed and implemented COM based O/R Mapping service layer in C++.
1994-1995, as Contract C++ Developer, Vancouver BC
Developed CGI applications interfacing SQL Server to HTTP Web Servers. Delivered projects significantly ahead of schedule by inventing a tokenized template system that converted SQL to HTML pages and vice versa.
1994-1995, as Contract C++ / Visual Basic Developer, Vancouver BC
Worked with Minerva’s team to front-end develop teller systems in Visual Basic interfacing to SQL Server back end. Implemented multi-threaded C++ host interface system providing connectivity from SQL Server extended stored procedures to the GEAC host back end via X25.
1994-1995, as Contract Visual Basic Developer, Vancouver BC
The PortView system won the Windows World Open in 1996 for Best Administrative System. Worked with Minerva’s team to develop the PortView system, an administrative system that manages all of the ships and cargo going into and out of the Port of Vancouver. Developed high-speed manifest data entry systems and mechanisms that significantly increased data entry efficiency for Bills of Lading.
1994, as Contract C++ / Visual Basic Developer / Team Lead, Metro Vancouver BC
Developed embedded parking systems for Vancouver Airport / YVR Park & Fly and Pittsburg Park and Fly using C++ and Visual Basic. Designed and implemented integrating parking payment systems with remote-control administration on DOS, Windows and OS/2. Managed contractors and employees and provided subcontractors. Achieved certification of systems with CIBC and delivered projects on time and on budget.
1993-1994, as Developer / Team Lead, Vancouver BC
Developed GFX digital tourism kiosk applications for AT&T. Designed interactive client/server multimedia systems that synchronized over ISDN. Programmed and designed geographical menuing/mapping systems, evaluated authoring systems, reviewed designs and produced various graphics and database utilities, including a customized Targa image capture application for BC Tourism.
1992, as System Architect / Developer, Vancouver BC
Designed user interface, functional specification, high level C++ design, interface protocol and detailed development schedule for the 386/VGA Display module for Creation's 24 track digital audio system, RADAR.
1988-1990, as Independent Software Developer, Greater Vancouver BC / Welches OR
Developed UltraMIDI, which later became MIND over MIDI’s Slave Driver, a MIDI Mapping application for live performance for the Atari ST and Falcon computers. Designed and implemented system using GFA Basic, C and 68000 assembly language. Also developed software copy protection and software distribution / user licensing systems.
This resume belongs at www.mindovermidi.com/Darren . Copyright ©1990-2009 Darren Stevens. All rights reserved.