As an IT strategy consultant, I collaborate with Multi Academy Trusts and schools to design and implement high-quality IT strategies and programme plans. My focus is on seamless integration of cloud technology, data, and AI into organisations to help them support teachers and learners. With 15 years extensive experience, I have achieved proven scalable solutions that build cost-effective digital backbones, transforming learning environments and supporting staff in achieving work-life balance.

As MD I’m responsible for overseeing and leading the overall operations, strategic direction, and performance of Our Learning Cloud. Thanks to a passionate and very able team, I ensure that we provide Multi Academy Trusts with the ICT service they need. Our Learning Cloud specialises in providing Multi Academy Trusts with digital transformations that improve efficiency, enhance education, and lower operational costs. Providing the Trust with a reliable and secure ICT service for a predictable monthly cost. We deliver a fully cloud-powered solution to users across the 3-19 education space. Our solution delivers safe and secure access to applications and data on any web enabled device. Our Learning Cloud improves academic collaboration, encourages children to take ownership of their own learning, facilitates personalisation and places inclusivity and accessibility at the heart of the classroom.

We deliver a full cloud powered solution to over 20,000 users across the 3-19 education space. Our solution truly embraces a safe and secure cloud model providing access to applications and data on any web enabled device.

In 2015 I was asked by the CEO to undertake this permanent staff role after a successful period of consultancy; becoming responsible for defining future vision for the Trust and leading efforts to improve and expand provision. I am a member of the executive team and governing board, offering insight and guidance, ensuring IT capabilities align with their requirements, and reporting on the performance of the IT estate as a whole. I am also responsible for creating and leading the business systems data integration strategy for all directorates, and for executing the ongoing multi-million pound IT transformation programme to modernise services and systems. I have established a robust 5 year plan which will deliver all objectives while remaining cost neutral and encompasses large scale data migration to cloud based technology resulting in 24/7 accessibility. I have also developed an IT Steering Group to oversee development and governance of IT strategy as a whole. I am responsible for ensuring consistent availability of services to c. 20,000 users via a team of 30 managers and technical staff, and for appropriately managing the IT budget including all financial planning and controls. I manage relationships with all relevant partners including technology partners such as Microsoft and Cisco, external consultants / suppliers, cross-disciplinary colleagues, and the school staff. I am accountable for the ongoing management and improvement of customer service levels, for creating a professional development programme for team members, and for ensuring data security and protection. I also identify and evaluate risk and establish procedures to mitigate this, deliver high value procurement tenders, and design disaster recovery / business continuity plans which align with the needs of the Trust.

I accepted this contract and was tasked with the integration of divergent IT systems and staff of the existing 16 (rising to 35) sites and the creation of a managed service unit. I assumed control of the IT staff within each school and created a unified multi-site team overseen by a central manager in order to ensure alignment, reliability and consistency of service offered. I successfully established a managed service delivery framework, programme managed the migration of customers to in-house systems, and gained approval for a new funding method which charged sites based on pupil numbers.I also held responsibility for on-boarding new sites, managing all aspects of customer contracts, negotiating SLAs / KPIs for individual sites, and providing an escalation point for problems. I oversaw all design, implementation and ongoing management provided by local managers, and also defined strategies for managing changes to existing services and the adoption of new services.I introduced, and recruited staff for, a service desk, and established process for logging and resolving queries; undertaking extensive travel to sites to introduce new processes / systems and gain customer engagement. I identified where new sites were overstaffed and reduced headcount accordingly, and regularly reviewed service reliability / availability, undertook root cause analysis where required, and played a lead role in the management of identified risks and incidents.

I initially joined the company as Service Delivery Manager and, after adapting successfully to the firm’s acquisition by 2e2 in early 2011, secured promotion to this Director level position shortly after. I was tasked with turning around the performance of the ‘Building Schools for the Future’ contract. I assumed control of a demotivated team of 31 and successfully rebuilt their confidence and engagement. Throughout the role I managed all operational, service delivery and programme / project management activities as part of the multi-million pound 5 year contract to design and implement IT services across 16 large sites with c. 17,000 users. I held ownership of the supply chain, including tender requests and supplier selection, led formulation of all project delivery plans, and managed change control. I also controlled all commercial aspects of the contract and reported performance quarterly to Board level.I was successful in reducing the volume of outstanding tickets from approx. 400 to approx. 15 within 6 months, in eliminating KPI and service credit payments, and in negotiating a 33% reduction in data centre costs. I programme managed the procurement, build and installation of 5 additional sites, and led the migration of service desk and data centre from external providers to in-house operation. I successfully migrated 17,000 users to Microsoft Office 365, and won back client trust to such an extent that a further 5 year contract extension was secured and upsold significant additional hardware and services within 12 months. I latterly also became responsible for managing the team of 6 functional and technical staff engaged on a contract to deliver HR applications for 40,000 MOD civilian staff which was also underperforming. In this contract I identified an opportunity to retrain and upskill an existing team member to provide additional functional support, thereby improving client service delivered and boosting performance against SLAs.