Jason Kelland

Experience

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  Control Instruments

  Dec 1993 - Nov 1995

  Network Engineer

  Network technician for the Durban and Johannesburg based offices with specific duties to maintain the Windows and SCO-UX networks;Network and desktop support for 300 users in the Durban office with remote and call centre support for 200 Johannesburg based users;

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  Deloitte South Africa

  Dec 1995 - Dec 1996

  Novell Network Engineer

  Supported a small team of network technicians to support the Johannesburg based business team;Hands on management of the Novell Network Infrastructure;Developed vendor relationships and participated in Service Level Agreement negotiations;Provided technical and leadership support on a large infrastructure project to migrate the software and infrastructure of DTTI SA from Novell Netware 3.11 to the Active Directory based 4.01Participated in the design of a national Active Directory structure for a NetWare 4.01 implementation across the national network with the support of external consultants; Show less

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  Michelle Footwear (Pty) Ltd

  Jan 1997 - Jan 1998

  Contract Project Manager

  Project Managed the design and development, from the ground up of a new ERP system for this leading footwear manufacturer in Durban;The projects main objective was to remove the companies dependency on the legacy custom written Informix based system;The project involved deep sessions with sector experts on footwear stock/inventory and manufacturing, sales and purchases processes, as there were no off the shelf solutions available at this time;My primary role was to provide the small inhouse team with leadership and structure, and work with internal stakeholders to ensure all nuances and this highly complex business were taken into consideration in the design; Show less

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  Hypertech (Pty) Ltd

  Feb 1998 - May 1999

  Project Manager

  Managed a software development team of 6 people, and had VC funded budgets in excess of 1 Million Rand to research and develop high volume 3rd party processing systems;Designed and implemented the core transactional hub of this leading outsourced e-commerce provider in Coldfusion 4;Managed IT projects which involved integrating client back end inventory systems into proprietary transactional B2B and B2C systems;Developed a partnership with Thawte Security in Cape Town to provide digital security and online encryption technologies for outsourced e-commerce; Show less

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  Southern Focus Consulting (Pty) Ltd

  Jun 1999 - Aug 2001

  Development Manager

  SFC was established in 1994 in Durban, South Africa, as a leading empowerment IT, Business and Financial Consulting services firm. Key Responsibilities• Reported to the CEO of SFC and had responsibility for the Microsoft Development and Consulting division;• Built-up and managed a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary software development division from the ground up;• In conjunction with major projects, I managed the division, and had 4 junior Project Managers running countless smaller IT Software Developments in technologies such as SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft;Key Projects and Achievements• African Port NetworkDeveloped an online freight capacity trading network for Southern Africa. I researched and initiated the acquisition of Ship-U-Net for R2M in 2000. The Project lasted over 2 years, and was successfully sold onto the South African Ports Authority;• Gensec BankDesign, development and deployment of an advanced derivatives management platform; The project budget was R1 – 1.5M with a project team of 6 people in 2 cities; • BevactiveAppointed as Development Manager by our holding company Trematon Capital Investments to project manage the development of an beverage trading platform called BevActive; The Project delivered a state of the art integrated beverage management and ordering system for the South African hospitality industry; Show less

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  MVA Consultancy

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2004

  Principal Project Manager

  MVA Consultancy provides advice on transport and other policy areas, to central, regional and local government, agencies, developers, operators and financiers. A diverse group of results-oriented people, we are part of a 350-strong team worldwide. Through client business planning, customer research and strategy development we create solutions that work for real people in the real world.Key Responsibilities• Reported to the IT Director;• Followed PRINCE2 methodology to plan and deliver world-class projects to the diverse global client base of MVA Ltd;• Principal Consultant deployed to the European Commissions 4th Framework based in Belgium;• Worked with Dr Tim Wood (IT Director MVA Ltd) on a number of high profile international Intelligent Transport Systems project proposals in Europe and Asia;Key Projects and Achievements• TRIDENTNominated to represent the TRIDENT consortium on TPEG (Transport Protocol Experts Group) based in Geneva, Switzerland. Worked to harmonise multi-modal XML based data standards in this multi-million pound initiative to develop RDS across Europe;• Xchange TechnologiesResponsible for the launch of an internal project/business called XChange Technologies, attracting the attention of the UK Dept. of Transport and several leading businesses in the sector. XChange Technologies was a breakthrough in the way a research oriented technology could be adopted mainstream utilising a hosted licence model with local integration; Show less

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  Realwave Media

  Aug 2004 - Dec 2006

  Senior Project Manager

  Key Responsibilities• Consulted to key customers on ERP implementations, specifically in the domain of Warehouse/Inventory management, Import/Export, Stock Control, Sales Modules, and Financial System Integration;• Followed PRINCE2 methodology to plan and deliver world-class projects to the diverse client base of Realwave Media;• Introduced an integrated stock pick system to a large 3rd party logistics provider and consulted on a number of areas including warehouse layout optimisation, process improvements for stock efficiency, and JIT ordering;• Project managed the design, development and implementation of a large integrated B2B e-commerce platform across a base of over 150 customers. The B2B platform produced measurable improvements in stock control, re-ordering processes, pick and pack operations, and debtor collections;• Managed several national customer accounts, with responsibilities including pipeline management, account growth and product fulfilment; Show less

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  Leaders Ltd

  Jan 2007 - May 2007

  Contract Project Manager

  Key Responsibilities• Project Managed the design, development, testing and implementation of a corporate rental management web portal;• Followed PRINCE2 methodology to plan and deliver world-class projects to Leaders Ltd;• Provided Business Analysis skills to the team, while working closely with the key business stakeholders to determine the requirements for the solution;• Worked closely with the outsourced development team, to produce the annotated wire frames and logical database designs to ensure the system would deliver the requirements;• Facilitated weekly project performance meetings with the lead developers and the key stakeholders to track progress against plan;• The platform (an ASP/SQL solution), was delivered on time and on budget. The system is still used today and has been widely extended to incorporate new regions in the company’s portfolio; Show less

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  Dun & Bradstreet

  Jun 2007 - Sept 2011

  Key Responsibilities• Reported to the Technology CTO and directly responsible for the largest Agile development team in Ireland (50 onshore and 100+ offshore );• Responsible for the operational transition of a $500M revenue Global Risk Platform (DNBi) from San Mateo, California, to DBIS in Dublin;• Followed PRINCE2 and MSP methodologies to plan and deliver world-class projects and programmes within D&B;• Areas of responsibility included, Software Development (SCRUM teams), Database Development and Administration, Business Analysis, Quality Assurance, Build and Release Management, Service Management, Infrastructure, Project Management and Financial Controls;• Complete end to end responsibility for the both the strategic and tactical decision making to shut down the operations in San Mateo;Key Projects and Achievements• Significantly reduced the on-going operational costs (40%) of the maintenance and development on the platform in line with strategic corporate goals;• Program management of the delivery of 7 major transition projects (including the governance framework) that delivered the overall objectives 3 months ahead of schedule and 25% under approved budget;• Renegotiated with global customers and account managers, on Service Delivery Levels and Maintenance contracts (due to the location change and major overhaul of the operations division to reduce cost) Show less Key Responsibilities• Reported to the CTO and responsible for delivery of technology and business solutions across Europe;• Full range of Programme and Project management best practices (Planning, scheduling, risk management, communications, quality management)• Worked with executive leadership and external performance coaches to design and implement an Employee Satisfaction programme, which directly contributed to individual productivity gains and improved team commitment;• Followed PRINCE2 and MSP methodologies to plan and deliver world-class projects and programmes within D&B;Key Projects and Achievements• Project Optimiser:Batch delivery system, which produced measurable performance improvements, revenue gains and cost reductions against the existing mainframe based systems. The new Oracle grid based system was the first real-time batch delivery system to be implemented in D&B and to this day is the de-facto baseline batch system;• Barclays Credit Management System:Worked closely with the customers IT team over a period of 3 years to deliver an end to end integrated Java/XML based Credit Management solution. The project helped ease and facilitate the path to the UK business signing one of the largest data deals in 2009;• UK Companies Act:Program managed the introduction of the UK Companies Act (2006). The legislation resulted in many of D&B's legacy systems falling foul of the Act, and the data repositories becoming defunct. I managed the programme and 6 PMs, in the largest IT project in 25 years in D&B UK.• DNBi Risk Management Platform:Launched D&B's Risk Management platform (DNBi) into UK and Europe. Working in a higly pressurised environment, with teams in California, India, New Jersey and UK, the US based platform was delivered with huge changes to the localisation and data processing capabilities; Key components included Anti-Money Laundering/AML, Portfolio Risk Management, Know Your Customer/KYC and Credit Risk Investigations; Show less

  • Programme Manager

    Jan 2011 - Sept 2011

  • Program Manager

    Jun 2007 - Jan 2011
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  Derivco

  Dec 2011 - Jul 2012

  Senior Project Manager

  Derivco is a global leader in the design, development and hosting of online and land based gaming.Key Responsibilities• Management of a portfolio of projects across the Back Office and Banking environments, ranging in size from medium to large;• Followed PM BOK/PMI and MSP methodologies to plan and deliver world-class projects;• Projects include PCI Compliance, Land Based gaming rollouts across South American markets, 3rd Party integration (of gaming machines) and regulated market compliance (legal and statutory compliance);• Performance management of Agile and Waterfall based development teams, ranging in size from 5-10 people per team (matrix management)• Contributor to best practices within the company in relation to PMO functions, including roles and responsibilities of Agile team members, software delivery cycles and deployment best practices, and governance;• Extensive external stakeholder management and reporting, verbal and written; Show less

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  MultiChoice Group

  Aug 2012 - Nov 2018

  Parachuted into role on secondment with a remit of establishing a professional PMO environment within the Enterprise Business Services Technology Division. Reported into the Chief of Staff and Group CTO. ➤ Implemented PMI into the PMO, aimed at delivering world-class change projects into the organisation, managed and chaired the Demand Management Forum across the business (project pipeline optimisation). ➤ Oversaw a major portfolio of incoming projects from Sub-Saharan Africa business entities, with on average of 100+ projects running simultaneously at any one time. Effective stakeholder management and engagement. ➤ Integrated the software development Agile methodology, enabling the standardisation of project management processes, improved communication and cross-business collaboration. Show less Appointed as Head of Sales & Distribution, with full remit for sales and distribution strategies, aligning and coordinating 16 countries into a single approach. Financial control of the $50m sales rebate budget. ➤ Oversight and input to legal agreements with multi-national retail groups, negotiation of in-country distribution and logistics capabilities, and implementation of multi-country operational frameworks. ➤ Launched new product (Conditional Access Module) into 12 countries, and negotiated 6 product bundling distribution deals with electronics partners to accelerate market entry and drive sustainable growth. ➤ Accountable for delivering of multi-year programmes within the constraints of agreed scope, schedule, functionalities, and budget including driving operational excellence and customer service improvements. ➤ Took the lead in executing growth of the customer service agency network by over 400% in key locations, and substantially improving customer service, whilst simultaneously reducing costs. Show less Commercial project manager of the Conditional Access Module strategy in Africa, as a key component of the digital migration. Responsible for the end to end rollout of the new digital product, under the GOtv brand. Oversight and integration of various project work streams including Decoder technology, Back-office technology, in-country launch teams, operational support, marketing & public relations, and commercial/finance teams. Close commercial and technical collaboration with key 3rd parties including retail groups and TV manufacturers. Key relationship manager of strategic partners (including Samsung, LG, Hisense and Sinotech) for the Africa business. Responsible for seeking strategic areas of potential collaboration in various African countries, including product bundling, retail cooperation, payment solutions, and joint product development. Sales and Distribution strategy alignment across Africa. Responsible for aligning and coordinating the primary countries to a single sales & distribution framework, based on in depth market research and industry best practice. Comprehensive oversight and input to legal agreements with multi-national retail groups, negotiation of in-country distribution and logistics capabilities, and implementation of multi-country operational frameworks. Show less

  • Head of Project Management Office

    Jul 2017 - Nov 2018

  • Head of Sales and Distribution (Strategic Projects)

    Oct 2015 - Jul 2017

  • Project Manager Strategy & Business Development

    Aug 2012 - Sept 2015
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  Grindrod

  Jan 2013 - Dec 2013

  Program Project Manager

  Implementation Project Manager for a companywide business transformation project (including the specification, configuration and installation of an enterprise system to manage Trading and Business Operations – SAP).Key Responsibilities• Followed PM BOK/PMI methodology to plan and deliver this world-class project;• Management of multiple 3rd party SAP vendors and consultancies in their provision of professional services to Grindrod;• Development and execution of the business case supporting the companies 10 year strategic growth plan;• Day to day management of all project activity and co-ordination with the Group Project Office and external Project Assurance teams;• Working with key stakeholders and executives to agree a set of measurable benefits that will be realised as part of the project delivery;• Financial management of the end to end project delivery (business change and technology delivery); Show less

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  My Big Idea (Pty) Ltd

  Nov 2018 - Jun 2019

  Investor, Advisor and Micro Business Entrepeneur

  Mentoring micro business into profitability and success one service at a time

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  Nedbank

  Jun 2019 - Sept 2022

  Marketing and Commercial Programme Manager

  Head of Marketing and Commercial Programmes, taking ownership for The Digital Fast Lane, the Digital transformation division of Nedbank, a leading South African bank. Engaged key business stakeholders. ➤ Engaged across sales, marketing and partnerships to launch and build a new market leading digital platform brand - Avo by Nedbank, leading Commercialisation & Go-To-Market delivery programmes. ➤ Selected and managed an in-house Digital Marketing Agency for Avo, including copywriters, designers, digital video creation, social media, public relations, and campaign management capabilities. ➤ Designed partnership strategies around key Customer Value Propositions, including transactional banking retention benefits, credit card offer bundling, and business banking partnerships. ➤ Implemented data-driven decision-making processes, enhancing business agility, enabling scalability, faster response to market changes, facilitating greater transparency and accountability. Show less

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  Hydra Lynx Ltd

  Oct 2022 - now

  Founder

  Responsible for strategic programme and project management, business scale-up and development, expanding beyond UK & Europe by offering financial trading platforms for retail algorithm traders. ➤ Launched two new offerings, capturing market share, whilst maintaining competitive pricing structures. Expanded market presence via successful negotiation of key partnerships in Europe & Singapore. ➤ Spearheaded digital and referral marketing campaigns to promote new innovative services and retain existing customers, with over 50% of new customers in year 1 being generated via referrals. ➤ Led a business transformational project moving the base of operations from UK to Portugal, improving processes via introduction SOPs to comply with industry regulations & company policies Show less