Career Statement

With around 25 years of experience at the interface of technology and business, leading and developing digital and digital style strategy and transformation programs, I have developed an understanding, through experience, of the challenges faced in transforming to a digital first organisation.  My experience in setting a strategic direction and implementation oversight has helped achieve the successes in the digital solutions, products and culture I am proud to have been able to deliver.  Furthermore, my experience in managing and continuously improving digital and data products, processes, tools and governance to match a strategy has been a key in successful transformations I have led.

As part of a multidiscipline senior leadership team responsible for steering and keeping the business ahead of competition and to improve all aspects of strategy, operations and business, I have been the lead in the development of corporate digital strategy and digital product transformation from a position of credibility, needing to proactively give vision and insight across the business.  The ability to develop strong working relationships with both business and technology teams, to work in a matrix organisation constantly changing, to navigate hierarchy and working with local and remote team members has been tested and proven.

In the sphere of general and strategic management I have created very successful consulting teams, entered new marketplaces, turned around a failing business and took it international, and started my own businesses in retail and digital platforms.  Taking on the failing, close to shutting down, international side of a small software business I created a turn-around strategy to first stabilise and return to operating profit status.  Once stable and with the confidence of the owners, a growth strategy to introduce new, more stable, and higher value revenue streams, and successfully took the business from Europe to Australia and South East Asia.  Overseeing a full rebrand and the introduction on even more high value services, a CRM tool that greatly improved customer satisfaction and new partner channels.

Under my watch the organisation made the successful move to digital first processes, sales, and customer engagement; benefiting from increased revenues, higher digital customer engagement and satisfaction, uniformed internal processes and the use of data and AI to create better commercial offers.

I was asked to drive the transformation to a digital first culture within the European arm of Assurant (a global insurance organisation with over 500 million customers in 21 countries).  Working across the business to deliver, strategy, leadership transformation and a roadmap of digital products to service 75% of the UK high street banks, mobile network providers and many recognisable brands across Europe.  Responsible for the delivery of the digital strategy and projects using a mix of Agile, Waterfall and hybrid methodologies, projects were delivered through internal and external resources.  Managing the conflicting priorities, commercial demands, inter departmental demands and the technology.  Influencing the senior leadership team and delivering innovative customer focused solutions were critical skills needed for success, as was providing the vision and encouraging its adoption.  I became a very strong advocate for digital change and an influencer of direction throughout the organisation.  Often working and providing guidance to our customer base on the art of the possible.

Following success at Assurant I took on a personal challenge, a venture with two others investing in ourselves to create and deliver a digital lifestyle service.  On this occasion, even after considerable investment, we decided to shut the venture down due to the COVID-19 pandemic – this shows my ability to make rational decisions rather than emotional ones.

One of my strengths is to see the bigger picture and to distil the complex into manageable and deliverable elements.  Creating and communicating a vision, I would put the effort in to help those around understand and ensures the goal is in sight and can be achieved.  Creating strong working relationships one a one to one level, I am recognised as a trustworthy, honest, and open individual.  A hands-on style of leadership has helped me motivate and create high performing teams that have included many different skill sets.  Naturally a consultative and collaborative person, I work well across departments and focus on the outcome.  Recognising the strengths of the teams and team members is not something anyone should be worried about and utilising this to draw out the best is something I would put first.

Success has been achieved by taking an “agile” approach, focusing on the end goal but taking small manageable and deliverable steps to get there – a practice of continuous improvement.  This would be across the board with solutions, products, process or organisational structure.

As well as creating the vision and leading the roadmap, problem solving, troubleshooting and creative thinking are attributes aligned to my portfolio of skills.