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Hey! I'm Andy Blyth.

Platinum OMVP, Technical Architect, 4th Dan Sensei, Photographer, Husband, Dad

Portrait
Sensei Andy Blyth drawing his katana

What I do

Platinum Optimizely MVP

Optimizely Most Valuable Professional since 2024: Gold that first year, then Platinum in 2025 and again in 2026. It recognises people who give back to the Optimizely community, not just those who build on it.

For me that means blog posts, white papers, open source tools such as MicroMediator and Optimizely Feature Flagging, Opal hackathon projects, and mentoring other developers. If I've solved something awkward on a build, I write it up.

Solving problems, then writing code

20+ years of .NET and C#, almost all of it in digital agencies. As Technical Architect at MSQ DX I pitch, run discovery, shape the solution, and stay hands-on with code for key clients.

I build on Optimizely, Contentful, Umbraco and SDL Tridion, and have built bespoke CMS and e-commerce platforms used by JD Sports, size? and A-Plant. Clean architecture and the mediator pattern are my defaults.

Always tinkering with something new, like the Konami Code easter egg on this site.

20+ Years of experience

Featured work

MicroMediator

A lightweight, high-performance mediator library for .NET. Explicit handler lifetimes, streaming with IAsyncEnumerable, and benchmarks against MediatR.

Optimizely Content Seeder

Seed pages, shared blocks and media into Optimizely CMS 12 and 13 from a fluent C# definition. Idempotent, with an admin gadget to reseed or delete, Visual Builder support on CMS 13, and optional AI-written content through Claude, OpenAI or Ollama. On NuGet as TechnicalDogsbody.Optimizely.ContentSeeder.

Kudos

Simply put, Andy is great to work with. He has a problem solving attitude towards our partnership and someone that I've built a strong partnership with during my time at Optimizely. He's enthusiastic and has wide technical knowledge as well as a keenness to understand more about Optimizely and its' products.

Andy is a credit to Dept and a strong ambassador for their technical capabilities and ease in which they can be partnered and worked with.

Simon Chapman
Simon Chapman
Optimizely

I've had the pleasure of working with Andy for 7 years. He was a developer and now Head of Back End Development at DEPT, while I held positions both as a Digital Content Owner and now Solution Owner Optimizely DXP at Jotun. Andy is vastly knowledgeable in so many aspects of the technical world, be that development, infrastructure, solution architecture or approach to implementations.

He worked with implementations and migrations for us both on the Tridion platform and lately Optimizely, also the transition from the former to the latter. Not only is his immense technical skillset and solution oriented approach much appreciated and valued, but he is also a very nice guy, always with a smile and calm demeanor that makes him a great person to work with.

Adis Isovic Mildon
Adis Isovic Mildon
Jotun AS

Andy is an exceptional colleague, he’s kind, funny, infinitely patient and always willing to help, teach and guide others. Andy also is an asset to company culture. Despite the demands of his role he takes personal time to help promote inclusivity by giving recommendations on activities for the staff social events that ensures all employees will feel welcome and encouraged to attend.

Andy also has hosted pub quizzes in the office and is a fantastically engaging and entertaining presenter. I’ve worked with Andy for over 6 years, holding him in very high regard, not just as a colleague but as a great friend too!

Natalie Rowe
DEPT®

I had the pleasure of working closely with Andy at DEPT during the Jotun project. As a Tech Lead/Architect, Andy consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and technical prowess.

Andy’s proficiency with the .NET & Optimizely tech stack is truly commendable. His ability to tackle complex technical challenges and find elegant solutions was invaluable to the success of our project. Whether it was explaining intricate technical concepts to the team or collaborating with stakeholders, Andy always maintained clarity and professionalism.

His problem-solving abilities are unmatched. Andy approaches challenges with a strategic mindset, breaking them down into manageable components and finding innovative solutions. As a mentor, he played a pivotal role in nurturing the growth of junior team members. His patience, guidance, and willingness to share knowledge made him an invaluable asset.

I wholeheartedly recommend him for any challenging technical leadership role.

Raghavendra Murthy
DEPT®

I have had the privilege of collaborating with Andy for more than 8 years. During this time, Andy has demonstrated exceptional leadership, particularly in the face of management transitions within the Development team. His achievements during this period are a testament to his dedication and proficiency in navigating complex challenges.

Andy consistently exhibits a proactive approach, readily stepping in to address challenges and anticipate future needs. His foresight, combined with his willingness to assist others, has been instrumental in our team's success. I am grateful for Andy's unwavering support throughout our professional journey together.

In any environment, Andy's contributions would be invaluable, and I have no doubt that he will continue to excel wherever his path leads him.

Tom Simm
DEPT®

I've worked with Andy for over 10 years in my capacity as a Test Analyst . In that time we have collaborated closely on a number of high profile projects. Andy is very knowledgeable and always approachable, taking the time to help other team members as and when needed. He is also highly regarded by clients.

Sarah Harvey
DEPT®

Thank you for always bringing your best self to work. And just being Blyth. #InspirationalLeader

Jake Smith
DEPT®

I have been working with Andy for almost one year now in DEPT®. When I started in the company he was very helpful and a very important key in my progress in the company. His level of expertise and knowledge is impressive, working with a very wide technology stack. Andy is always willing to help and to work in new challenges, in which he is always one of the top developers. Having colleagues like him makes your life easier, and a guarantee for the success of the company.

Alberto Fernandez Vadillo
DEPT®

As Technical Director at Redstar, Andy has helped me grow my skills and guide me along my journey here with both his technical knowledge and his managerial skills, helping me to get the best out of my work. He is a great asset to the company.

James Newbert-Breen
Redstar

Andrew and the Redstar Team have worked on a number of websites for us and have produced excellent results that have always delighted our clients. With particular expertise in e-commerce sites, Andrew is professional but always easy to work with. He doesn't hide behind jargon and I would recommend him to anyone looking to develop a new website or upgrade an existing one.

Guy Parker
Creation ADM

I worked with Andy for around 2 years and at times I amazed at the knowledge and problem solving skills he posses. He has the knowledge and skills to cover almost all area in high level programming and web based technologies. His problem solving and management skills are excellent and he is a great mentor too. From my experience, I wholeheartedly recommend Andy, he is really an asset to any organisation and he is very capable of fulfilling any duties entrust him with.

Eldhose Mani
Redstar

Andrew is a skilled and experienced Microsoft .net developer who has worked on a variety of complex projects for us. He is enthusiastic and has a good understanding of internet technologies. I would readily recommend Andy for a developer role.

Mike Ryan
Idaho Technology

Awards & Certifications


May 2026

Platinum OMVP - Technology

Optimizely Most Valuable Professional
Optimizely OMVP technology platinum Badge

January 2026

SaaS CMS Developer

Optimizely
SaaS CMS Cert

May 2025

Platinum OMVP - Technology

Optimizely Most Valuable Professional
Optimizely OMVP technology platinum Badge

August 2024

Gold OMVP - Technology

Optimizely Most Valuable Professional
Optimizely Gold MVP

July 2024

Contentful Certified Professional

Contentful
Contentful Certified Professional

January 2023

The Motivator

DEPT® Best of 2022 Awards

March 2022

Outstanding Technical Innovation

DEPT® FGD Awards 2022
FGD Awards

March 2022

Project Team of the Year

DEPT® FGD Awards 2022
FGD Awards

Building something in .NET? Let's talk.

Optimizely, Contentful, Umbraco or something bespoke: if it runs on .NET, I can help. The quickest way to reach me is LinkedIn.

Message me on LinkedIn