Robin Arak Email & Phone Number

Halifax, United Kingdom

I joined Archway as Executive Chairman with responsibility for strategic and budget planning and for improving the company’s performance. I introduced contract management, business plans and standard terms & conditions, reduced operating costs and improved turnover and profit. Steered the development of new products, introduced KPIs, credit risk management and cash flow forecasting and increased turnover in export markets. Led succession planning, recruited senior staff and planned and implemented capital investment on higher productivity CNC machines.

Denbigh, Uk

I joined Geogem with responsibility for strategic and budget planning. I restructured the company and introduced KPIs, credit management, cash flow forecasting, contract management, business plans and standard terms & conditions.

Europe Wide

I operate on a freelance basis as part of a team delivering project appraisals and reviews funded under European Commission FP6, FP7 and H2020 framework programmes. The work includes reviewing complex documentation, participating in panel review meetings to assess progress and producing reports with recommendations. Projects include the pan-European Research and Education Network (GÉANT), the European Super Computing project (PRACE) and Future Internet Projects. I participated in ICT studies including EARNEST and an evaluation of the FP7 e-infrastructure programme making recommendations for adoption in Horizon 2020 programme.

Brighton, United Kingdom

I joined the Enterprise Agency with responsibility for strategic planning, budget management, fund raising and operations. Improved stakeholder input to develop highly effective business support and restructured operating companies to reduce complexity and working capital arrangements. Developed a successful bid to gain grant funding and obtained NVQ awarding accreditation.

I joined UKERNA with responsibility for strategic planning and operations and held oversight of 100+ staff. I also operated as Accounting Officer for the annual budget reporting on this area to the Education Funding Council for England. Assisted the Chairman to restructure the company, reorganised the Production Services Division to improve network reliability and developed new policies/services to enable JANET to extend operations into UK schools and colleges. Planned and oversaw accreditation of the company to ISO9001:2000 quality standard, developed robust disaster recovery plan and planned additional network resilience to move towards 24x7 non-stop networking services. Also developed key projects to support leading edge research projects in UK and Europe and obtained funding and planned development of next generation JANET network.

I joined DANTE as a member of the Board responsible for strategic/operational planning, budget approval/monitoring, performance management and cross-European stakeholder relationships. Developed successful bid to EU for funding to develop and implement next generation pan-European education and research network which was implemented in 2005. Chaired recruitment panel for a new General Manager acceptable to all EU member states and operated as Chair of Board Appraisal Committee and advisor to Chairman on UK corporate governance.

As Founding Chairman I was responsible for development of the strategic plan, policies and procedures. Developed funding bid for a regional educational IP network, drafted invitation to tender and chaired Procurement and Evaluation Committee and project managed network implementation and roll out including development of SLAs.

I joined the university as a member of the senior management group with responsibility for IT / IS policies, strategies and facilities across multiple sites, the central budget and distributed staff base of 200. Operated as a member of a cross-functional team that planned/implemented projects including 600 space networked library with integrated IT/IS facilities and Art & Design Faculty wing supporting multimedia delivery. Merged the Computer Centre and Library / Media Services into new Information Services team and implemented a high bandwidth network. Introduced management consultation process to ensure alignment of IT/IS services with business and user requirements. Developed and executed strategy to implement migration to UNIX/NT architectures to rationalise systems, reduce costs and ensure resilience, introduced Oracle based systems, planned and implemented web hosting, e-mail / bulletin board, internet, intranet and video conferencing systems.

I joined ICC as a Main Board Director with responsibility for IT/IS strategies and facilities across eight sites in the UK and Ireland. Reorganised staff teams to improve customer focus and implemented move from proprietary systems to mirrored open systems. Designed IT/technical facilities for new headquarters building, moving across London over a weekend and restoring systems by Monday morning. Introduced project appraisal/project management frameworks and a multi-disciplinary project team to develop new products and introduced OCR scanning and document management on all sites.

Brighton, Uk

Southampton, United Kingdom

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Vibration In Nuclear Reactor Heat Exchanger Systems, Institute Of Sound And Vibration Research

Activities and Societies: University Orchestra, University Choral Society

Bachelor'S Degree, Applied Physics, First Class Honours

Activities and Societies: University Orchestra, University Choir, Founder member of the Radio Amateurs Society