QUALIFICATIONS
MBA, Kent Business School, University of Kent, 1993
BA (Econ) Economics, Economic History, Portsmouth University, 1991
Won competitive international scholarship to Hebrew University, Jerusalem, ‘91
Member, Royal Economics Society
Member, Institute of Economic Affairs
SPECIALISATION
Micro-Economics Applied to Industry Strategy
Commercial Projects Management
Competitor Analysis
Regulatory and Infrastructure Businesses
KEY EXPERIENCE
- Fifteen years as an independent and corporate Economics’ Management Consultant
- Identification and competitive tendering for a broad range of industrial sectors
- Business Planning in Third Generation Mobile Telecoms and Civil Infrastructure
- Financial and Budgetary control of projects
- Revenue identification / enhancement in low margin infrastructure projects
- Completed work in utility sector, both energy and ‘network’ industries’ at strategic and operational levels
- Bid / Senior Project Management and appraisal of key commercial drivers
- Profit Management of commercial development and roll out project work
- Applied experience from business information
and technology sector to ‘Future Proofing’ advisorial work
in small business sector
- Development of economics’ based audit guidelines in utilities sector
- Quality Assurance benchmarking
- Management of cross discipline teams.
EMPLOYMENT
JUNE 2005 TO PRESENT
GLOBALISATION INSTITUTE
FOUNDING
TRUSTEE / ADVISORY BOARD Founding Trustee for an influential and
innovative London based Think Tank focusing on International
Development and Free Trade, with particular reference to enterprise
based solutions to poverty reduction. Management and co-ordination of
research agenda and profile of the organisation. Business Management.
Senior level Negotiation with politicians and development experts for
contributions to the Institute. See www.merciar.com and
www.globalisationinstitute.org
JUNE 1998 TO PRESENT
MERCIAR BUSINESS CONSULTING
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT. Management and business development profile,
developed from original product delivery role, applied to wider
business services (July 2002-present) Financial advisor to project:
complicated international market structure requiring budget control
from centre onto a disparate group of subcontractors. Reconciliation of
financing lifecycle to ensure continuity of project.
PRINCIPAL ECONOMIST. Canada, Scotland & UK wide e-business
services: Scoping and sectoral / process business analysis for the
introduction of e-business service delivery, into new market arena for
a UK based company. Product orientated services including
feasibility studies and competitor appraisal. Finance and Budgetary
audit of project roll-out. Logistics, resourcing strategies and time to
market studies. (March 2001 – present)
PROJECT ECONOMIST, Egypt and UK based development project. Private
client work, assisting business and the enhancement of revenue
generation. Role focused on adoption of best practice within immediate
servicing area - and maintenance of thorough competitive positioning
within a growing market area. (August 2000 – February 2001)
LEAD BUSINESS PLANNER, UPC PRIORITY WIRELESS / ERICSSON: Wireless Local
Loop / Broadband Wireless Access license implementation in Finland.
Involving market segmentation analysis and planning; business analysis
- sustainable revenue identification; market development strategies for
a leading Pan European Telecoms company. Focus on developing market
presence and growth in this new technology area. Budget financing
appraisal: new market sector so start up costs on initial build needed
greater consideration than established market arenas.
LEAD BUSINESS PLANNER, UPC PRIORITY WIRELESS / ERICSSON: NETHERLANDS
based roll-out of competitive positioning for United Pan-European
Communications (UPC), division Priority Wireless, for gaining license
under 3G ("Third Generation") mobile phone auction/beauty contest,
across Europe. Primary focus as Process Lead for acquisition of license
in France; involving benchmarking technology's; internet
consumer/business services appraisal; CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) and
OPEX (Operating Expenditure) optimisation, and vendor partnering. The
reconciliation of technical parameters and business planning
objectives. Budget reconciliation analysis – revenue streaming
for various “take-up” scenarios, and advice to telecoms
planners based on these profiles. This work was completed in
conjunction with Ericsson, acting as infrastructure implementer. (April
– July 2000).
BUSINESS ANALYST, DB RESEARCH. Responsibility for new technology
profiling as it relates to 'business investigation' market. This
contract developed from initial scoping studies of the information
security sector; main client base Investment Banking and
Securities. Applied value appraisal economics (EVA) to prioritise
risk in the development of this new technology. (July 1998 –
March 2000)
SENIOR CONSULTANT, IPA (formerly London Economics Energy). Contract
work, focusing on project management of World Bank funded scheme, to
extend electrification into rural Peru. Project aims: to attract
private finance participation.
JULY 1997 - JULY 1998
SENIOR ECONOMIST, UTILITIES SUPPORT, ATKINS PLC
PROJECT AUDITOR, PERIODIC REVIEW. Cross company work in
developing an assessment schedule to test the materiality of
expenditure on both Operating and Capital (Opex and Capex) profiles by
the UK water, and water & sewerage companies. The test was
based on the significance of this spend in relation to companies'
turnover. Materiality then needed to be explained to OFWAT to
assist in their devising of 'K' - the regulatory decreed price movement
above or below the Retail Price Index (RPI).
PROJECT CONSULTANT, Work Management: Thames Water Utilities.
Development of Audit Plan and assessment criteria for the completion of
the Supply/Demand Balance information requirement to OFWAT, itself
forming part of the Periodic Review process. The companies
required to report to OFWAT under regulatory statute do so in
accordance to audit guidelines ("Reporter" role). Supply/Demand Balance
submission includes application of Long Run Marginal Cost (LRMC) to
water supply sustainability issues.
PROJECT FINANCIAL MANAGER, Railtrack plc. Responsibility for all
aspects of project financing: monitoring and evaluation of budget;
allocation of deployable resources; cost monitoring for contractors
involved in civil engineering and construction work. Forecasting Asset
Management Plan (AMP) efficiency assessments, as utilised across the
seven regional zones, which comprise Railtrack's national
network. The project aimed to identify best practise in the
identification and analysis of data collection for the purposes of
comparing the efficiency of core investment spending, as relating to
maintenance of the network. Both engineering and economics' based
assessment criteria were applied.
PROJECT CONSULTANT, Sydney Water Corporation. The company
decided, for purposes of international comparison, to submit their
Reporting Requirements under OFWAT guidelines to the UK regulatory
body. Responsibility as key liaison for UK based activities.
PROJECT CONSULTANT, Railtrack plc. Project Finance Officer:
project management and maintenance of budget control. Responsible for
negotiating new budget, based on limitations of initial contract to
fulfil deliverables requirement. Asset Management Plan appraisal.
Involving collation and audit of efficiency review data. The
first of a series of internal benchmarking programmes designed to
identify efficiencies in investment spending.
1997 JAN - 1997 JUNE
MARKET ANALYST, PREMIER/DB RESEARCH
Sector identification and profiling for innovative
computer security fraud product (included national launch).
Computer literate analytical work: Excel, Lotus 5 to macro level.
Econometric Analysis, and basic forecasting (market share profile
techniques), multivariate regression analysis and time series
applications (industry growth trends in freelance technology work).
1993 JAN - 1996 DEC
PREFERRED BIDDER, INDEPENDENT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT
Preferred bidder for small projects under large umbrella group; also
the two leading UK telecoms' business strategy consultancies.
Occasional consultant to a gas business development unit - Alphatania
Group. Work covered extensive market profiling and sector
scoping, this was billable on a project basis with latter orientation
towards industrial activity and best practise benchmarking across both
telecoms and energy sector.
PROJECT ANALYST. Various projects - including small business
assistance. Morocco, Investment risk assessment (Internal Rates
of Return, Discounted Cash Flow of funds). Employment
Initiative's appraisal - extensive on-line research.
PROJECT ASSOCIATE. Two major "think tank" units, London;
public/private sector crossover practice. Employment and industry
assessment focused on regional development and regeneration
schemes. Work stemming from Training and Enterprise Council (TEC)
boards.
ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT, ELECTRICITY POOL
Business Analysis in operations department: monitoring role and
observation of contracting - continuity of electricity supply from
infrastructure perspective.
1992
ECONOMIC CONSULTANT, EAST KENT INITIATIVE
A nine-month secondment, combining Central & Local Government
collaborating with private industry. Brief as set out, being to
revitalise economy of East Kent. This involved detailed surveying
and analysis of one key industry - customs brokerages (compilation
statistics on trade movements for B of P). This was a high
income-generating sector of the regional economy (£30M
pa.). Reports from this work were essential in successful bid for
"Assisted Area Status", for East Kent to European Parliament (under EC
Directive (3904/92)). Status recognition secured access to
£500M EC funds.
1988-91
OFFICER TRAINING CORPS, BRITISH ARMY
Company level command, age 19 (120 men). Officer Training Corps,
Southampton - University military sponsorship. Leadership, team
building, team appraisal, operations planning, logistics and
supervisory skills applied. Adventure training and survival
training. Placements included one-month location in Cyprus.
PUBLICATIONS
CANTERBURY BUSINESS SCHOOL (1992a) Report on a Survey of Freight Agents
and Customs Brokers to the East Kent Initiative, Canterbury Business
School, April 1992.
CANTERBURY BUSINESS SCHOOL (1992b) Report on a Survey of Employees of
Freight Agents and Customs Brokers in East Kent to the East Kent
Initiative, Canterbury Business School, May 1992.
CANTERBURY BUSINESS SCHOOL (1992c) Report on a Survey of Freight Agents
and Customs Brokers to the East Kent Initiative, Canterbury Business
School, October 1992.
LISTED JOURNALS
"East Kent Initiative and the Customs Brokers Industry: A Targeting
Strategy." JOURNAL OF LOCAL ECONOMY. Longman, May/June 1995.
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