Operations ⛰️

Data-driven decision-making is as much about deep domain knowledge as it is about analytical skills. The key first step is knowing what data to collect, what user behaviours need to be quantified and why?

My approach to Agile Project Management is pragmatic, results-driven, and deeply informed by my experience across Fintech, Edtech, and Mobile Games.

I value clear communication immensely - so much else rests on it. I aim for clarity, brevity and candour in writing and in person.

The Art of Saying Just Enough - Blog Post on Communication

I have 5 years experience in Change Management, leading digital, training, regulatory and cultural transformation projects.

I have experience coding, designing, project managing, testing and providing user support for digital transformation projects. This broad experience allows me to understand, empathise and act effectively within complex cross-functional teams

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At Arti driving traffic to our beta app was challenging, Duolingo has driven up the customer acquisition cost in the language learning space since it's IPO.

The Bullseye Marketing framework helped us narrow down to a couple of cost effective channels, in our case micro-influencer referral programmes and guest blog posts.

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At Waverton I project managed and designed a new Cash Management System- it has safely processed > £500M in withdrawals and cut workflow times by 60%.

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I've led many projects driven by complex regulatory change, including:

• The testing program for an equities trading system, driven by MIFID II, with £ millions in daily trade volume.
• Led Anti Money Laundering and Risk integration with Dow Jones’ risk monitoring database.
• Led ESG data-feed project to integrate trading locks in-line with client’s ethical convictions.

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I'm fascinated by the interface between development and design. User Experience is central to all good software.

Talking about one's own leadership qualities seems slightly conceited! Good leadership is the confluence of numerous faculties, some of which I have, all of which I'm trying to cultivate:

• Self-Awareness: continuously reflects, learns, and improves - low ego.
• Integrity: honesty, transparency and ethical judgement.
• Clarity: communicates a compelling direction.
• Trust: empowers everyone in the team and sets high standards.
• Adaptability: navigates uncertainty and shields the broader team.

I've strived for these virtues in all my work so far - and will continue to do so going forward.

Cal Newport's work is a big influence on my approach to work, he has convincedly argued that Knowledge Work is beset with distractions and perverse incentives that degrade productivity and wellbeing.

Deeply understanding of the costs of context switching, distraction and modern work habits has borne fruit in all aspects of my technical and creative work.

Automation so often backfires because along with the inefficiencies, you also throw out responsibility and oversight. Automation is powerful, but not a panacea.

I worked as a consultant for the Change Management team at Waverton across dozens of workflow improvement projects, the best outcomes always balanced efficiency, risk and pragmatism.

For example while maintaining proper controls, the Cash Withdrawal system project managed cut workflow times by 60% and has safely processed over £500M.

I believe concise, clear writing is universally useful - it is a byword for clear thinking.

It applies to coding, marketing copy, negotiation, documentation, collaboration and much else besides.

Steve Blank has been a huge influence on my thinking about start-ups. His books, like the The Startup Owner's Manual, solidified the principles of the scientific method in early business development.

His maxim that "No facts exist inside the building" - taught a generation of founders to trust their customers, rather than their hunches. The Lean Startup, Business Model Generation, Disciplined Entrepreneurship all took on that torch, but Steve did it first and in my opinion did it best!

I Led the testing program for an equities trading system with £ millions in daily trade volume, in a complex regulatory environment.

Video-editing for Adventures in Awareness, a Youtube channel with 13k subscribers and 890k views

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My approach to strategic consultancy is rooted in clarity, first-principles thinking, and adaptability. I believe that the best strategies come from deep observation, domain expertise, and a focus on fundamentals

I defined the negotiation strategy for 2018 Acquisition of Fintech startup Parrish Blake by Waverton Investment Management.