Simon Oates
Bromley,Kent
Summary
Accomplished leader with expertise in people and organisational leadership.
Driving teams and programmes, defining, delivering and realising benefits.
Demonstrating communication excellence and stakeholder management across diverse initiatives.
Experience in various business models. Predominantly retail, eCom B2C, online marketplace, wholesale, international trade, and concessions.
Proficient in both Waterfall and Agile methodologies.
Proficient in understanding value chain (planning, buying, distributing, marketing, selling, supporting).
Experience and knowledge spanning a variety of organisations, business models and technologies.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
Business Transformation Programme Manager
New Look Retailers
London, City of London
07.2021 - 05.2025
- Programme management of New Look Transformation ‘feel good fashion’ stream.
- Leading and delivering the initiatives including the below
- International Marketplace: Marketplace trading model with Zalando across 8 EU countries. New German company, distribution hub, data integrations, logistics and operational model. Currently trading circa €1.3m demand sales per week.
- eCommerce returns: Defined a returns strategy and implemented initiatives. Integration with external returns portal. This enabled 'paid returns' and new stream of returns data. Implementation of 'boomerang' logistics, bringing eCom store returns back to fulfilment centre. Set up of 'post purchase' squad to apply continuous improvement. Example initiatives are return to gift card and cancelled orders. £260k per month saving realised.
- International duty: Software and operational changes to enable reduction of duty payments. Saving of £800k pa.
- Stock File Accuracy: Cross functional programme to increase accuracy of store stock holding vs system. 65% at start of programme, now 82%. A sales uplift of £1.9m p.a. and a margin uplift of £908k p.a.
- New Look Trading as a concession: Concessions trading model with a major UK supermarket in the UK. Set up 15 shop in shops, data integrations and operational model. Average sales £50k per week.
Business Analyst Manager
New Look Retailers
London, City of London
01.2017 - 06.2021
- Accountable for the day-to-day functioning and resourcing of the Business Analysis team.
- Representing the team within the broader IT function and within the organisation as a whole.
- Participating in the planning and developing company-wide IT strategies.
- Introducing new processes and technology to enhance the business analysis service offering.
- Leading the development of feasibility studies. Cost/benefit analyses, business case development and risk assessments for various technology projects.
- Establishing and owning the IT standards for business analysis. Including methodologies, metrics, requirements and tools.
- Leading the definition of roles and responsibilities of product managers and business analysts. This fed into restructure of digital teams.
Senior Business Analyst
New Look Retailers
03.2013 - 12.2016
- Managing a team of business analysts across various business areas.
- Besides to this this I worked on my own project deliverables.
- Product Life Cycle Management: Driving RFP and RFI processes by scoping capabilities, requirements and processes. Owning the scoring and business recommendation.
- Business to business: Owning the planning of steps and timings to move the business onto a SAP Hybris B2B accelerator. Defining and producing a 5 year roadmap for our B2B functions. Aligning key business objectives to capabilities and solutions. Presenting to directors and receiving approval.
- Singapore distribution hub relocation: Managing the physical, IT and operational changes of our Singapore hub.
Business Analyst
New Look Retailers
10.2012 - 12.2013
- 3rd Party eCommerce – Delivery of B2B web portal to support significant growth of wholesale business.
- ECommerce customer experience – Cross Sells in My Bag, Share Wish List and Customer Reviews.
- PSP_PED – Migration of Payment Services Gateway and devices for UK stores.
Business Analyst
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
02.2010 - 07.2012
- Oracle RMS Implementation: Managing business work streams spanning across critical departments. (Financial control, audit, supply chain, commercial, marketing, pharmacy, store operations).
- Designing, testing and managing various post go live activities.
- Roll out of a new direct delivery process and screen to all 885 Superdrug stores. Including modifications to Finance processes and applications.
- Improvements to overnight batch processing and data uploading.
- Changes to store promotional space. Increasing accuracy of promotional stock sent to stores.
- Automation of promotional space data between Oracle RMS and other business systems.
- Promotional bug fixes and enhancements.
Production Services Manager
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
05.2005 - 01.2010
IT Infrastructure Service Support Manager
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
09.2003 - 09.2004
Customer Support Team Leader
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
01.2001 - 09.2003
Customer Support Analyst
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
01.1998 - 01.2001
Service Desk Analyst
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
01.1997 - 01.1998
Skills
- People & Organisational leadership
- Driving teams and programmes
- Benefit scoping and realisation
- Communication excellence and stakeholder management
- Waterfall and Agile methodologies
- Experience across various business models
- Strong functional understanding across the Value Chain
- Technical understanding of systems enabling and supporting the business
Certification
BCS Foundation Certificate in Architecture Concepts and Domains
ITIL Service Management Foundation
Timeline
Business Transformation Programme Manager
New Look Retailers
07.2021 - 05.2025
Business Analyst Manager
New Look Retailers
01.2017 - 06.2021
Senior Business Analyst
New Look Retailers
03.2013 - 12.2016
Business Analyst
New Look Retailers
10.2012 - 12.2013
Business Analyst
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
02.2010 - 07.2012
Production Services Manager
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
05.2005 - 01.2010
IT Infrastructure Service Support Manager
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
09.2003 - 09.2004
Customer Support Team Leader
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
01.2001 - 09.2003
Customer Support Analyst
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
01.1998 - 01.2001
Service Desk Analyst
AS Watson Health and Beauty UK Superdrug Stores PLC
01.1997 - 01.1998
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