Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

University of Bath

Director, GBC Digital

NewsUK Technology are investing in AI. Following my admission into the AI for Business, University of Oxford Executive Diploma, I was fortunate to be approached for a role in the newly formed Innovations team.

My role broadly spans 3 areas. Firstly I am involved in shaping and delivering an AI strategy across the wider NewsUK business. I work with senior stakeholders to ensure our strategy is effective, deliverable and efficient.

Secondly I am delivering key AI initiatives as a product manager. Prioritising our most valuable features, and working across the business to ensure that we deliver regular, incremental innovations which drive value and/or learnings as quickly as possible.

My other responsibility includes general project management. Closely linked to the day-to-day product mangement, I ensure I have full oversight of the deliverables we have in flight across the team, and ensuring that blockers are removed, opportunities identified, and the team can deliver regular success week on week.

Over the course of my contract, I aim to deliver value via AI via our existing process, and by identifying and delivering a new AI strategy for NewsUK over 2024, we can see even more progress by enabling the business at all levels to identify, define and deliver AI driven efficiencies and new features.

News UK Technology

AI Strategy Consultant / Product Manager

Freelance technology consultant specialising in tech strategy, product management and business analysis. Currently working with clients including NewsUK Innovation, Checkd Media, Boxing News and Goal.com

DSKY Technology LTD

Technical Consultant

Following the successful delivery of the talkSPORT EDGE project with Checkd Group, my collaborative efforts were recognised, leading to an offer for an ongoing part-time engagement. In this role, I am focused on a set of critical tasks: optimising betting widgets for a new innovative product offering, performing digital strategy audits for key clients such as Boxing News and Sky Fantasy, and ensuring the continued success of talkSPORT web deliverables.

Checkd Group

Digital strategy, business analysis, business development & product ownership expertise. Under DSKY Technology Ltd, I work on a contract basis; focussing on short/medium term digital projects in the London area. Recent industry experience includes (but not limited to): News/media, messenger bots, e-commerce, automotive & A.I.

With a strong digital & consultancy background including projects with Accenture, Discovery Channel, Channel 4, Vue Cinemas, LV=, Butlins and Volkswagen, I have the experience to meet any digital challenge.

Current contract: News UK - Product manager, SportsHub (talkSPORT)
Roles also include: Business analyst/ consultant

Director

Running alongside my talkSPORT EDGE role, I provide strategy oversight and ongoing product management for talkSPORT.com - My remit is to improve the web experience, increase revenue and reduce tech costs. This is achieved by identifying performance, process and feature improvements across the site, and delivering them in an efficient and cost effective way.

talkSPORT

Tech Strategy & Product Management

Following a product discovery phase in collaboration with NewsUK, talkSPORT and Wunderman Thompson - in September 2020 I was recalled to the project, this time to lead a new team to take the talkSPORT EDGE app concept into a reality.

My responsibilities throughout this 2nd phase of the project evolved over time. I started by roadmapping of the product requirements from phase 1, identifying potential risks and challenges and presenting the product proposal to the business.

The next challenge was around technical delivery of such a product, and I presented a technical strategy to the NewsUK CTO which involved an RFP (Request For Proposal) process in parallel with our own internal tech estimates, reaching out to known and recommended agencies and technology providers to ensure we were delivering in the most timely and cost effective way possible. 

I had been involved in a similar RFP as a supporting role the year before, so I felt able to lead the process from the start, strongly recommending that we invested the time up front to carry out the RFP. 

Given a lot of the technical features we required were complex, yet not unique to the market - there seemed to be a real benefit to a 3rd party partnership who specialised in sports apps. Particularly as we wanted to work to an aggressive target launch date, and as always a desire to drive cost efficiencies/minimise waste or re-work where possible.

The RFP process began with 9 interested parties, reduced to 2 finalists, and resulted in agreement with a 3rd party development agency Checkd Dev who specialised in sports data, bookmaker integration and other useful features which mirrored some of our own product ambitions. 

The due diligence was thorough, and has resulted in a very successful case study in digital delivery strategy when it comes to bespoke products for a large corporation. talkSPORT EDGE is now live ahead of schedule, under budget, and is 4.6/5 on the app store at the time of writing.

Tech Strategy and Product Management, talkSPORT EDGE

Since March I have been tasked with leading the technical strategy on two New Business Ventures work streams at NewsUK.

Using my start up background, I have been identifying lean approaches to software development across each of my engagements. This involves testing the riskiest assumptions with the minimum time/dev cost, to ensure that even the bigger corporations can minimise spend and maximise efficiency when exploring new revenue generating ideas.

News UK

Technical Lead

Contracting via GBC Digital LTD - I made the transition from Business Analyst to Product Manager to oversee the delivery of Sun Savers.

Product Manager

Contracting via GBC Digital LTD, I began with a short term 3 month contract as a Business Analyst and before switching to the Product Manager role I was Lead Business Analyst for the Sun Savers team.

Lead Business Analyst

In August 2017 I was appointed Strategy Director at 21six|digital to build & lead the digital area of the business along side the Technical Director.

My responsibility covers all of digital, including bot technology. Using my agency background and digital experience, we have built an agile and diverse team capable of delivering a wide range of projects.

21six

Digital Strategy Director

In partnership with 21six, a marketing and digital agency based in London and Hampshire, 21six|bots specialise in digital design, development and consultancy, with a focus on messenger bots and Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. 

We provide clients with a viable, cost effective alternative to traditional app and website products, connecting with customers in the apps they use most.

Co-Founder & Director, 21six|bots

TH_NK is a digital transformation agency. We work with clients like Vue, Butlins, Warner Bros., Nando's and Atom Bank to set and realise their digital ambitions.

I joined the Strategy & BA team at the beginning of 2016, following on from my previous work with Channel 4 and Discovery Channel.

TH_NK

Senior Business Analyst

The Channel 4 IT & Strategy department plays a critical role in launching Channel 4's new ground breaking offerings, including building and managing applications and platforms across all our online, mobile and other future media offerings.

There are a number of exciting projects currently in the pipeline, I am working at the front line of what's happening next on people’s televisions, tablets, PCs and mobiles.

Working within the project delivery teams, I complete Business Analyst activities in support of project delivery.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with business stakeholders and subject matter experts to capture and document business requirements both at high and detail level

• Co-manage a team of onshore development and test teams

• Use appropriate techniques to elicit requirements from stakeholders, both technical & non-technical

• Ensure a consistent approach to requirements development and management using best practice

• Advise key stakeholders on results of analysis including presenting options to enable appropriate decision making and strategy

• Produce and manage user stories, screen flows, sitemaps, wireframes, user scenarios and functional specifications used by developers, designers and the test team

• Work with the delivery team designer as part of refining and updating designs

• For specific projects, attend user testing, analyse and prioritise findings to support deliverables

• Work with the Project Mangers to provide a breakdown of tasks and associated estimates to produce deliverables Perform requirements verification, ensuring that requirement statements are complete, consistent, concise, traceable, verifiable, and conform to defined standards. 

• Participate in reviews, showcases of developed products derived from the requirements.

• Assist delivery team on day to day basis to answer details about requirements.

• Report day-to-day to the Project Manager, providing progress updates against tasks

Channel 4

Working within the Media & Digital group at Accenture, I am currently working for Discovery Communications, US Networks team.

As the lead US Networks Discovery BA, I am responsible for a wide range of aspects within Discovery, involving:

- Stakeholder management
- Strategy
- Resource management (US / UK / Latvia)
- Business relationship management
- Agile Methodology (Scrum master certified)
- Front end webdesign
- Platform development
- Requirements gathering
- UX

Our aim is to deliver high quality responsive design roll out for all Discovery channels within the US Nets remit, including development of the back end platform allowing Discovery channel employees to effectively manage and maintain their own sites going forward.

Discovery Communications

Business Analyst

This was a volunteer project which was advertised by Accenture colleagues in America. 

Initially a high level review of the UX and usability of the current site design of the UN Business portal, my role developed into leading a more detailed analysis of the site - with the reports due to be presented to the UN owners in January 2013.

Further to this analysis, I completed a homepage redesign, and gave further recommendations to improve the success of the site. The homepage redesign was well received and will also be presented to the UN product owners in 2013.

United Nations

User Experience Design Consultant

An Accenture UX led volunteer project, I was involved in the development of the 2013 6 Nations rugby app. This involved brainstorming new functionality of the app, also improving the usability and design.

The 6 nations app is now released and available for download from January 2013.

6 Nations, Lions and Magners League

Accenture / RBS 6 Nations Mobile App Design

The success / failure of the new online benefits system hinges on DWP’s ability to provide an easy-to-use web service. This is in the context of very complex benefit services and the resulting challenge of delivering a quality User Experience Design.
 
As part of the User Experience team, I am required to work with clients in design workshops, engaging with the development and architecture teams, creating communities of practice, researching and validating needs with end users and assisting the User Experience Lead in tasks including work planning, design, testing and reporting.

Usability Specialist - DWP Web Design

3 months working within the Brand & Marketing workstream at LBG. As a Brand Assurance Analyst, I was responsible for the generation of documents to assist all workstreams in the rebranding process via a weekly steering group meeting. 

The role included regular meetings with key senior stakeholders and additional project management work. This allowed exposure to all aspects of marketing and branding within a large company from the customer journey to creative design.

Lloyds Banking Group

Brand Assurance Analyst (ACN Project)

I have been working for Accenture within the Analyst Consulting Group (ACG) since February 2012. Promoted in early 2014 to Consultant.

Specific project information will be documented below.

Accenture

Consultant

My main role was in the Business Relationship Management (BRM) team, working with external businesses providing a custody service to UBS. I was solely responsible for the Global Custodian relationships with BBH, Citibank, and HSBC - ensuring our working relationships were both successful and amicable.
I was also involved in the Business Continuity team at UBS. I began the year with a part-time role in the operation, but this soon developed into a major responsibility of mine alongside my BRM role. I began reporting to the Head of UK Operations- designing, testing and implementing areas of the Business Continuity Framework over the course of the year.

UBS Global Asset Management

Business Relationship Management

Initially I was responsible for customer service, packaging & delivery. By the time I left to return to University I had become actively involved in the development of the website, the extension of our sales to eBay and advertising on Google.

Gregory Clark