Chris Neale Email & Phone Number

Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom

learndirect is the largest online training provider in the UK. We provide a range of high quality courses, digitally-led, with industry-leading outcomes across our subject areas. I lead a national team ensuring a world-class learner journey from the moment a learner buys their course, to the moment they complete and join our alumni community.We have industry-leading learner outcomes and make a difference to every learner who studies with us.

Oxford, United Kingdom

I led a high-growth, fast paced growth of QA Apprenticeships business from 1,000 to 6,000+, leading a large national team of trainers, tutors, assessors and skills coaches. I implemented operational controls, governance and best practice at scale and reduced funding risk from ESFA funding to very low levels. My role then progressed to Transformation Director, applying organisational change strategies, leadership and operational excellence to the QA Group including commercially funded learning, bespoke learning projects and client-specific learning services. This included a business-wide re-structuring programme (reducing by multi million pounds), ensuring the Group maintained strong profit margins and was responsive to market changes. I also implemented digital transformation projects across QA that led to drastically improved profit margins, a significantly reduced cost base and a step-improvement in learner outcomes. I led change in the organisation to ensure we consistently challenged ourselves operationally and use technology to make game-changing difference across the business. I also acted as Chief Operating Officer within QA Higher Education, ensuring the organisation was ready to grow at pace, responding to changing learner needs and ensured compliance with UKVI, Student Finance obligations all while achieving the best outcomes learners could achieve on their Degree programmes. This included 14,000 learners at peak and physical physical facilities across the UK.

Crowthorne

TRL provides research, consultancy and services to Governments, private sector and international businesses around the world. I managed the Sustainable Mobility group, comprising of distinct market sectors, into which I integrated an acquisition. In this role I successfully integrated the target company, consolidated the group and turned it into a successful business. This was from the perspective of the P&L (which I owned), the right people in the business and a clear market strategy in line with business requirements.

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Responsible for all systems, internal IT, internal development, hosting and infrastructure development across the RM group. This included developing and maintaining strong relationships across multiple locations including a large offshore operation. The team was comprised of software development, operations, infrastructure in addition to a demanding set of governance and compliance requirements. I led the department in providing varying service levels to the businesses in RM in very different functions. I also identified large cost reduction initiatives and delivered a strategy to reduce overall cost while improving efficiency and services offered. I also led Group compliance and ensure financial plans are forecast accurately, delivered and tracked. Regular progress ws reported back at Board level on a regular basis.

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Interim Head of Operations at RM Results, looking after the team for Summer 2015, in addition to Head of IS role. This was a short secondment that involved:- Managing external suppliers technically, operationally and commercially;- Managing the helpdesk providing support in a high stakes environment. - Establishing and using regular reports across the operation, to take fast and decisive action to benefit customers. - Improving and radically changing the Technical Operations part of the team, to improve our software release processes and reduce downtime.

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

I managed customer facing support teams, who provided telephone support from multiple locations. This covered all RM's cloud products and network management products. There was also a commercial focus from Service Managers, where I established a commercial focus to the team. This team combined operational delivery of contractual commitments, with account development so RM offered the best possible support to customers. This role included operational ownership of the offshore team, where I introduced a Web Chat service, which is in use across RM products.

Trivandrum, India

I managed the following teams from Kerala, India:- 1st, 2nd and 3rd line support;- Proactive/preventative Support;- Sales operations;- Managed Service support;- Technical content generation; and - Infrastructure bidding and delivery.Key parts of the role were:- Continuous improvements across a very diverse group.- Meeting SLA's as agreed with the UK. - Managing large teams (80+) and developing managers to improve their people and the services offered. Managing in a different culture was also a significant part of the role.

London, United Kingdom

I managed a large team (30+) delivering an IT Managed Service across 14 sites. The service was measured against a strict set of Key Performance Indicators and Service Level Agreements (SLA's) of FKPI's, customer satisfaction measures and ITIL compliant issue measures. I implemented an Apprenticeship scheme that was structured to support the delivery of SLA's as well as improving operational performance across the sites. Managing key contacts/the customer was a significant part of this role and I communicated clearly and concisely to external customers.

I managed a team of Service Consultants & Solution Architects in a matrix management environment. This team had two roles but both were bid-focussed, mainly working on a combination of Government-funded contracts (BSF) and large schools, academies or groups of academies. Service consultants designed the Managed Service structure for these contracts. Reviewing customer requirements and preparing a financial model and writing this up for the bid was a critical part of the role. Solution Architects reviewed and responded to the technical aspects of customer requirements. This sometimes included developing new products and services where there was no existing offering, and always involved ensuring the solution was affordable.I also played both of these roles myself on a number of bids in this role. The team had a very good win rate and were a significant part of RM winning 40% of all BSF bids.

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

I managed software development and hardware projects in the ISP division. I successfully turned around a programme that encompassed both hardware and software projects, delivering a major upgrade to a system used by 1million+ users. Combined technical and planning skills to influence successful outcomes. Delivered projects with budgets from £90k - £2m spend (£1m - £60m value).Projects delivered within budget and within time. Managed internal and external customer relationships and expectations. Successfully managed virtual teams between 4 locations.

Planned and implemented migration from legacy to .net code base. Trained 300+ users on software functionality. Managed customer relationships during a difficult migration project. Acted as 3rd line support for queries relating to SQL.

Broadband support, customer service & new product introduction.

Mba, Business Administration And Management, General

Master Of Arts - Ma, International Relations

Bachelor’S Degree, Business Information Systems, 2:1