Helping SME's release their full potential

Director of the Trustee Board for the Comet final salary pension scheme with responsibility for £250m of assets under management. I worked to protect the interests of all scheme beneficiaries during a period of major transition. Key challenges included the closure of the scheme to future accrual and negotiations with the sponsoring employer for a recovery plan to fund the scheme deficit. Worked closely with scheme advisers to protect member interests, ensure good governance and improve the communication to all scheme members. A member of the Investment Sub-committee responsible for selecting investment managers and reviewing asset performance. Analyzed a diverse investment strategy to meet the scheme funding objective including the introduction of dynamic asset allocation, inflation and interest rate hedges.

Role Dimensions• Small to Medium projects, circa £50k - £250k • Largest £2.5m, Application Update/Migration on Windows Upgrade• Team size 3-10 people including developers, analysts and testers• End to End Project Management• Business case• Budget responsibility• Stakeholder management• Business team engagement• Training• Testing • Reporting• Delivery through ITIL gateways into a fully supportable solution• Third party/off shore managementProjects • Application Migration from Windows NT to Windows XP• Web based procurement application• Data warehouse upgrade including identifying new & obsolete metrics requirements• New build call centre including LAN, WAN and telephony• Identification of testing requirements, approach and completion• Implement automated document scanning/handling

Role Dimension • Implement IS hardware and telephony requirements in line with IS strategy/projects• Review software/hardware opportunities and recommend cost justifiable projects to support Comet’s short and medium term operating plans• Assess the business impact of infrastructure resilience and capacity initiatives• Identify and document support model for 3rd party providers• Assist support services when required to maintain the integrity of data/voice communications network, application servers and information databasesProjects• Implement web based CRM• Migrate landlines to a single provider• Upgrade voice infrastructure• Process map and implement new networked based IVR• Third party support reviews

Role Dimensions• Business project management of the development of 400 seat call centre• Identify and implement call routing routines• Development of MIS reporting• Implement workforce management solution• Mentoring and supervising 3 direct staff and approximately 20 telephone agents

Role Dimensions• 4 direct reports with approximately 75 staff• Legal representation, from initial defence to court attendance, of Small Claims County Court matters• Staff recruitment and appraisals • Provide advice to local store management with customer service issues

Role Dimensions• Training fellow advisor's on new PC based systems• Business Project Manager upgrade from PC system to iSeries based system• Deputize for Customer Service Manager in their absence• MIS reporting including design, coding and implementation