Lorna Watson

• Leads multi-disciplinary team which provides expert solutions in both product and service to the greater group and beyond.
• Implemented strategy to focus on scalability through providing an SDK for studios to manage their own service development, safely and efficiently.
• Enabled studio success through development and testing of bespoke game services.
• Strongly supported key GGL initiatives, including upgrade of the SDK to support a new platform, porting of services and assistance over and above our remit.
• Constantly looking for ways to optimise daily work through technology, including AI.
• Focus on quality and safety by reviewing all game services written on our SDK.

Impact:

• Our Game Engine SDK is the most widely adopted within our group.
• We unblocked our studios and platform partner through predicting the need for this and delivering flawlessly and timeously.
• Partnered with vendors and suppliers to effectively manage and budget.

• Drove revenue through the development of complex game services for studios.
• Delivered against enormous demand due to effective project management principles.
• Foresaw the need for scalability of game service development by studios themselves and created the SDK game engine development process
• Prioritised all work on a commercial basis through financial analysis, billing for every hour.
• Testing efficiency improvements through growth of staff and automation of testing which increased efficiency and reduced risk.

Impact:

• Became the “go-to” solutions experts for game service development done faster and more safely than before and at a more complex level.
• Added those features to our Game Engine SDK.

• Instrumental in creating a very successful software development house which saw a need for fast and efficient delivery of game services.
• Drove stream management, including finance and billing
• Set all management principles in place, as one of three original members of the team.
• Established process for our own SDLC and adapted that as business needs required.
• Extremely strong focus on Project Management and analysis of our operations to continuously improve.
• Setting a “people-first” culture.
• Establishing a customer-centric approach to our service and product.

Impact:

• We grew from a startup to being the most in-demand service developers in a short space of time.
• Strong standards of Project Management have enabled us to accomplish an extraordinary amount with a very small team, and have been frequently praised.
• Enabled many studios to begin their journey through assisting them throughout their journey, and then strongly driving change in the organisation to campaign for better studio support.

• Management of HR Portfolio and team.
• Responsible for salary submissions, legislative compliance, talent management and development.
• Decision maker within leadership space.

Impact:

• 100% visa and work permit application success rate.
• Successfully implemented a Rotations programme.
• Grown our headcount and relocated several families.
• Implemented various initiatives, including Graduate recruitment programmes.

• Managed legislative requirements such as SETA, EE submissions.
• Consulted on performance management, disciplinaries and other corrective issues.
• Technical Talent Acquisition, specialising in leadership roles, software developers and some testers as well as participating in Grad program through travelling to various Universities on a successful recruitment drive.

Impact:

• 100% compliance with all legislative requirements, and some very good initiatives to drive inclusiveness and diversity.
• All disciplinary and performance matters handled successfully internally, with no escalation to courts or tribunals.

• Established department, recruited people and refined policies and procedures
• Led team, including technical trainers.
• Oversaw vendor management.
• Directed Learning and Development strategy and content, Induction and Development plans.
• Strong involvement in design of internal Talent Management system, MTT.
• Full responsibility for Employment Equity and SETA in Derivco.
• Knowledge Base Process Owner for Derivco in 2009 - 2009.

Impact:

• Achieved Microsoft Gold Partner status for company.
• Implemented a Prometric Test Centre on site as my own initiative and more than quadrupled certifications.
• Sat on Government and University Advisory boards in the ICT sector to represent large business interests and drive the adoption of IT within schools and Universities.

• Established department, recruited people and refined policies and procedures.
• Led team, including technical trainers.
• Oversaw vendor management.
• Directed Learning and Development strategy and content, Induction and Development plans.
• Strong involvement in design of internal Talent Management system, MTT.
• Full responsibility for Employment Equity and SETA in Derivco.
• Knowledge Base Process Owner for Derivco in 2009 - 2009.

Impact:

• Achieved Microsoft Gold Partner status for company.
• Implemented a Prometric Test Centre on site as my own initiative and more than quadrupled certifications.
• Sat on Government and University Advisory boards in the ICT sector to represent large business interests and drive the adoption of IT within schools and Universities.

• Drove Organisational Effectiveness for two regions, involving the setting, measuring and analysing of KPIs
• This involved a thorough knowledge of Distribution and Warehousing within the FMCG environment and the appropriate business analysis to maximise results.
• Sat on all region’s management panels to drive Organisational Efficiency by reporting BI info to management and advising them of the best way forward.
• Consulted on how to improve efficiencies through leveraging technology
• Expert in Business Systems, including Roadshow, OASIS (On Board At Site Invoicing System), Tacholog, MIDAS, C-Track and all internal systems, from VAX to SAP R/3.
• Expert in Owner Driver management including fixed and running costs and payment thereof.
• Successfully organised frequent workshops amongst the regional depots.
• Consulted to Coca-Cola on their systems at request of company.
• Successfully piloted the Owner-Driver training scheme in Johannesburg
• When training unskilled drivers to use computers was not working, I accompanied them into Soweto in their beer trucks to help them on site, which was an unknown practice.
• Learned how to code to implement an innovation.
• This involved taking data from a Unix VAX into SQL and by setting parameters it escalated to various levels of management if our customer service SLAs were being violated.
• This required me doing my MCSD.
• Managed a regional budget and was the only BSS to be given that responsibility.
• Demonstrated personal loyalty to the company and resilience the face of challenges, including violent occurrences during the time of unrest.

Impact:

• Awarded best Logistics Planner in South Africa for use of technology, thereafter represented the company in the US, including at conferences and other large FMCG concerns such as Coca-Cola.
• Won the WOW Award for Innovation through designing and developing a Shebeen database with an easy-to-use interface.
• Won an Extra Mile award in District Midlands for my consultation work to their management team.
• Won an award nomination for Customer Service Escalation programme I developed.
• Diffused a hostile unionised workforce through negotiation, for immediate improvement in our performance and customer satisfaction ratings.
• Created and delivered Gold-winning presentation for Gauteng.
• The Owner Driver scheme was continued very successfully.
• Zero annual loss when I ran the Denver Warehouse.
• I was the only BSS to assist with SAP R/3 implementation in all three regions
• Recognised as being the company Roadshow (Logistics planning) expert, would provide demos and talks for other industries.
• Upskilled many people.

• Drove Organisational Effectiveness for two regions, involving the setting, measuring and analysing of KPIs
• This involved a thorough knowledge of Distribution and Warehousing within the FMCG environment and the appropriate business analysis to maximise results
• Sat on all region’s management panels to drive Organisational Efficiency by reporting BI info to management and advising them of the best way forward
• Consulted on how to improve efficiencies through leveraging technology.
• Expert in Business Systems, including Roadshow, OASIS (On Board At Site Invoicing System), Tacholog, MIDAS, C-Track and all internal systems, from VAX to SAP R/3.
• Expert in Owner Driver management including fixed and running costs and payment thereof.
• Successfully organised frequent workshops amongst the region.
• Consulted to Coca-Cola on their systems at request of company.
• Successfully piloted the Owner-Driver training scheme in Johannesburg.
• When training unskilled drivers to use computers was not working, I accompanied them into Soweto in their beer trucks to help them on site, which was considered extraordinary.
• Learned how to code to implement an innovation.
• This involved taking data from a Unix VAX into SQL and by setting parameters it escalated to various levels of management if our customer service SLAs were being violated.
• This required me doing my MCSD.
• Managed a regional budget, and was the only BSS to be given that responsibility.
• Demonstrated personal loyalty to the company and resilience the face of challenges, including violent occurrences during the time of unrest.

Impact:

• Awarded best Logistics Planner in South Africa for use of technology, thereafter represented the company in the US, including at conferences and other large FMCG concerns such as Coca-Cola.
• Won the WOW Award for Innovation through designing and developing a Shebeen database with an easy-to-use interface.
• Won an Extra Mile award in District Midlands for my consultation work to their management team.
• Won an award nomination for Customer Service Escalation programme I developed.
• Diffused a hostile unionised workforce through negotiation, for immediate improvement in our performance and customer satisfaction ratings.
• Created and delivered Gold-winning presentation for Gauteng.
• The Owner Driver scheme was continued very successfully.
• Zero annual loss when I ran the Denver Warehouse.
• I was the only BSS to assist with SAP R/3 implementation in all three regions.
• Recognised as being the company Roadshow (Logistics planning) expert, would provide demos and talks for other industries.