Lyn Casson
Sheffield,South Yorkshire
Summary
A seasoned Project Manager and Leader, with a track record of successfully delivering large-scale, complex projects with multiple stake-holders, I have a vast amount of experience working in the Early Talent and Higher Education markets. I enjoy leading, motivating and developing teams who share my passion for equipping the next generation with key employability skills to help them succeed in life. I also have a strong interest in data analysis and reporting as a means to inform strategies and to measure success.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Head of Client Services
Gradcore
08.2024 - Current
- Management of the client journey across all product pillars
- Leading client inception meetings and managing projects through to completion
- Management of the project delivery calendar and resourcing projects
- Line management of the Heads of product pillars and client services team
- Account management of relationships with high value clients
- Coordinating the day-to-day commercial delivery of the business and developing best practices to ensure deadlines and standards are met
Head of Coaching Services
Gradcore
08.2023 - 08.2024
- Leading Gradcore's Coaching Services pillar
- Leading project communication with a wide range of stakeholders
- Leading briefing and review meetings to initiate and monitor progress on new projects
- Monitoring budgets and producing financial reporting
- Producing and disseminating project reporting and related management information for senior management team and clients
- Motivating, managing and developing a team of three within the Coaching Services pillar
Project Manager
Gradcore
02.2019 - 08.2023
- Leading project activity within early talent and employability projects, particularly coaching programmes
- Disseminating information on project requirements, timescales and milestones to team members using detailed project plans
- Monitoring progress of project plans to ensure that projects are implemented within agreed timescales and budgets
- Managing risks, including development of contingency plans where necessary
- Leading regular review meetings with clients to ensure project requirements are being met
- Delivering training sessions to staff members on key systems and delivery models
- Motivating, managing and developing 2 Project Coordinators
Project Coordinator - Data and Systems
Gradcore
08.2017 - 02.2019
- Coordinating a variety of educational and employability related projects
- Building systems and data tools for use both internally and by clients including HEIs and the British Council
- Developing deep dive data collection methods to feed into overall employability reviews (health checks) for a number of HEI clients
- Building and enhancing reporting methods for coaching programmes
- Implementing process improvement measures across all projects
- Training staff members on the above to enable self-sufficiency and improve contingency measures
Global Opportunities and Exchanges Coordinator
University of Sheffield
06.2006 - 08.2017
- Central coordination of the EU funded Erasmus+ programme and summer school opportunities
- Responsible for establishing, reviewing and renewing European exchange agreements
- Organising and delivering pre-departure orientations for outbound students
- Overseeing the admission and successful registration of inbound students
- Allocating student grants from a budget of around £800,000, monitoring and reporting on expenditure
- Working collaboratively with 35 academic department, various Professional Services departments and contacts from approx. 30 European countries
- Leading, managing and developing a full-time member of staff
Project Manager
TransAction Translators
Sheffield
07.2024 - 06.2006
- Coordinating translation and interpreting assignments from initial enquiry to delivery
- Preparation of documents for translation, often using translation memory software (DVX)
- Proofreading and finalising the presentation of translations, including localisation of graphics
- Arranging certified and sworn translations for legal purposes
- Liaising with a wide variety of clients as well as a core group of freelance Translators and Interpreters
Education
BA Joint Hons - French and Italian
University of Leeds
09.1999 - 07.2003
A-Levels - French, English Language, Religious Studies
Maltby Comprehensive School
Maltby, RotherhamSkills
- Collaborative leadership
- Project Management
- Process improvement procedures
- Communication excellence
- Reporting and analysis
- Systems design
Affiliations
- Gardening, cooking, running
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Head of Client Services
Gradcore
08.2024 - Current
Project Manager
TransAction Translators
07.2024 - 06.2006
Head of Coaching Services
Gradcore
08.2023 - 08.2024
Project Manager
Gradcore
02.2019 - 08.2023
Project Coordinator - Data and Systems
Gradcore
08.2017 - 02.2019
Global Opportunities and Exchanges Coordinator
University of Sheffield
06.2006 - 08.2017
BA Joint Hons - French and Italian
University of Leeds
09.1999 - 07.2003
A-Levels - French, English Language, Religious Studies
Maltby Comprehensive School