Steve W. Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

Customer and market research, SQL, Google Analytics 4, HTML, Salesforce, PowerBI and Ometria to:- tailor communications for similar customers- improve campaign management (new PowerBI/SQL dashboards including profitability)- improve discount targeting and margin (up 6%p YoY Q1 2023/24)- improve direct mail targeting (300% swing to incremental profits vs control)- improve email (trials improving incremental profits vs control by 20%)- improve product (selector range and no more ice lollies)- improve service (ask, listen, act to a record NPS)

Nationwide

Seeing hundreds of lives turned around by local volunteering, I wanted to see if large-scale change was possible nationally.Starting as director for Billy Graham's last films, people in 19,400 UK churches were able to help 500,000 people, with 75,000 reporting major changes to their lives.With Billy handing on the reins, I became director for resources, social enterprise, marketing, communications and fundraising for national youth charity, Urban Saints. The turnaround, digital resource investment in Energize, digital marketing and brand refresh led to helping 750 more youth and children's groups, 3,000 more volunteers and 10,000 more young people weekly. Staff satisfaction increased each year, Trust and legacy income increased 40%, racial diversity doubled, and direct fundraising RoI increased 44%. With Covid, I became director for Tech and Digital Transformation for Christians Against Poverty - to scale up quickly in the pandemic and help more people escape poverty and unemployment across the UK and internationally.

National

BT's customer service was reputed to be the worst in Europe. I'd left as a customer, but was interested in the challenge, initially as Head of Business Improvement. Meeting Telco experts in the early days, no one thought we could stop the long term decline.Achievements:- Service turnaround strategy agreed by Retail Board (Jul - Dec 2006)- 'Consumer' sales to service Right First Time from 36% to 90% (Oct 2006 - Jan 2011), promoted to lead the team of over 100 professionals, develop the Programme and chair the weekly MDs operational 'heartbeat' from Sep 2008- Complaints reduced by 88%- Costs reduced by £125m pa- Cross-company communications including influencing Group CEO to modernise inter-Group MD collaboration- Contact Centre Association winner of Best Customer Focus and Best People Innovation awards in 2007- Last to joint best customer satisfaction (top four telcos)- Lowest Ofcom complaint rate for calls & broadband for BT (until 2016)- Promoted to Trading Team with Broadband market share rising from 24% to 64%.Rapid higher development talent pool and then BT senior management team:- Asked to fix a failing BT Wholesale and EE £1bn contract. From broken relationships to profuse praise from EE, I led the successful migration of all EE Broadband customers onto a new BT telecommunications network (Jan - Nov 2011)- Asked to help BT Wholesale align costs with future lower revenues. The team of 6 delivered £285m pa (Dec 2011 - Nov 2014) by re-configuring the UK network, reducing power consumption, renegotiating contracts, serving customers right first time, and simplifying portfolios and products.Delighted that EE and BT went on to merge, and grateful for the opportunity to help bring them together in 2011.

National

Head-hunted as Director and General Manager to lead Unipart Technology Logistics' turnaround of '3's supply chain and repairs after a traumatic autumn 2004:- operations had struggled with the rapid growth once the 3G network had stabilised- c£1.5bn loss included significant stock & commercial write offs.This was widely recognised as one of the worst five supply chain disasters of recent history. The turnaround took twelve months.500 staff, 180 stores, 4 million customers, £600m sales pa.Achievements:- Culture: nurtured a passion for customers with a team inspired and empowered to take responsibility- Culture: absence 10% to 2%- Culture: staff turnover 60% to 10% pa- Stock integrity 65% to 99.8%- Delivery on time in full 80% to 99.9%- Repairs on time in full 60% to 95%- Customer satisfaction from 47% to 98%- Financial performance: unit costs reduced by 50%- Rewarded with a new five year contract from '3'- Member of UTL Operating Board.At my final Board meeting, the COO described the turnaround, "I wish I could walk these operations every Friday. The people are a delight - knowledgeable and passionate about their work. Everything is immaculate - the visual management and control is outstanding and your use of standard work is very impressive."

National

After initiating e-procurement trials, I was fascinated by the 50% savings we saw on jewellery - the technology was highlighting a buying process opportunity across the business - and solving it would see Argos competing with Amazon, eBay & the supermarkets for another 12 years.To understand the real root causes and the scale of the wider opportunity, I sought approval to review & improve Furniture's value chain - developing a deep understanding of customer needs, commodity pricing, bulk discounts, labour sourcing, FX changes, promotional collaboration, transport, supplier selection, negotiation strategy & packaging.Delivering £5m pa of additional savings and improved quality and agility across the Furniture range, the Exec Board approved a full procurement programme across Homebase & Argos.Over the two years, we developed a robust, world-leading global supply base renowned for speed, quality, innovation, marketing support, agility and price - with £70m pa added to the bottom line.The commercial benefits were re-invested in price & quality, helping Argos win Retailer of the Year.

National

Working with every major function, I led the identification of new customer-centric processes & selecting the ERP system to take Argos into the multi-channel digital age.Improvements in end to end processes, demand forecasting, strategic sourcing, service level agreements, supplier management, supplier development and stock management software helped Argos win Retail Supply Chain of the Year.Costs reduced by £55m pa.Led for Supply Chain on the Argos Customer Focus Group chaired by Kate Swann and Peter Jones - over 50 innovations.Promoted to lead the Argos Value Chain transformation.

National

Executive Committee member (Strategy Implementation)Chair, Sales & Marketing cabinetLed programme of 9 major new initiatives which increased new business by 30% and reduced cost of sales by 20%:- new life-needs sales approach- new Marcomms- new database for 3.5 million customers- new contact strategy delivered by leading edge analytics (SAS)- new pay plan & objectives- built and led 125 strong contact centre- responsible for 750 collectors across UK and agent strategic review- developed new low-cost channels, enhanced customer choice working with MSF union and HR to modernise working practices.No compliance issues from period chairing Sales Cabinet.New MD wanted to take the business in a different direction, so I commenced my search for a new role.

National

£120m turnover subsidiaryEBITDA from £3m to £7m paHead hunted to lead the parent company strategy implementation

National

Consulting for EY at Pearl, I was offered the opportunity to implement my recommendations.Achievements:- reduced Treasury headcount by 35%- automated £2bn pa of premiums with new systems and banking contracts, retraining 8,000 staff- Barclays Bank Cash Management system of the year award- returned to manage purchase and sales ledgers as well as Treasury, implementing new cash flow forecasting and working capital management- promoted to Head of Financial Control, resolving £27m of balance sheet challenges and leading on Stock Exchange reporting- overall savings £14m paHead-hunted to lead Unit Trusts and Banking.

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Consultancy, financial management and accounting.