For more than two decades Col (Colin) Hughes has been a part of technology, people and process. Today he heads CHughes Consultancy LTD and CHughes Coaching, helping first‑time engineering managers master the human side of software delivery.
His credibility comes from a career spent building and leading development teams inside major UK legal‑services and tech organisations and at a fast‑growing ed‑tech scale‑up – plus hands‑on spells in identity verification, online gaming and digital agencies
Early foundations – litigation software (2004‑2009)
Fresh from completing his BSc (Hons) Computer Studies at Liverpool John Moores University in 2004, Col spent five formative years building case‑management workflows for North‑West law firms. Immersed in civil‑litigation and insurance systems, he learned the rigour of secure data handling and the pragmatism of shipping under hard regulatory deadlines
Growing breadth – Individual Contributor in legal tech (2009‑2012)
As an application developer at a leading claimant‑law firm, Col modernised a mission‑critical claims platform, introduced Kanban boards for clearer flow, and mentored apprentices – laying the groundwork for later leadership.
First leadership – Development Team Manager (2012‑2015)
Promoted to manage the same ten‑strong team, he halved cycle time on statutory‑reporting changes, built a community of practice and instilled weekly retrospectives that embedded continuous improvement
Cross‑industry deep dive – Specialist developer (2015‑2019)
Col deliberately returned to individual‑contributor roles across three sectors to widen his technical palette:
- Identity‑verification scale‑up – Developer (2015‑2016) – Delivered high‑throughput ID‑checking APIs used by payroll and fraud‑prevention clients.
- Global online gaming operator – Software Developer (2016‑2017) – Re‑architected wagering services in .NET to improve resiliency during peak events.
- National digital agency – Senior Software Developer (2017‑2019) – Led builds of high‑traffic sites for charities, rail operators and global brands, sharpening stakeholder‑management skills
Senior engineering leadership – scaling teams & delivery (2019‑2024)
Col returned to leadership roles, applying lessons from his cross‑industry developer years and perfecting a people‑first approach to engineering management.
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- Insurance‑law group – Software Development Manager (2019‑2021) – Coached three Scrum teams, replacing ad‑hoc releases with a CI/CD pipeline that slashed lead‑time from weeks to hours.
- Llitigation‑services firm – Development Manager (2021‑2022) – Guided a 13‑developer division through an agile transformation.
- Ed‑tech scale‑up – Engineering Manager (2022‑July 2024) – Scaled two cross‑functional squads from 4 to 15 developers and shipped engagement features that drove record student‑app usage across international campuses.
The pivot to coaching
Keen to amplify his impact, Col founded CHughes Coaching in 2024 and will complete a Life Coaching Diploma in July 2025, adding to his NLP Practitioner and Certified ScrumMaster credentials.
“I empower first‑time engineering managers in agile software development to master leadership, team dynamics and mindfulness.”
Clients value his blend of real‑world engineering leadership and mindfulness techniques that keep stress at bay. He has already helped leaders across the UK and Europe build psychologically safe, high‑performing teams.
In September 2025, he will be undertaking the part-time CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership at Edge Hill University to deepen his ability to blend mindset coaching with practical business strategy.
Giving back through Knowsley Chamber
A Knowsley resident all his life, Col joined the Chamber to help the borough’s growing digital cluster. He offers one‑to‑one coaching online and in person and is always happy to share agile know‑how or run a free session for fellow members.
When he isn’t coaching, you’ll find him reading negotiation favourite Never Split the Difference or travelling with his young family.
Get in touch
- Email: hello@chughes.uk
- Website: https://coaching.chughes.uk
- Podcast appearance: https://evolutionjobs.com/exchange/evo-uk-172-growing-leaders/
- https://evolutionjobs.com/exchange/evo-inspires-colin-hughes-founder-chughes-coaching/