MARK JOHN SHEPHERD

PROGRAMME MANAGER / DIRECTOR

CONTACT- Tel.: (07973) 884820 Email :

An executive level manager and director with extensive blue chip company experience.

Industry experience

  • 12 years in Telecoms, working with all the mobile network operators.
  • 17 years Information Technology experience, partnering and working alongside the largest world-wide software and technology companies.
  • 5 years in Financial services, with major FTSE100 UK and large world-wide companies.

Leadership skills

  • Proven leadership skills include the management of multiple programmes, often directly or indirectly managing staff of up to one thousand.
  • I bring strength through strategic planning of business objectives, whilst inspiring people and creating a belief in them that we will succeed.

Stakeholder management

  • Effectively communicatingand liaising up to senior executive & board level within the company and toour customers.
  • Proven relationship buildingand management of stakeholders, customers and suppliers.

Financial management

  • Utilising my academic financial background and with extensive experience, I have built up incredibly strong financial management techniques and practices.
  • Managed programme budgets exceeding £200m.and created annual budgeting plans.
  • Created multi-million pound opportunities and led sales responses to offers.

Project & Programme Management

  • Proven ability to manage multi-country programmes through all phases of delivery.
  • Developed and enhanced severalcompanies’programme and project methodologies.
  • Transformed business and technical processes, which resulted in improved efficiency of programme delivery.

Personal attributes

  • I am a very organised, efficient and conscientious person who always drives to get the best for the company. I am great at providing multiple solutions to business problems.
  • I bring a lot of energy to my roles and work hard to get the job done, whilst ensuring that all teams are focussed on positive outcomes throughout the business.

Training & Competence experience

  • PMI PMP, PRINCE, Agile, Scrum, Six sigma
  • Radio Network, LTE (4G), Core Network, IP, Billing, CRM
  • Microsoft, Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP

CAREER SUMMARY

Dec. 2005 -ERICSSON

Feb. 2014Programme Manager

As a senior programme manager and frequently as deputy programme director, I worked in the global services division on all the UK mobile network operator accounts.

Key accomplishments from this period have been :

  • Responsible for delivering a brand new upgraded radio network for a mobile network operator. As head of the entire design and deployment programme, I mobilised from the setup of the business processes through technical readiness to deployment. With a multi-year target of thousands of upgrades, this involves a complete site re-build introducing several new technologies including LTE 4G services and a multi operator shared network.
  • Previously as Deputy Programme Director for a Managed Services account I worked on a multi mobile network operator programme with several hundred projects across 15 programmes, where I presented weekly at the clients board level and chaired the project approval meetings on behalf of Ericsson.
  • Programme managed a several hundred million pound radio network programme which delivered capacity upgrades and new technology introductions.
  • Previously managed for several years a multi-million infrastructure programme delivering complex projects including major infrastructure changes for billing systems, data warehouses and CRM applications. Worked with major IT outsource and SI companies including Microsoft, Oracle and SAP.
  • Previously as Head of the PSO with 12 staff I drove through efficiency changes in the project standards and process, culminating in a reduction of several days in approvals and a weekly saving of several hours of project mgmt time on reporting. I also maintained the process roadmap and completed delivery of several key applications.
  • Managed the commercial governance relationship and was responsible for project governance go/no-go decisions. Managed the strategic roadmap planning for all the programmes with the client for future years culminating in obtaining board level approval for the project roadmap.
  • I have worked across a number of key accounts undertaking pre-sales, programme establishment and management, working with directors of the technical departments within Ericsson and with directors of the client’s business and technology streams, ensuring the strategic direction of the clients systems are met with the delivery of key projects.
  • Launched a new music over IP streaming infrastructure platform from proposal, through business approval and build, with stakeholders throughout Europe up to M.D. level.
  • Programme managed a sales portfolio of projects for over a year, liaising with external vendors from the initial request for info (RFI) process through to product implementation.
  • For the managed services contract transition from Hutchison 3G, I managed the transformation programme where I implemented revised processes and created new business ways of working. As part of this I trained over 100 staff and managed the relocation of over 500 people.
  • Ensuring the programme and projects adhere to compliance standards obtained, including ISO 9001 (SOX compliance), ISO 27001 (Security), SDMM and CMMI (for development).

Sep. 2003 - HUTCHISON 3G (UK)

Dec. 2005(TUPE of role to Ericsson under outsourcing agreement)

Managed several consumer facing critical projects launching new serviceson the 3G handsets.

  • Managed the games portfolio of projects for over a year, including the implementation of Europe’s first real-time multiplayer gaming platform. This involved integrating systems from several external companies, throughout Europe.
  • Using a Systems development life cycle (SDLC) based on PMP, I programme manageda products portfolio, including project managinga £1million Digital Rights Management (DRM) music project, with a European wide multiple vendor solution.
  • Responsible for the launch of the first live browsing sports service on the network with the Rugby 6 Nations product, liaising with both business and technical teams from project inception to operational running.

Oct. 2001 -iTOUCH (UK)

July 2003UK Programme Director

Working for this multi-national value added mobile service provider, I managed a team of project managers and business analysts on all the UK business and technical projects. I reported directly to the Managing Director and worked extensively with the other group directors.

  • Initially responsible for the establishment and management of the UK Programme Office, I introduced project management methodologies and set up documentation control.
  • Created and implemented a completely new product development process and established and managed the project and development roadmap for the UK. Further, as a member of the UK management team I prioritised work based on commercials and resource availability.
  • Programme managed the integration of several acquired companies business and IT systems. This required frequent integration of multiple infrastructure platforms and the integration of tool applications delivered with a dynamic roadmap.
  • Project managed the technology teams working on the IVR and SMS applications, involving all the mobile technologies (SMS, WAP, MMS), internet portals and consumer kiosk machines.
  • Worked extensively with the Product and Sales departments on mobile entertainment products, specifying and agreeing documented requirements in liaison with all business teams.

Apr. 2000 -CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON

Apr. 2001Global Programme Manager

Working within the Fixed Income and Derivatives division of this international bank, I programme managed various support and development teams world-wide and several project managers.

  • Programme managed the implementation of a global infrastructure build with a several million pound capital value and a seven hundred user base.
  • Devised a new mobile computing strategy, then project managed the teams in developing a global asset tracking system and rolling-out an upgraded mobile hardware platform.
  • Co-ordinated the disaster recovery planning and site build of the additional DR site.
  • Reporting to the Director for Fixed Income IT Services, I established project management methodologies in the world-wide teams and initiated PRINCE training of the project managers.

Feb. 1999 -INTERNET START-UP

Mar. 2000Director and Project Leader

This internet start-up company was set-up by myself during 1999 to provide services to the London housing market.

  • Involved in all stages of company set-up from conception of business plan to system design.
  • Creation of market research strategy and managing research gathering.
  • Project leader of information technology systems design, build and delivery.

Oct. 1997 -BRITISH INTERACTIVE BROADCASTING (known as ‘Sky Interactive’)

Jan. 1999Programme Manager and Systems Consultant

British Interactive Broadcasting (BiB) was a joint venture between BT, BSkyB, HSBC and Matsushita Electric, set up to provide interactive services for digital television.

  • Employed to design and programme manage the build of a million pound support centre, including integrating the support centre with multiple supplier support areas.
  • Managed and co-ordinated several external supplier and internal department relationships.
  • Project managed and co-ordinated development of call management systems and a customer management system designed to hold several million customer details.

July 1993 - Sep. 1997Contract and Permanent positions, including :

NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK : PC Systems Manager

  • Managed PC and LAN support for 300+ people at two locations in the City including critical Back Office banking systems and European WAN support for 1000+ people.
  • Managed and agreed new maintenance and purchasing agreements with external suppliers.

LEGAL & GENERAL : Helpdesk Manager, Systems Analyst and Consultant.

  • Managed PC and LAN support of a seven person team for 700+ people.
  • Planned and integrated 500+ PC site move into a 2000+ networked PC base.

OTHER PERSONAL DETAILS

ADDRESS:Twyford, Berkshire.DATE OF BIRTH: 25/10/71

NATIONALITY: BritishSTATUS:Married

Sept. 1990 -OXFORDBROOKESUNIVERSITY, Oxford.

July 1993Second Class BSc Honours (Accountancy and Finance and Computing)

Sept. 1984 -HOWARD OF EFFINGHAMSCHOOL, Effingham, Surrey.

July 1990Three 'A' Levels (Mathematics, History and Physics)

I am a trustee of a charity, founded to increase research into brain tumors and provide hospice care. I am a Parish councillor for my village where I help to give something back to the community.

I have traveled extensively around Europe and like to explore new countries, including completing an expedition in the Andes.

In general, I am an avid sports fan and enjoy playing football and golf when I get the chance.