Ros Allen
Sussex (targeting London roles)
Summary
Programme and transformation leader delivering complex, multi-million-pound change across payments and regulated environments. Combines deep delivery expertise with a strong focus on client outcomes, service performance and value realisation, aligning product, operations and technology to deliver measurable commercial and customer impact, including adoption and end-user outcomes.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work history
Technical Programme Manager (Contract)
Tesco
2025.06 - 2026.04
- Leading delivery of a multi-million-pound regulatory transformation implementing a SaaS case management platform, driving adoption and improved operational outcomes across a workforce of ~330,000 colleagues
- Setting programme direction across product, engineering and architecture, defining delivery-critical trade-offs to enable pace to go-live
- Shaping integration and architecture approach, balancing immediate delivery needs with longer-term platform design
- Presenting clear, outcome-focused recommendations to senior stakeholders, ensuring delivery aligns to measurable business outcomes and end-user adoption
- Secured £550k cost reduction across a three-year enterprise contract through commercial negotiation and scope optimisation
Independent / Portfolio Roles
2020.01 - 2024.01
- Delivered core components of C-suite and top team transformation programmes, translating complex statkeholder dynamics into clear actionable insight to improve aignment, decision making and performance
- Partnered on the design and delivery of leadership and organisational interventions, supporting improvements in team effectiveness and contributing to commercial growth through six-figure client engagements
- Founded and operated independent ventures, building commercial and operational capability
Merchant Operations Director – EMEA
American Express
2018.07 - 2019.11
- Accountable for service performance and customer outcomes across EMEA merchant segments, including enterprise and high-value clients, leading an organisation of 170 colleagues in a regulated environment
- Led turnaround of an underperforming merchant servicing operation, restoring service performance, improving customer outcomes and ensuring FCA compliance
- Reduced unplanned absence from 7% to 4%, improving service consistency and customer experience
- Redesigned organisational structure and service model to increase senior oversight of high-value merchant segments, improving focus on enterprise clients and overall service effectiveness
Global Network Policy Director
American Express
2015.01 - 2018.07
- Accountable for global disputes policy, disputes platform and EMEA network policy, defining how issuers and acquirers operate across the network and ensuring consistent customer and partner outcomes at scale
- Owned end-to-end disputes framework, aligning policy, platform and operations to deliver consistent outcomes across global network participants
- Led implementation of PSD2 and SCA into network policy, translating regulation into operational rules while balancing compliance, risk and customer experience
- Chaired global arbitration committee, acting as final decision authority on complex dispute cases
- Simplified network policy by eliminating non-value-add requirements, improving partner experience and data integrity
- Reduced merchant friction through policy alignment with Visa and Mastercard
Business Development Director
American Express
2012.10 - 2014.12
- Commercialised underutilised payments product, generating £500k revenue in Q1 versus £100k annual target
- Expanded into international markets through product adaptation (e.g. multi-language capability)
- Extended distribution into bank partner channels, broadening reach beyond proprietary merchant base
- Led divestiture of the business, coordinating cross-functional activity to deliver sale within a five-month timeframe
- Delivered exit under tight deadlines, enabling multi-million-pound cost base reduction
Earlier Career
American Express
2002.01 - 2012.01
- Progressed through roles across finance, customer experience, partner bank relationship management and network operations, building strong payments expertise
Education
BA (Hons) - Drama and Theatre Studies
University of Surrey
LondonSkills
- Programme and transformation delivery in complex, regulated environments
- Payments ecosystem expertise (issuer, acquirer, network and merchant)
- Regulatory and audit-driven change (PSD2, SCA, CSRD, audit remediation)
- Senior stakeholder alignment and programme governance to enable pace and delivery
- Commercial negotiation and cost optimisation delivering material savings
Websites
Timeline
Technical Programme Manager (Contract)
Tesco
2025.06 - 2026.04
Independent / Portfolio Roles
2020.01 - 2024.01
Merchant Operations Director – EMEA
American Express
2018.07 - 2019.11
Global Network Policy Director
American Express
2015.01 - 2018.07
Business Development Director
American Express
2012.10 - 2014.12
Earlier Career
American Express
2002.01 - 2012.01
BA (Hons) - Drama and Theatre Studies
University of Surrey