Alexander Bates-Bianchi Email & Phone Number

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Subiaco

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

In my position at HBF, I serve as a strategic leader within the IT Service Management (ITSM) domain, leading our proficient ITSM Team and overseeing the Service Desk function. My role primarily revolves around providing guidance and championing best practices in our policies, standards, and procedures, all while upholding a steadfast commitment to a customer-centric ethos ingrained in HBF's core values – prioritizing our members' interests and, by extension, the well-being of HBF employees.I collaborate closely with HBF's leadership cadre, endeavoring to mitigate risks, enhance processes, introduce automation, and elevate the daily experiences of our employees at HBF. This mission hinges on a judicious blend of technology deployment and harnessing the expertise resident within our esteemed Technology Department.Informed by ITIL v4 and Agile Project Management, I manage, define, and uphold key practices:• ITIL Implementation: Embedding ITIL practices in ITSM for efficiency.• Service Catalogue Management: Developing a simple and transparent catalog of IT services.• Incident and Problem Management: Swiftly resolving and identifying IT issues and minimizing disruption.• Service Request Management: Streamlining service requests for a better user experience.• Service Level Management and Reporting: Establishing SLAs and generating insightful reports.• Asset and Configuration Management: Optimizing resource utilization and compliance.• Change Management/Enablement: Managing changes to IT services and enabling smooth transitions, reducing risks and disruptions.• IT Service Desk: Leading prompt issue resolution and user support.I also oversee the development and roadmap for Cherwell Service Management (ITSM Ticketing tool) and Snow License Manager (cost management and asset discovery tool). This ensures regulatory compliance, risk management, and enhanced customer digital experiences.To learn more about my professional journey and development, read below!

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Upon my promotion to the role of Manager of Service Management, I assumed direct responsibility for HBF's IT Service Management, Service Desk, Desktop Services, and Identity and Access Management teams. This encompassed overseeing a talented team of 17 individuals, managing 8 distinct service functions, and delivering critical services to 4 distinct businesses operating across 16 locations spanning 3 states.During this pivotal period, I am particularly proud of orchestrating a comprehensive overhaul of HBF's asset management practices. This overhaul was driven by the need to align with rigorous standards such as APRA CPS234, PCI DSS compliance, and the ITIL v4 framework. Our efforts resulted in an enhanced configuration management system, the introduction of discovery automation, meticulous dependency mapping, and substantial improvements in the user interface (UI) and digital experience (DEX) for end-users. Crucially, we implemented rigorous quality assurance practices to ensure the ongoing accuracy and reliability of our asset data.I spearheaded the automation of 80% of our employee lifecycle management processes. This ranged from onboarding into bespoke programs by informed by organizational structure to temporary transfers into new positions where access is revoked, but not lost enabling a smooth transition into previous role..Throughout my tenure I successfully managed a myriad of systems, steered multiple complex projects, and effectively administered multiple financial cost centers. This support extended not only to the core HBF group but also its subsidiaries and the entire staff, which numbered 1600 individuals. This encompassed crucial contributions to HBF's ambitious transformation program and its associated deliverables.My role was a dynamic blend of leadership, innovation, and strategic execution, vital to the operational success of HBF and its commitment to excellence.

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

In recognition of my efforts and contributions to the HBF Desktop Services team, I was appointed as the Service Desk Lead. In this capacity, my focus encompassed coaching for quality assurance, refining our internal knowledge base for process excellence, and optimizing our external knowledge base for simplicity and relevance. I closely collaborated with the IT Service Management (ITSM) team to enhance our Service Catalog, ticketing processes, lifecycle management, SLA reporting, and to drive automation initiatives.Although my title emphasized Service Desk leadership, my responsibilities extended to overseeing process reviews and monitoring for both the Identity Access Management and Desktop Services teams, which operated within the same department. During this period at HBF, I garnered recognition from the senior leadership team as a potential successor to my manager. I actively developed my leadership skills through mentorship and coaching under my manager's guidance, ensuring my readiness to support the team in any capacity.I also spearheaded multiple application upgrade projects, covering everything from defining requirements to driving business adoption and conducting essential testing. Additionally, I played a pivotal role in introducing ITIL v4 practices to the entire IT Service Management team.

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

After a few years of managing relief branches, I was eager to return to the technology sector. I received a recommendation to join the HBF Desktop Services Team for a brief project. During my tenure in desktop management, I took charge of the HBF Asset fleet and collaborated on the CMDB alongside ITSM. I also provided valuable support to customers by addressing level 2 queries forwarded by the Service Desk. Additionally, I successfully oversaw multiple bump-in/out projects related to refurbishments and contributed to the training of the interstate team. My strong drive to continuously enhance our processes, documentation, and systems led to an invitation to stay on board after the project's completion, where I played a crucial role in assisting and developing the Service Desk team.

Western Australia, Australia

Shortly after joining HBF within their branch network, the leadership team recognized my talent for people leadership and coaching. They extended an opportunity for me to serve as a relief branch manager, now known as an Assistant Branch Manager. In this role, I had the privilege of working in various locations, providing dedicated customer service to HBF Members and ensuring that our teams felt supported through encouragement, training, and guidance they required. Key functions of this role were conversational coaching, fluid rostering between locations, remote travel, and conflict/complaint resolution.

Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia

As I neared the completion of my degree in Psychology and Counseling, I made the decision to transition into a role with reduced responsibilities. That's when I joined HBF as a Member Relationship Consultant, dedicated to assisting our members with their Health and General Insurance requirements. With the guidance of mentors and ongoing personal development, my leadership qualities quickly came to the forefront. As a result, my role expanded to encompass responsibilities in handling complaints, coaching, sales reporting, and relief work.

Joondalup

During my time at Vividwireless, I played a pivotal role as a Level Two Technical Support team member. This position involved providing technical support, troubleshooting, device management, and Level One network support to Vividwireless customers. Additionally, I had the opportunity to lead a team of seven individuals.My experience at Vividwireless was instrumental in my understanding of IT Service Management, where I became well-versed in the adoption of ITIL 3 practices. These practices encompassed Incident, Problem, Asset, and Knowledge Management, which I applied effectively in the daily operations.In summary, my responsibilities included:- Offering remote technical support for the installation and setup of mobile broadband modems through inbound call centers.- Engaging in the sale of new devices and plans to customers.- Utilizing the Oracle RightNow incident management system for efficient issue resolution.- Providing technical support for various aspects, including network utilization, DNS configuration, IP configuration, wifi networking, LAN configuration, and local file sharing.- Conducting Level 2 investigations for hardware malfunctions, mobile tower outages, utilization levels, and software compatibility/bugs.- Directly reporting outcomes and outputs to key stakeholders.- Serving as a subject matter expert (SME) and supporting staff.- Managing and providing support to an offshore contact center in the Philippines while also overseeing the local WA contact center.- Taking responsibility for major incident outages and communicating effectively with key stakeholders, including the CEO, operation manager, staff, and users.- Coaching staff on key performance indicators (KPIs).- Resolving escalated customer calls related to unsatisfactory service.This role not only expanded my technical expertise but also honed my leadership skills, making it a valuable part of my professional journey.

Perth, Australia

In my current role, I provide dedicated support to Synergy's Western Australian customers throughout their entire electricity service journey. Beyond the responsibilities of a standard Customer Service Representative, I take on additional duties within the Escalation team. This includes addressing and resolving customer concerns, complaints, and compliments, ensuring that we maintain a high standard of customer service excellence.