Hastings Direct

Senior Project Manager

Saga plc.

As an Innovation Consultant I conduct market research by scanning and analysing customer behaviours and trends to identify where venture capitals are investing and what are the upcoming technology start-ups and scale-ups that could support Saga’s strategic direction for increasing customer growth, revenue and maintaining our pipeline of future opportunities. I will then lead and manage innovation projects through our innovation lifecycle of building, designing, and delivering proposition and products from proof of concepts (POC) and pilots through to business launches.

•	Accountable for managing business relationships of new and existing innovation partners and suppliers to collaboratively manage and deliver ongoing pilots through to completion.

•	Lead a range of multi-disciplined functional teams both internal and external to Saga, to create and build customer journeys and experience designs, technical specifications, partner contracts and due diligence processes and using Microsoft 365 as the tool of choice to monitor and track progress and drive engagement. 

•	Build authentic and cooperative working relationships with Saga’s and our external partners C-suite executives and directors, which enables me to clearly understand their product and proposition visions and business directions, which has helped to inform my approach to research, POC’s, pilot planning, business launching in to BAU.

•	Orchestrate and develop research programme to support in flight POC’s and pilots, starting with briefing internal and external research and insights teams, identifying research scope and objectives, to then review, and report on findings with presenting back to stakeholders to accurately aid in their current and future decision making.

Innovation Consultant

As a Customer Strategy Consultant, I was a key member in shaping our customer strategy and improving customer outcomes across the financial services business and provide support to both the holiday and cruise business areas, through identifying and sourcing new and innovative technology ideas and solutions to rectify and improve customer pain points and product offerings.

•	Project managed the regulatory business priority Vulnerable Customers (VC) project. Responsible for technical solution delivery in the financial services and both holidays and cruise businesses. Delivering an updated operational future proofed colleague tool, which improves VC log rate of <40% and a VC data base, which enables improved personalised marketing and data and reporting usages to better understand the Saga demographic. 

•	Responsible for market research and insights of innovative businesses or solutions that could deliver a resolution or measured improvement to both our customer and business pain points across our financial services. I identified two companies that could deliver a solution to improve our internal fraud detection capability before policy purchase and a data enrichment company who would expand our capability to identify potentially financial vulnerable customers.

•	Consultant for the “Saga Village” project, being accountable to collaboratively bring together a diverse cross functional team to identify, set up and improve project delivery to increase new customers numbers and differential of propositions.

Customer Strategy Consultant

As a project manager, I have the responsibility for driving and delivering business change initiatives. Using  agile, waterfall and at times a blend of both methodologies. I have proven experience in leading complex strategic and regulatory changes across multi functioned teams.

my roles and responsibilities included:

- Project managing strategic business initiatives, including FCA compliance and regulatory changes.

- Current knowledge and experience working with and in environments using Waterfall, Agile methodologies (Scrum and Kanban) to implement business change.

- Consult, negotiate and guide on competing business priorities and direction, whilst project managing multiple projects.

- Leading multiple remote and co-located project teams, across a multi-disciplined business functions and departments.

- Accurately managing and providing updates to project and programme RAID’s and action logs.

- Ensuring structured governance framework is implemented across all projects undertaken and throughout entire life cycles, in all methodologies used.

- Providing regular key updates and chairing steering committee meetings to a variety of stakeholders across differing business functions.

Project Manager

As a senior project management officer, I was an integral leader of the project management office in the continued agile delivery of the Saga Insurance Database. I would educate, drive and manage all aspects of agile principles and its governance across both the programme and its continued integration with the wider business.

my roles and responsibilities included:

- Supporting the Technical and Programme Director with coordination and administrative tasks for the Saga Insurance Database (SID) Programme and associated projects.

- Developing and maintaining all supporting processes and guidance documentation to ensure adherence to all programme governance framework, agile rituals and change methodologies. This included document repositories for the departments best practice, Retrospectives, Scope change documents and logs.

- Principal ownership of the development and management of the departments risk register.

- Accountable for the raising and reporting of material risks and issues, to the Head of Risk and Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee (ARCC).

- Create and manage communications to all internal and external business members and executive level stakeholders.

- Responsibility of chairing and facilitating meetings and workshops for work streams, projects and third-party personnel and then to continue tracking and capturing actions and decisions post meetings.

- Coordination and supporting all core programme work streams, when liaising with Saga group functions.

- Owner of progress, tracking and MI reports and analytics across multiple work streams, in line with agile programme governance requirements.

- Sole ownership of defect/fault analysis, creation of MI reports and providing accurate updates to all stakeholders and programme personnel.

- Key adviser to senior members of the FIP Programme, advising of gap analysis, work stream/ programme velocity, potential risk’s and issues and projection reporting.

Senior Project Management Officer

As a project management officer, I was part of the project management office, that assisted in the agile delivery and implementation of a new Guidewire insurance platform, which included the Insurance suite, DataHub and Digital software's, called Saga Insurance Database. Working as a central PMO office function for the SID programme, I would  support, advise and report on the multiple work streams to assist in the delivery of each insurance product through its life cycle until successful live delivery and handover to the business.  

my roles and responsibilities included:

- Supporting both the Technical and Programme Director with coordination and administrative tasks for the Saga Insurance Database programme and associated projects.

- Developing and maintaining all supporting processes and guidance documentation to ensure adherence to all programme governance framework, agile rituals and change methodologies. This included document repositories for the departments best practice, Retrospectives, Scope change documents and logs.

- Assist and manage communications to all internal and external business members and executive level stakeholders.

- The responsibility of chairing and facilitating meetings and workshops for workstreams, projects and third party personnel and then to continue tracking and capturing actions and decisions post meetings.

- Supporting all core programme work streams, when liaising with Saga group functions.

- Owner of progress, tracking and MI reports and analytics across multiple work streams, in line with agile programme governance requirements.

Project Management Officer

As a Service Delivery Agent, my roles and responsibilities included:

Multi-skilled motor and home insurance sales adviser within Service Delivery department.

Providing a standard of customer service excellence, which will result in the customer purchasing Saga products.

Accountable for managing and resolving all customer queries and complaints. 

Supporting my team manager by providing support and expert guidance for all team members.

Consistent achievements of all KPI’s and targets. achieved or exceeded every KPI and target that was required in my role. 

After only 6 months in my role, my track record of performance and expertise, meant my manager could give me a role with increased responsibility to support and help my team and colleagues.

Service Delivery Agent

GardaWorld

As a Diplomatic Protection Team Leader/ Assistant Team Leader for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Baghdad, Iraq.

My roles and responsibilities included:

Assistant team leader to a team of 8 men, on a high profile British embassy contract in the middle east.

Liaising with key high-profile clients and visitors to plan and conduct future tasking’s in Baghdad, analysing timings and future personnel and equipment resourcing requirements.
	
Researching and commanding tasking’s to provide protection and security to high profile clients and visitors to numerous hostile locations within Baghdad, Iraq.

Audited and monitored the activities of the security tasks to ensure compliance with operational procedures and legal requirements.

Report writing which includes using change management tools to implement a change across the business to focus on raising standards and providing exceptional service. This includes improving the standard operating procedures.

Leading, mentoring and training my team to the highest of standards in medical and weapons training and vehicle and close protection procedures.

Ensuring reconnaissance reports are completed with adequate information, sketches, and maps with in depth details of all new venues.

Diplomatic Protection Team Leader / Assistant Team Leader

As a Diplomatic Protection Team Member for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Baghdad, Iraq.

My roles and responsibilities included: 

Provide close protection, vehicle escort and venue security to facilitate meetings, for senior diplomatic staff. They could then have enough freedom of movement to fulfil their duties and daily tasks within the hostile areas of Baghdad. 

Be proficient and concurrent in the use of various weapon systems used by the FCO as well as maintaining a high standard of medical, driving and fitness standard/training, needed of a close protection officer.

Diplomatic Protection Team Member

Aegis Defence Services Ltd

As the Fleet Draw Down Manager, i was given the role and responsibility to ensure the fleet of 30+ B6 armored vehicles and all of the vehicles breakdown and extraction kit was accounted, serviced and present for a handover to the US Military at the end of Project Symphony at one of the key base locations within Iraq.

My roles and responsibilities included:

In charge of the operational draw down of a fleet of 30+ B6 armoured vehicles, including all of the vehicles extraction and breakdown equipment along with all ancillaries.

Ensuring all the vehicles and the allocated equipment are serviced and maintained correctly, to remain compliant with the companies standing operating procedures and handover.

Liaising with US military personnel to conduct handover of B6 armoured vehicles, equipment and ancillaries, with all relevant paper work correct and accounted for.

Took a systematic approach to create a vehicle management system to aid in the efficient transition to the outside stakeholders.

Fleet Draw Down Manager

Assistant Team Leader to a 6 man Security Escort Team ( 2 Expats, 4 Third Country Nationals Sierra Leone, Ugandan and Kenyan origin).

My roles and responsibilities included:

Escorting multiple clients and contractors to their location of work within the outer surrounding areas of Baghdad city, maintaining the clients and venues security in and around each location.

Assisting in the planning and execution of high profile visits from UK and America of VIP’s. 

Providing and planning  1–on-1 security for a range of clients, in particular United States Military officers of rank Lt Col and higher.

Conducting and maintaining a high standard of training within the team, from medical and weapons training, to vehicle and close protection procedures.

Assistant Team Leader

British Army

An Infantry Battle School trained section commander in the 1st Battalion Princess of Wales’ Regiment, with an operational tour of Afghanistan completed. I have been trained in tactics and method of instruction.

On operations my role was to conduct fighting patrols to deny enemy advancement into friendly local populous areas and reassurance patrols to connect, build and gain rapport and situational awareness with the locals. as well as providing reconnaissance and sniping capabilities at Brigade level,  in the highly hostile and volatile areas of responsibilities and operations in Afghanistan.

Whilst not on operations or training, my role as a Corporal was to ensure the day to day running of the platoon and company is done as smoothly as possible, ensuring all soldiers are aware of tasking, courses and lessons that are due to be undertaken during the day and the near future.

Maintaining the highest of training standards within my platoon and company of 100+ men, and ensuring that they all pass the military's Mandatory Annual Training Tests. which included planning and conducting lessons for all members of the company.

Managing career courses and welfare within my platoon and ensuring all is reported to appropriate line managers within the battalion.

Further roles I undertook whilst a Section Commander included assisting the running of pre-deployment live firing exercises for future Brigades of 500+ soldiers, prior to deploying to Op Herrick in Afghanistan.

Section Commander, 1st Battalion Princess of Wales Regiment

I am a high performing, growth mindset consultant, with current experience in delivering exceptional customer value and strategic business objectives with the use of new and innovative methodologies, solutions and technologies across enterprise and financial services businesses. 

I have a successful and proven background of leading and managing diverse multinational teams and individuals, whilst working in complex and hostile situations, and have the skills to communicate clear and succinctly across all stakeholders.

My personal and work principles are key to my ongoing success, and these include confidence in leading, managing and coaching, trusting my own initiative and judgement, and courage and resilience when faced with adversity.

In my personal time, I love nothing more than grabbing a flat white from my favourite coffee shop and taking Murphy (Cockapoo) for a walk along the beach and am an avid amateur rugby player and crossfitter.

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