Jon was born in Chelmsford, Essex. He started learning classical music, focussed on piano, from an early age. School consisted of St Cedds followed by King Edward VI, both in Chelmsford.

University was University of Surrey in Guildford, taking the Tonmeister (Music and Sound Recording/Broadcast Engineering) degree. During the obligatory industrial year, Jon worked with Angus McKenzie in London on RF and equipment evaluation. It was here that he got into the world of computer controlled instrumentation, having been just too old to have any computer exposure at school.

After graduating, Jon joined the research labs of Consumer's Association, at Harpenden, where he did audio/video/telecomms testing and evaluation. He did more and more computer controlled instrumentation work, and helped develop an internal IT solution for computer-based results collection and analysis.

In 1989, he left and set up the computing side of Woodleyside Consultants Ltd, based within the family's management consultancy company. On the consultancy side, clients have included Arthur Guinness Son & Co (Dublin) Ltd, Glaxo, Alcan, the various Consumer Organisations of Europe, and a host of smaller and medium-sized companies.

He regularly gives lectures on advanced Windows integration topics, including OLE, client/server developments and office automation technologies. In addition, he's written for a wide range of technical publications starting with PC User back in 1991 where he started the World Of Windows column, and wrote for Computer Buyer.

He then moved to be the head technical contributor to Windows Magazine, and is now Contributing Editor for PCPro on Win32, Advanced Windows Integration and BackOffice issues. He is also the NT columnist of Network News, Microsoft Developer Network Journal, British Audio Journal, and chaired the BackOffice User Group.