Founder & Technical Director, Behan Services

Mark is the founder of Behan and has over 25 years experience in data engineering, database technologies, and business intelligence. He specialises in designing robust, high-performance data platforms and building practical, user-focused applications using Oracle APEX.

Throughout his career, Mark has worked across commercial and Higher Education environments, helping organisations turn complex data estates into clear, actionable insight. His approach combines deep technical and functional expertise with a strong emphasis on structure, documentation, and long-term maintainability - building systems that don’t just work today, but stand up to audit, scale, and change.

Mark is particularly passionate about performance management, automation, and continuous process improvement. As traditional DBA work becomes increasingly automated in the cloud era, he focuses on ensuring applications and data platforms remain efficient, measurable, and genuinely valuable to the people who rely on them.

As a business owner, he leads with strong ethics, clarity, and accountability. Commercial success matters - but never at the expense of doing the right thing. He believes in transparent communication, long-term partnerships, and delivering solutions that are sensible, sustainable, and built to help people - not just impress on paper.

When he’s not optimising SQL or refining architectures, you’ll likely find him walking his dog Winston, planning the next infrastructure upgrade, or finding ways to make complex systems simpler for the teams who use them every day.

Finance Director

Gillian looks after the financial and administrative side of the business, keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes. She manages invoicing, payroll and accounts, ensuring the numbers are in order and the team can focus on delivering their best work. Organised, reliable and unflappable, she brings both efficiency and a calm presence to the day-to-day operations.

When she’s not looking after Behan, Gillian is usually busy being a taxi service for her two daughters and her dog (who is unquestionably the favourite child). Outside of work, she is an avid reader and can often be found on a long dog walk — especially if it ends with tea and cake. She also loves attending gigs and making time for good music and good company whenever she can.

Developer / Data Engineer

Chris is a BSc Pharmacology and Microbiology graduate from the University of Strathclyde who joined Behan in September 2024. Initially involved in process and database documentation, Chris quickly developed an interest in front-end work and subsequently upskilled in Oracle APEX, CSS, HTML and SQL. He now helps to deliver and support successful, data-driven web applications that align with

developing client needs. Outside of work, Chris is an avid badminton player and golfer who admits he goes through twice as many golf balls as shuttlecocks. He also has a passion for all kinds of music, having played both piano and drums from a young age in different settings.

Operational Support

Rebecca (mainly known as Becks) is a proactive support specialist with over 10 years of operational management experience and a proven track record of delivering high-quality business support across diverse industries.

Her work at Behan spans learning and development, recruitment, project work and process improvement - delivered with solid organisational skills, attention to detail and a proactive approach. She also brings stakeholder management expertise, the ability to manage multiple priorities in fast-paced environments, and excellent communication skills that enable her to build productive relationships quickly.

Known for being reliable, efficient, and always thinking one step ahead, Rebecca is also a Committee Member for the Institute of Directors for Glasgow and West of Scotland, where she terms her role ‘Chief Nag’. Outside work, she has a German Shepherd who is frequently described as ‘massive’, and two teenagers, so she spends quite a lot of time out the house with the massive dog. Or running away from them all to drink wine, do Boxercise, and go to live gigs. Not always all at once.

Developer / Data Engineer

Ross is an Oracle APEX Developer and Data Engineer, with nearly two and a half years of experience, mainly working on university admissions systems. After earning both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in computing, he entered tech because he loves solving problems and creating things that people use. In his daily work, he focuses on developing and improving applications, managing data, and transforming complex processes into straightforward, reliable systems – placing value on clear communication and teamwork with both clients and colleagues.

What he enjoy most about his role is figuring out how all the parts fit together and then making them better. Outside of work, he usually has his nose in a book, switching between fantasy fiction and non-fiction – he recently delved into Cold War spies. He also tries to attend as many gigs as possible, whether at a local venue or a sunny festival.

Parnter & Senior Oracle Consultant

Steve is a highly experienced Oracle specialist with over 40 years in IT and more than two decades running his own successful DBA support company, OSCS Ltd, founded in 2003.

A PhD graduate in Computing, Steve has built his career around deep technical expertise, long-term client relationships, and a pragmatic, delivery-focused approach to database infrastructure. His background spans Oracle database architecture, performance tuning, high availability, backup and recovery, and mission-critical production support across a wide range of sectors.

Since establishing OSCS Ltd, Steve has provided retained Oracle DBA services to a loyal client base, many of whom have worked with him for well over a decade. His reputation is built on reliability, clarity, and an ability to stabilise and optimise complex environments without unnecessary disruption.

Steve brings to the partnership a depth of Oracle knowledge that only comes from decades at the coalface, combined with the commercial understanding of running a specialist.

Founder’s Right-Hand (Paw) & Chief Perspective Officer

Winston has been providing strategic oversight and emotional governance since day one.

He has an exceptional ability to detect stress, overwork, and unnecessary complexity — often responding with a nudge, a steady stare, or an insistence on an outdoor intervention.

His core values align closely with the company’s: loyalty, integrity, patience, and showing up every single day (as long as there are snacks available).

Winston has never missed a deadline, never sent a poorly worded email, and remains a firm believer that most problems improve after fresh air and a proper walk.