A career in digital, from building websites to leading complex programmes.
I've been working in digital since 2000, starting out as a web developer and designer after studying computing at the University of Brighton. I spent several years at Trinity Mirror's specialist jobsites division, eventually becoming Head of Design and Production and managing a small team of developers and designers. That early hands-on experience has stayed with me. I don't need to be the technical expert in the room, but I like understanding how things work and I'm comfortable getting into the detail when it helps a team make a better decision.
In 2010 I moved into project management, working first at Reading Room and then across agency roles at Dare, The Crocodile, Iris Worldwide, ORM and Radley Yeldar. I returned to RY for the third time in 2018 and became Digital Project Director in 2021. Along the way I've worked with very different teams, clients and challenges, which has taught me to adapt without losing sight of what we're actually trying to achieve.
I'm naturally optimistic and I tend to be the person looking for a way forward when a project gets complicated. I care about the detail, but I don't believe everything needs to be complicated. Most importantly, I enjoy working with people — building trust, bringing different perspectives together and helping teams do great work.
Four things that stay true across every project.
Agile, without the jargon
I'm a Certified Scrum Master and have trained teams in Scrum, but I'm not precious about methodology. Kanban, sprints and other tools are useful when they help a team work better; the process should serve the work, not the other way around.
People first
The people side of delivery is one of the parts of the job I enjoy most. I like getting to know how people work, supporting and mentoring teams, and building the kind of trust where clients and colleagues feel comfortable being honest about what's going well — and what isn't.
Simplicity over noise
Whether it's reducing L&G's CMS from 40 templates to 8 or making years of complex seabed survey data easier to search, I enjoy finding the clearer, simpler answer inside a complicated problem.
Strategic and hands-on
I enjoy working across the full journey — from shaping a pitch or defining the problem through to planning delivery, working with designers and developers and keeping the detail moving. I like having enough distance to see the bigger picture, without losing touch with the work itself.
Colleagues and clients on working with me.
It was an absolute joy working with Sharon. She brings a level of passion and energy that goes far beyond what you'd expect from a traditional project management role — always full of ideas, deeply engaged, and genuinely invested in the best possible outcome for her team and clients. She cares deeply, advocates for her clients, and is refreshingly open to learning. I wouldn't hesitate to work with her again.
I worked with Sharon for many years when she was Digital Project Director at Radley Yeldar and I was Head of Content and Social Media Strategy at L&G. Sharon led us through a very successful CMS migration of our group website, with significant improvements in design and functionality. She's dedicated to the best possible results, and does a great job keeping her team motivated. We miss her very much.
I personally loved working with Sharon on the Marine Data Exchange. She grasped our vision quickly and built strong relationships across the other teams that were involved just as fast. Sharon is a fantastic project manager - practical and realistic with the right amount of vision and ambition to keep things on track whilst delivering beyond expectations. She brings a refreshing amount of energy, and it always felt like she was genuinely invested in the project, beyond the day to day tasks. By building a strong and trusted relationship from the start it also meant that we could always have open and honest conversations, which is an important skill and a strength that Sharon brings to her work. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.
Sharon is a meticulous and conscientious Project Director. Over the years I have worked with her, I have always been impressed by her knowledge, both project management related and technical. She has an eye for detail, a practical mindset and methodical approach to project delivery. She does this all, while maintaining a fun, friendly, cheery and easy-going nature, putting everyone that works with her at ease, both peers and clients.
A bit more about me.
When I'm not working, I'm usually out with my two Finnish Lapphunds — they're a pretty big part of my life. I've also always enjoyed fitness and hold a Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training. In fact, I once took two years away from digital to work as a personal trainer full-time. I loved the people side of it, but eventually realised I missed the pace, variety and problem-solving of digital delivery. It was a useful reminder that whatever I'm doing, I like working with people, making progress and seeing something come together.
See the work behind these years.
Selected programmes, each with a different problem to solve.