Ben Couzens - SAP NAV ERP
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An SAP NAV ERP Consultancy Leader
with outstanding success in Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, USA and Middle East in turnaround,
start-up, international business creation, professional services, technical
and IT innovation, offshoring, and building world-class teams. Industries
include Oil and Gas, Civil and Structural Engineering, ERP, IT, Software, Financial Services, Consultancy, Manufacturing,
Telecom.
- ERP Business Software Systems - Enterprise Resource
Planning -
SAP -
Deloitte Partner in Charge SAP ERP in 17 European countries, implemented, supported,
sold $70m fees in 7 years; recruited, trained and directed
team of 100 SAP implementers
NAV
- Puma Global Head of ERP implementing NAV in 260 group companies in 30
countries, particularly Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Angola, also
Tanzania, Estonia, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador
Directed full
project lifecycles including successful go-lives and transition from
deployment to support
- Organisational Change
Management
Mergers and Acquisitions - Manufacturing, Engineering and Software
Companies - directing the full cycle board level acquisition process
through strategy, targeting, acquisition, integration
Merger Regulation - Leading and managing the rebuttal
to the Monopolies Commission and directing the subsequent mandated
changes
IT and ERP Change Management - Directing Change
Management as an integral part of IT and ERP implementations
Business Turnaround - Successfully directing urgent
radical cultural and business process change
Acquisition Integration
- Directed acquisition
integration for Puma-Energy in 10 national downstream oil company
acquisitions in Central America, Africa and APAC
Directed and implemented European, American and Global
acquisitions as a board director of MiTek
- Global Impact
- business networked and acclimatised to be immediately effective in
Europe, Eastern Europe,
Africa, America, Asia, Australia.
Click
here for details
- Relocation - Will
relocate anywhere, globally. Click
here for details
- Professional Services & Consulting - Partner Deloitte,
recruited and trained 100 consultants, Senior Manager Coopers & Lybrand,
freelance consultant, Global Product Services Director Misys
- Board Positions
– Board
Director MiTek (Bowater), Board Director Misys
- Industrial Engineer
– Chartered Civil Engineer. Qualified in general engineering.
Experienced in engineering design and project management of construction, structures, energy, telecom, manufacturing,
automotive, beverage, distribution, oil and gas upstream midstream and
downstream
- Large Teams
- Built and directed teams from the smallest to 300+
Additional strengths:-
- SAP Financial Consultant - certified
as Financial Consultant by SAP Berlin, Senior Manager Coopers & Lybrand,
Partner Deloitte
- SAP Success -
“Ben was responsible for our $23m 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 succeeded. My best
recommendations!” Dennis
Thaagaard was Ben's client
- 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
- IS - Engineering Information
Systems - finite element software developer, leading-edge 3D graphics
developer, automated design engineering systems
- Engineering Design Software -
design, develop, implement, support, sell - won and directed outsourced
software maintenance for Ministry of Transport
- Retail Banking Software -
design, develop, implement, support, sell in 400 banks worldwide
- Structural Engineer - military,
transport, bridges, finite element analysis, theatres,48 storey
building, prisons, hospitals, housing, roof structures
- Civil Engineer - Petrochemical
plants, power generation, bridges, railway, motorways, aviation,
military. Chartered Civil Engineer
- Oil and Gas Downstream -
ERP SAP Consultancy to donwstream Oil and Gas. NAV 30 country
implementation for refining, storage, distribution and retail.
Detailed technical and business knowledge of downstream oil.
- Oil and Gas Facilities -
Petrochemical plants, oil fired power stations
- Oil and Gas Upstream -
subsurface integrated studies, project management, consultancy sales, resourcing
- Nuclear Power - IT strategy
- Manufacturing - management,
machine design, software automated manufacturing
- Project Management - major Civil
projects, major IT projects, oil and gas consultancy, financial services.
PRINCE2 Certified Project Manager
- Program Management - complex
international systems implementations
- MBA and MA Engineering.
MBA Warwick Business
School Warwick University. MA Engineering Cambridge University.
International work experience building teams and businesses includes
-
Africa:
Angola (½yr), Tanzania
-
America:
Guatemala, Honduras, San Salvador, USA (½yr)
-
Asia:
India, Indonesia (½yr), Kazakhstan, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines (½yr), Russia, UAE
(1yr), Vietnam (½yr)
-
Australia
(1yr)
-
Central and Eastern Europe:
Croatia (½yr), Czech Republic (9yr), Estonia, Hungary (½yr), Poland
(2yr), Romania (3yr)
-
Europe:
UK (resident), France (2yr), Germany (½yr), Switzerland (½yr), Sweden
Career overview
| Puma Energy (Trafigura)
|
Global Head of ERP
|
Mid & Downstream Oil. Strategic
Change Management. NAV ERP |
2012 – 2015 |
| sparesFinder
|
Global Head of Channels
(upstream oil) |
MDM. ERP & Software. Upstream
Oil |
2011 – 2012 |
| Knowledge Reservoir
|
Professional Services
(upstream oil) |
Consultancy. Simulation.
Upstream Oil |
2008 – 2010 |
| Independent Consultant |
Consultancy Paris Nuclear,
Global Tobacco etc |
IT Strategy. Nuclear Power |
2004 – 2008 |
| Misys International Banking |
Global Product Services
Director |
Banking. Software.
Professional Services |
2003 – 2004 |
| Deloitte & Touche |
Partner in Charge SAP Central
Europe |
Consultancy. ERP.
SAP Telecom, Automotive, Manufacturing, Beverage, Oil |
1996 – 2003 |
| Coopers & Lybrand |
SAP ERP Consultancy Service
Leader |
Consultancy. ERP.
SAP Telecom, Utilities Electric, Gas, Financial, Retail |
1995 – 1996 |
| PE International Consulting |
Project Director |
Consultancy. Bespoke Software |
1993 – 1995 |
| Warwick University |
MBA Master of Business
Administration |
MBA Master of Business Administration |
1992 – 1993 |
| MiTek (Bowater) |
European Development Director |
Bespoke Software.
Manufacturing. Engineering |
1986 – 1992 |
| Datech (Skanska) |
Technology Director |
Consultancy. Wide Range
Engineering Software + CAD |
1985 – 1986 |
| M H Anderson |
Head of IT & Software
Development |
Consultancy. Bespoke
Engineering and Business Software |
1982 – 1985 |
| Harris & Sutherland
Consultants |
Senior Design Engineer (also
seconded 1978-1979) |
Consultancy. Engineering |
1981 – 1982 |
| John Laing Engineering |
Project Engineer UK and Poland
(power stations) |
Engineering. Petrochemicals.
Power Stations |
1975 – 1981 |
| Cambridge University |
MA General Engineering |
MA General Engineering |
1972 - 1975 |
2012
February to now
Puma-Energy (Trafigura)
Global Head of ERP
Puma-Energy, a Trafigura subsidiary, is a midstream and downstream oil
company that has expanded by acquisition into 40 countries in 5 continents
mainly since 2010. Midstream activities include storage, marine systems,
supply and refining. Downstream channels include bunkering, retail service
station fuel and shop sales, wholesale, business to business and aviation.
Products include lubricants, fuel oil, diesel, petrol (gasoline), bitumen
and LPG. To support these rapid acquisitions Puma is implementing Navision
Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP throughout their global midstream and downstream
business.
Employed by Trafigura as Global Head of ERP for Puma-Energy Ben has led the
integration and business process realignment of downstream and midstream oil
companies immediately following acquisition. This includes Vietnam,
Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and 3 downstream oil companies in Australia.
Reporting to the CIO, Ben is directing the delivery of Microsoft Dynamics
NAV 5 ERP in 30 countries including Angola, Australia, Belize, Caribbean,
Congo, Corpus Christi, DRC, Dubai, El Salvador, Estonia, Geneva, Ghana,
Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Panama,
Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, US Virgin
Islands and Vietnam.
Ben
has personally directed post acquisition business process change and NAV ERP
delivery in country in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Estonia, Tanzania,
Angola, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Ben’s
responsibilities have included directing Accenture, Logico, Tectura and KCP
and their subcontractors, and local planning and budgeting. Ben recruits,
trains and directs local teams, both contract and permanent.
Ben
has directed the analysis, design, Agile development and deployment of NAV
customization in Australia since 2012 including the development of new NAV
modules for Retail, Fuel Card and POS integration. Since the acquisition
2014-07-01 Ben has been directing the merger of InterOil in Papua New Guinea
and managing the business change of InterOil to global integration with
Puma.
Key Achievements
- Directed the successful merger
of 6 new companies into Puma, from the day of each acquisition
- Halved costs with a radical new
approach to country by country deployment and consultant engagement
- Rigorously enforced identical
global standards in every country
- Created “NAV-in-a-Box” for fast
efficient consistent deployment
- Championed and directed
fundamental redesign and global roll-out of security based on toxic
pairs
- Enriched service offering with
new sales-distribution model, retail, fuel cards, terminal integration
- Personally directed full cycle
NAV implementations onsite in 10 countries
2010 to 2012
sparesFinder Global Head of Channels
sparesFinder provide consultancy and SAP/ERP integrated software for MDM
data cleaning. Clients include: Coca Cola, Glaxo Smith Kline, Heinz, ICI,
Lafarge, Nestle, PepsiCo, Ryvita, Rolls Royce, RS, Staples, Tate & Lyle,
Unilever, British American Tobacco, Gallaher, Philip Morris, BHPP, Newmont,
AGIP, Apache, BG, BP, Britannia, Centrica, Chevron, Conoco, Exxon,
Halliburton, Kerr McGee, KOC, Marathon, Marafiq, Natpet, SABIC, Sahara,
Shell, Talisman, Tasnee, TMK Ipsco, Wilson.
-
Building new channel relationships with major global consultancies
-
Established new market for sparesFinder in UAE
- New
clients include Etisalat telecom and ADMA
2008 to 2010
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
2004 to
2008
Independent Consultant
-
Consultancy in Prague, Paris and London included interim strategic
consultancy to global leaders of world brand Tobacco Company
BAT
and strategic 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 IT staff worldwide developing and supporting financial "banking
ERP" 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
- 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 SAP ERP 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
- Oil company clients included MOL
Budapest and INA Industrija Nafte Zagreb
- 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 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 - IT/IS
- 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
1985 – 1986 Skanska
Engineering Company T/o $17bn
Technology Director CTO/CIO 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
- 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.
- Project Engineer oil fired power
stations -
LittleBrook D Dartford England and Zakłady Azotowe
Włocławek Poland
- 1979-1981 In charge of upgrading a US nuclear air
base in UK, construction of seven M63 bridges and new technologies for the
construction of twelve M25 bridges
- 1976-1978 Managed construction of sections of
Petro-Chemical plant in Poland
- 1975-1976 Managed the construction of power
station turbine generator blocks.
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
-
Geoscience Consulting contracted a team of
Exploration Geophysicists to a Leading Global Oil Company to survey a
non-operational asset. Working within a hydrocarbon exploration sub
team, completed a gravimetric grid survey.
1973
Taylor Woodrow - Brighton Marina
-
Project Engineer managing construction of road cliff tunnel and harbour
breakwaters
1972
Metal Box Portslade
1968-1971
Marks & Spencer
Qualifications
1972-1975 MA Engineering
Cambridge University
Mechanics, Structures, Materials, Fluids, Thermodynamics, Aerothermal,
Alternative Energy, Manufacturing, Electronics, Electrical Power,
Electromagnetics, Mathematics, Dimensional Analysis, Information Engineering,
Computing, Technical Drawing, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering,
Surveying, Geodesy
1992-1993 MBA Master of
Business Administration
Warwick University
Accounting and Financial Management, Economics of the Business Environment,
Market Analysis, Modelling and Analysis for Management, Operations Management,
Organisational Behaviour, Strategic Advantage.
1980 Chartered
European Engineer. Chartered Civil Engineer
Special Commendation for
Excellence from Institution of Civil Engineers
1990 Chartered
IT Professional MBCS CITP Member of the British
Computer Society
1996 Certified
Financial Consultant
SAP Academy Berlin
2006 PRINCE2
Certified Advanced Project Manager
2007 Non-Executive
Director
Cranfield University
(Residential Training)
Associations
Languages
French
- business, Polish, Russian, Romanian, Czech - useful
Personal
British. Married,
3 adult children. Full driving license. Willing to relocate within
the UK or to any country globally
(click
here for more relocation details.) Greatly enjoy global
travel.
Currently based near M4 junction 10 with easy road access to Heathrow (25
miles), Reading (5 miles), Bracknell (6 miles) and with easy train access to
London Waterloo, Bracknell, Staines, Reading and London Paddington.
I also own a holiday home 15 minutes from Prague Airport.
“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
"Ben Couzens is a brilliant man. He has
the ability to grasp incredibly complex systems-related
issues, and to connect powerfully with human beings in
meaningful ways -- a person who is a rare combination of
technically gifted and interpersonally skilled.”
Lenann McGookey Gardner, President, Lenann McGookey
Gardner Management Consulting, Inc.
“Ben was my boss for almost 6 years at
Deloitte&Touche. Ben was a exceptionally great manager and
excellent leader. He inspired us all to do our best and earned
our respect almost immediately with his depth of knowledge,
experience and patience. Always able to motivate people and
lead them to success.”
Frantisek Honsa, Manager for SAP, Deloitte & Touche
reported to Ben at Deloitte & Touche
“I worked under Ben at Deloitte in
Prague and found him an excellent manager with an enviable
understanding of the Central and Eastern European business
environment.”
Dan Taylor, Senior Management Consultant, Deloitte Central
Europe, Prague, Deloitte & Touche reported to Ben at Deloitte
& Touche
“I fully subscribe to my Deloitte former
colleagues comments on the Internet, with Mr. Couzens I had
the best and happiest time in my entire professional life. We
regretted very much his departure from DTCE because without
him good projects became scarce.”
Cristina Chiriac, SAP Senior Consultant, Deloitte reported
to Ben at Deloitte & Touche
Click
here for 
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
