Mark Williams
Bath
Summary
Senior management professional with extensive experience in infrastructure service delivery and strategic IT planning. Proven project management skills with a track record of influencing senior stakeholders. Expertise in IT governance, cybersecurity protocols, and enterprise systems implementation. Focused on aligning technology solutions with business objectives to enhance innovation and ensure business continuity.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work history
Head of IT
Cotswold Outdoor Group LTD
2018.01 - 2027.08
- Reporting to Finance Director
- Responsible for 70 Retail Stores across the UK, Warehouse Operation, Ecomm Operation, Office workers of 150
- Full SDWAN solution implemented in 2025
- Implemented new WMS in 2024
- Full network refresh in 2023-2024 changing form a full Cisco network and WIFI infrastructure to a new Fortinet /FortiGate solution
- Innovation for retail stores including Digital pricing and Wireless POS
- Cyber Security
- Maintained PCI Compliance
Infrastructure delivery consultant
Keyvolve
2016.07 - 2017.11
- Liaise with clients to audit current infrastructure
- Take requirements to achieve the technical delivery of client concepts
- Plan infrastructure and advise on the best technologies available within budget
- Select and manage third party service providers to implement and maintain infrastructure solutions
Head of IT
Bristol Airport
2007.07 - 2016.01
- Reporting to Finance Director
- Direct Management of Small IT team
- Create a clear vision, strategy and roadmap for IT/Telecoms at Bristol Airport
- Work with senior managers within the business to identify opportunities for business improvement (including advising senior management of relevant developments in the IT)
- Identify innovative and cost-effective ways to enhance the customer/passenger experience through the use of IT, and work with colleagues to deliver such enhancements
- Work with the Head of Marketing, and the Commercial Director, to deliver the company’s Digital Strategy
- Work with the Head of Financial Planning & Strategy, and the Financial Director, to deliver market-leading Business Intelligence and MI capability
- Work closely with the BRS Engineering function to ensure appropriate maintenance of M&E equipment, where IT systems and functionality are an inherent part of that equipment
- Ensuring projects are delivered to time, cost and quality with adequate governance, reporting structures and change management
- Identify the optimum way to provide software development capability
- Ensuring that IT is delivered to the business as a quality service that is measurable, visible and gives value for money
- Taking overall responsibility for Information Systems Security (including PCI compliance) and Disaster Recovery
- Leading, motivating, developing and mentoring technical staff, to deliver a first class IT service
- Liaising and networking with external suppliers and agencies
Service Delivery Manager
Bristol Airport
2005.03 - 2007.07
- Reported directly to the Head of IT
- Managed and inspired a team of 7 network engineers, systems administrators and telecoms engineers
- Created positive relationships with Bristol Airport management teams and business partners
- Created SLA’s with service providers and introduced a full ITIL helpdesk operation
- System Administration
- Progression, developing team from a reactive to proactive approach
IT Systems Administrator
Bristol Airport
2002.05 - 2005.03
- Day to day server, workstation and network maintenance
- Configured new PC’s
- Installed various software
- Configured airports operational database
- Configured new servers
- Maintained Local Area Network
- Configured of new telephone lines
- Management of small projects
- Maintained airport flight information screens
- Maintained antivirus software
- Managed procurement
- Managed mobile phone contracts
Control Center Administrator
Bristol Airport
1999.11 - 2002.05
- Administrator to maintain 24hr operation in a new control center
- Provided support to all computer based systems
- Provided support to problems or incidents including aircraft and first aid
- Logged all engineering and IT faults
- Systems supported:
- Fire alarm system
- Access control system
- Ground radar
- Tannoy system (PA/VA)
- Car park system
- CCTV
- Building management system
- Baggage belt system
- Access to restricted areas
- Security screening system
Education
"O" Levels -
Fairfield Grammar School
BristolSkills
- Used to working in a fast-paced environment (able to cope with managing and leading in a 24/7, 365 days/yr business)
- Senior management experience covering Infrastructure, Service Delivery, Innovation, Project Delivery and Business Continuity Planning
- Managing the Delivery Roadmap and development of the IT strategy
- Managing and influencing senior management stakeholders
- Budgetary responsibility and the ability to identify how and where to invest money
- Broad technical knowledge with the ability to manage supplier and solution selection process, delivery partners and outsource agreements
- Strong project management skills and the ability to identify potential issues and drive through solutions to realise benefits
- IT budgeting and forecasting
- Service delivery improvement
- IT governance
- Infrastructure development direction
- Enterprise systems implementation
- Cybersecurity protocols
- ITIL methodologies application
- Business alignment
- Strategic it planning
- Scalable solution development
- Business intelligence interpretation
- Software licensing comprehension
- Enterprise technology implementation
- Strategic vision and forecasting
- Artificial intelligence familiarity
- Technology risk assessment
- Virtualisation technologies expertise
Accomplishments
- Defined long term IT strategies that reduced costs, improved efficiency and maximized technology investment including:
- Managed the implementation and migration of Microsoft Suite of products including Office 2000 – 365, SharePoint 2003 – MS365 Extranet with customised Company Blog, Department Sites, Employee Directory and Information Feeds which dramatically improved Platform Integration.
- Managed the implementation of Business Intelligence with the full development life cycle of the Microsoft Business Intelligence stack vastly improving profitability, operations, data collection and reporting.
- Implementation of High Availability and migration from 100% physical to 80% virtual environment, reducing operational costs and improving system efficiency.
- Implementation of PCI Security Standards tackling credit card fraud, improving customer trust and protecting the company’s image and reputation. Achieved PCI compliance in 2011 and maintained
- Created rolling 5 year IT road map
- Implemented Business continuity and Disaster recovery plans
- Administration of key IT systems such as:
- Microsoft Azure
- Microsoft 365 Suite
- Microsoft 365 hybrid Exchange environment
- Mobile Device Management SOTI
- Fortinet, FortiGate, Cisco firewall and network stack
- On and offsite backups using Veeam for Virtual environment
- Jira Helpdesk support for the end user:
- VM Virtual environments
Technologies
Clearswift Mail Sweeper products, disaster recovery, procurement of all IT equipment, Printer services MFD, Management of over 50 third party suppliers, Cisco Intrusion Prevention Appliance, Network Access Control (Forescout Counter ACT), Microsoft Licensing, ManageEngine Helpdesk, ManageEngine Exchange Reporter Plus, ManageEngine Evenlog Analyser, Internal Network Scanning, External Network Scanning, Cisco ASA Firewall, Sonicwall Firewall, Email Archiving, Indigovision CCTV System over 250 cameras, Access Control System, Integrated Telecommunications through Affini, Jakarta Environmental Monitoring, Network Monitoring through products HP Open View and Mutiny
Stakeholder Management
Executive Team, Risk and Audit Committee, Risk Assessment Group, Digital Strategy Group.
Affiliations
- Golf
- Cycling
Timeline
Head of IT
Cotswold Outdoor Group LTD
2018.01 - 2027.08
Infrastructure delivery consultant
Keyvolve
2016.07 - 2017.11
Head of IT
Bristol Airport
2007.07 - 2016.01
Service Delivery Manager
Bristol Airport
2005.03 - 2007.07
IT Systems Administrator
Bristol Airport
2002.05 - 2005.03
Control Center Administrator
Bristol Airport
1999.11 - 2002.05
"O" Levels -
Fairfield Grammar School