20 Years with Sitecore: How Mark Cassidy Mastered the Platform and Found a Community for Life

Do you still remember your first encounter with Sitecore? What caught your attention back then?

I do. It was actually at CeBIT in 2001 or 2002. I was working for a company building a CMS system for small businesses and we went to CeBIT to show our product. In the same area was a Sitecore booth and Lars Floe Nielsen was presenting what must have been Sitecore version 3 or possibly 4. I remember thinking they had some cool ideas, but didn’t think further of it then. Back in those days there were literally dozens and dozens of CMS builders in Denmark alone and no clear winners in sight.

What made you stay in this field for so long? What kept you excited about working with Sitecore?

It wasn’t planned. At least not at first. I made some really good friends in the Sitecore Community and as the years went by and Sitecore really took off and started expanding world wide, I decided to jump on the bus - so to speak. It was always my plan to travel and work around the world and use my IT skills as the stepping stone. With Sitecore, the opportunity materialised. I already had some years of experience and therefore a headstart on “everyone else” whenever Sitecore entered a new market. 

Have you ever seriously considered switching to a different platform?

I’ve played around a bit. While I consider myself a technologist, there are 20 years of connections and friendships that simply cannot be replaced. The Sitecore Community is also second to none, without question. It’s the main reason I choose to remain.

Looking back over the past 20 years, what stands out the most? A particular project? A special moment? Maybe even a big mistake that helped you grow?

It’s hard to single any one thing out. But I do recall Symposium 2018 for instance. Sitecore had literally “rented” an entire theme park for us, and we got to try out the experiences without the hours and hours of queues one would normally have to suffer through. Outside of specific events and happenings, it’s still the long lasting friendships I’ve been fortunate enough to build that I cherish the most in the day to day.

You’ve received 13 Sitecore MVP awards. Do these still feel like meaningful recognition to you?

The award continues to hold meaning and value to me because it speaks to community participation and is a recognition of efforts I do in the community even to this day. 

What drives you forward professionally? And do you see your personal life as part of the motivation behind achieving great results at work?

I know I should probably insert something here along the lines of wanting to drive maximum value for our valuable clients, and so on. Which is of course true. But the thing that has always driven me is a desire to stand out and be the best possible I can be at whatever I choose to do. I don’t really give it much thought. I just do what I do, and do it as best I can.

How do you remember the moment you joined ACTUM Digital with all your experience behind you? What motivated you to make that move?

I saw an opportunity and what I believed to be a clear win/win for both parties. ACTUM was expanding with new acquisitions and wanted to further strengthen the Sitecore presence and professional level. For myself, I wanted the challenge of building the strongest Sitecore team the region had ever seen. That remains my goal and ambition even to this day.

What advice would you give to juniors or people just starting out with Sitecore? How would you motivate them, and what are some “good to know” tips you'd share?

Absolutely go and get fully embedded in the Sitecore community. It will help you stay on top of everything that is going on - even when you yourself are knee deep in whatever specific project that may or may not expose you to all the tools in Sitecore's expanding portfolio. Make friends, learn, go to events, grow. What’s not to like?

How do you think the role of a developer has changed over the past 20 years? Where do you see the biggest value or purpose in the role today?

I don’t know that is has. Developers solve problems by understanding requirements and writing computer code to implement them. The tooling has changed, sure, and it’s currently changing again with all the AI breakthroughs going on. But fundamentally the task remains the same as it ever was.

If you had to start all over again today, would you choose Sitecore again?

No. Or… probably not. We’re looking at a shift in our entire technological landscape with the rise of AI. We’re only seeing the very peak of the tip of the iceberg currently. If I was starting over in 2025 I would be looking in that direction. In the direction of AI. I’ve given it no further thought than this however.

Do you have any personal or professional goals that you still want to achieve?

Plenty. But these are mine.