Mark McKee, the practice and the person.

The short version.

Twenty-five years in IT infrastructure. The last ten or so leading and architecting at scale — Cardiff University, NHS Wales, and in between. The independent practice started in 2026 because the work I most wanted to do — honest counsel for organisations who'd rather know the trade-offs than be sold a solution — doesn't quite fit inside a larger structure.

The longer version.

I joined Cardiff University in 2014 as a Microsoft 365 Engineer, helping to finish the Lotus Notes → Exchange Online migration. The technology held my attention but the softer side of the role taught me more: service management, customer engagement, user-centred design. The thing I took away most clearly was a sense of vocation — a calling to help people achieve their work through technology, rather than treating technology as the point.

I led the Cloud Services team at the University for three years before moving on in 2022. A brief detour through the private sector convinced me that purely commercial environments weren't where I wanted to spend my time, and that autumn I took the M365 Lead Solutions Architect role at NHS Wales. Different sector, same calling — the chance to design solutions that quietly make other people's working lives easier, in a context where the work genuinely matters.

The independent practice grew out of those years. The model is deliberately small: you work directly with the person doing the thinking, the advice is vendor-neutral, and the priority is leaving systems your team can run with confidence after I've gone.

What I work on.

Cloud and infrastructure architecture. Microsoft 365 and Entra. Migration planning and delivery. Vendor-neutral technical advisory — the calm second opinion before a budget commitment or a contract signature.

Welsh SMBs are the primary audience — organisations of 10 to 200 staff who need serious technical thinking but don't have or need a full-time CTO. UK mid-market and public sector engagements when the fit's right.

What I don't do.

Vendor resale. Commission-based recommendations. Engagements where the conclusion is decided before the work starts. Anything where the right answer for you is one I can't say out loud.