I managed the core infrastructure team of 20 for the group, servicing all manufacturing sites, and ensured no unplanned downtime at the site in critical periods for the business. My most recent headline project was the successful migration from a failing, underpowered Nutanix cluster to Dell VX-Rail. This failing cluster was running most of our business-critical VMware servers. Replacing this hardware significantly improved the speed of our database estate and the reliability of the service. I delivered Checkpoint Harmony solution and iboss into the group to provide a more secure layered approach to security, across all systems. As all sites are running NGFW already this was adding extra layers of protection. Whilst saving money by moving away from expensive not fit purpose Mimecast and Zscaler solutions.Improving security compliance through a Wi-Fi upgrade, implemented Cisco ISE ensuring all machines connecting met rigorous security standards demanded by our customers. Used SCCM to standardise the setup of PC builds and upgrades across groups. Windows software roll-out time reduced from labour-intensive 6 months to less than 2 months to complete.Working within stringent banking security guidelines ensured ISO 27001 compliance for all applications that were managing bank /customer data was maintained at all sites. Working closely with internal and external audit teams to ensure that any audit findings were rectified immediately, or risks were managed and updated policies.Led the core database team, consolidated, and radically improved the performance of all databases, reducing platform costs by 30% per year. Whilst driving up standards in data governance, data management, and data quality. Ensured automated data delivery and specifically focused on eradicating data errors for delivery to external banking systems.

World-leading Engineering Science department in Oxford had a large user base of employing over two thousand staff and students. I was responsible for an IT team of six direct reports the team ran all the core IT Services for the Department. Supporting world-leading research programs in robotics, biomechanical engineering, autonomous cars, and AI. These research projects generate significant volumes of data requiring high security and performant processing power environments. To enable our engineers to work at speed, I implemented a Dell/EMC Scalable object Storage network. This reduced their processing times by 20% whilst improving the security and resilience of their stored data.Replaced the failing Wi-Fi network with a new fit-for-purpose Meraki Cloud-based solution running over a core Cisco switched network. By choosing the right partner, the solution was live in 3 months. User complaints reduced from 1000s per year to zero, and two thousand users across the site had no impediments to their research. Implementing a single Active Directory across the department to replace the multiple unsecured and non-standard AD solutions set up in the department. This provided a simple, secure solution that all teams could support and use.Identified the security risks and led a program of cyber security rationalisation projects to reduce those risks. I identified and tightened all relevant IT security policies and processes. As a result, security increased significantly, rationalising the number of exit points and external points of attack on the FortiGate firewalls. This project reduced our attack footprint by 60% over a year.Improved the business’s perception of the team by reducing time spent dealing with poor feedback and HR issues by motivating my team and focusing on their needs.

Elsevier is a global publisher of academic journals and books with offices around the world and over three thousand staff. This product is used within the journals division.Was responsible for the Service Delivery of Elsevier’s new submission system (EVISE) based on an Oracle ERP product. I managed internal/external IT resources to deliver changes, product releases/updates to the core product working in an Agile framework. The third-party Dev and QA resources were based out of the UK, India, and the USA.Conducted the effective transition of changes to the core AWS system to meet the quality standards required for the production environment, with operational documentation and appropriate update of service data. Implemented CloudWatch to deliver effective monitoring of the solution stack, ensuring we saw issues/incidents before our customers. Ensuring we provided timely resolution of all incidents and problem activities across the infrastructure and application technology stacks.

StarQ was a start-up company I started that provided IT, testing, and training customer solutions and consultants. Based around a USP of our automated testing framework service that could be applied to any system. Functioned as the COO and CFO managing our financial, employment, and legal needs for staff and consultants. Organised and ran round table seminars on key aspects of software testing for business leaders, including ITIL, to generate business opportunities.

Six-month assignment managing delivery of all IT services for three hundred customers.Improved IT services across multiple sites for staff and students by streamlining the processes and methods of service delivery to the College. Advocating a virtualize-only strategy using VMware, I reduced the footprint of legacy physical servers by twenty, improving resilience and operational support by reducing support and licensing costs by £50k.By focusing on new processes and streamlining activities, I significantly improved team morale and the client/service relationship. Whilst mentored a team member to take over as a permanent replacement for me.

This engagement was to implement a core application and the new WAN for the whole group.My role was to deliver two core program technology strands for the group. Firstly, I implemented a global digital asset management system (DAM) written by a third-party vendor in Alfresco. The application was used for the storage, retrieval, and re-use of digital assets across the group. Secondly, I project managed the scaling, scoping, contract negotiations, and successful implementation of a managed global WAN across the group.Both projects ran in parallel, and we delivered to schedule improving OUP's speed at accessing these digital assets more effectively. Saving the group time and money searching the world for images. Deployed WAN accelerators across the group to ensure high-speed transfer of assets from the core site, enabling branch access to the repository at the same speed as users in the head office. Implemented Dell Object storage platform to store assets and replicate globally to branches. Using a team of eight internal staff, and managing multiple third-party vendor relationships, this £1.8m budget project was delivered to plan.

Companies included: Allied Telesis, Taylor and Francis, Reed Publishing – Standard Chartered Bank – Quaker Oats Ltd - Merlin Systems – UK Waste Ltd