Jane Smith

Experience

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  Tupperware UK

  Jan 1987 - Jan 1994

  Manager

  A field sales role, I exceeded targets and was soon promoted to manager, overseeing a team of 15 within a geographical area. Here I tried and tested my people leadership and sales skills with positive results! and won numerous company awards and holidays.

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  Saia-Burgess Controls GmbH & Co. KG

  Jan 1994 - Jan 2004

  Administration & IT Manager

  A manufacturing business with ~70 employees, I started here as Purchasing Assistant and received promotions to Accounts Supervisor in ’97 and Administration and IT Manager in ’98 – becoming one of the six managers in the business. During a time when IT was rapidly evolving, I took ownership of this aspect of the business and made sure it was fit for purpose and kept pace with a fast growing organisation. This involved introducing servers, network Email/Intranet systems, broadband and upgrading all 20 PCs. In addition to managing the back office function including HR, I also headed up special projects including; project managing the introduction of a new telephone system; introducing new accounting systems and moving the production facility to Gateshead. Show less

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  Various Companies

  Jan 2004 - Jan 2007

  Management Accountant & Manager

  Having worked for my previous employer for 10 years, I fulfilled shorter-term roles during this time to broaden my management skills before moving into a more permanent role. These included: ♦ Home Partnerships – Manager (10-months) Offering me an interesting insight into the property sector, I was hired to set up the new property department, lead lettings and create growth strategy for sales and marketing. Working to targets, I managed a large portfolio of property lets, managed a small team and introduced new computer systems and administrative processes. ♦ Newell & Budge Ltd – Management Accountant (18 months)This is a major independent consultancy business with a turnover at the time of ~£38m. As Management Accountant, I had oversight of payroll for 400 staff & 180 associates, credit control, 300+ expense claims and P&L accounts. I was also a member of the ‘Growth Through People’ initiative. ♦ Servecorp Ltd – Administration Manager (5 months) Hired to manage the admin team, I introduced new office and IT systems, managed payroll for 40 staff and oversaw the HR function including recruitment. Show less

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  Wernick Group Limited

  Jan 2007 - Nov 2020

  Business Support & Communications Manager

  The Wernick Group is an independent modular building manufacturing business with 650+ staff and £100m+ turnover. A member of the senior management team, I helped to drive the business forward in these 13 years, during which time profits increased 220% against a staff increase of 1/3. I progressed though Supply Chain Manager and Facilities Manager roles before promotion into Business Support and Communications Management. Leading a fantastic team of 11 dedicated people and working closely with the CEO & FD, I had oversight of IT & Communications, Business Support, Facilities, Quality and Hire Fleet. A strategic role with high visibility in the business, key contributions towards the Group’s success included: ♦ Setting up the IT department from scratch including a network of 40 servers. I introduced an intranet to enable staff in all 22 locations to have shared access to company resources and information. Also attained Cyber Essentials. ♦ Ensuring systems were up to date to match customers’ needs and our growth objectives. This involved re-structuring back office functions which included CRM systems, IT helpdesk, call logging systems, health & safety, introducing KPIs and stock taking processes to manage 25,000 assets. ♦ Project managing 10+ company acquisitions and 22 depot upgrades and relocations, enabling the business to grow and cover larger UK territories. Following acquisition, I amalgamated new teams into the existing business. ♦ Restructuring of Accounting function and introducing a new purchase ordering system to handle the processing of 7000 invoices per month. Achieved added value through reducing debtor days and successfully managing supplier relationships and negotiations for phones, fibre network links, IT procurement and SIPP Networking. ♦ Managed the hiring and development of staff across 8 departments and created a united, inclusive and engaged team with many being promoted to management and senior management. Show less

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  Self Employed

  Nov 2020 - now

  Help Desk Manager / First Line Support

  Applying my IT skills and technical expertise to support clients in a range of sectors, I help up to 20 clients per day with a wide range of IT issues. This includes resolving issues with Wi-Fi, networking, switches and routers, hardware and software issues and problems relating to video software such as MS Teams, Zoom and Skype. My customers have between 15>300 employees, and as such, require an efficient service. Whatever the IT issue, they can expect a professional, informed and friendly service which makes trouble-shooting their IT issue as easy and as quick as possible to keep their businesses operating smoothly. Working remotely, I use software such as Freshdesk, Splashtop and LogMeIn to support clients and directly resolve issues on their employees’ PCs. With emphasis on quality and the customer experience, I communicate extensively with clients and colleagues and enjoy maintaining superb customer relationships. Show less