Résumé

Martin Webster

I’m broadly available and willing to move for the right full-time opportunity. Please include details about your management style and structure, I am particularly interested in flat hierarchies and contact with senior management.

An Information Technology professional. I find simple solutions to complex business problems.

cv at martinwebster.eu

Summary

I work with senior people to solve problems. First I make sure their vision is understood. Then I seek new angles or novel ways at looking at things before advising on the way to transform the business or service. People remember me because I recommend and implement practical, focused solutions.

Martin Webster brings a unique combination of talents:

• An MBA from Leicester Business School
• Experience of leading teams of over 40 people
• 13 years’ in Information Technology management
• 18 years’ experience in project delivery, including 15 months in sales and marketing
• Strong project and programme management skills in the application of IT and business change
• Experience of outsourcing IT services – reducing costs and improving service performance
• Track record of selecting and developing system investments that enable chosen business strategy

Specialities

Transformation, problem solving, change, projects, programmes, management, shared services, joint ventures, strategy, restructuring, vision

Experience

Applications Support Manager at Leicestershire County Council

June 2007 – Present (4 years 3 months)

Leicestershire County Council is a high performing 4-star rated local authority with revenue budget of £430M and 6000 staff. Responsible for leading an applications support team of around forty staff since service reorganisation in 2007.

• Helped set-up from scratch the applications support teams that manage the corporate information systems and Oracle E-Business Suite release 12.
• Coached staff to foster and develop a positive culture and speed up the take-on of IT service management best practices.
• Introduced new IT service management processes to improve efficiency and customer service, which contributed toward achieving excellent performance ratings from an independent customer satisfaction survey.
• Achieved necessary cost-savings of over £150k in 2010 through careful cost control, staff attrition and dealing with poor performance.
• As project executive, identified weaknesses in project management capability, and introduced a service-wide project process framework and performance model for IT project managers.
• Reworked our resource plans to improve the management and allocation of skilled resources to support the needs of strategic change programmes.
• Identified key competences and behaviours required from team through conducting in-depth analysis in liaison with training manager and other HR specialists.
• Used this information to bridge areas of skills gap and to set individual and team targets.
• Keeps track of the myriad of different technologies and grasps how they may be sensibly deployed to benefit service users.
• Appointed investigating officer for an allegation of misuse of company equipment. This required especially sensitive handling, both during the process and afterwards.

3 recommendations available upon request

Interim Project Manager at Leicestershire County Council

January 2006 – May 2007 (1 year 5 months)

Selected to lead the project engineering side of our customer services programme.

• Responsible for a team of five specialists and the design of a customer relationship management solution.
• Analysed customers’ requirements and produced technical documentation for the business case to agreed time-scales. Presented options with recommendations and outline implementation plan to senior management.
• Expertly managed the design of a CRM solution using service-oriented architecture design principles. Correctly predicted the importance of the design for creating business value: was the first local authority to implement Oracle EBS Release 12 which underpins shared services and new business opportunities.
• Facilitated greater liaison between customer and project by arranging for the collocation of key staff to increase understanding and enhance relationships.
• Mobilised the IT delivery teams and successfully prepared for project initiation. Managed the procurement of a preferred solution.

1 recommendation available upon request

Programme Manager at Leicestershire County Council

November 2002 – January 2006 (3 years 3 months)

Managing a team of two to deliver local electronic government in Leicestershire.

• Managed the e-government programme and achieved all local and national targets on time and within the £1.15M budget. Responsible for preparing funding bids for additional grants worth £600k. Produced complex costing reports for senior management and government sponsors.
• Achieved necessary outcomes and targets by 31 December 2005, which contributed to the council’s excellent rating in the Audit Commission’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment.
• Identified business opportunity to partner with other local authorities to share costs, resources and improve public services.

2 recommendations available upon request

Corporate Client Manager at Coventry City Council

September 1999 – October 2002 (3 years 2 months)

• Advised senior and executive management on the service performance of joint venture company with recommendations where required.
• Programme-managed mainframe migration to successful completion. Monitored project performance and reported progress to executive management and political leadership.
• Assisted and advised clients on how to overcome specific technical problems and obstacles. Developed positive solutions and encouraged collaborative working between managers and service provider.

2 recommendations available upon request

Departmental IT Manager at Coventry City Council

July 1998 – August 1999 (1 year 2 months)

• Devised the IT strategy to help achieve business objectives, reduce costs and improve the perception and quality of the IT service. Linked this with service monitoring and financial control.
• Reduced costs by introducing a standard desktop to cut support costs, simplify end-user training, and address the Year 2000 problem.

Market Manager (Senior Engineer) at DERA

April 1997 – June 1998 (1 year 3 months)

• Helped devise and resource a marketing strategy to achieve financial robustness, move towards a more diverse client base, and grow business opportunities within a specialist market.

Investigating Cost Engineer at Ministry of Defence

October 1995 – March 1997 (1 year 6 months)

• Spotted discrepancies in technical and financial information which uncovered fraudulent practices. Achieved savings in excess on £700k for UK taxpayer.

Project Quality Engineer at Ministry of Defence

December 1990 – September 1995 (4 years 10 months)

• Oversaw subcontractors and suppliers performing work and prepared and implemented corrective action programmes.
• Quality assurance authority on £50M software development project.

Partner at ICON Computer Systems

April 1987 – June 1991 (4 years 3 months)

• Developed modular software to control automated test equipment using the IEEE-488 digital communications bus specification.
• Managed company accounts and VAT returns.

Software Developer at Ministry of Defence

September 1984 – November 1990 (6 years 3 months)

• Development of high-echelon automatic test equipment.

Technician Apprentice at Ministry of Defence

September 1980 – August 1984 (4 years)

• Technician apprenticeship in electronic engineering

Certifications

• Chartered IT Professional
• Incorporated Engineer
• PRINCE2 Practitioner
• MSP Advanced Practitioner
• ITIL Foundation Certificate

Skills

Collaborative Problem Solving, business transformation, solution design, problem solving, strategic planning, visioning, team leadership, stakeholder management, stakeholder engagement, project implementation, project engineering, project delivery

Education

Institute of Learning and Management
Level 5 Award, Leadership and Management, 2008 – 2009

Ashridge Business School
Future Leadership Programme, Leadership, 2006 – 2007

Leicester Business School
Master of Business Administration, Business Administration, 1997 – 1999

The Open University
Associate Programme, Computing and Mathematics, 1993 – 1995

Bromley College of Technology
HNC Engineering, Electronics and Computing, 1980 – 1985

For a full and up-to-date CV please visit my LinkedIn profile.