Tom Newhouse

Operational Excellence Manager

Reward Funding

Leeds, West Yorkshire

03.2021 - Current

Led the design and implementation of a New Business Portal, enhancing user experience, streamlining data input and automating document generation. The project was delivered with agile principles to continuously improve the product after initial launch.
Currently project managing the implementation of a new Loan Management System (LMS) for a £300m+ loan book spanning over 600 clients. Leading the end-to-end delivery including requirements gathering, vendor demos, stakeholder engagement, creating a business case and workflow design.
Collaborating with risk stakeholders and technical suppliers to scope, deliver and embed an assisted decision engine that interfaces with the LMS and KYC providers through API integration. By streamlining workflows and standardising underwriting logic, the solution will reduce manual overhead and decrease risk.
Implemented a formal Change Management Process within the business which introduced a structured governance approach to ensure stakeholder alignment, risk mitigation and timely delivery of approved change proposals.
Relocated the business to a 4000sqft Head Office, managing third-party contractors and reporting progress to the board. The programme was delivered on time and within budget showcasing cross-team leadership and organisational skills.
Supported the delivery of a new Data Warehouse and Power BI reporting suite, translating business needs into technical requirements whilst acting as a liaison between business users and technical teams.
Proactively managed system risks by utilising a UAT environment to test changes, identify issues and suggest technical fixes prior to deployment.
Digitised the direct debit mandate process, eliminating paper-based workflows, saving 10+ internal hours monthly and reducing customer friction.
Launched a tech-driven payment solution for unpaid direct debits, leading the integration with a payment link provider to supply a customer focused enhancement. In the 12 months this has been operational it has recovered £275k+ in interest that had previously gone unpaid.
Overhauled how the business deals with commission payments by introducing an informal self-billing process through reissuing introducer agreements, automating invoicing and streamlining the approvals process to improve efficiency and reduce admin time.
Built and maintained relationships with critical third-party suppliers including LMS vendors, credit bureaus and KYC providers being their point of contact and in charge of reviewing and processing renewals.
Authored over 150 SOPs, policies and training manuals, acting as the primary subject matter expert across LMS and business operations.
Delivered company wide and departmental training to embed best practices, both in person and virtually on new systems and processes to ensure user adoption and clear communication during change cycles.
Worked closely with senior management to proactively drive the implementation of key strategic projects across the business, driving a culture of new ideas and innovation.