THE SCOPE - Vonage is an American Cloud Communications provider operating as a subsidiary of Ericsson. Headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey, the organisation was founded in 1998 and over the years acquired multiple digital communication start-ups in an effort to consolidate its positioning and create the next generation of communication products. They are now working closely with Ericsson to bring Network APIs to mass market, making them available to developers in an effort to power innovation and accelerate industry growth. Read the introductory article.

THE CHALLENGE - For 4 years I was part of the team tasked to transform the internal customer experience, tools and data; digitise processes and integrate all operational steps into a single homogeneous flow. It is not only about the tech. It’s about the people and practices. This year I moved on to manage Cloud Runtime, a cloud platform full of easily accessible templates that solve communication problems for companies. It is an incredible platform that brings together all Vonage products and helps customers understand how to solve very technical problems without becoming experts in CPaaS jargon.

THE RESULT - Enabling the business to become more strategic and agile in selling the Vonage products. Bringing Cloud Runtime and Code Hub, it’s library of prebuilt templates to larger audiences.

Timeline - 4+ years ongoing

Skills gained - Product Management - Stakeholder Management - Product Delivery - Software as a Service (SaaS) - Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) - Digital transformation - Business Analysis - Negotiation - Patience - Product Vision - Product Strategy

THE SCOPE - Ousiai Jewellery was a passion project I helped support with a close friend, an incredible Romanian artist, a jewellery brand that focused on sustainability, small batch production & an overall steer towards the essential aspects of design. She now transformed it into a mature artistic offering.

THE CHALLENGE - Tasked with updating the front end website, creating and managing partnerships, creating and automating the recycling to reward flow for materials used in the production of jewellery.

THE RESULT - The company now has a solid network on which to build its products and projects.

Timeline - 2+ years

Skills gained - Project Management - Brand Identity mapping - Product Vision - Pricing Strategy - Distribution - End to end Website design & build - Family first mentality - Work Life Balance

THE SCOPE - Preqin Solutions, now acquired by Dynamo Software, provides cloud-based software for private equity portfolio monitoring, valuation, performance analysis, and ESG impact design and measurement. It was part of Preqin, the source of data and insight on alternative financial products. Read the acquisition press release.

THE CHALLENGE - The team’s first Project Manager, I was tasked to deliver all client implementations, making sure they are in line with a standard of configuration or assist clients in creating customised versions of the product, based on specific requirements and metrics. Promoted to head the Implementation team in Europe, I was responsible for the Implementation practice and helped more junior Project Managers and Business Analysts implement the standard version of the product, while I focused on custom developments, oversight and audit.

THE RESULT - Preqin Solution was able to build a solid product practice and customer base, servicing some of the most important private equity funds globally.

Timeline - 2+ years

Skills gained - Product implementation - Product development - Implementation Oversight - Setup of project office - Product Management - Stakeholder Management - Product Delivery - Software as a Service (SaaS) - Business Analysis

THE SCOPE - A smart home initiative by HomeServe, the industry leading provider of home emergency cover in the UK. A highly diverse team was set up to form partnerships, strengthen the existing systems, transform the existing processes, design and produce innovative products and services to improve the lives of consumers and galvanise the industry.

THE CHALLENGE - Tasked to support the creation of an overarching Customer Management System, that maintained and improved the relationship and communication between the end customers, the internal Homeserve Alliance departments and the on-site engineers. My remit grew exponentially over time to include working with external partners and helping their systems grow; improving the internal systems and supporting the creation of a hardware product, a smart home leak detection alarm called LeakBot. Check out the product.

THE RESULT - We were able to create a network of local plumbing and heating firms throughout the country and one of the first IoT devices to hit the UK market.

Timeline - 2+ years

Skills gained - Product Operations - Product development (software / hardware) - Project Management - Business process documentation - Business process creation -  Management reporting