London, England, United Kingdom
Strategic and execution-focused IT leader with 19+ years across consulting and industry, delivering complex technology transformations and driving measurable business outcomes. Combines deep expertise in IT operating models, digital strategy, and global program leadership with hands-on accountability for delivery and cost optimisation. Adept at aligning IT with business priorities, shaping pragmatic governance frameworks, and leading cross-functional teams (65+) to ensure operational continuity during change. Proven ability to modernize legacy landscapes, embed cybersecurity resilience, and optimize IT spend while enabling sustainable growth. Brings board-level influence and strategic IT capability aligned to business growth, operational leverage, and value realisation. Native language German. Fluent in English.
Leading customer delivery and operational scale-up for an AI-based behavioural intelligence platform, spanning delivery governance, onboarding, operational readiness and cross-functional execution across product, engineering and customer teams. Focused on building scalable, enterprise-grade delivery and operating capabilities to support growth.
Responsible and accountable for delivering technology projects in Ardagh across all regions, leading a global IT Change function 65+ staff in a hybrid delivery model. Closely collaborating across Group CIO & key business stakeholders to ensure strategic alignment & value delivery • Accountable for the global IT change portfolio of 200+ projects annually, leading a team of 65, partnering with Group CIO and executive stakeholders • Established a global Portfolio & Change Management function, standardising delivery frameworks, toolkits, and training for consistent programme execution and adoption outcomes • Introduced unified Portfolio, Programme & Project Management tooling based on Azure DevOps and OnePlan. Led business & IT teams through change and managed resistance by demonstrating value. Standardised ways of working were adopted by 80% within 3-6 months • Defined and implemented global IT Governance and SOx-compliant risk framework, managed monthly CxO steering committee across IT and provided transparent portfolio reporting • Enabled strategic investment prioritisation through enterprise-wide portfolio planning in close partnership with CEOs and CFOs • Addressed IT cost challenge by migrating legacy applications into the Cloud (Azure), reducing hosting OPEX by 35%-40% • Established Change capability in Ardagh’s CoE in Cape Town (15 FTE), reducing related OPEX while improving delivery quality • Collaborated with the business in exploring emerging technologies, e.g. piloted AI and data initiatives using Microsoft Fabric to explore the use of advanced analytics and AI, resulting in energy savings in pilot plant operations • Negotiated vendor contracts and implemented cost optimisation measures
Successfully delivered a strategic cyber transformation programme (50+ team members plus external suppliers), improving Cyber Security Maturity to NIST Level 3 across 16 areas over 2 years, leading to measurable risk reduction and improved insurability
Insurance clients faced legacy IT constraints, underperforming operating models and programme delivery risks. I supported CIO/COOs in defining strategies, developing or improving operating models, safeguarding critical programmes and delivering large-scale transformations. • Defined 5-year IT strategies and roadmaps for insurers, aligned to business strategies and ambitions and based on enterprise-wide diagnostics • Designed and implemented Change Operating Model for large UK insurer; aligned with COO and CIO. Coached incoming Change Director in successfully leading change • Reviewed scaled Agile model (SAFe) for UK insurer; redesigned model/tooling to improve delivery cadence and quality • Conducted programme assurance reviews for multiple insurance clients; identified interventions to safeguard delivery success and protect business value delivery • Delivered £250m+ Policy, Billing and Claims Admin transformation (Guidewire) for large UK insurer; led 15 release trains, 500+ team members and 50+ third-parties over 3.5 years • Led global project delivery tooling strategy, enhancing delivery quality for 500+ projects and enabling $100m+ in supported revenue. Managed overall team of 50+ • Delivered IT assessment and roadmap for investment firm; strengthened core IT function
I advised banks on IT complexity, high costs, and post-merger integration challenges; I designed strategies and delivered large-scale transformations across MENA/EMEA. • Conducted targeted IT diagnostic for a Qatari bank, identifying key IT challenges and resulting business implications. Defined 5-year IT strategy and roadmap, prioritising quick wins addressing immediate challenges whilst preparing core banking system replacement • Delivered $35m core banking replacement for Qatari bank in 18 months; led RFP, vendor selection, full lifecycle delivery. Reduced time-to-market, costs and operational complexity • Delivered IT cost reduction blueprint for European bank; identified modernisation levers and high-impact savings. • Led IT element in Post-Merger Integration of two banks, working closely with CIO to establish a clear view of the target IT environment and develop a robust transition plan
I worked with financial services and logistics clients on IT strategy, transformation, and process maturity improvements. • Led test management during bank merger, ensuring successful migration and compliance • Delivered ITIL process improvements, achieving ISO20000 certification • Standardised reporting for Swiss Reinsurer across Europe and US, improving transparency and comparability