Biography and Curriculum Vitae

Ally Profile

I am an independent Software Process Management consultant with over 25 years experience in Software Engineering, Project Management and Process Improvement and Management. I was schooled at Westminster School in London, and went on to study Agricultural Science at Nottingham University where I first became involved with computers and IT.

My first job was with Interactive Data Corporation, a subsidiary of Chase Manhattan Bank in London, where I started out as a junior Programmer/Analyst. Having started to learn the tools of my trade, I then moved to a start-up venture specialising in providing data analysis to the Unit Trust and Insurance Fund sectors where I designed, wrote and maintained the database containing daily, weekly and monthly price information on some 10,000 funds.

In 1986 I moved back to the East Midlands and joined Experian (or CCN as it was then known), the credit referencing agency. I began as a Systems Designer in Market Analysis before moving on to Project Management in the Decision Systems group. In 1995 we decided that our product suite was in dire need of a major overhaul, and we took the plunge into the world of Object Oriented Design and Analysis, and Rapid Application Development using DSDM. I spent the next three years developing and implementing the methods, processes and tools enabling us to make the leap – my first steps into the world of process improvement.

In 1998 I joined EDS as a Process Improvement Specialist on the Rolls-Royce account in Derby. In early 2000 EDS introduced the EMEA Solutions Centres and Rolls-Royce Application Development moved into UK Central SC. I took on the role of Performance & Productivity Improvement (PPI) Leader, as we began to develop our delivery capability against the Software Capability Maturity Model (SW-CMM). By early 2002 we had achieved an operational status of Level 3, one of the first EMEA solution centres to do so, in a very short timeframe with minimal resources. In late 2003, the UK solution centres were re-organised, and UK Central merged with UK North to form UK North Midland SC. I continued in the PPI Leader’s role during the transition before moving into a number of different roles between July 2003 and May 2004.

I had a change of direction in May 2004 when I moved into the Infrastructure Technology Outsourcing (ITO) division within EDS, as a change management and process improvement consultant, reporting to the Programme Manager for the UK ITO Transformation Programme / Service Enablement and Deployment Leader.

In December 2004, I was invited back into the new European Application Delivery PPI organisation as one of two Business Improvement Leaders. During this time I was a member of the Common Assets Team, and responsible for the Global Apps Delviery QMS Deployment Transition Plan. In 2006 I additionally took on the role of the Quality Leader within the new Delivery Excellence function. I also acted as a Project Manager (People Care) within UKIA Central & Ireland ADU.

In October 2006 I joined Q-Labs, UK as a senior Process Improvement Consultant. Q-Labs was acquired in March 2007 by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and formed the basis of a new division, IT Global Services. Whilst at DNV I worked for a variety of clients, including Vodafone, Romania; Cap Gemini, Aspire in Telford; BNPP in London, and I spent six months in Norway as the Quality Manager for the NSN Nødnett Programme which was rebuilding the public safety radio network for the Norwegian emergency services.

I have been involved with many different aspects of process improvement, quality and change management. My specialist areas include Organisational Change Management, Project Management, Metrics and Quality Management. I am a qualified ISO 9000 Auditor and experienced CMM/CMMI Assessment Team member. I also have experience with Six Sigma and ITIL, and I am familiar with other reference models including SPICE and Auto-SPICE. I have sat on working groups and review boards for many EDS process sets including their Global quality management systems and organisational models, Software Re-use and Organisational Change Management, and have presented papers on Project Management Improvement at the 2001 EDS CMM Conference in Plano, and on Process Improvement at the 2007 ASQ ICQS in Denver ("There's more to SPI than CMMI"). I have been a reviewer for the ESPI Conferences for the past four years.

I started ALLYGILL.CO.UK formally in September 2008, with a mission to educate the world that software process improvement is not enough; for sustainable commitment and robust return on investment companies need to embrace and integrate a software process management function into their operations. In November 2008 I became a Chartered IT Professional through the British Computer Society. I have filled contract roles with Thales Air Operations, Credit-Suisse Private Banking in Zurich on two occasions and I am currently supporting the Credit-Suisse ITO Process Management programme. I continue to speak at conferences when possible and my SPI blog attracts about 50 visits per month.

Outside of work I play Pétanque (French Boules) - having represented both Leicestershire and the East Midlands Region on a few occasions. I enjoy travelling but confess to spending far too much time collecting eclectic information which might come in useful one day ! My mountaineering days have currently been put on hold, but the lure of the hills is strong…



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