Bernard trained as a mathematician but has worked most of his career in ICT, having been Director of IT for several large organisations. He also worked for a private consultancy, specialising in the civilian emergency services. He has been a Visiting Fellow at Oxford Brookes University for 10 years and lectures regularly on e-commerce, information management and financial accounting. He also works with a number of companies in the Thames Valley area through the University's Enterprise Centre and his own consultancy.

Bernard is also a non-executive director of two SME's, an OGC accredited Gateway Reviewer and advisor to the British Library on digitisation. Bernard is particulary interested in the business benefits of mentoring and facilitation and currently mentors several senior managers.