Description

(Dubai based, but with regional availability)

Programme and Project Management professional with over two decades of experience, and a proven track record of delivering complex, high-profile projects for the UK Government and global clients; excels in portfolio management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning, and has led high-performing teams to success in challenging environments; possesses expertise in NEC4 and FIDIC contracts, risk management, and data-driven reporting, and managed over £2bn capital investments across 180 countries; recent roles include Head of PMO for the UK Parliament Campus and the UK Foreign Office; known for strategic vision, operational excellence and getting the best out of team resources, driving initiative and innovation to deliver exceptional project outcomes in senior PMO and Director roles.

Languages

English
Native or bilingual

Workplace preferences

Can work on-site

Dubai City (up to 50km)

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
Head of Special Projects
REAL ESTATE
November 2021 - Today (4 years and 6 months)
London, United Kingdom
Led the setup and growth of a new team to deliver capital works to estate assets overseas, including secure construction and works in complex and high-threat locations; utilised NEC4 and FIDIC contracts to manage numerous projects with full budgetary responsibility, overseeing the entire project and construction lifecycle through RIBA stages.

Successfully managed a portfolio of >30 projects, ensuring timely and within-budget completion; established a team to manage projects below £3m with efficient processes for handling these smaller projects. Projects included:
- Selection of new properties
- In-going works to meet UK standards
- Build of new embassy buildings
- Build of high-end ambassadorial residences
- Refurbishment of ambassadorial residences
- HVAC design and replacement
- Secure works, airlocks, hostile vehicle mitigation, blast and ballistic protection
Secured the contract for the re-procurement of the FCDO Estates PMO service, ensuring continued service delivery and operational efficiency

Set up and led a crisis programme, implementing a 24/7 cold-chain logistics solution to deliver Covid-19 vaccines, to all UK Government staff in 243 missions worldwide, worked in collaboration with Ministry of Defence and many other Government bodies
Ballistic Protection Blast Protection HVAC Property Refurbishment Secure Build Site selection secure communication Portfolio Management Program management Stakeholder Engagement Team building
Houses of Parliament
Head of PMO
CONSULTING AND AUDITS
July 2019 - March 2021 (1 year and 8 months)
London, United Kingdom
Senior Team Leader, heading the Programme Office for a £1.6bn (GBP) master planning and campus rebuild on the UK Parliamentary estate and the decant programme of the Palace of Westminster in Central London; contracted as Deputy to the Programme Director, managed a large team to ensure the timely and successful delivery of new debating chambers in Whitehall, developed project controls structures and teams in planning, scheduling, risk management, and governance systems for a highly complex role involving a diverse and vocal stakeholder group, including senior officials, MPs, and Peers.

- Established a high-performing and resilient PMO and project controls team during significant change and instability which enhanced stability and performance, ensuring effective project management

- Implemented efficient reporting processes across a portfolio of 20 large projects, introduced new reporting processes, improving transparency and efficiency

- Completely reset private sector supplier relationships under NEC3/4 contracts by re-establishing processes, improved cooperation and contract management performance

- Necessitated the integration of Earned Value Analysis into BI reporting systems, enhanced accuracy and insights in project performance reporting

- Implement stringent controls with risk management practices which led to a successful Risk Management Audit, achieving ‘Substantial Assurance’ by BDO

- Linked finance, risk, and schedule (Primavera P6) data sets for comprehensive reporting which provided holistic and real-time insights, enhancing decision-making capabilities

- Achieved more cohesive and insightful data management and reporting by implementing BI reporting and data consolidation using P6, Xactium, and ARM

Portfolio Management P3O MSP Prince2 Complex stakeholder Microsoft Power BI Xactium ARM NEC4 Program Management Microsoft Excel Oracle Team building
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
Project Director and Head of PMO
CONSULTING AND AUDITS
October 2018 - August 2019 (10 months)
London, United Kingdom
Led the design and procurement of consultancy support to establish a Portfolio Management Office (P3O) (£420m) for the Estates and Security Department of the FCO; implemented processes and procedures to support efficient operations and successfully managed the stand-up of the PMO; additionally, managed a portfolio of capital investment in the Africa Region (Africa Uplift Portfolio), working across the continent to expand the FCO platform through property acquisition, build, and fit-out.

- Established a comprehensive portfolio management structure: set up the portfolio and revised governance procedures, successfully creating a structured and efficient portfolio management system
- Managed a significant budget with effective governance: oversaw a £420m budget and implemented robust governance practices, ensuring financial control and compliance, optimising resource allocation
•- Implemented efficient information flow and reporting mechanisms: developed and implemented reporting and information flow processes, achieving transparent and timely communication, enhancing decision-making
- Created a centre of excellence for portfolio and project management: established a PPM centre of excellence, elevating standards and practices across the department, promoting best practices
- Expanded FCO properties in strategic regions: purchased new sites in the Sahel region, successfully expanding the FCO platform, supporting operational and strategic policy goals