Head of Client Services

• Aug 2023 - Present

Senior Project Manager

• Aug 2021 - Sep 2023

PMO Director

• Jan 2020 - Aug 2021

Responsible for maintaining ownership of a company's program of work, specialising in building eCommerce solutions. Delivery focused and leading the Project Management team to ensure all projects are clearly defined, on track and on budget.

Senior Project Manager

• Aug 2019 - Jan 2020

Senior Project Manager

• Oct 2017 - Aug 2019

• Working with the client directly to understand the client’s overall business objectives and strategies and how each project fits into their overall business strategy. • Manage the development process to minimize scope creep and ensure on-time and on-budget delivery, involving management in issue resolution as necessary. • Prepare status reports and conduct internal and external status meetings regularly as necessary to ensure effective issue resolution and quality project delivery. • Lead workshops and other discovery sessions to develop business requirements for projects. Communicate those requirements to the delivery team and ensure that solutions meet those requirements. • Identify the skills necessary, recruit (in some cases) and lead cross-functional teams (design, technology, etc.) in the delivery of projects for Rush Digital’s clients. • Manage the client relationship from approval to launch by conducting regular calls, monitoring and escalating project risks, soliciting client feedback, making modifications to deliverables and processes and partnering with the client relationship manager to ensure client satisfaction. • Develop detailed project plans for project delivery, communicate and track project milestones and monitor progress for all team members against the plan. • Responsible for the financial management of a project - providing regular updates, reporting on status against budget and red-flagging any project risks. • Manage third party vendors, including consultants, contractors, and product vendors as necessary in the delivery of projects, including gathering estimates, negotiating rates and working with the finance team to ensure prompt settlement of invoices Show less

Business Manager

• Mar 2017 - Jan 2019

• Reporting directly to the company directors. Responsible for planning and directing the businesses strategic and short & long-term goals. • Conducting reviews to identify strengths and weaknesses and to evaluate operational effectiveness. Identifying expansion opportunities, competitive threats, viability of outside business partners, and internal business process improvement. • Restructuring the company and putting processes in place to protect the business and to build strong financial foundations. • Full financial ownership of accounts, including Payroll, Accounts Payable, and Budgeting/Forecasting. • Overhauling all employment contracts to meet NZ law, as well as renegotiating existing agreements with clients, vendors and suppliers. • Create a range of company policies including; overtime, variation tracking and onsite Health and Safety. • Rebrand the company with a new logo, fonts and colour scheme, creating an online presence with new website and social pages. Show less

Production Lead

• Aug 2013 - Dec 2016

Marker Metro was one of the world's leading software digital agencies working with some of the world's largest publishers such as Disney, Sony, Zynga and Microsoft Studios. I joined the company a year after inception and helped define the business strategy which saw the business grow to a team of 20, and the company ultimately being acquired in July 2016 as part of a $28.9m group buyout. I was the right hand man to the CEO, my role was all encompassing and covered finance, HR, team management, operations management, project management, business development; all while being the account manager for the company’s biggest client. Being the line manager for all studio staff, including the Project Management team. I would ensure all RFP’s received from clients would be fully investigated and broken down. Proposals & SOW would then be created and negotiated with clients, confirming all business requirements had been covered. I would project manage the ‘key’ projects within the studio while mentoring the junior project managers within the team on the other projects. Ensuring projects were resourced correctly, development stayed on track and on budget. Along with the CEO I also negotiated a 12 month $1M USD development agreement with our largest client, thus stabilising our finances and letting the studio reinvest back in itself. I also created and implemented an employee development framework which resulted in employees setting and reaching development goals, a decrease in staff turnover, an increase in employee engagement; and saw an overall lift in work performance. Show less

Producer

• Feb 2013 - Aug 2013

Gameloft is a French video game developer and publisher headquartered in Paris, with 20 game studios subsidiaries located around the world. As Producer in the Auckland Studio, I'd build business cases for the update path for one of the companies’ key titles that had a total revenue stream of over $8 million USD. I'd establish requirements from globally based stakeholders to target multiple KPI’s. Upon agreement I’d project manage a team consisting of engineers, designers & artists. I would oversee the Design, Art & Engineering team’s for the update path for one of the companies key titles. The title had a total revenue stream of over $8 million USD Show less

Producer

• Nov 2006 - Jan 2013

The powerful Marmalade Platform enables developers to build high-performance 2D and 3D applications using its flexible development environment. Project Manager for the continuous integration of the cross platform middle-ware SDK; Role: Manage implementation of the new components and platform support for the SDK. Ensuring all business requirements had been collated, assessed and broken down into the backlog and upcoming sprints. Reporting back to the stake holders of any risks and impediments. I was also the Project Manager overseeing a separate development team who utilized the Marmalade SDK and created titles for keys brands such as ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Lara Croft’ & ‘Metal Gear Solid’ Show less

QA Manager

• May 2006 - Oct 2006

Player X was a Mobile Media company specializing in games and mobile TV & Video. As the QA manager, I would recruit and manage all QA for studio Budget and track external QA costs, whilst Liaising with producers on the QA needs for the studio. I would define the companies quality standards and making sure the QA team adhered to them. Establishing best practice procedures and ensuring that all certification requirements had been fully tested. Player X was a Mobile Media company specializing in games and mobile TV & Video. As the QA manager, I would recruit and manage all QA for studio Budget and track external QA costs, whilst Liaising with producers on the QA needs for the studio. I would define the companies quality standards and making sure the QA team adhered to them. Establishing best practice procedures and ensuring that all certification requirements had been fully tested.

Senior QA

• Jan 2001 - Apr 2006

Lionhead Studios was a British video game developer powerhouse. Creating worldwide hits such as ‘Fable’ & ‘Black & White’. Managing a QA team of around 20 staff on key projects. Oversee the creation of User Acceptance Tests & test cases for the projects. Ensuring the QA team fully executed these tests. The role would also encompass all traditional QA responsibilities as well as recruitment and training for new QA. Lionhead Studios was a British video game developer powerhouse. Creating worldwide hits such as ‘Fable’ & ‘Black & White’. Managing a QA team of around 20 staff on key projects. Oversee the creation of User Acceptance Tests & test cases for the projects. Ensuring the QA team fully executed these tests. The role would also encompass all traditional QA responsibilities as well as recruitment and training for new QA.

QA Supervisor

• Sep 2000 - Jan 2001

Two Way TV is a social games business that creates market leading competitive and collaborative digital games. Supporting the QA manager & making sure all projects that come through the QA department have correctly defined UAT’s & test cases. That all issues are documented back to the development team ready for regression testing once fixed. Two Way TV is a social games business that creates market leading competitive and collaborative digital games. Supporting the QA manager & making sure all projects that come through the QA department have correctly defined UAT’s & test cases. That all issues are documented back to the development team ready for regression testing once fixed.

QA Tester

• Aug 1998 - Sep 2000

Bullfrog Productions was a British video game developer known for making some of the industry’s best-known titles. Including ‘Populous’ and ‘Dungeon Keeper’. As a QA tester I'd define the UAT’s & build test cases to cover all functionality scenarios. Executing these tests & documenting issues back to the development team. Signing off on resolved issues until the application meets the user requirements and is ready to be rolled out in the market. Bullfrog Productions was a British video game developer known for making some of the industry’s best-known titles. Including ‘Populous’ and ‘Dungeon Keeper’. As a QA tester I'd define the UAT’s & build test cases to cover all functionality scenarios. Executing these tests & documenting issues back to the development team. Signing off on resolved issues until the application meets the user requirements and is ready to be rolled out in the market.