STAFF CV'S

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John Catton

A business oriented and very experienced IT Manager and Consultant with 30 years in the IT industry. This has included senior roles on Business/IT Strategy, Project Management, IT Services Management, Telecommunications, Systems Integration and Quality Programmes. Managed major projects using structured methods and controlling third-party suppliers. Has regularly controlled multi-million pound capital and revenue budgets.

John specialises in effecting technical and cultural change involving both Business and IT, his achievements include a variety of Consultancy assignments on Business/IT projects. These have covered audits, strategy, ITTs, project management, assurance, testing of systems, supplier contracts and supplier management.

• Telecommunications Management for an NHS Trust. Developed complex Voice networks, introducing VPNs, Centrex, DDI and Voicemail, improving services and reducing costs. Prepared ITTs, managed suppliers and controlled contracts
   
• Millennium Audits for Home Office and Northern Ireland Office, including English and Northern Ireland Prison Services. Project management and provision of a Millennium Compliance database of equipment and services for a NHS Trust.
   
• Introduced the full range of Service Management disciplines into a Clearing Bank. Undertook a rationalisation of Group data centres to reduce costs whilst maintaining service standards.
   
• Transformed a 2 data centres Operations unit, with 2500 on-line users, into a pro-active business driven IT Services function with higher service levels and lower costs.
   
• Developed and implemented an IS Strategic Plan and a Technical Architecture for a major Insurance Company. Subsequently managed the programme of projects for an Executive Board with a Project Office and Independent Testing.
   
• Introduced Configuration Management covering all documents, software and network/terminal elements together with change control and independent testing.
   
• Managed projects to commission a £50m Data Centre and migrate services from 2 existing centres. Subsequently managed project migrating from multiple offices to new Insurance HQ.
   
• Business re-engineered Pensions Department with 75% productivity and tenfold service gains, using Document Image Processing on a fixed price contract.
   
• Set-up a complete IT function for a new Spanish insurance subsidiary
   
• Audited and re-implemented a large client/server network to deliver service improvements.
   
• Lectured on Services Management, Strategic Planning, and Document Imaging.

Interim IS Director. Post implementation management of SEMA CABS2000 customer care and billing system. Reorganisation of IS and support units. Promotion of PRINCE2 Project Management methodology throughout all areas of the business.

Year 2000 Audits for Home Office, Prison Service, Passport Agency and Forensic Science Services. This includes scoping and investigating Year 2000 issues relating to critical business activities and assessing Year 2000 preparedness, both on IT systems and Embedded systems.

Subsequently won similar contracts with the Northern Ireland Prison Service, Northern Ireland Dept. of Education and Northern Ireland Office.

Leading a team of GAWA consultants undertaking an audit of an outsourced Pan-European ATM network. Provided a strategic report for due diligence activity on a take-over by Energis.

A Community Trust with over 90 sites. Telecommunications Audit and Costs Review providing a telecommunications strategy, inventory and billing database, service improvements and 20% savings on annual costs.

Retained in a quasi-telecommunications manager role, further assignments have included:

• Network strategy incorporating voice/data integration, Centrex and VPNs,

• Preparation of ITTs, selection, supplier and contract negotiations

• Project managed implementation of VPNs, DDI, and voice/data systems at hospitals, health centres and GP practices,

• Selection and implementation of Call Management and Voicemail across the hospitals,

• Selection, internal controls and Supplier service agreement to manage widespread use of mobile phones by district nursing staff.

• Managed Millennium Project, and provided database to track status of electrical/electronic equipment, embedded chips, services and contracted suppliers. Provided status and budget reports for NHS Exec.

Supported the Technical Manager on a PFI bid to provide Telecommunications and IT Infrastructure Services to a principal Government Agency by:

• analysing and responding to the tenderer's responses and enquiries via an electronic Project Office;

• MSProject plans for audit and transfer of these Services from the Agency and its current suppliers.

Telecommunications Audit and Strategy for Pharmaceutical Distributors.

Guidance to Operations Management on Service Management on consolidation to single computer centre, and on use of Project Methodology.

Consultancy support to IT Services and Telecommunications on providing CTI (Computer Telephony Integration), using Aspect ACDs, Syntellect IVRs, Predictive Diallers and Icoms/AS400, on a national basis to their 7 Cable Franchises. Also re-negotiation of IVR Supplier agreement.

Managed telecommunications audits, using TSL staff. Provided reports and presentations on "Way Forward", negotiated with suppliers and implemented substantial cost savings.

ITT, selection and implementation of VoiceMail system for clinics appointments. Subsequently undertook a full telecommunications audit, including pagers and mobiles, providing Access databases.

Review of their Unix financial systems followed by project planningand implementation of the resultant Call Centre project.

Introduced PRINCE techniques. Direction on implementing a Help Desk and Service Management.

Audit on the performance of Services Management, resulting in a restructure and changes to the control of outsourced services.

Business Process Re-engineering assignment for TRANSCO Accounts Department, as part of the British Gas reorganisation.

Account Management, Project and Quality Management. Assignments included:

• MVS software upgrades for Ladbrokes on a subcontract to IBM;

• CRAMM disaster recovery & contingency planning;

• Telecommunications service improvement and cost reduction for several clients;

• Redesign and re-implementation of a large client/multiple server Novell network.

• Service Management and PRINCE Consultancy

Promoted to develop project management and related functions that were weak or non-existent, and generate a business-oriented culture. Also deputised for IT Manager. This encompassed the creation of a Strategic Plan with a related Technical Architecture, and the introduction of a Business/Information Systems Planning Methodology for selecting, initiating and managing projects to meet the strategic plan.

Controlled the Programme of projects and brought order to systems developments by:

• Introduction of a PRINCE methodology

• A Quality program to change the culture and working towards ISO9000,

• Establishing Configuration Management with comprehensive Change Control,

• A Project Office which implemented a project life cycle and tracked projects progress,

• Independent Testing of all new systems and significant changes,

• Project based capacity planning.

• Specified a new data centre and planned the migration of computers and telecommunications from several offices. Telecommunications department rationalised Voice & Data networks.

• Business re-engineered Pensions Department with 75% productivity and tenfold service gains, using Document Image Processing, on a supplier fixed price contract.

Overhauled IT Services in Liverpool and Peterborough introducing Service Management disciplines and Capacity Planning. Improved Service Levels, reduced expenditure, managed Suppliers and introduced Disaster Recovery.

Assigned at the business start-up of Royal Life Espana in Madrid and Barcelona to select life assurance package, computer and IT Manager.

Management of the Bank's prime Computer Centre and the London Clearing Centre, together with Technical Support and User Service Management, totalling 500 staff, 18 computers (IBM, Tandem, McDonnell Douglas), 2000 on-line users and £40m annual budget.

This Group was the Operations interface with Retail, Investment, International and Corporate Banking and their Systems functions during a period of massive growth and change.

Developed Service Management disciplines including negotiating budgets, computer resources and service level agreements. Undertook equipment business cases and supplier negotiations. Systems implementations, including a Share Dealing system and a new Mortgage system. Responsible for all Operational Requirements and Issues for a new Retail Banking System.

Introduced long-term Data Centre planning, overall computer configuration planning and capacity management, budget forecasting, equipment business cases and computer installations.

This was a 3 year project (Premises £30m, Equipment £21m) to create the Bank's prime data centre, redevelop the Leeds Data Centre as an intermediate location, migrate applications from in-house computer centres in London, then close the London and later the Leeds Centres.

Disaster Recovery planning and testing on the On-Line banking systems. Provided remote testing services and program release procedures to 4 computer centres. Managed on-site shift program trouble-shooters.

After graduating, spent 3 years in aero-engine design, then progressed through various computer posts at Rolls-Royce and Forward Trust. After a period as Computer Operations Manager managed the migration of Forward Trust from their computer centre to Midland Bank's Northern Computer Centre.

B.Sc. Manchester, Mathematics & Physics.

Government Security Clearance Full driving licence

PRINCE2 project methodology, SSADM, and RAD/JAD techniques.

PC/Unix client/server systems. IBM, Unisys, Tandem and Digital computers and software.

Various PC packages including Office Professional, MS Project, EMail, Internet.

Conversational French.

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