Howard Lyons

Experience

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  DAT Group - Microsoft Solutions Provider

  Jun 1998 - Feb 2003

  Assembled, recruited and managed team of up to 25 staff dealing with server & desktop management, enterprise administration & all levels of support across 800 shops, 2 call centres and head office across the UK covering over 100 servers and 6000 workstations and 6000 users.Implemented ITIL structure including change, release, problem and incident management.Developed and implemented plan for standardising systems, hardware and applications throughout the TUI group of companies (over 10,000 users) and developed training programme.Improved disaster recovery, business continuity plans including installation of a warm DR site.Managed and technically involved in 2 Exchange migrations, active directory forest implementation, automated windows 2000 build, SQL cluster installation and citrix rollout.Planned, implemented and supported rapid rollout of automated Windows 2000 Professional server and desktop build to 800 shops and a 600 seat call centre. Show less Planned and implemented IT infrastructure for large call centre and trained on-site support staff.Implemented procedures and documentation improvements across all support departments.Enterprise and server management and administration and 3rd line support for Going Places domains covering over 800 network sites, 6000 users and 800 Windows NT and SQL servers.Managed technical project for implementation of systems into 20 UK business travel centres.Scripted and automated several processes and improved communication methodologies.Aggressive rollout of Windows NT technologies on a large enterprise scale to over 800 sites which Involved build design and configuration of 6000 workstations and over 800 servers.Managed portfolio of user applications and maintained high quality of service. Show less

  • Technical Consultant for Lunn Poly/TUI (Nov 00 – Feb 03)

    Jun 1998 - Feb 2003

  • Technical Consultant for Going Places (June 98 – Nov 00)

    Jun 1998 - Feb 2003
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  SRM

  Feb 2003 - Apr 2005

  IS Account Director

  Formed and managed IT security services department of SRM, a small security services start-up.Provided services such as ISMS, BS7799 implementations, technical risk assessments, regulations advice, forensic projects, designing anti-virus solutions, and vulnerability projects, security hardware selection, active directory installations, project management of migrations and rollouts for various SRM clients including TUI UK, Johnson & Johnson and Bank of E. Asia.As a consultant for SRM, was Information Security Manager for TUI UK from June 03 – June 04.Managed security support team of 4 at TUI UK providing IT security services to 10,000 users.Advised on several forums, was hands-on technology and security evangelist and played a significant role in moulding the IT and security strategic road map across the TUI UK enterprise.Designed and implemented a company wide information security policy, providing training to staff and instigating new security measures and monitoring procedures and systems.Integrated security processes with projects and day-to-day business objectives.Project managed infrastructure consolidations and was an escalation point for technical issues Show less

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  Swiis UK Ltd

  Apr 2005 - Feb 2007

  Head of IT & IS

  SWIIS is a group of foster care and recruitment companies.Head of IT dept for all SWIIS companies designing, developing and consolidating infrastructures across the companies, UK and 2 global sites. Managed department budget. Negotiated and managed contracts and vendor relationships. Re-negotiated internal and external SLA’s / contracts to improve savings, availability and standards.Managed 15 remote sites and managed various system migrations and office relocations.Identified skills gaps and technical solutions to business issues. Conducted in-house training. Technically hands-on, designed and implemented network, security, notebook, desktop and server improvements. Designed and project managed rollouts of 4 company applications.Designed and lead the implementation of the company intranet, upgrades of the finance and HR databases (peoplesoft), exchange migration, Windows 2003 and SQL Server implementations Show less

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  Reed HealthCare

  Jan 2007 - Jan 2008

  Head of IT

  Recruitment company specialising in the healthcare industry.Designed and implemented improvements to active directory, security, server and messaging (Exchange) infrastructure. Migration to lotus notes and migration from terminal services to Citrix as well as improving SAN configuration and use of virtualisation technologies.Project managed transfer of company systems, data centres and staff to parent company’s IT infrastructure resulting in dramatically simplifying the company’s technology platforms. Project included merging several SQL databases and providing programme of training for all staff.Negotiated and implemented server, laptop and client terminals hardware replacement plan.Worked with staff to develop personal career development plans. Coached and motivated teams through redundancy process whilst maintaining service levels. Conducted recruitment process and managed skills transfer. Made redundant along with all directors, all of IT, HR and Finance. Show less

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  Clam Technology

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2009

  Infrastructure Project Manager for TUI Travel

  TUI is one of the largest travel companies in the world.Worked as a "Hands On" Project Manager and Team Leader for 2 migrations moving 200 users, 40 applications, 30 servers to new Active Directory domain, Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange 2003 and Outlook 2003.Led project rollout teams and established effective and efficient support procedures.Designed and implemented server and workstation builds and package rollout.Delivered both projects on time and under budget with excellent customer satisfaction results. Show less

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  Reader's Digest UK (Vivat Direct Limited)

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2011

  Infrastructure Project Manager

  Readers Digest is a publication with over 100 years of history.Contract to project manage large infrastructure move from parent's Lotus Notes systems to Google Apps cloud. Designed & implemented Active Directory forest, server and client builds.

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  ClubKing Ltd

  Sept 2011 - now

  Information Technology Consultant

  Whilst a full-time parent to my 2 children, I was a part-time IT consultant to Club King a gaming services company.Implemented cloud computing.