About Me
My name is Henry Maddocks
Find/Contact me here:
I am based in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. I am married with four children, two cats and a German Shepard.
I am a highly experienced and adaptable software developer and technical leader with 25 years of experience across a broad range of industries, including television, betting, and energy. My career spans roles from developer to software development manager and test manager, building and leading high-performance teams in both small startups and large enterprises.
Professional Highlights:
- Leadership & Management:
- As Software Development Manager at New Zealand MetService, I led the development of Weatherscape XT, a real-time weather presentation system used by television broadcasters globally.
- At the New Zealand Racing Board, I managed teams responsible for high-performance real-time betting systems, enhancing productivity and team collaboration.
- As Software Development Manager and Billing Architect at Axos Systems, I implemented Agile practices, improved performance, and integrated modern technologies like React.js.
- As the Chief Technology officer of WellNow, I designed, architected, and built the core systems that run the business, while also supervising and mentoring developers. Additionally, I contributed to product development to ensure the technoloy choices alignment with business goals.
- Technical Expertise:
- Skilled in a variety of technologies, including Ruby on Rails, Elixir, Go and Rust.
- Deep experience with software performance optimisation, system architecture, and complex application development.
- Domain Experience:
- Extensive work in energy systems, particularly in billing and data management, with a focus on simplifying processes for both developers and end-users.
- Contributions to industries ranging from gaming and museums to the “maker” community and the electricity sector.
Community Engagement:
- Co-founded the Wellington Ruby on Rails user group, hosting events and fostering knowledge sharing in the local development community.
- Current Ruby NZ committee member
- Advocate of Agile methodologies, focusing on improving team dynamics and reducing friction in the development process.
Personal Philosophy: I believe creating software should be an enjoyable experience for all involved. If it’s not, we’re doing it wrong. My approach emphasises collaboration, continuous improvement, and delivering solutions that are both high-performing and user-friendly.
Personal Interests: When I’m not coding, I enjoy photography, LEGO, good chocolate, great coffee, and spending quality time with my family.