Matt xxxxxxx

Summary

A dedicated and results-driven ISEB Practitioner and ITIL v3 qualified Hands-on Test Lead with extensive experience in financial services, specializing in test strategy creation, SIT and UAT execution and management, using a variety of techniques and technologies.

Proven success in delivering high-quality testing solutions in fast-paced, audit-driven environments, with a focus on outcome and efficiency and an impressive ability to react to ever changing dynamics to achieve objectives.

Adept at leading cross-functional teams and managing third-party suppliers, Matt is a committed team member with exceptional leadership, organisational skills and communication abilities to lead high-performing cross-functional teams.

Overview

18

years of professional experience

2

Certifications

Work History

Hands-on Test Lead

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK

Milton Keynes

2022.01 - 2024.10

Developed and executed comprehensive test strategies for the European Mercedes-Benz financial contract management system and its integration into a complex technology landscape, ensuring compliance with evolving legal and financial regulations.
Led test project planning and system integration testing (SIT) for critical integrations, including a .NET point of sale system, REST API testing, and open banking adoption, all while navigating tight, regulatory-driven timelines.
Managed the integration and testing of third-party services, including Equifax’s and Experian’s systems, upgrading bank verification checks, and implementing a global Anti-Money Laundering (AML) system hosted by Mercedes-Benz, ensuring adherence to FCA regulations.
Oversaw defect management and troubleshooting of complex issues across multiple systems, working closely with third-party suppliers to resolve issues under changing and challenging timelines, achieving a X% reduction in critical defects.
Managed conflicting requirements and risks within a dynamic environment driven by FCA regulations, industry audits, and corporate mandates, ensuring timely sign-off on formal system and business QA activities.
Coordinated business UAT testing, ensuring smooth execution despite frequent changes in scope and timelines, while successfully managing conflicting priorities across projects.
Delivered detailed test reporting to senior stakeholders, providing insights into progress, defect trends, and risk mitigation strategies, supporting decision-making under audit and compliance pressures.
Navigated a high-pressure, multi-project release environment, balancing regulatory requirements with hard deadlines to ensure secure, stable, and advanced technology implementations.

Test Defect Manager

RM plc

Abingdon

2021.05 - 2021.11

Established a comprehensive defect management process for the adoption of Microsoft D365
Measured quality standards against agreed KPIs using Power BI, implementing strategic recommendations as required to aid efficient project delivery.

ELS Incident Manager

St James Place Wealth Management

Cirencester

2015.01 - 2021.05

Managed the Early Lifecycle Support (ELS) process for the rollout of Salesforce (Lightning) to 5000+ partners and 700,000 clients, coordinating defect management and stakeholder communication to Director-level executives.
Created and led the ELS process for the annual Wealth Account customer portfolio report, handling high sensitivity and high severity incidents, chairing meetings and clearly communicating with SJP Directors.
Managed quality control of supplier testing deliverables, implemented Xray Jira plugin and drove testing improvements across projects.

Financial Crime Senior Test Analyst

TSB Bank

Gloucester

2019.07 - 2020.01

Analysed complex suspicious activity monitoring logic to deliver and execute a data-driven test strategy for implementation of a UK wide Anti-money laundering system, enhancing customer security and achieving regulatory compliance
Provided expert guidance to IT support teams, optimizing incident response times and ensuring secure systems

Programme Defect Manager

St James Place Wealth Management

Cirencester

2015.01 - 2019.07

Revolutionized the defect management process for the migration of £95 billion in assets, instigating and championing a quality-driven assessment of regular project releases. This approach significantly improved project release accuracy, regulatory compliance, and reduced critical defects.
Managed defect management team across time zones to drive a highly performing defect resolution process within the Technology Transformation Programme.
Used expert communication and organisation skills to liaise between cross-functional teams, facilitating overall project success.
Measured quality standards against agreed KPIs, implementing strategic recommendations as required to aid efficient project delivery.
Maintained strict [Type] regulatory and standards compliance through [Action].

Senior Test Analyst

EDF Energy

Gloucester, Worcestershire

2013.06 - 2015.01

Planned and managed all project test stages, coordinating with external teams and contributing to project checkpoint meetings for the business critical UK power station management system.
Optimised testing outcomes, liaising with Business Analysts to understand and analyse functional and non-functional requirements.
Communicated complex errors and issues clearly to technical and non-technical colleagues.

Test Lead

UCAS

Cheltenham

2012.04 - 2013.06

Led user acceptance testing (UAT) of core student application management suite.
Developed and implemented system testing plans in support of cloud migrations of key student application tracker system.
Led team of 10 by example, instilling commitment to Agile methodology and processes and providing training and mentoring.

QA Test Lead

RM Education

Abingdon

2010.03 - 2012.03

Managed functional testing of an electronic exam marking system.
Improved testing methods and strategies proactively to meet increasingly defined requirements.
Analysed incoming work to determine staff and test environment requirements.
Introduced automation testing procedures.
Supported junior team members, offering guidance and coaching to meet personal and team development goals.

Telephony Test Manager

BSkyB

London

2006.12 - 2010.03

Led multiple global test teams to deliver critical telephony and broadband projects, supporting Sky's entry to the retail fibre broadband market
Managed testing of 3D Secure financial payment implementation on Sky.com, achieving Visa and MasterCard accreditation
Strategically recruited and trained long-term test analysts.

Education

Bachelor of Science Honours - Physiological Sciences

University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Skills

analysisexecutionmanagementFinancial systems & contract management testingRegulatory & Compliance TestingDefect/Incident ManagementAPI & Web TestingAutomation & System Integration TestingTeam LeadershipCross-functional CoordinationAzure DevOpsJiraHP ALMPower BIPythonFlaskSQLNET

API Testing

Certification

ITIL v3 Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management

Software

Postman

Javascript

SQL

Jira

NET

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Hands-on Test Lead - Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK

2022.01 - 2024.10

Test Defect Manager - RM plc

2021.05 - 2021.11

Financial Crime Senior Test Analyst - TSB Bank

2019.07 - 2020.01

Programme Defect Manager - St James Place Wealth Management

2015.01 - 2019.07

ELS Incident Manager - St James Place Wealth Management

2015.01 - 2021.05

Senior Test Analyst - EDF Energy

2013.06 - 2015.01

Test Lead - UCAS

2012.04 - 2013.06

ITIL v3 Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management

2010-06

QA Test Lead - RM Education