Olivia Hardy

Experience

• 

  Unilever

  Jul 1997 - Sept 2013

  Managed the delivery of projects within the Client Services environment for Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey (AAMET) - identified priorities and led virtual teams in delivering solutions - quickly taking control, mobilizing resources and driving projects end-to-end.Special Notes:--■ Sample Projects - Software license audits & remediation; global provisioning - end-user laptop and desktop rollouts; new site implementations; service desk support engagements; vendor re-negotiations; service improvement initiatives; software upgrades (eg. Exchange 2010 upgrade.)■ Track Record - Built a reputation for excellence in managing virtual teams, for exceeding targets on most projects, for resolving problems quickly, and keeping focus clear and on-target. Was the ‘go-to’ Project Manager for the most challenging projects involving global stakeholders. Show less Drove the delivery of projects in South Africa and South-East Africa to meet and enhance the service organisation both to customers and to the business itself. Projects included IT infrastructure, telecommunications rollouts, site moves and mergers and a head office move, and service improvement.Special Notes:--■ Sample Projects - pilot of 3G card broadband technology; Blackberry implementation to board members; IT portion of the entire head office reshuffle (including budgets, vendors, resource teams); IT infrastructure for new HR hubs for all factory sites (voice & data cabling, PCs, telephones); new site implementations (eg new HQ for dry cleaning business); PABX upgrade for the Maydon Wharf factory.■ Notable Achievements - worked through the entire South Africa service request portfolio backlog with a partner to ensure customer confidence was restored. This involved chairing monthly conference calls with regional Managers and IT Infrastructure staff to driving improvements. Show less Worked within the Project Management Office to improve and update project management standards, methodologies, reporting, documentation, assessments, and training for Project Managers.Filled the following leadership roles: 1) Chair of monthly Portfolio Steering Committee review meetings with the Customer Management and Leadership team; and 2) Maintained the regional and local SA Project Portfolio - was the Regional Representative for Africa, Middle East & Turkey (AMET) within the Global Project Services Office Team. Notably the team was the first global team within Unilever to implement an enterprise project portfolio management tool across the world (North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Middle East & Turkey.) Show less

  • PROJECT MANAGER: CLIENT SERVICES

    Aug 2008 - Sept 2013

  • PROJECT MANAGER: CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

    Jan 2005 - Jul 2008

  • PROJECT MANAGER: PROJECT SERVICES

    Apr 2002 - Dec 2004

  • IT HELP DESK | IT PROJECT MANAGER (PMO)

    Jul 1997 - Mar 2002
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  Lesatrim (Pty) Ltd

  Dec 2014 - Mar 2022

  Marketing & Finance Adminstration

  Lesatrim provides emergency power and standby power solutions to Corporates, Retail, Medical, Finance, Call Centres, IT & Telecomms, Data Centres as well as residential clients. The company is a small dynamic start up and I have been instrumental in the startup and running of the business. Assisted with corporate company initiation, created brand identity, responsible for all marketing initiatives (website and advertising) and financial administration and sales lead generation. Show less