Neil Thompson (Retired) Email & Phone Number

Reading, United Kingdom

- Working with the CEO to raise finance for the business from a combination of angels and a VC fund.- Overseeing the development and release of the three core products: SpeakInConfidence, ReferenceInConfidence and TextInConfidence.- Working with clients to ensure successful implementation and providing on-going advice and guidance.- Successfully relaunched the company website and associated brands.

Ammat Consulting delivers strategic consultancy and tactical support to software companies of all sizes.Drawing on in-depth personal experience in setting up, growing and managing companies with great technology ideas, Ammat can work with you at any stage in your company’s evolution.We can mentor you during start-up, provide technology due diligence, work on your business plan or help to find funding. We can use our experience to support you as you grow the business. And, when the time is right, we can help to set up the right team to take you to the next stage.Whether it’s as an interim CEO or CTO, or on a consultancy basis, we deliver professional, practical and cost-effective advice and support.

London, United Kingdom

- Brought in to provide support for the developers and act as a bridge to the rest of the business.- Oversaw the successful design, build and implementation of the MyFamilyClub Bloggers Network site.- Management of the tech team and setting schedule and targets.- Working on career development of team including development skills to new team member.

- Brought in to replace previous MD and breath new life into the 2LS brand.- Increased customer base five fold- Established an offshore development team who, under my direction, delivered a number of successful releases of the product, GRIP.- Oversaw a successful marketing campaign based around publication of a 2LS branded eBook and informational apps on multiple mobile platforms.- Saw the business through to acquisition by Colleague Software.

Responsinet helps staff to understand and take a responsible approach to their internet use without businesses having to take more intrusive blocking or monitoring measures. Responsinet can pay for itself in a few weeks – an ROI you are unlikely to achieve elsewhere – without harming staff relations.

Responsible for the day-to-day running of AppSwing along with working with customers, suppliers, the AppSwing board and investors. Highlights included:• Managing all Sales, Marketing, Finance, Technical and Administration staff.• Setting the technical direction of the business and overseeing the successful delivery of several new releases of versions and product lines.• Raising additional finance for the business. Writing the business plan and making several pitches to VCs both in private and in open sessions, such as at Library House.• Managing the process of searching for and selection of outsource development providers. Subsequently managing this relationship.• Building AppSwing brand and raising profile through PR, such as coverage in the FT, Director magazine, regional titles and the Thames Valley Business Magazine and National Council for Work Experience awards.• Successfully taking the business to Investor in People status.

Responsible for the Development, Quality Assurance and Conversion teams. Achievements included:• Joined during the development of a significant release of the companies main product which was running behind schedule. Re-planned project and brought it in on-time and to budget.• Successfully integrated a number of development teams, which had joined the company through acquisition, into a single development department.• Introduced new working and quality practices, such as peer-reviews and specifications, which led to a reduction in the number of errors that were found during quality assurance.• Oversaw the introduction of outsourcing to an offshore development team, including negotiation of the contracts and the ongoing management of the relationship.• Planning the future direction of the department and setting budgets.• Managing a team of 20 including mentoring of two new team leaders.• Reporting to the board on a regular basis.

Managed a number of fixed priced IT development projects, principally in the finance sector, from initiation to implementation. Each project spanned a duration of about a year and had teams of up to 25. Major achievements included:• Building strong working relationships with all clients, from business users to board level, ensuring that confidence was retained throughout the life span of the projects.• Management of a project involving a client from both the UK and The Netherlands and a team made up of members from across Europe.• Taking over the management of the development of a factoring system that was running behind schedule and successfully delivering it and subsequent phases to schedule.• Working with a customer to successfully plan and deliver the conversion from a legacy system to a new development. Involved working with and planning for all business areas.

Work included leading the teams carrying out development for projects such as National Code Change and the introduction of a call handling system.

Undertook programming and design work on a variety of IT projects.