Ben Smith

Observer
DISC Type : ci

Head of Technology at PortSwigger

United Kingdom

Overview

Ben leads technology at PortSwigger, focusing on building resilient, high-performing systems with deep expertise in security, cloud, and automation. His career includes roles as Head of DevSecOps at Barclays and Principal Consultant at ThoughtWorks. Colleagues describe him as passionate and professional.

Driven by a lifelong curiosity for how things work, Ben is an active member of Manchesters thriving tech community. He frequently shares his insights on technology, leadership, and strategy on his personal blog, "Scalable Path", discussing topics like AI and system architecture.

He is chronicling PortSwiggers technical and strategic transformation from air-gapped software to a modern, AI-ready SaaS platform in a detailed blog series.

Personality Overview

Curious

Assertive

Value Driven

They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.  They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince. They often ask many questions and rely heavily on information and documentation.

Topics They Care About

Cloud & Automation
His core expertise involves building and scaling resilient, high-performing systems using cloud and automation technologies to drive business success at PortSwigger.
SaaS Platform Development
He is leading and documenting PortSwigger's complex journey of transforming its established on-premise applications into a modern, continuously delivered SaaS platform.
AI's Trajectory
He authored a blog post analyzing the structural forces shaping AI's long-term trajectory, moving beyond the industry hype to focus on foundational shifts.

Media Appearances

Ben has no verified media appearances

Work History

9-2024
Head of Technology at PortSwigger
8-2021 - 9-2024
Platform Engineer at PortSwigger
6-2020 - 8-2021
Head of DevSecOps at Barclays
6-2019 - 6-2020
VP Cloud Engineer at Barclays
7-2018 - 6-2019
Principal Consultant at ThoughtWorks

Education

Education details unavailable from Loughborough University
Education details unavailable from Abbey College Manchester

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 22 Location : United Kingdom Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Technology at PortSwigger
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Insights For Selling To Ben

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Ask them questions to understand their needs better while staying affable
  • Be prepared for a lot of questions, answer them objectively
  • Help them realize that there is no personal risk in making this decision

DONT's

  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal
  • Don’t be too objective but make sure to pad your storytelling with data points
  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ben is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ben

  • They are practical yet friendly, don’t expect a clear no very often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ben move?

  • They like to analyze well and then make their decisions.
  • Can Ben take some risk or not?

  • They systematically evaluate all decisions and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Ben

Personality Compatibility


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