Michael Cullum

Michael Cullum has extensive work experience in the field of software engineering and development. Michael started their career as a Freelance Backend Developer and Consultant in 2007, working on various projects ranging from startups to enterprise-level websites. During this time, they also worked on their own startups and a successful web hosting company.

In 2012, Michael joined phpBB Forum Software as part of the management team, where they served as the Website Lead, Core Developer, and later as the Website Deputy Lead. Michael was responsible for project financial administration, developer advocacy, events organization, and strategic planning for the project. Michael also oversaw and led the maintenance of the website and CI assets.

In 2016, Michael joined the PHP FIG (Framework Interoperability Group) as the Core Committee and Secretary. PHP FIG is a standards body and forum for the PHP language, consisting of major PHP projects. Michael played a key role in setting PHP standards and promoting interoperability among projects.

In 2017, Michael joined SamKnows Limited as a Principal Architect and Lead Software Engineer (Data). Michael led the backend software engineering team and worked as a technical architect in rebuilding the company's analytics and data platform from scratch. The new platform, powered by PHP (Symfony) APIs, helped generate millions in revenue and automate work processes.

In 2018, Michael took on the role of Security Lead for the Symfony Framework, which is widely used in PHP projects such as Drupal, eZpublish, phpBB, PHPUnit, and Composer. Michael was part of the core team responsible for the security of the framework, which powers hundreds of millions of websites.

Currently, Michael is working at Bud as the Head of Engineering. Michael joined the company in 2019 and has recently taken on the role. Prior to this, they served as the Technical Lead for Platform & Security.

Michael Cullum has a diverse education history. Michael attended South Farnham School, where they completed their middle school education. Following that, they enrolled at Weydon Academy for their secondary school education. At Farnborough Sixth Form College, Michael pursued various subjects including Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Computer Science, Chemistry, and Law. Michael then continued their education at Queen Mary University of London, where they earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Computer Science. Lastly, they studied at The Open University and obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.