Summary

Here you'll find more detail on my career to date which will offer some background into how I have gained my knowledge so far.

I'm an experienced, qualified professional Project Manager with a track record for successful delivery via a focus on solutions and connecting strategy to execution. I'm adaptable, driven, self-motivated, and focused, a natural team player who also takes pride in personal success.

Areas of knowledge/expertise:

Extensive cross-industry project management experience with multiple methodologies including Prince2, Agile, Scrum, Six Sigma, and PMBOK.
Managed implementations of IT solutions hosted on AWS and Azure, as well as large-scale business change driven by regulatory requirements such as GDPR, Operational Resilience, and PCI compliance.
Confident operating at a global scale with stakeholders at all levels and backgrounds in fast-paced, highly regulated environments as well as creative settings.
Developed an adaptive management style from exposure to a vast array of technical experts.
Skilled at understanding topics at pace and acting as a bridge between product/technical experts and executives/customer-facing stakeholders ensuring that relevant information is articulated and summarised in an appropriate manner.

Experience

Sliide- Chief of Staff - Business Operations

Jan 2024 – Present

As Chief of Staff at Sliide, my role has evolved from my initial position as a Program Manager overseeing infrastructure upgrades and operational projects. My journey began with the DevOps and Data Engineering teams, where I was instrumental in aligning programmes of work with organisational objectives.

Today, I've transitioned into a role that encompasses a broader business strategy, focusing on cost management, organisational goals, and business operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Oversight: I now take a 360-degree view of the organisation's project portfolio, ensuring alignment with overarching business goals and operational efficiencies.

Resource Allocation & Cost Management: I manage resources judiciously, always with an eye on the bottom line, to ensure projects are not just successful but also financially viable.

Stakeholder Engagement: Building on my knack for fostering strong relationships, I now liaise between the executive team, technical experts, and other stakeholders to ensure seamless communication and operational delivery.

Risk Mitigation: My role involves proactively identifying and reporting key risks and dependencies, allowing for timely interventions and course corrections.

Visibility & Reporting: I provide regular updates to senior leadership and stakeholders, ensuring transparency and visibility across the organisation's project landscape.

Sliide- Programme Manager

Nov 2022 – Dec 2023

Initially joining Sliide as a Programme Manager, I successfully led significant technological and operational transformations. My role was crucial in aligning project execution with strategic business goals, ensuring seamless collaboration across DevOps and Data Engineering teams. I progressed to managing a portfolio of key programmes within business operations.

Key Achievements:

Led AWS Redshift migration, enhancing data warehousing and cutting costs.
Fostered cross-functional collaboration, boosting productivity and efficiency.
Optimised AWS infrastructure via changes such as EC2 instance optimisations, cloudrfront optimisation reduction in cloudwatch data pulls and various others, saving over $1 million annually.
Innovated workflows, significantly reducing product operations process times.
Developed a performance dashboard, improving strategic and operational oversight.

Leadership Philosophy:

As a results-driven leader, I am committed to not just meeting but exceeding organisational objectives. My ability to work with cross-functional teams has been a cornerstone of my success, as has been my skill in articulating complex information in a manner that resonates with both technical experts and executives.

Leveraging my extensive experience in project and program management, along with my newfound focus on operational strategy, I aim to be an invaluable asset to Sliide and any future endeavours.

RM plc - Project Manager

Sep 2021 – Nov 2022 (1 yr 3 mos)

As a Project Manager at RM plc, I had the privilege of engaging with senior executives and a multinational team to deliver transformative change and provide structure and planning on a large-scale, cloud-hosted, digital platform, with the support of a global team.

My primary responsibilities included defining the project scope and objectives, identifying and managing project resources, budget management, and maintaining success indicators to tolerance.

Some of my key responsibilities included:
Developing and managing detailed plans and strategies to ensure project success
Defining and managing communication and reporting amongst global stakeholders
Managing third-party vendors and suppliers on a global scale
Owning and managing the project's Risk, Issue, Dependency, and Assumption (RIDAC) log.

As a skilled Project Manager, I possess expertise in program management, digital transformation, stakeholder management, business transformation, requirements gathering, and project planning. I am also proficient in PRINCE2, Agile Project Management, Waterfall Project Management, problem-solving, troubleshooting, supplier negotiations, budget management, risk management, financial planning, quality management, integration, and Microsoft Office.

I was able to develop my experience in managing complex projects, combined with my ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional, international teams and drive change management.

Family Building Society - Business Change Project Manager

Feb 2016 – Sep 2021 (5 yrs 8 mos)

As a Business Change Project Manager with a strong Prince2 background, I successfully managed multiple cross-functional and complex projects across various areas, including SaaS implementations, IaaS migrations, development, legal and regulatory, financial, operational/process change, and procurement/tender management.

During my tenure, I established best practices and overhauled the PMO, achieving productivity and organisational success goals. I also managed business continuity and operational resilience following an initial project implementation.

With extensive experience in project delivery, I created and managed detailed project plans, developed project scope and objectives, managed resources, and ensured change and RAID management. I have a proven track record of preparing and presenting reports to all levels of stakeholders and supporting the conduct of audits on project governance.

As a coach and mentor, I supported other PMs, coordinators, and support staff in project delivery while providing line management support. I developed my skills in stakeholder management, business transformation, requirements gathering, project planning, change management, business analysis, Six Sigma, and troubleshooting, along with my proficiency in Microsoft Project, web design, and Microsoft Office, in order to make me an asset to any team.

Markerstudy Insurance - Project Analyst

Mar 2015 – Feb 2016 (1 yr)

As a Project Analyst within Markerstudy Insurance's IT project delivery team, I was responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of projects by providing a range of key project management support services. These included pre-project assessments, quality assurance, governance control, reporting, risk, issue and dependency management, as well as change management.

My ability to assess incoming project requests to confirm requirements and project viability, liaise with department heads to establish resource requirements, and manage pre-project meetings allowed for efficient project delivery from start to finish. I was also adept at ensuring that relevant templates were available to PMs and BAs, maintaining document repositories, producing and maintaining project/corporate process guides, and archiving key documentation, ensuring the organization's standards were adhered to.

In addition to my project management skills, I further developed a range of technical competencies, including proficiency in Microsoft Project, PRINCE2, Waterfall Project Management, and the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). I developed a track record of problem-solving, troubleshooting, budget management, risk management, quality management, and effective stakeholder management.

Nexus Associates - IT Project Manager

Jun 2013 – Mar 2015 (1 yr 10 mos)

As an IT Project Manager at Nexus Associates from June 2013 to March 2015, I was responsible for managing all IT elements of new build projects in the education sector, specifically overseeing the design and implementation of sever rooms, structured cabling, core/edge switch, server migration, new IP telephone systems, and the installation of migrated/new user IT equipment.

In addition to my technical responsibilities, I also assisted IT Consultants in the drafting of construction proposal documentation for the purpose of ensuring consistency. I created all project documentation and governed its use, and ensured quality assurance and change management. Using Prince2 methodology, I managed projects through all phases of the project lifecycle, including project planning with MS Project, producing project highlight reports, recording, managing risks/issues/dependencies, attending site meetings all over the UK, and managing works on site including multiple installation teams.

I liaised with contractors from other trades on site, managed site team H&S, and ensured best value from suppliers and sub-contract workers. I facilitated project sign-off with clients (building contractor), end-clients (funding authority), and the hand-over to new building occupiers.

Throughout my tenure at Nexus Associates, I demonstrated skills in stakeholder management, requirements gathering, problem solving, troubleshooting, supplier negotiations, budget management, risk management, financial planning, quality management, and equipment installation.

Mood Media - Project Manager

Dec 2010 – May 2013 (2 yrs 6 mos)

As a Project Manager at Mood Media, I successfully managed the rollout of various networked audio/visual solutions, providing digital signage and in-store music to clients across the nation. Over the course of my tenure, I contributed to a combined estate of over 3000 networked devices and provided on-going post-installation support to ensure seamless functionality.

My responsibilities included developing expert knowledge of both legacy and newly developed products, maintaining project-related documentation, configuring devices prior to rollout, and providing remote support to engineers, users, and IT staff post-installation. I also provided technical support to the sales team during business development, liaised with software developers to test new interfaces and products, monitored the entire network product estate, and troubleshooted any issues as necessary.

Sahara AV Solutions - AV Project Engineer

Nov 2009 – Dec 2010 (1 yr 2 mos)

As a Freelance AV Project Engineer with Accurate AV, a subsidiary of Sahara Presentation Systems, I was responsible for ensuring the successful installation of IT and AV equipment into educational institutions.

My key contributions to the role included:

Collaborating with the sales team to capture customer requirements and translate them into effective installation plans.
Preparing comprehensive method statements and risk assessments to ensure the safety of all personnel involved in the installation process.
Conducting site visits to validate installation plans and ensure that equipment was properly specified and prepared.
Installing and configuring the specified equipment to ensure seamless integration with existing systems.

Through my attention to detail and technical expertise, I was able to consistently deliver high-quality installations and exceed customer expectations. My proficiency in AV equipment installation, risk assessment, and stakeholder management were all critical to the success of the projects I worked on.

Merchant Taylors' Hall - AV/IT Project Manager (Freelance)

Oct 2008 – Dec 2009 (1 yr 3 mos)

As a freelance Audio/Visual Technical Project Manager, I worked with Merchant Taylors' Company, a prestigious Central London Livery Hall, as well as managing my own client base for events in various venues across London and the South East.

My role involved providing technical solutions and specifications to clients based on their requirements, managing events and installations of various size/value/type, and providing full support and advice to venue/site installation teams. I also produced quotations for clients based on an established brief, and designed bespoke set, stage, and system solutions.

In addition to managing technicians and crew on site based on crew briefs prepared by myself prior to the solution delivery, I procured third-party services and communicated with clients to maximize revenue from each project through negotiation. I also managed an extremely varied client base, referred to me by venues, caterers, event organizers, and installation companies, as well as through my own sales and marketing activities.

Document management was also an important part of my role, including the design of bespoke quotation and invoice templates and the production of Health & Safety documentation based on bespoke on-site assessments. I was also responsible for relationship management of clients and suppliers, accounts administration, post-project activities with clients, and designing custom packages supplied through event venues or other suppliers for continuity purposes on larger projects.

Overall, my experience as a freelance Audio/Visual Technical Project Manager honed my skills in technical problem-solving, project management, and client relationship management, making me an ideal candidate for similar roles in the AV/IT industry.

Eclipse Presentations - Project Manager

Dec 2005 – Oct 2008 (2 yrs 11 mos)

As a Project Manager at Eclipse Presentations Ltd, I successfully managed the supply of Audio/Visual equipment and set and staging solutions for a wide range of corporate events, from initial conception to completion on site. I was responsible for managing projects with budgets ranging from under £1k up to approximately £15k. I worked closely with clients to establish the concept, purpose, budget, and timeline of the event, prepared production briefs and proposals, and maintained project documentation, including timelines, change request logs, decision logs, and risk and issue logs. I liaised with graphic designers to produce set designs based on technical briefs, prepared floor plans and wiring diagrams using Microsoft Visio, and produced all necessary documentation from quotation through to H&S risk assessments and method statements. I was also responsible for operational management, including booking freelance technicians and labor, arranging transport requirements of equipment delivery and out-of-hours crew transport, sourcing of bespoke equipment or crew externally, and on-site management of all crew and client updates. I successfully delivered post-event reports, prepared invoices, and ensured sign-off.

Eclipse Presentations - Hire Desk Co-ordinator

Dec 2003 – Dec 2005 (2 yrs 1 mo)

As a Hire Desk Coordinator, I was responsible for taking incoming calls from prospective clients, ensuring their requirements were established and recorded. I managed remote smaller events up to £3k in value, completed equipment lists, and provided basic set design and floor plan/wiring diagram preparation. I submitted project documents to the relevant teams to ensure operational needs were met, contacted existing client base to ensure their AV/IT equipment hire needs were met, and occasionally managed crews working on events managed by the Hire Desk. I also provided technical support to other members of the hire desk and sales team members as required.

CDEC Ltd (Now StriveAV) - Installations Engineer

Oct 2002 – Dec 2003 (1 yr 3 mos)

As an Installations Engineer at CDEC Ltd, I was responsible for seamlessly integrating Audio/Visual and IT equipment into educational establishments and corporate environments. My role involved designing and implementing custom audio and video installations, as well as providing interactive IT solutions to meet the specific needs of each location.

My expertise in digital signage solutions allowed me to successfully deliver projects for a variety of corporate clients. I was often selected as the lead engineer on larger installations, managing multiple teams to ensure that all work was completed to the highest standard.

I carried out site visits to plan installations and recommended the best fixing methods for each location. Additionally, I was responsible for maintaining stock levels on board the company vehicle and keeping detailed records of equipment used on each installation.

My role also included carrying out service calls to provide fault resolution to existing customers. With my extensive experience in troubleshooting and resolving issues, I ensured that all clients received the highest level of service and support.

Apogee Corporation - IT Installation Engineer

Sep 2001 – Oct 2002 (1 yr 2 mos)

During my time with Apogee my duties included the installation and trouble-shooting of IT network based systems as well as network installations into various corporate premises.

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