Hello, I'm

Mike Fairbrother

I tinker. I build. I fix. I write.

Product Owner by day. Charity founder. School Governor. Mental wellbeing advocate. Fascinated by human behaviour. Always helping others. Book coming soon.

About Me

A conversation about who I am and what I do.

MF
Mike Fairbrother Online
Mike has joined the conversation
Hey! So what do you actually do?
2:30 PM
Product Owner by day - not a software engineer, but I'd call myself a well-rounded IT professional. Over 19 years in IT now. I tinker, I build, I fix things.
2:31 PM
That's quite a career. What kind of tech background?
2:32 PM
A bit of everything, really. Started in support, worked my way through infrastructure - Windows, Linux, Azure cloud. Built web platforms, managed data migrations. Led teams, managed projects.
2:33 PM
What else fills your time outside of work?
2:34 PM
Quite a bit! I founded a charity called Teesside at Christmas - we support families in our community during the holiday season. I'm also a school governor now, which I really enjoy.
2:35 PM
That's impressive! What drives you to do all that?
2:36 PM
Helping people, honestly - sometimes to my own detriment. I trained as a crisis counsellor with SHOUT, and I'm a big advocate for mental wellbeing in the workplace. I find human behaviour fascinating.
2:37 PM
And you mentioned a book?
2:38 PM
Coming soon! It ties together wellbeing, human behaviour, and hopefully helps others navigate life's challenges. It's been quite a journey writing it.
2:39 PM
I heard you are a huge fan of Florida!
2:40 PM
Yes! Florida is our happy place. We'd move there if we could! But we love visiting Florida, the USA and the parks, of course. Disney and Universal are our favourite places in the world.
2:41 PM
How do you balance it all with such a big move coming up?
2:42 PM
Family comes first - my wife and kids keep me grounded. They're my anchor through all of it. Everything else just... falls into place around them.
2:43 PM

Projects

A selection of work that showcases my approach to solving problems.

Data Import Pipeline

A flexible, configuration-driven data import system handling complex transformations, validation, and error recovery for enterprise-scale datasets.

PHP PostgreSQL Queue Workers

Real-time Mapping Platform

Interactive mapping solution with live vehicle tracking, geofencing, and route optimisation for transport management.

JavaScript Google Maps WebSockets PHP

Newsletter System

Custom newsletter management with drag-and-drop editing, template system, and delivery tracking.

PHP JavaScript SMTP

Writing

Thoughts on wellbeing, human behaviour, and making sense of it all.

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Highlights

Now

Product Owner, writing a book, advocating for mental wellbeing

Ongoing

Charity founder and school governor - giving back where I can

Always

IT professional, tinkerer, builder, fixer - curious about everything

What I'm Working On

  • Writing my first book - coming soon
  • Advocating for mental wellbeing in the workplace
  • Tinkering with tech projects and building things
  • Charity work and school governance

Updated January 2026

Get In Touch

I'm always open to discussing new opportunities, interesting projects, or just having a chat about technology.