I am a hands-on .Net Senior Developer and Technical Architect with eighteen years solid experience centered on .Net technologies, including .Net Core

2. Stephen Bennett: 20 Years Full Stack .Net Developer
111 Pepys Road,
London
SE14 5SE stevobenno@gmail.com
0798 220 6775
Nationality: British
I am a hands-on .Net Senior Developer and Technical Architect with eighteen years solid experience centered on .Net
technologies, including .Net Core:
 Four years contracting totally remotely.
 Experience within; Gaming/Gambling (Playgo, Odds-Bods, BetSMS), Banking/Financial and Insurance (NatWest, Schroder’s,
Hiscox, Euler, Aspen Re), high transactional ecommerce (M&S, White Company, Trainline.com), Government (Home and
Communities, DEFRA, LCC, DSFA Ireland, Redbridge). Contracted as Team Leader, Technical Architect and Senior
Developer; as well as extensively mentoring permanent developers, in addition to being responsible for the hiring and building of
teams of contractors.
 In recent years, a strong focus on service side developments. I’ve been a key player on a number of complex projects, includi ng:
o Single handedly designing the Homes and Communities Business Process Engine
o Developing the API platform for a Dropbox competitor product
o Developing the API for a QR code based mobile payment system.
o Recently worked on the Docker/Kubernetes solution for a gambling price comparison engine.
 Wide-ranging experience of database technologies (SQL Server, CosmosDB). Service Manager, Enterprise Manager, Tables,
Rules, Views, stored procedures, most DBA functions. Design and normalization of databases.
 A passion for agile/scrum development and quality development environments with excellent DevOps.
Personal
Married with three young children. Compete in marathons, endurance cycling and triathlons up to full Ironman. Active in
sports/endurance software community.
Key Skills
Core Technologies
.Net Framework - C# 20 years .Net Core – C# 4.5 years
Database Related Technologies
SQL Server 7.0/2017 23 years CosmosDB 3 months GraphQL 3 months
Entity Framework 9 years
Web Technologies
ASP.NET MVC 3-5 11 years Razor 10 years HTML 20+ years
JQuery/Ajax 7+ years KendoUI 6 years CSS3 8 years
JavaScripting 15+ years Bootstrap 5 years
AngularJS 12 months Responsive Design 5 Years Signalr 14 months
Microservice Technologies/SOA Technologies
Rest API Development 8 years Docker (Azure) 8 months Kubernetes (Azure) 3 months
RabbitMq 1.5 years Azure Service Bus 1 years
Development/Project Methodologies and Environments:
Agile 11 years TDD 8 years UML 3 years
Azure DevOps/TFS 8 years
Legacy Skills
VB 2.0 – 6.0 1992-2000 Classic ASP 1997-2001 Windows Forms 1992-2019
VB.NET 2001-2008 ASP.NET Webforms 2001-2008 Excel VBA 2000
WCF SOAP 2002-2018 WCF REST 2011 Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013
NHibernate 1-4 2010-2016 ASMX Web Services 2004-2010 Subversion 2006-2010
Firebird Database 2010

3. Previous Assignments
Sept 2020 ASP.NET Core Developer
Nov 2020 ClickAndCollectIreland.com (Ecommerce platform – fully remote)
(ASP.Net Core 3.1, SQL Server 2019, NopCommerce, SQL Server)
Most of my career has been based around enterprise software. This was slightly different. ClickAndCollectIreland.com was launched to
offer an opportunity for Irish retail stores to remain open for trading during lockdown restrictions. This was an incredibly time critical
project to get live before ‘a next lockdown’. I worked on this alone and based the solution around NopCommerce. A platform I know
very well from previous projects and one I can extend easily. My role involved:
 Creating the “launch site” to preconfigure the stores (.Net Core 3.1, Entity Framework, Kendo UI, All UI design work)
 All NopCommerce modifications/domain extensions/plugins and services (.Net Core 2.2)
Sept 2019 ASP.NET Core / Microservices Developer / Project lead
July 2020 Bluestar (Microservice’s/Ecommerce Platform - Fully Remote)
(ASP.Net Core 2.2, NopCommerce, Microservice Architecture, SQL Server, MSNav Integration, Docker,
Azure Service Bus, Ocelot API Gateway)
This was an usual contract and not through an agency. After completing various smaller side projects for Bluestar in recent years, I
already had a relationship with the company. Therefore, when made it known that they were keen to redevelop their ecommerce
platform, with a partner company, we pitched for the project. In addition to this I convinced them that we should implement a
microservices architecture to facilitate a much stronger level control, abstraction and flexibility between internal and external systems.
So, for a fixed price, I hired my team and ran it as two concurrent projects. I also coded close to 70% of solution the microservices
project and managed the store development.
API Gateway/Microservices Project
 A number of simple Microservices (.Net core 2.2) sat behind an API Gateway (Ocelot) to abstract and integrate MSNav and
other core systems. Secured by Identity Server 4,
 An API Gateway to aggregate the microservice (Ocelot)
 An Azure Service Bus for push messaging, initially just between MSNav and the ecommerce site (product updates/stock/price
changes etc)
Ecommerce Platform
When designing a custom B2B ecommerce site, you can either start from scratch or start with a platform. A platform gives you all that
time-consuming responsive stuff out the box, a basic domain and screens BUT can tie you badly to models that don’t suit your
processes. I opted to start with NopCommerce (ASP.NET Core). It’s very open and easy to understand and modify.
July 2018 Microservices .Net Core Developer (Contract)
Sept 2019 Odds Bods (Betting Price Comparison - Fully Remote)
(.Net Core 2.2, Microservice Architecture, CosmosDB, RabbitMQ, Docker, Kubernetes, bit of Winforms)
The core players behind the Odds Bods start-up were also the creators of the leading sporting odds price comparison site
Oddschecker.com. With hindsight they were very aware all the issues with that solution. Hence, they had looked to implement
something much more scalable using “handlers” inside Kubernetes pods to feed vast quantities of betting odds data to a CosmosDB
which would then trigger these updates to RabbitMQ. My role involved working on three areas of the project:
 Create more of these Kubernetes pods to bring online more bookmakers data feeds (.net core 2.2, Docker. Kubernetes)
 Add new functionality to the middleware that bridged CosmosDB with RabbitMQ.
 Work on sample code that could be given to partners on how to consume the GraphQL and also RabbitMQ data.
Unfortunately, due to funding issues they can’t (or very likely can’t) extend the initial 3 months. I’m a little disappointed – it’s great
project and architecture.
Oct 2018 Senior Full Stack .Net Developer (Contract)
June 2019 Playgo (Cashless Gaming Machines - Fully Remote)
(.Net Core 2.0, SQL Server 2017, Entity Framework Code First, Azure Service Bus)
PlaygoApp.com is a pretty smart idea. Check out the website video. Essentially it allows a user to “beam” funds in and out of both
digital and non-digital gaming machines (the types you see in pubs). Obviously, this is not how it works. Through scanning QR codes,
an API and Azure Service Bus handling the messaging between the phone and the machine, funds are transferred back and forth.
For Playgo I architected and developed alone the API behind all of this, including:
 All of the domain modelling and logical concepts.
 Entity Framework – The Code pattern.

4.  Design and implementation of all of the service layer up to the API controllers.
 IOC Config patterns/Mocking/All Service layer unit testing writing.
In addition, I very quickly created an admin portal to facilitate the adding of new machines, monitoring income flows and managing
users. I did this using straight ASP.MET MVC 5 with lots of re-used screens built around Kendo UI.
Dec 2017 Senior Full Stack .Net Developer (Contract)
Sept 2018 GPS Ltd (Fully Remote)
(.Net Core & Framework, SQL Server 2017, Entity Framework Code First, KendoUI)
Open Banking (www.openbanking.org.uk) is new initiative launched to ensure all major UK banks offer a common set of API’s for both
accessing account data and soon making payments. My client charged me with building an aggregator API for all the UK/Irish banks
API’s (like Yodlee.com) as well as a series of automatic tagging/categorisation API’s for the transactions.
I solved this through a series of API’s based around the EF Code First Architecture I brought to HCA but created as a series of micro
services. In addition I developed the administrative UI‘s in .Net Core and Kendo UI.
Jan 2017 Part-time (Evenings/Weekends) DevOps Engineer (Contract)
July 2018 QA Ltd (Fully Remote)
Configuring and customisation of an onsite TFS. Creating continuous integration environment and deployments. Plus some Selenium
strategy consultancy.
June 2016 Responsible for .Net Domain Design/Services Architecture (Contract) (Agile Environment/TDD/CI)
Dec 2017 Homes and Communities Agency (Fully Remote)
(C#, SQL Server 2016, Entity Framework Code First, Typescript, AngularJs, Bootstrap, LESS, Gulp, Typings, Bower)
Project 1: After a failed outsourcing experience the HCA decided to bring the development of their business critical “Transaction
Workflow System” in house and develop it under their now proven AngularJS/Typescript/.Net SPA architecture. Once on the proje ct, I
found myself in probably THE critical development role in and the guy who [to quote my manager] should “Definitely not get run over
by a bus anytime soon”. My responsibility, as on other projects, was again around providing services to the AngularJS/Typescript SPA
via a WebApi REST layer. This involved
 Most of the domain modelling and logical concepts.
 Entity Framework - Unit of Work repository implementation. I did consider CQRS too.
 Entity Framework – The Code First seeding pattern and resolving many issues around this.
 Design and implementation of most of the service layer up to the WebApi controllers.
 IOC Config patterns/Mocking/All Service layer unit testing writing.
 Some of the UI development on several screen in AngularJS.
 I also ended up spending a lot of time mentoring junior members of staff around domain design, WebApi plus a lot on .Net
Generics and IOC.
Project 2: At HCA I had previously been involved in the development of a core business system - domain modelling and service layers
and also created bespoke work flow functionality. HCA really liked the workflow functionality and wanted to use the engine at the core of
most of their other systems. Hence I continued to develop the engine as the core component of the TMS system but also as generic
component accessible via API’s to other systems.
April 2014 Asp.Net Senior Developer (Contract – 6 months + many extensions) (Agile Environment/TDD)
May 2016 Redbridge (Local Authority)
(C#, SQL Server 2012/14, NHibernate, Entity Framework, MVC5, JQuery, Kendoui/Mobile, Bootstrap, TFS)
In 2014, following unprecedented central Government cuts, Redbridge Local Authority took the decision to offer redundancy to a large
percentage of their IT staff and start again with a new private sector team of Agile Developers, Scrummasters and BA’s. The plan being
to take 90% of resident’s “transactions” online and achieve the government’s cost targets.
My role within the team was as Technical Architect, 70% of my time on UI based projects and 30% on API’s. As part of my role I:
 Architected and built with one other developer the new global authorisation and account service. A C# WebApi 2.0 rest
service to handle all internal and external authorisation and user profiling. Essentially by extending Microsoft’s Identity 2.0
very heavily.
 Designed and built a new responsive Supplier Mobile site in MVC 5, Razor, with various bit s of JQuery, KendoUI and
Bootstrap with LESS
 Extensive amounts of domain modelling for many of the new internal REST services and MVC projects.
 Developed a Windows Service batch framework that dynamically loaded “plugins” and executed them in order. An extension
of something very similar I built at Interoute earlier.
 Responsible also for modifying TFS process templates.
 Lots of making other developers poor MVC views look good. I’m pretty handy with Photoshop for a developer.
April 2013 .Net Senior Developer (Contract – 3 months + extensions) (Agile Environment/TDD)
Feb 2014 Mindshare (A WPP Company)
(C#, SQL Server 2008, NHibernate, Entity Framework + OData, MVC5, AngularJS, BreezeJS, MS Dynamics CRM API)

5. WPP is the largest ad agency in the world and I’d worked for them previously. They set up Mindshare in order to provide “joined up”
intelligence of media spend across all channels (Facebook, Google Adwords, TV, print etc.). The problem was the company were
ingesting their internal data sources from fairly arcane systems and spreadsheets. I worked to architect and build a number of new
services (plus associated MVC5 UI’s) to replace these. I did this with three different solutions: Microsoft Dynamics CRM API
(brilliant for allowing non-technical admins to extend the API themselves), Custom REST services (where more logic is required) and
simple OData services. My role involved:
 Architecting and developing several external API's backed by a repository pattern using NHibernate. I managed the POCO
entities/ SQL Database using Devart’s Entity Developer and generated outline repository manager classes using my own
Codesmith templates (as I had on my previous contract)
 Exposing REST Services using Entity Framework and OData (when simple internal services were required).
 Designing several SQL Server 2008 Database's.
 Installing, setting up and configuring MS Dynamics CRM 2011.
 Domain modelling to create new CRM entities, forms and custom JavaScript resources,
 Developing Windows services calling Dynamics CRM API to synchronise data.
 Built MVC5 UI with AngularJS and BreezeJS launched from customised CRM ribbon bar to call my API's to and interact with
Dynamics API.
Jan 2012 Senior .Net Developer/Technical Architect (Contract – 6 months + extensions) (Agile Environment/ TDD)
Mar 2013 Interoute Communications – Dropbox style sync API platform
(C#, SQL Server 2008,NHibernate, RabbitMQ, Ninject, Librsync, CodeSmith, Signalr, Devart Entity Developer,
Xamarin, KendoUI)
April 2011 Lead .Net Developer and Workflow Architect (Contract - 6 months) (Agile Environment)
Nov 2011 The RWS Group
(C#, NHibernate, ASP.NET, WCF, SQL Server 2008, TFS2010, Telerik RadControls)
Oct 2010 Technical Lead .Net Developer (Contract – 6 months) (Agile Environment)
April 2011 Aspen Insurance
(C#, ASP.NET, SQL Server 2008, MSTest, SharePoint 2007, Team Foundation Server, K2.Net, Telerik RadControls)
May 2010 Senior MVC Developer (Contract – 6 months) (Agile Environment/TDD)
Oct 2010 Truphone
(MVC.NET plus ASP.NET, SQL Server 2008, Firebird, Telerik ORM, MSTest, JQuery, Cruise Control, .NET 4.0)
Oct 2009 Senior .Net Middleware Developer (Contract – 3 months + extension)
April 2010 The Trainline.com
(C#, WCF, nUnit, nCover configuration, WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus, Pair Programming, Fitnesse Fixtures, .NET 3.5)
April 2009 Senior .Net Web Developer (Contract) Sept 2008 Lead .Net Developer (Contract)
Oct 2009 Kantar World Panel Feb 2009 Bet Mobile
(VB.NET, ASP.NET, SQL Server 2008, (VB.NET, Winforms, SQL Server 2008, Betfair API,
WCF, Telerik RadControls, .NET 3.5) Telerik Rad Controls, TFS2008, Resharper, .NET 3.5)
Sept 2007 Senior .Net Developer (Contract) April 2007 Senior .NET Web Developer (Contract) (Agile/TDD)
Sept 2008 SNC Lavalin Aug 2007 Marks & Spencer
(C#, ASP.NET, SQL Server 2005) (VB.NET, ASP.NET, web services, SQL Server 2000)
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Oct 06 – March 07 - 6 months in Tanzania working as a volunteer IT specialist.
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Feb 2006 Senior .NET Developer (Contract) (Agile)
Sept 2006 IBM (Ireland)
(C#, Winforms, SQL Server 2005, nUnit 2.7, FX Cop, framework version .NET 2.0)
Aug 2005 Senior .NET Developer (Contract) (Agile) Jan 2004 Senior .NET Web Developer (Contract) (Waterfall)
Feb 2006 Bearing Point (Ireland) June 2005 DEFRA
(C#, Winforms, SQL Server 2005, nUnit) (VB.NET, ASP.NET, web services, SQL Server 2000)
Jan 2003 Web Team Leader (Contract)
Nov 2004 BT Direct
(ASP, VB.NET, SQL Server 2000, Tridion
.NET 1.0, Evaluating/Mentoring Team)
Education
Nottingham University GCE ‘A’ Levels
2:1 Computer Science Pure Maths (A), Applied Maths (B), Computer Science (A)