Managing the Commercial team at NTT DATA UK

Senior commercial manager looking after the commercial contractual relationships with UK Government and enterprise customers. Managing a team of commercial managers and officers that covers both pre and post signature commercial management. Dealing with customer dependencies, obligations, pricing and risk management. Delivering commercial training to in-life delivery teams and project managers. Negotiating contracts with central government departments and blue chip enterprise customers.

In charge of the commercial function for BAE Systems AI's government clients. Managing a team covering central government and other customers, the services include SIAM, data analysis, cyber security and other consulting.

Drafting, negotiation and management of cloud services contracts for British government and friendly foreign government customers, including ministries, police, customs and other public bodies

Working with global blue chip enterprise customers (e.g. Oracle and Unilever) to create contractual relationships that facilitate cost savings and service enhancement between their local entities and Vodafone's local operating companies. Putting together backed off terms in local services agreements and third party agreements where there is no local Vodafone entity. Ensuring that service levels and savings are measured locally and globally and that tracking of voice, smartphone data and laptop data usage and spend information is measured. Managing ongoing relationship with both local customer entity and global HQ.

Temporary contracting assignment assisting the legal director in managing reseller and support contracts for high definition video conferencing systems.

Achievements:Complex negotiation of a frame agreement for the provision of network and data centre services with a leading global bank. Value £6-7m over 3 years.Management and development of existing £20m per annum contract with Easyjet, including preparation for transition to cloud services.Renegotiation and renewal of large contract with Allen and Overy, a leading London-based global law firm, making provision for the possibility of enhanced services. Value £3m per annum.Development and negotiation of new SaaS contracts for the business.Responsibilities:Customer and supplier contract negotiation, with a key focus on mitigating risk to the companyManagement of contract renewalsApproval of service orders for increased services with existing customersEnsuring all departments are briefed on commitments made in contracts, in particular with regard to service levels, credits, milestones etc.

Achievements:Negotiated a global frame agreement with Vodafone for the supply and support of mobile instant messaging, presence and interconnect platforms across their opco's. Value approx. £3m per annum.Assisted in the transition of the company from an Israeli startup to acquisition by a major US entity. Completing legal registrations, handling board meetings etcPreparing contracts with significant mobile operators globally, including 3 Group, Vimpelcom, Turkcell, Orange, 02, Mobinil, Telecom Italia etc. These varied in value from £100k per annum to £3m per annum.Ensured Sarbanes-Oxley rules were followed with regard to revenue recognitionCollated reports for monthly customer meetings covering service levels, service takeup, churn and underlying causesResponsibilities:Customer and supplier contract negotiationEnsuring service level agreements mitigate risk to the companyBacking off contract commitments to third party suppliersLiaising with external counsel on corporate mattersManaging contract riskDeveloping hosted service contracts with customers, to ensure economies of scale and reduce the risk of downtimeReporting to senior management team on all contractual matters

Achievements:Participated in extremely high value and complex negotiations for large enterprise customers such as Rolls Royce aero engines, Great Universal Stores, NTL, Vodafone etc. Contract values ranged from £1 million to £20 million.Undertook management of key contracts post signatureReporting weekly and monthly to senior management team on progress against KPIs, any failures in SLAs, remedies exercised etc.Renegotiated long term contracts mid term to eliminate superfluous or anachronistic terms, modify pricing or service levels.Maintained governance of all contract files, both online and hard copyTravelled globally to close dealsDelivered inhouse contracting principles training across all functionsResponsibilities:Customer contract negotiationsLiaison with all departments to disseminate contract commitmentsManagement of SLA negotiations, including definition and measurement of service creditsTracking of commitments made by customer against contract, reporting and managing the sameChair governance meetings with customer post sale and prepare list of actions. Coordinate answers to action list and disseminate prior to next meetingEnsure non-standard terms and conditions are backed off to suppliers

Achievements:Created the contract management role, recruiting and managing a team of 5Closed a global frame agreement with Vodafone for the sale and maintenance of multiple call centresSuccessful negotiations with a number of major players, including Orange, Nokia, Grattons, Belgacom, BT, NextiraOne, BootsResponsibilities:Negotiation and management of customer contractsEnforcement of 99.999% uptime Service Level Agreements through knowledge of service creditsEnsuring suppliers were contracted and managed effectivelyLoan agreements and trial agreements for equipment, software and services

This role involved advising aid agencies, NGOs and overseas governments on most cost-effective methods of procurement. Including tendering for bridging, roads, agricultural, fishing and railway equipment and technical assistance. I lived and worked in east and southern Anglophone Africa (all countries apart from South Africa) for four years. I also undertook similar work briefly for a Romanian tractor factory which had received $100 million of EU aid.

Starting out as a buyer on the Yemen desk, after one year I was posted to Sudan to help spend the massive aid programme of the British government and World Bank. Regrettably three days after my arrival there was a military coup d'état, which meant no new aid was pledged. Nevertheless I remained in country for 18 months assisting in running the existing projects.

Responsible for purchasing electronics and die castings for a company manufacturing analytical instruments. Liaising with production department and quality control, as well as suppliers and freight companies.