Additional Information

I have worked as a long term contractor for BT (Syncordia Solutions, Ignite and Global Services) from 1998 - 2007. I have contracted directly into BT with BT Telconsult and via Elan into BT Global Services. My last assignment was working on the N3 Service Provider project and previously IP Netowrking. During the 9 yr period with BT I was Home Based and therefore a large degree of autonomy was required as was discipline and motivation enabling me to succeed without micro-management.


I was responsible for pre/post sales within the BT N3 Contract for a number of NHS Trusts. Working into N3SP covering all solutions aspects from a fully managed Converged solution down to a wires only solution. This diversity enables N3SP to work with NHS Trusts in order to provide the most suitable solution, utilising BT, Virgin Media/Telewest and Thus as the Network or final solution provider. N3SP are supplier agnostic and have to prove best value on all solution into NHS (Connecting for Health). On each NHS Trust engagement I was responsible for the management of a virtual team comprising pre/post sales Account managers, Business Managers, Bid managers and Solutions architects understanding the capabilities all which helped secure projects valued at circa £85m over the last 2 years Once the projects were rolled out I would work closely with the post sales area in order to grow the business.

More recently Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS. Looking to take over the existing Affinity supplied network with Atos provided maintenance, carry due diligence with a redesign bringing this into N3SP as a fully managed network including all Cisco equipment with the addition of IP telephony. This effectively becomes an outsource deal leaving the customer to concentrate on his core deliverables.

I have also been working with the BT, N3SP VOIP Product managers and Cisco to develop a voice platform for N3 and ultimately for the wider NHS. This resulted in a solution with immense flexibility for both the customer and BT and enabled a significant cost reduction over a standard Cisco platform. Contract re- engineering in order to deliver what the customer required and not what was originally laid down by the NHS/Government as a catalogue item (one solution fits all) I was involved with the early VOIP/IP Telephony talks with Essex Health "COIN”. As a result of working closely with the customer the actual requirement was established with a roadmap for delivery.

The Projects below were all delivered and are “Fully Managed” by BT Global Services IP Networking and included both commercial/contract negotiations for the pre and post sale areas. On all the projects I was involved with the Post Sales Area which was as important as Pre Sales. I engaged and worked with the back office areas, the billing teams in order to ensure the customer received the correct bill at the right time with any front/back end loading as required. I worked with the Post Sales management teams looking at process and procedure re-engineering in order to deliver excellence. In this area I suggested a web based system with a user friendly front end in order for additions/changes to be requested in addition to email and telephone contact. I looked at the contract development team indicating changes in working practises in order to grow the business from the original base by being fully proactive on the accounts they were given. With all projects I am always looking at possible differing ways to deliver the customers requirement where the final solution is beneficial to both sides. This however does involve thinking outside of the box and being persuasive with others involved in order for trials and tests to be carried out. As was the case with Ladbrokes and Accenture/Sainsbury. Accenture/Sainsbury used IPClear Flex and as this was not a launched product at the time I suggested we be innovative and produce our own IP Networking charges using the Cisco router to up/downgrade the bandwidth in 64K chunks via the ISDN30 card as we are providing a Managed Network Solution.

I have worked on outsourcing projects including TUPE, and Novation projects, including First Great Western and Norwich City Council. These projects required in depth due diligence on equipment/services being taken on under the contract. This is considered mandatory as any mistake at this stage can have serious cost implication later.

I have always gone the extra mile and consider this to be a professional approach. I act as the figurehead, managing virtual teams consisting of all the required specialisms in order to produce what is required when it is required. I am happy to undertake extensive travel and have the ability to work in flexible locations as was the case with BT.

Delivered pre/post sales consultation for Ladbrokes national VPN and replacement PBX network to VOIP network. Project value £5.4 million over 3 yrs (Data Network) Ladbrokes was slightly different in that the network was built completely on the BT IPStream product with 50% of the sites going to the host location and the rest going to the DR/backup location, There were 2 links between the 2 main sites one a LES100 the other a dark fibre (This being the most resilient method) connected to Cisco Switches.
The design was built as "primary secondary" and should either BT central to the Host or DR/backup sites fail then the secondary route from the betting shops would be invoked by the router into the IPStream network. This would be authenticated by the BT Radius server and passed via the remaining BT Central circuit into the customer’s network routed through to the Host site. This resulted in all traffic being able to reach its intended destination. The only delay being the time it takes for the router and Radius server to retrain to the other BT Central. This provided a very cost effective network. The total number of sites was 1832 including the 2 Hosts all based on Cisco routers and switches

Delivered pre/post sales consultation for Next Plc national VPN Project value £12 million over 5yrs with 420 sites Next Plc, a fully managed data network combining the existing CellStream services with IPClear, IPClear Flex and IPStream as the backup service. IPStream was also used for non business critical data under normal conditions and in backup mode these services are dropped to allow only business critical application to run. All equipment used in this solution is Cisco. This contract included the negotiation of complex SLA/SLG's to meet the customers requirements (A repair within 2 hrs at major stores during sales periods) Next also use this network for security purposes to enable identification of any/all staff on the premises by handprint recognition and the verification of all Debit/credit cards direct to the issuing banks, it also provides a mechanism for time keeping.

Delivered pre/post sales consultation for Accenture/Sainsbury national VPN Project value £32m over 5yrs. This has been added to via change control and now consists of Around 750 sites.
The Accenture/Sainsbury Fully Managed network consisted of (MPLS) IPClear, IPClear Flex, IPClear/DSL and Cisco customer premises equipment to all stores including wireless LAN to petrol forecourts. Again this contract contained stringent SLA/SLG’s negotiated with the customer

Delivered pre/post sales consultation for Norfolk County Council VPN Project value £11m over 5yrs. This delivered the Schools network enabling all schools to have access to all supplied applications including the ability of secure remote access and Cisco IP telephony to The Norwich Millennium Library Schools Network. This also involved the integration of Norfolk County Councils Meridian Telephony switch using Westel boxes.

I have also been involved in Bids/Design/Support of customers hosting requirements.
Looking at the opportunities I have worked on the most noticeable would be Walsall Council and Compass Group

Walsall Council consisted of a number of council locations identified by the customer as likely to close during the contract term. These identified locations were then categorised as either “Major” or “Minor”. The “Major” locations being hub sites for the proposed fully managed BT LAN solution. The total solution was built on Cisco switches with LES2/10 (dependant upon actual fibre lengths) and is capable of running all the council requirements for video, voice & Data. I had to approach BT Facilities management in order to agree Floor space, electrical and communication requirements. IP Networking used a one rack per service approach and in this instance three racks per "Major" location were used (Power, Communications and Cisco switches). This entailed internal BT contract negotiations allowing BT IP Networking/Convergent solutions the use of BT Telephone exchanges located close to the customers "Major" sites to host the customers LAN Network and Switches. This was a movement away form BT Convergent solutions standard practise but it made economic sense and ensured the contract would to proceed to signature.

Compass Group was slightly different in that it was a Managed network novation from another supplier. They required a more standard type solution with BT IP Networking hosting some of there applications in a secure environment with backup servers at this location although in different hosting areas. I provided the customer with varying options and hosted a visit to the Secure BT Data Centre in Cardiff . This enabled the customer to see 1st hand how they would be managed by IP Networking within this environment. IP Networking provided secure access for the customer to manage there own servers remotely and agreed customer named engineers who would be allowed to attend site in an emergency. IP Networking provided 2 x 100 meg resilient IPClear flex circuits to the site for use by Compass only complete with a separate rack for each service. One for standby power should the building standby power be compromised, one for the communications links, one for the Cisco switches and one for the customer server (4 racks in each location). This would also provide additional security giving access only to the area needed in the event of maintenance being required. I was involved in the internal contract negotiations with the BT Data Centre and the external contract negotiations with the customer & BT Group Legal

I have worked as a Datacomms training consultant for BT Telconsult in Africa and Papua New Guinea and at those times was the only BT representative within country. I therefore practised my Customer Care Skills living the BT Values and leading by example and managing the customers expectations.

I have Developed process improvements for BT within order/Bid management streamlining the time taken per operation enabling the saving of around 5 man days per project and looked at ways to enhance the customer experience making BT the 1st choice every time (Easy to do Business with). I have worked hard to build excellent service relationships in order to improve overall customer satisfaction and built collaborative relationships with both customers & suppliers, internal and external.