Currently responsible for leading the Borderless Network technology practice within Block, responsible for setting the strategic direction for the practice and leading the team to successfully deliver against the strategy and objectives and having responsibility for the successful delivery of all customer services and projects, including developing the people, processes and support function for the Borderless Network Practice.

Responsibility for managing the data networks across the various brands within the Group, comprising over 5000 sites operating in diverse business sectors from retail banking through supermarkets to funeral directors. • Accountability for the performance, welfare and development of 24 staff and a £12m budget.• Governing effectively across different businesses with wide-ranging network requirements.• Strategic planning to ensure network provision meets the evolving business needs of the Group.• Overseeing all aspects of the daily management for the network as well as project delivery.• Evaluating new technologies to assess potential benefit to the business.• Developing and continually evaluating all processes and procedures relating to the data network.• Service management from an internal and outsourced managed-service perspective.• Auditing of the network estate to manage statutory and business risk, identifying potential failings and implementing remedial action as appropriate.• Stakeholder management at the highest levels; presenting business cases. • Sustaining strategic partnerships with key vendors including Cisco.

Following merger between Britannia Building Society and Cooperative Bank, through reapplication I was successfully appointed as Data Network Manager. Responsible for 12 staff across three geographically dispersed sites and operational budget of £6m.• Consolidated existing networks (an in-house managed Britannia and two externally-managed co-op networks) into a single externally-managed network, securing £7m+ savings over 5 years.• Procurement, solution design and oversight of the implementation of a Cisco Nexus environment across four data-centres.• Merged previously disparate SANs into a single Cisco MDS solution.• Delivered standard management capability across the team from a personnel and network management system perspective.• Successfully delivered Fibre Channel Over Ethernet (FCOE).

Employed by this leading UK building prior to it's acquisition by Cooperative Group with ultimate responsibility for data networks across the entire estate; branches and central-offices. Managing the work allocations, performance and welfare of a five person team with budgetary responsibility of approximately £2m.• Design, procurement and implementation of a Cisco-based Local Area Network for the head office using the Catalyst suite of switches of routers, supporting 5000 users.• Delivery of MPLS network across 250 sites.• Migration of ATM machines onto a WAN from an external provider, securing cost benefits.• Design and implementation of a communications infrastructure to enable Internet and web hosting, including DMZ and firewall deployment.• Implementation of robust network performance tools.• Delivering network connectivity into a purpose-built 'dark site' data-centre.• Implementation of a Cisco SAN and delayed DWDM across two DC's.

Progressing through a series of roles from non-technical through various telephony and data network management positions based on performance, ever-increasing knowledge and attitude towards high standards.• 1998 - 2001: Team Leader of Data Communications• 1993 - 1998: Coordinator of WANs & LANs• 1988 - 1993: Network Analyst WAN• 1986 - 1988: Network Services• 1982 - 1986: Telephony Manager• 1978 - 1982: Various Administrative Roles (Non-IT)