Experience.

Fidessa PLC (now part of ION Markets)

Buy-side Hosted Operations and Virtual Environments Manager

Fidessa group is a leading supplier of multi-asset trading, portfolio analysis, decision support, compliance, market data and connectivity solutions for firms involved in trading the world’s financial markets and connectivity solutions for the world’s financial community I managed the Buy-side Hosted Operations and VMWare Environments Teams. Responsible for building and maintaining of client hosted connectivity platforms operating Fidessa’s FIX and vendor connections. Building exacting replica copies of our client's enterprise environments. Accountable for the deployment and configuration of Managed Services for Buy-side clients. Applying stringent change control and patch release processes. Working closely with our Development and Commercial Teams to deliver key client projects through an agile framework. Remaining focused and loyal during the acquisition of Fidessa by ION Group, I managed to deliver all client projects and services on time even through alarming staff attrition.

• Responsibility for the provision of Buy-side Operational Support to all Fidessa Buy-side clients delivering highest quality Support and Operational experience to clients in EMEA and APAC across Enterprise and Managed Services

• Delivery of Managed Trading Services for all types of Buy-side clients; Enterprise OMS, EMS Workstation, FIX only and Middle office

• Managing a team of FIX connectivity and VMWare specialists, specialising in Electronic Trade Connectivity and Trade Confirmation

• Responsible for the on-boarding 120 Sell-sides and multiple Buy-sides to the Fidessa Post Trade Affirmation Service (AMS)

• Managing the individual career development of the Team and motivating high performance

• Controlling our physical systems and support network that host the 1000+ virtual client production and UAT Environments that my Team operate

• Release management, including deployment testing, collation of supporting documentation, software delivery and support for client's testing processes

• Managed broker onboarding and ECN connectivity

• Ensuring that all systems comply with Fidessa Security and Compliance governance

• Worked meticulously with Fidessa’s global Datacentres to establish intrinsic FIX connectivity to clients and vendors

NIU Solutions

IT Manager

Niu Solutions (Previously known as Telinet) is a leading provider of Unified Communications and IT Infrastructure for businesses. The group encompasses Newburn Consulting, Pasporte, Evolution Voice & Data and Ipitomi.

I managed a small team of technicians including Delphi and C++ developers, SQL DBA’s and IT Support staff to maintain and manage the group IT infrastructure and ensure the systems were performant and stable 24/7 for our clients, some of which were high street banks.

• Responsible for the Group IT infrastructure and communications consisting of almost 100 physical and virtual Windows Servers based over three locations in London, Bagshot and Reading as well as 300 desktop and laptop computers

• Ensuring that all systems comply with ISO27001 Security and Compliance governance

• Responsible for the overall Group IT Strategy including the core billing systems, CRM, Accountancy, Email, OCS and ERP SQL databases

• Management of a hosted Microsoft SaaS (software as a service) infrastructure which has the capacity to host Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, OCS and Microsoft SharePoint to 11,000 concurrent users

• Administration of Cisco Call Manager enterprise system with management of the clustered SQL environment that through our bespoke application ‘SMART’ remotely manages 17,000 client telephone handsets and call traffic of 6 million calls per month and .5 billion call traffic records.

QinetiQ Rail

Systems Manager.

QinetiQ Rail is a wholly owned subsidiary of QinetiQ, one of the world’s leading defence technology and security companies. QinetiQ Rail delivers broadband Internet connectivity to moving trains for a variety of services. Principally responsible for the day to day running of the Network Operations Centre and implementation of custom-built servers to provide on-train Internet services for Virgin Rails Pendolino and Voyager fleet of trains. Responsible for designing the Windows XP Embedded server system and legacy components for the hardware provided. Implemented and assisted in the design of a multi channel bonded routing software that provided broadband Internet to the train from our NOC. Assisted in the rail certification process of the hardware by assisting the EMC testing

• Developed Windows XP Embedded solution for on-train router and web services

• Implemented multi-bearer routing system to include satellite, WiMAX, WiFi and multiple cellular cards

• Attended EMC test centre to successfully obtain EMC test certificate

• Assist in the build and maintenance of a complete train system that has broadband Internet WiFi access in each of its nine cars

• Trial for WiMAX across 12Km of track near Macclesfield. Testing and initial setup through commercial partners

Broadreach Networks

Systems Manager

Broadreach Networks provided national public WiFi and fixed terminal Internet access. QinetiQ acquired Broadreach Networks in October 2005.

Responsible for the Network Operation Centre (NOC) and the design and build of fixed Internet terminals. The NOC would handle RADIUS and credit card requests from over four hundred fixed terminals and WiFi hotspots from around the UK. The NOC comprised of 20 active servers including Windows based network load balanced web servers, active passive cluster servers and a SAN. My position encompassed a wide variety of tasks to include the design and build of industrial strength Internet fixed terminals using industry standard components. Liaise and negotiate with suppliers and partners

• Integration of ISP roaming partners such as iPass, BTOpenzone, GoRemote, Boingo and Trustive using the RADIUS protocol

• Implementation of WorldPay credit card authorisation system for Web based purchases to include American Express and EUROS

• Implementation of remote management and patch deployment system for remote fixed terminals

Lloyd's Register (CapGemini Ernst and Young)

IT Contractor- variety of roles

LR (formally Lloyds Register of Shipping) is an independent risk management company and system certification group with offices in EMEA, Asia and Americas

As a contractor, I was involved in many IT departments and was involved in a wide range of projects from second and third line support to rollout and integration. There was a great number of legacy applications and databases in use thought out the organisation that I had to learn to support, to include old AS400 and Oracle databases, Novel Netware, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 3.11 and Windows 95

• International Rollout - Headed a team charged with rolling out almost 5000 Windows XP PC systems to UK and overseas offices. This was achieved ahead of schedule, whilst providing 24/7 support to the regional offices. Headed the liaison team to perform a pre-rollout system and data audit

• Global rollout and migration of 180 Windows 2000 servers to 120 UK and overseas offices. This rollout included the migration from Novell NetWare NDS to Microsoft Windows Active Directory

• My Lloyds Register contract was initially for 3 months, but through hard work the willingness to help, learn new skills and complete given tasks, I managed to have my contract extended on a month by month basis for almost seven years.