Mark Farrant Email & Phone Number

Global, Gb

Global, Gb

• Develop disaster recovery strategies and supporting plans/processes that are consistent with business wide business continuity objectives• Coordinates regional roles on the creation and maintenance of IT DR plans, testing, resource planning and training• Provide technical and architectural advice on industry wide recovery practices and challenge designs/proposals from a DR/risk perspective • Measures overall readiness, champions appropriate remediation of singles points of failure and champions risk mitigation and IT DR improvements • Central escalation point for regional IT DR Analysts for resource conflicts, delays with remediation actions, and non-compliance with acceptable practice or processes• Support regional DR managers and Centre of Excellence (‘CoE’) leads with IT DR planning and business cases for investment maintaining and amalgamated global schedule or tests and remediation activities • Feeds global requirements into projects and reviews project briefs/designs against the IT DR requirements and standards • Provide global leadership and guidance for any emergency, which may require activation on some or part of the IT DR program• Participate and actively represent all regional IT entities - in the strategic direction of Business Continuity Management across the Group• Establish format of Business Impact Analysis reviews and training or regional IT DR analysts in conducting these• Management and development or regional disaster recovery analysts• Budget accountabilities as assigned

Accountable for the smooth operation, maintenance and support of all application services:• Provision of effective Application Management services ensuring stable delivery and availability of ITservices.• Provision of effective 2nd and 3rd line application support and that team works closely with Service Management to resolve incidents as quickly as possible and to undertake problem management.• Working closely with Infrastructure Services Manager to ensure successful Service Operations.• Supports Director of Service Operations to ensure investment roadmap and plan allows for provision of operational technology that is fit for purpose for the business.• Accountable for the access, security, continuity, management and maintenance of all applications.• Responsible for verifying performance and other service metrics against service level agreements, working closely with Service Management.• Working closely with Service Management, responsible for selection of third party software, application and support providers.

Purpose of Role•To build and maintain an efficient and effective Application Services Team and through the team to maintain, develop and support all the firm’s IT applications throughout the international network. •To build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders internally and externally, interpreting business needs to develop IT strategy and deliver applications and initiatives to enhance business activity •To project manage key initiatives through the complete application life cycle (design- analysis-development-support-change-roadmap) on time and within budget. •Working with all other areas of the IT Department, to ensure effective issue resolution and application management to meet the firm’s SLA’s and internal OLA’s.•To operate as ultimate port of call for solving complex problems, technical, commercial and interpersonal.Duties and Responsibilities•Responsible for managing, motivating and developing the Support, Development and Messaging specialists in the Applications Services Team.•Responsible for ensuring best practice and compliance with the IT applications services catalogue (ISO9001). •Responsible for monitoring capacity and focussing on the management of the performance of all the firm’s applications. •Responsible for the Application Delivery portfolio (using vApp) and Citrix as well as identifying technical solutions. •Responsible for managing the firm’s application software budget including the negotiation of software contracts such as the Microsoft Enterprise agreement and Premier Support agreement and for managing relationships with vendors.•Responsible for strategy and administration/upgrades for global systems•Responsible for advising the IT Director and guiding the Application Services Team and other areas of IT.

Purpose of job•Reporting to the Head of Projects, managed a team of 4 developers and technical support analysts who were responsible for supporting the firm’s current applications and implementing new ones.Duties and Responsibilities•Overseeing and coordinating the day-to-day activities of designated applications support staff to include work allocation, mentoring and training, problem resolution, provision of technical leadership • Coordinating database administration for all platforms including MS SQL, MS Access•Providing escalation point for the IT helpdesk in support of core applications•Working closely with other IT teams to ensure IT infrastructure is maintained to support all core applications•Providing technical support for software development projects as required•Liaising with key suppliers to ensure quality of service to DWS is maintained•Providing progress reports to IT management as required•Managing projects eg the upgrade and implementation of new applications (Hummingbird Collaboration and Hummingbird Portal)•Contributing to overall IT strategy as required

Achievements •Firmwide implementation of DMS software and SQL server platform.•Firmwide implementation of Carpe Diem – time recording software.•Migration from Norwell Practice Management system to Elite•Managing and implementing the merger of the two firms' (Wilde Sapte and Denton Hall) data and application systems in 2000 within extremely tight timescale.•Design and build of firm's first Marketing System using PACE•Design and build of Charity System using PACE•Involved in the design and build of the firm's Intranet system (Netscape Livewire)Other duties:•General liaison role with suppliers and software vendors with added responsibility for negotiation costs of software and support.•DBA responsibility for Sybase (11.5, 11.92) and MSSQL (6.5 and 7 and 2000)•Secondary support role DBA INFORMIX•Implementation of Practice Management System (ELITE)•Sole responsibility for the Management and support of litigation CASE flow system.•Supported firm's first Library system (MIRES)

Education record

Education record

Hnd, Computer Science