Brian Lancaster Email & Phone Number

Sheffield, United Kingdom

We help organisations reduce IT Operational Risk by identifying resilience risks and issues within their IT operations, system configurations, and management capabilities. We assess their strengths and weaknesses with a gap analysis and help them build pragmatic action plans. To accompany this, we have published "Avoiding IT Meltdown" - a fast paced book full of practical hints and tips for managing technology. Available direct from BLMS - send your order request to enquiries@blmsconsulting.co.uk. It is also available in paperback and digital download versions on Amazon. To find out more, please visit www.blmsconsulting.co.uk or contact via enquiries@blmsconsulting.co.uk.

Programme Leadership - Critical IT Service Resilience:Ran a series of Critical IT Service Reviews in 6 locations across the world. Managed a multi-national project team reviewing the resilience of the IT systems, support, and processes that underpinned the critical business services offered by the Bank in those countries. Produced comprehensive and achievable action plans for executive management sign-off.Departmental Leadership - Head of Middleware:Directed and managed the Middleware department (200 UK technical staff and a further 70 offshore in India and Brazil). The team designed, built, implemented and supported application server software (eg IBM Websphere), messaging software (eg IBM MQ Series), and databases (IBM DB2, Oracle, SQL Server, Teradata). The team was a critical hub in all new implementation projects delivering services for the UK, Europe, Middle East, and use across the whole Group.Organisational Change – Established new Production Support function:Implemented new technical support function providing incident and problem support for all live services. Set organisation structure and defined organisational model including boundaries with other technical functions.Team Transformation - Head of Problem Management:In my first management role at HSBC I set and executed a strategy that changed the Problem Management team of 8 staff from passive problem administration into a proactive value-add analytical and management function.

Directed and managed IBM’s technical support activity with two of the UK’s largest retail clients. Led IBM’s technical support activity at the data centres of one of the UK’s largest banks.