About Me

Passion, expertise, and a commitment to excellence

Who I Am

I'm Max Fowler, a cybersecurity professional, full-stack developer, and founder of Trym Digital. Based in Bristol, UK, I build secure, reliable digital solutions for modern enterprises.

With hands-on experience in penetration testing, network security, and secure application development, I've helped businesses identify vulnerabilities, strengthen their security posture, and build robust digital infrastructure. My technical toolkit includes Python, JavaScript (React, Node.js), and HTML/CSS. I'm equally comfortable conducting security audits, building modern web applications, or investigating cloud solutions using AWS or DigitalOcean.

Beyond technical skills, I'm passionate about mentoring, community engagement, and making technology accessible. I was honored as Team Lead for the Fortinet Cybersecurity Competition (1st place overall) and achieved a Gold Award in the Bebras Computing Challenge, ranking in the top 10% of 42,000 UK participants.

Security First

Every line of code, every system

Elegant Design

Simple, beautiful, purposeful

Reliability

Trusted by Bristol businesses

Innovation

Always willing to learn, always improving

30+

Customers Served

50+

Security Issues Resolved and Diagnosed

2,700+

Client Monthly Website Views

92%

Business Growth Driven

Achievements & Qualifications

Key achievements and verified credentials

Fortinet Cybersecurity Competition

1st Place - Team Lead

  • Led a team to victory in a full-day penetration testing and cyber defence challenge
  • Ranked 1st overall out of all participating teams
  • Executed advanced techniques in vulnerability exploitation, network defence, threat analysis, and incident response
  • Demonstrated leadership excellence and decisive problem-solving under intense competitive pressure

Bebras Computing Challenge

Gold Award - Top 10% Nationally

  • Achieved the highest award level among 42,000 UK participants, placing in the top 10%
  • Ranked among leading performers in computational thinking and algorithmic problem-solving
  • Demonstrated exceptional logical reasoning, pattern recognition, and efficient solution design
  • Showcased advanced skills directly applicable to cybersecurity and complex systems architecture

Official Qualifications

Projects

Web development and security solutions I've delivered

Cybersecurity Auditing & Systems Hardening

Performed hands-on security reviews across real systems, identifying weaknesses, improving configurations, and contributing to stronger overall security posture. Combined vulnerability scanning, basic penetration testing, and practical remediation work.

  • Identified vulnerabilities across live systems and services
  • Conducted basic penetration testing using industry-standard tools
  • Reviewed and improved security configurations for servers and endpoints

Web Design & Development

High-performing, accessible sites built with modern stacks. Optimized for conversions, speed, and secure-by-design principles.

  • Responsive UX/UI
  • Performance & SEO
  • Secure deployments

Hardware Repair & System Upgrades

Repaired and upgraded PCs and laptops for students, staff, and local users. Diagnosed hardware faults, replaced components, and improved overall system performance with optimized configurations.

  • Hardware diagnostics & repair
  • OS installation & driver setup
  • 140 Systems Mirrored & Audited

Experience

Professional journey and key milestones

Web Development & Business Online Support

Jun 2024 → Present Trym Digital (Founder)

Designing, building, and maintaining sites across medical and personal brands; driving SEO, performance, and reliability while handling hosting, DNS, analytics, and security.

  • Delivered 2,000+ monthly views and measurable SEO lifts for clients
  • Implemented security, backups, and compliance-ready setups
  • Optimized speed, reliability, and online booking/GBP/Maps integration
  • Ran content updates, media management, and hosting/DNS configuration

Tech Solutions Specialist (Work Experience)

Feb 2025 Bristol Free School

Installed and configured multiple PCs, improving reliability and resolving issues under tight operational constraints; contributed to infra improvements across the school environment.

  • Hands-on system architecture, hardware maintenance, and troubleshooting
  • Diagnosed and resolved complex faults quickly to minimise downtime
  • Supported infra uplift and reliability initiatives for staff and students
  • Voluntary placement initiated and delivered to expand capability

Young Leaders - Scouting

Apr 2024 → Present Scouting UK

As a proactive Scouts young leader, I lead weekly sessions that promote collaboration and growth, while helping plan and strategise future initiatives. Having completed all young leader training within the first year (age 14), I've progressed from supporting Beavers to Cubs, and now lead Scouts sessions.

  • Strengthened communication, leadership, and planning skills
  • Learned to inspire change and adapt to different group dynamics across age groups
  • Managed increased planning responsibilities and time management with older groups
  • Completed comprehensive young leader training ahead of schedule

Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Apr 2024 Duke of Edinburgh Scheme

Successfully completed both Bronze and Silver Awards, demonstrating commitment to personal development through volunteering, physical challenges, skill-building, and expedition completion.

  • Bronze Award: Completed all sections—Volunteering, Physical, Skills, and Expedition
  • Silver Award: Demonstrated strong navigation, camping, and group coordination skills
  • Developed teamwork, resilience, and leadership through outdoor challenges
  • Gained valuable experience in time management, goal setting, and personal responsibility

Back Stage Sounds Manager

Oct 2023 → Mar 2024 Bristol Free School

Managed lighting and sound for productions, pre-planning layouts and operating show control (Q-Lab) to deliver reliable, high-quality performances.

  • Planned and executed lighting/sound cues end-to-end
  • Coordinated with production teams to meet performance standards
  • Ensured fault-free delivery under live constraints
  • Adapted to changing show needs quickly

Lights & Sound Manager

Oct 2022 → Apr 2023 Bristol Old Vic Production / Bristol Free School

Led the Bristol Free School sound and lighting at The Bristol Old Vic, planning layouts, adapting to new equipment, and maintaining performance standards in larger spaces.

  • Owned sound and lighting delivery across dual venues
  • Rapidly learned new systems and venue requirements
  • Managed songs, jingles, and effects with precision timing
  • Ensured reliability across rehearsals and live shows

Skills & Expertise

Technical mastery across development, security, and system operations

Advanced Expertise

HTML & CSS

Advanced

Expert-level semantic HTML5 and modern CSS3, including Flexbox, Grid, animations, and responsive design patterns.

Website Performance Optimization

Advanced

Core Web Vitals optimization, lazy loading, code splitting, CDN configuration, and achieving 90+ Lighthouse scores.

Client Communication & Project Delivery

Advanced

Managing client expectations, delivering projects on time, and maintaining clear communication throughout development cycles.

Hardware Repair & System Upgrades

Advanced

PC and laptop diagnostics, component replacement, system optimization, and OS installation across 140+ systems.

Proficient Skills

JavaScript (React, Node.js)

Proficient

Modern JavaScript ES6+, React component development, state management, and Node.js backend integration.

Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Proficient

Vulnerability assessment, penetration testing basics, security auditing, and implementing defence strategies.

Linux System Administration

Proficient

Ubuntu server setup, command-line operations, package management, networking, and troubleshooting system issues.

Scripting & Automation

Proficient

Python scripting for automation, Bash shell scripting, and PowerShell for Windows administration and task automation.

Let's Connect

Ready to secure, build, or scale something impactful? I'd love to hear from you.

Phone

07826 904153

Location

Bristol, United Kingdom

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