Chew Stoke, England, United Kingdom
An experienced IT Professional – IT Director, Senior Technology Leader, with a diverse background covering Rail & Commercial Vehicles Manufacturing, Financial Services, Mineral Processing & Quarrying, and Direct Marketing. Commercially astute, with excellent negotiation skills, ability to listen, understand and manage stakeholders’ objectives and expectations, and communicate at all levels IT concepts to technical and non-technical audiences. Excellent track record in the design, deployment, delivery and support of major IT systems and technologies within business, driving infrastructure modernisation and technology innovation. Experienced in building, managing and mentoring high-performing teams, procuring and delivering high-impact results, cost savings and improved service in matrixed organisations. With a leadership style developed in partnership with the Royal Navy, it has provided good strategic vision; able to build and implement strategic plans. ➤ Specialities: Business & Technology Strategy | Business & Digital Transformation | Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) | IT Systems & Operations | Project Management | Supplier Management & Contract Negotiation | Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Plans | IT Security & Data Protection
Directed IT and Data strategy to support rapid scale-up, delivering enablement projects across infrastructure, cloud, ERP, and enterprise systems. Established data governance and analytics frameworks to drive insight-led decision making. Partnered with leadership to align technology with growth objectives, while strengthening cyber security and operational resilience. Built and scaled IT and Data teams, introducing processes, tools, and vendor partnerships to support organisational expansion and innovation.
Led the ERP practice, driving end-to-end program delivery across multiple projects, ensuring on-time, on-budget, and high-quality outcomes. Acted as senior client partner, aligning ERP solutions with business goals and fostering long-term relationships. Supported business growth through proposal development, market analysis, and collaboration with sales teams. Built and led high-performing teams of consultants and project managers, implementing best-practice methodologies and driving continuous improvement. Oversaw governance, risk management, and stakeholder reporting to ensure successful delivery and client satisfaction.
Delivered Dynamics Business Central consultancy and automation, optimising processes through APIs and integrations. Enhanced PTC Arena PLM and PowerBI reporting, advised on IT security and infrastructure, and improved data governance and reporting.
Responsible for leading all aspects of IT for a £75m t/o UK, Europe and China based business. A leading manufacturer & retailer of high-end kitchens, home furnishings and accessories. With 17 Neptune owned stores and a further 15 franchise stores in the UK and Europe. Employing 750+ staff globally. Definition and execution of IT strategies, roadmaps and vision, aligning technology with overall business needs. Collaborating with internal & external partners across the organisation, driving improved security posture, infrastructure modernisation & maintenance. Investigating modern technology innovations within our stores and website. Part of the Senior Leadership Team reporting to the CFO. Providing advice and being the subject matter expert on all technology matters within Neptune. Responsible for ensuring the security of the organisation, ensuring we are compliant with Data Protection Act & GDPR regulations. Support and Leadership of a team of 20 staff distributed across Support, Cloud & Infrastructure, Change & Governance and development. Whilst matrix managing a Team in China. Managing an Opex/Capex budget of £3m+. Key contributions and successes: • Delivered a Cloud transformation implementation. Initiated an IT infrastructure upgrade project. Included moving the network from a flat to layered network for security and resilience • Review inherited failed Systems project and defined a recovery strategy to support the business • Driving data driven analysis within the Retail stores to measure footfall and the customer experience • Implementing a new Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plans, ensuring the continuity of IT services • Working with the business and IT team to ensure the right mix of personalities, skills & capabilities to deliver business objectives • Introduced governance and controls within the organisation to improve supplier/vendor relationships, retaining the focus on the best price and service excellence
Responsible for the delivery of IT services in the UK across the 2 divisions, 12 sites and 1,400 employees, with a remit for a combined annual budget of c.£2m, managing a team of 10 staff. • Full remit for supporting the UK IT systems including inventory control and cost analysis. • Initiated and delivered IT infrastructure modernisation, introducing next generation systems. • Introduced a ‘future-proofed’ Kubernetes environment, improving productivity & efficiency. • Established Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Plans, ensuring IT services resilience. • Evolved BI processes, providing improved insights, facilitating strategic decision making. • Delivered the global VDI project, based in Microsoft Azure using Citrix across the Europe. • Replaced office telephone system with Skype for Business Enterprise Voice and MS Teams. • Data Protection Lead, ensuring compliance with Data Protection Act & GDPR regulations. • Provided advice and arbitration/decision making on matters of IT Security at the UK sites. • Supported UK M&A activities, performing pre-merger due diligence on proposed targets. • Strengthened supplier/vendor relationships, retaining the main focus on service excellence.