Ground Support Labs is a single source supplier of consumer and employee engagement technology. GSL's core offerings include: System Design, LCD/LED, Hardware, Software, CMS, Connectivity, Interactivity, POS, CCTV, Installation Services and NOC Support. As a certified minority-owned business, GSL provides integrated technology across the following verticals: Retail, Automotive, Hospitality, OOH, Government, Financial Services and Employee Communications.

I was the Managing Director for Visual Image in the UK, responsible to run the UK and EMEA business out of our offices in London.

RMG Networks were the world's largest publicly traded provider of Intelligent Visual Communications and Digital Signage solutions to both Enterprise and Consumer markets. I ran the EurAsia busines out of offices in London and Luton.

RMG Networks were the world's largest publicly traded provider of Intelligent Visual Communications and Digital Media solutions to both Enterprise and Consumer markets. As the Director of Operations my responsibilities are to direct all of the technical and operational functions of the EMEA operation across the UK, into Europe and as far afield as our offices in Singapore and India. My team designed, project managed and delivered approximately 350 projects or new installations per year across these territories and support over 7,500 customers via our 24/7 Service Desk operating just outside London, UK.

RMG Networks are the world's largest publicly traded provider of intelligent Visual Communications and Digital Media solutions to both Enterprise and Consumer markets. We are turnkey solutions specialists, providing design, project management, hardware, software, installation, creative services and 24*7 Service Desk to our customers.Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, RMG Networks works with 70 of the worlds largest companies and has 7500 worldwide customers and 20,000 installations deployed, and are the most dominant global provider of Intelligent Visual Communications in the industry. As the Director of Client Services I sit on the EMEA leadership team, and am directly responsible for project delivery, quality, financial performance and client satisfaction of new Visual Communications project implementations undertaken by my Professional Services engineering teams, in-house Creative Designers, and also for running our Service Desk, managed services and support and maintenance teams delivering excellent customer service throughout EMEA.

Electrosonic is a global Audio Visual Systems Integration & Services Company delivering A.V. solutions into blue-chip Corporate, Entertainment and Command & Control Environments.My role here was a Senior Manager responsible for the Operations activity comprising a portfolio of up to 150 projects approaching £30M of revenue. I was responsible for Project Management, Design and Engineering, Procurement, Production & Fabrication, Installation and Test/Commissioning and Programming activities both Onsite, and Back-Office.I managed this activity through periods of revenue growth approaching 400% over the past two years, through acquisitions, significant periods of change (brought about by economic outlook, transition of board to California, and several restructures), as well as business and process improvement initiatives.

Whilst holding the role of Product Development Manager for Electrosonic, I was responsible for management and programme management of the Products Division, including the product development roadmap for new leading-edge IP Streaming, Video Processing, Scaling and Application Software products.I was responsible for a team of engineering resources concisting of Hardware, Firmware and Software engineers(Embedded and Application) developing, proving and manufacturing technologically advanced products for internal consumption into our Systems Integration business, and also for global market deployment by a distribution network.I was responsible for the feature development roadmap, new product development planning, and overall delivery of products to meet the planned commercial return.

My role in Visteon was a role in a matrix management structure as the Software Development Manager, responsible for developing and delivering resource and software project delivery expertise into a number of projects simultaneously. My role involved hiring, coaching, mentoring and facilitating training needs for teams of Electronics and Software Engineers and support staff, project managing the software delivery into the overall programme, as well as working closely with vertical management to coordinate the software delivery into the overall electronics programme. My teams of engineers were based across the UK, France, India and the United States, and typical projects could be in the region of over 30 man-years of software development.I managed a $7M budget for the Software group in Europe, and worked with the vertical management to forecast project needs, in terms of resource, skills and tools for pursuits, as well as tracking and forecasting expenditure of purchased services and salaried heads.I supported Project Delivery by overseeing software quality and technical direction across all projects. I was responsible for the software development lifecycle and the capability of software resources within those projects. My role often required me to resolve project management issues within projects, and to manage the activities of design champions as we deployed development techniques into both new and established projects to ensure continuous improvement.

My main tasks in this role included both hands on development of software and engineering solutions, in addition to Project Management of release planning for deliverables into manufacturing. I was responsible for the strategic and reactive development plan, and the implementation & development for two of the company’s three major product lines.The role included assessment of contracts and customer requirements, often resulting in proposals or requirements specifications, leading to estimation of Software Projects to support quotation phases, allocation of tasks to the team of Software engineers (including myself), liaising with customers, agents and sales & marketing department on future developments, and the design, implementation and testing of software solutions for contracts and developments.

As a new Apprentice at GEC Marconi, I started by learning the ropes in Electronic circuit design, digital and analogue hardware testing, requirements gathering, and more fucntional testing than you could shake a very large stick at.Very quickly I become interested in Software, and was mentored by some excellent people like Nigel Smart and Martin Exell, both sadly I have lost touch with.After graduating with a 2:1 (Hons) in Combined Technologies (specialising in Software), it was time to move in...... GEC shares were about to plummet to 1p !!