Ben Couzens - Banking and Financial Services

Download Ben Couzens' Banking and Financial Services CV in Microsoft Word.doc format                   See Ben Couzens' "Peer Reviewed" CV on LinkedIn.com

A Business Leader with outstanding success in Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, USA and Middle East in turnaround, start-up, international business creation, business development, professional services, technical and IT innovation, offshoring, and building world-class teams. Industries include ERP, IT, Software, Financial Services, Consultancy.

Click on the links in this table for versions of Ben Couzens' CV highlighting specific experiences and skills
General CV	Project Management CV	Consultancy CV	Business Development CV
IT/IS CV	IT Project Management CV	SAP ERP CV	Senior/Board level work CV
Software Development CV	Oil and Gas CV	Energy CV	Renewable Energy CV
Banking and Finance CV	Telecom CV	Engineering CV	Manufacturing CV
Relocation	Microsoft Word.doc CV	LinkedIn CV	iProfile CV

• Banking Software - Directing 300+ consultants, designed, developed, implemented, supported, sold in 400 banks worldwide
• Financial Consultant - certified as Financial Consultant by SAP Berlin, Senior Manager Coopers & Lybrand, Partner Deloitte
• IT - Information Technology - 25 years experience ranging from "hands-on" IT, to IT team management, to directing an IT/IS staff of 300+
• IS - Business Information Systems - business systems developer, bespoke software, packaged software, ERP, SAP
• ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning - SAP - implement, support, sell $70m in 7 years, directing team of 100 SAP implementers
• IS - Engineering Information Systems - finite element software developer, leading-edge 3D graphics developer, automated design engineering systems
• Project Management - major Civil projects, major IT projects, oil and gas consultancy, financial services.  PRINCE2 Certified Project Manager
• Program Management - complex international systems implementations
• Professional Services & Consulting - Partner Deloitte, recruited and trained 100 consultants, Senior Manager Coopers & Lybrand, freelance consultant

Work experience includes UK, USA, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuanian, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, India, Philippines

 2008 March to 2010 July    Knowledge Reservoir Oil and Gas Consultancy Services and Business Development Europe, Africa, Middle East

• Sold and contracted €multi-million global consultancy agreement with OMV
• Successfully rescued Project Management of £multi-million field development project which was in trouble with unhappy client and uncontrolled expenditure
• Project Managed large integrated field development studies including Geology, Geophysics, Reservoir Engineering, Simulation, Modelling
• Took over accounts and territories from several departing colleagues
• Built relationships with global oil companies including Afren, Anadarko, Apache, BG, BHP, Centrica, Chariot, CNR, ENI, Enquest, Fairfield, Falkland, Firstoil, GDF, Hess, JKX, Maersk, Marathon, MND, Nippon, OMV, Petro-Canada, Petrom, Pioneer, Premier, Serica, Shell, Silverstone, Sterling, Talisman, Venture, Xcite, Crescent Petroleum, Dubai Petroleum, ADNOC, ADCO, ADMA, ZADCO, ADOC, Total, Oxy, Qatar Petroleum, RAK, KOC, Kuwait Energy
• Achieved pre-qualification registration with ADNOC Group
• Established UAE market presence including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar
• Formal reference available on request

2004 to now   Independent Consultant

• Consultancy in Prague, Paris and London included interim strategic Financial Consultancy to global leaders of world brand Tobacco Company BAT
  and strategic Financial Consultancy to global leaders of Areva world-leading Nuclear Energy company, in English and French.
• Benchmarking IT functions to global Financial best practice standards
• Strategic consultancy including designing and implementing an exit strategy for a Prague company
• Strategic consultancy including designing and implementing a successful Prague company start-up

2003 to 2004    Misys International Banking Financial Services Software T/o £1bn
                        Global Product Services Director

Selected to direct 300+ staff worldwide developing and supporting Financial Banking Software and to introduce and implement wide ranging change

• Reversed collapsing global blue-chip Customer Satisfaction rating from “very dissatisfied” to “very satisfied” within first six months
• Introduced ITIL IT Service Management
• Product champion in charge of development and deployment of leading retail banking enterprise software "Misys Equation"
• Instigated the introduction of an Islamic Banking software solution
• Built and directed team to add BASEL II software solution and coordinated  with board members of client banks in rolling out BASEL II
• Direct collaboration in the development and deployment of "Misys Bankmaster" seeking software convergence
• Initiated, championed and directed rationalisation of offshore development in Philippines and India increasing capacity, improving quality and reducing cost
• Instigated and directed convergence of leading financial software packages building continued market leadership into the next generation of products

1996 to 2003    Deloitte & Touche    Global Auditing and Consulting T/o $12bn
                        Partner in charge SAP ERP in 17 countries

Selected to develop Financial, Accounting and Enterprise Resource Planning Software Consultancy in Czech Republic

• Reviewed staff and business unit, transforming strategic direction and driving revenue from $100,000 p.a. to $3m p.a. within 12 months
• Achieved recognition of global quality, enabling the business unit to join European consultant sharing policy, generating additional $6m pa fees
• Established Board Level relationships, personally selling projects up to $23m
• As Engagement Partner directed Project Management of complex international systems implementations with lead responsibility for all client interactions
• Devised and implemented international recruitment policy, recruiting, training and deploying 100 consultants from 14 nationalities throughout the region
• Commissioned publicity video in which clients generously praise the quality of the team and project delivery
• Clients included Telecom, Mobile Telecom, Automotive, Beverage, Energy, Manufacturing, Utilities
• Appointed to devise and lead strategy to develop and consolidate internal and vendor relationships throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa
• Championed SAP global business development strategy during holding company separation, whilst integrating Andersen Business Consulting teams
• Successfully implemented these combined strategies, achieving revenue of $11m pa within 15 months, totalling $70m in 7 years at 30% profitability

1995-1996    Coopers & Lybrand  Global Auditing and Consulting T/o $8bn           
       SAP Consultancy Service Leader

Invited to establish SAP Consultancy in Czech Republic

• Performed strategic review, developed and won approval for business plan, achieving $1m revenue sold, managed and delivered within 12 months
• Initiated Central European cooperation enabling unified market approach
• Clients included Telecom, Electricity, Gas, Retail, Automotive, Financial Services

1995            SAP Financial Consultant, SAP R/3 Academy, SAP Berlin Germany 

Residential training in the SAP R/3 Academy in SAP Berlin Germany.  SAP certified by examinations as SAP Financial Consultant.

1993-1995    PE International        Consulting T/o $300m        
       Project Director

• Developed and presented bid, winning and delivering $2m+ project to create National Market Information System in Romania
• Recruited and directed team of 20 consultants, and created local office and company presence in Bucharest
• Selected and contracted local software companies and established post-project system longevity
• Collaborated with telecom and data services to connect 200 markets

1992 – 1993    Warwick University.  MBA Master of Business Administration

1986 – 1992    Bowater          Global Manufacturing T/o $3bn    
         European Development Director MiTek Inc T/o $150m

Approached to turnaround the company

• Reviewed strategic position, proposed business transformation, piloting new technology and winning board approval for fast track implementation
• Successfully returned the company to premier international competitive position, initiating and implementing fundamental changes in 300 customers
• Designed and commissioned hardware accelerators used by 300 customers, providing them with a tenfold increase in productivity
• Designed and commissioned innovative time license hardware to lock proprietary software
• Designed and implemented automated machine tool control systems
• Designed and implemented radical software innovation providing significant competitive advantages
• Directed pan-European teams of software and manufacturing technology developers, achieving sales of $45m pa sales within 2 years
• Implemented acquisitions in Europe and the USA, including integrating operations of $150m pa global competitor
• Negotiated merger with Monopolies Commission

1985 – 1986    Skanska          Engineering Company T/o $17bn 
         Technology Director DATECH

Approached to create new IT software company

• Built new business achieving profit with £1m sales within first 12 months, building foundations for £10m sales in subsequent years 
• Specialising in highly technical software such as Chemical Engineering, Petrochemicals, Finite Element Analysis, CAD

1982 – 1985    M H Anderson Consultants             $500m Technical Consultancy
          Head of IT & Software Development - Accounting, Billing, Engineering

• Promoted to lead a team of 20+ analyst programmers developing engineering and financial software. 
• Sold and managed outsourcing contracts for the Department of Transport, including a helpdesk and nationwide support.
• Designed, coded, implemented and supported advanced finite element analysis software and 3D graphics
• Designed, coded, implemented and supported innovative new engineering design software
• Managed the design, development, implementation and management of business systems, timesheet systems, billing systems

1981 – 1982    Harris & Sutherland Consultants   $70m Engineering Consultancy
          Senior Engineer        (also seconded ‘78–‘79) 

• Led design teams for military and civil projects, bridges, finite element analysis, theatres,48 storey building, prisons, hospitals, housing, roof structures
• Designed programmed and implemented software for seismic building design

1975 – 1981    John Laing ($1bn Engineering Company)     
          Project Engineer (UK and Poland)

• Managed projects in petrochemical plants, power generation and transportation, including engineer in charge motorway bridges M63 and M25.

1975                 British Antarctic Survey      

• Selected and employed as geophysical surveyor by British Antarctic Survey. 
  Polar expedition 18 months at South Pole cancelled by Government funding cuts

1974                 Geoscience Consulting       

• Selected and employed as geophysical surveyor by British Antarctic Survey. 

Qualifications 

1971-1975        MA Engineering
Cambridge University 

1992-1993        MBA Master of Business Administration
Warwick University 

1980                 Chartered European Engineer.  Chartered Civil Engineer    
Special Commendation for Excellence from Institution of Civil Engineers 

1990                 Chartered IT Professional   

1996                 Certified Financial Consultant
SAP Academy Berlin 

2006                PRINCE2 Certified Advanced Project Manager 

2007                Non-Executive Director      
Cranfield University (Residential Training)

 Languages    

French - business, Polish, Romanian, Czech - useful

Personal

British.  Married, 3 children.  Willing to relocate.         

Currently location provides easy travel to Heathrow and London by train and motorway.

“Ben is the best boss I ever had.”  Attila Feher, Senior ABAP developer, reported to Ben at Deloitte & Touche

“Ben is a bright, energetic, client focused, "can do" professional. He recruited then mentored and grew a body of professionals into a seasoned team of professionals, who shared his vision and unwavering passion to quality and client service. I had the pleasure of having him as my colleague and seeing, "up close", his single-minded focus on client service and quality.”  Azam Sher. managed Ben indirectly at Deloitte & Touche

 “Ben was responsible for our implementation of SAP - the most comprehensive in CEE - including a total BPR. He is a great guy to work with and very professional. Due to his skills we managed to succeed. My best recommendations!”  Dennis Thaagaard was Ben's client

 “Ben stood out as an exceptionally visionary and energetic leader, rapidly growing his SAP consulting practice into the largest and most profitable service line in our region. At the same time Ben demonstrated tremendous "people skills", generating enthusiasm wherever he went and gaining the support and respect of clients, colleagues and staff alike.”  Steve Knabe worked directly with Ben at Deloitte & Touche

"I was impressed by Ben's capability to build successful consulting business from zero to multi million business.  He had vision and made it into a reality.” Egils Simanovskis, SAP Senior Consultant reported to Ben at Deloitte & Touche

“Some people understand technology, fewer understand technology and have the skills to deliver, rare are the individuals who combine the two with a deep understanding of business issues. Ben utilises this valuable combination of skills to great effect. Together we developed a business plan for SAP services, Ben made sure he delivered...”  Mats Beem managed Ben at Coopers & Lybrand

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I enjoy my family, socialising, sailing, cycling, rambling, opera, travelling and experiencing new national cultures. I am a violinist in Reading Symphony Orchestra, I am the Cambridge University and Daily Telegraph expat mentor for Prague

I am looking for a new opportunity to fully utilise the skills I have developed over many years of successfully creating profitable new international businesses, utilising a wide range of technologies and IT. 

I believe that I am particularly effective in roles that combine several of the following:

-        building teams in offshore locations such as Eastern Europe, Philippines, India, Middle East
-        designing and implementing offshore development strategies
-        a business role with a high level of technical content, such as IT, IS, telecom, engineering, Oil and Gas or manufacturing  
-        directing software implementation or bespoke development      
-        driving business strategy by the enhanced use of technology     
-        an international dimension in either a global or regional role       
-        creating business growth or geographic expansion

The next opportunity could be either strategic or operational, in either industry or consulting.  A key strength is my ability to combine profit focused business growth with technology and international operations.

I thrive in challenging environments and derive great satisfaction from the excellent relationships of trust and friendship I build both with my clients and staff.  I particularly enjoy identifying strategic business opportunities, designing and championing a business plan, and then driving change to achieve rapid business success.

Yours faithfully,

B C Couzens

Ben Couzens