Mal Woolliams
I started working independently in 2004 and founded Direction Forward in 2015.Direction Forward is now a digital agency based in the City of London, offering infrastructure, design, development, and consultancy. We work with global clients on how to best leverage digital technologies to deliver maximum value.I am also director at vCard Me and Jumpstart Records. I became a government certified NCSC Cyber Advisor in 2023. I joined FanView as CTO in 2024. And I am a financial market consultant for private equity strategy.
About
As Director at Direction Forward I have designed, built, and implemented both business and consumer facing services, including multiple proprietary solutions. I am interested in full stack web development, with an emphasis on good design and usability. I have over 20 years professional experience in development, devops, infrastructure, and cyber security.Projects have included a national online business sales tool for Vodafone, an international development platform for KPMG, food delivery apps integrations for restaurant franchise Crêpeaffaire, an award-winning sales website for the Bedford House scheme in Balham, and design & analytics for the UK Atomic Energy Authority.Direction Forward partners with leading top tier providers including Google, Microsoft, Apple, Stripe, Dell, Dropbox, Mailchimp, and ESET. We offer bespoke cloud solutions as well as popular cloud infrastructure such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Azure, and Amazon Web Services (AWS).Direction Forward's platforms and infrastructure support over 60,000 endpoints, with annual transactional volumes across our network of £30 million in 2022 and £44 million in 2023.My recent work at Direction Forward has focused on integrating assistive AI into both our internal systems and increasing automation to reduce micromanagement for clients. We are helping clients deploy Copilot (as part of Microsoft 365) and Gemini (as part of Google Workspace), and are working on launching AI services based on the OpenAI platform tailored to our clients' needs for both creative, back office processes, and tech support.I am also Director at vCard Me – a web-based platform that enables users to create dynamic digital business cards which are always up-to-date. vCard Me integrates personalised QR codes with instant contact details sharing, saving them on any smartphone. The platform is based on eco-friendly principles in reducing wastage of printed business cards, and technologically is carbon neutral today and will be carbon free by 2030.I am also Director at Jumpstart Records – an independent UK record label focusing on parternships with developing artists. Typically artists who are starting out do not have the experience and tools to develop their brand in the industry, and we assist with creating these tools and laying out strategies for success. This can include branding, online presence, digital ads, social media, recording and engineering, record releases, and global ecommerce. We also have a network of excellent and award-winning suppliers, including photographers, videographers, editors, and more.In 2023, I certified as a National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Cyber Advisor. This Government scheme assures compliant cyber security consultancy for UK organisations of all levels to Government certification standards. I also became a financial market consultant for one of the USA's largest private investment firms, which has over $35 billion of assets under management (AUM).In 2024, I joined FanView as CTO, which is a startup developing immersive sports advertising virtual tours and mock-ups. We are creating an accessible platform for sports venues to showcase their advertising placements and offerings to sponsors and advertisers. Launch of the beta version is on course for release in H1 2025.
Contact
I'm always interested in hearing about other peoples' projects, pro bono consultancy for nonprofits and other similar opportunities. You can share a message or connect with me via the below.
Malcolm Woolliams:
Direction Forward:
vCard Me:
Jumpstart Records:
FanView: