Learn
Life long learner
I love learning - about a wide variety of topics that have piqued my interest, through numerous modes.
Nelson Still
Chief Information Officer
Leader. Problem solver. Enabler. Energizer of change and innovation.
Delivering business-driven Technology through Leadership, Vision and Collaboration
Location
Huntersville, NC
Birthplace
Glasgow, Scotland
Phone
414-324-5550
Email
Website
www.scotsa.com/Resume
A pragmatic innovator, team builder, strong communicator, energizer and marketer of change. I envision and drive toward small wins that generate momentum and business confidence, while moving in step with the overall strategy. I have shown a flair for building and empowering teams that deliver technology to drive business advantage.
Vision
Leadership
Collaboration
Innovation
- Identified industry shifts and worked with C-Level executives in elite Legal industry think tank, to help promote some challenging ideas.
- Brought about a new and competitive business model to market research firm with real-time dashboards that tied into customer operations.
- Created a generic sampling system to enable implementation of large scale, automated customer satisfaction programs.
- Worked with business leaders to create a unique workflow tool that enabled clients to upload contracts and obtain immediate price and timing.
- At a large corporate, I had to rebuild numerous teams in both personnel and morale terms, aided by great recruiters.
- Through integrity and egoless management, I have been able to attract some excellent people and get teams performing at a high level.
- I led the largest account for the consulting company I worked for and helped to grow the account 30% by promoting new ideas with the client.
- In 2009, I attended the SIM RLF (Regional Leadership Forum) which is considered the top IT leadership program in the country.
- Recent past President of SIM Wisconsin.
- Secured my first coaching "job" at the age of 12 - an interesting story.
- Improved productivity 32% with no external spend by working with VP of data acquisition to optimize available resources.
- Worked with data collection team to implement a centralized, predictive dialer system for all our call centers. Significant ROI.
- Worked with CEO and special project team, to implement an idea I had proposed that automated a sampling and data collection process.
- Created a strong working relationship with a key vendor. An open, sharing and trusted partnership that benefited both companies.
- Built feature rich and complex sampling engine, with ad-hoc query building, reporting, workflow. Unique in the market.
- Built customer satisfaction system to collect and aggregate data, with sophisticated data-driven dashboards, providing near real-time data. Used by some of the biggest banks in the country.
- Created resource planning tool to accurately track resource usage, optimize staffing and enable tight control of project costs and efficiency.
- Developed a distribution system to control and monitor release of software updates, DDL, data feeds.
- Created a plant simulator for multinational chemical and explosives company. Significantly reduced cost and time of sourcing personnel.
Global manufacturing company, that has grown consistently .
Took on a roll that was faced with massive technical debt and a challenging culture.
- Due to a very decentralized model, there was significant technical debt and vulnerabilities that needed to be addressed.
- Embarked on various activities to put together a comprehensive database of all the tools and systems around the world.
- Created the first advanced IT capabilities within the corporate HQ:
- Software development with low code tool Outsystems
- Analytics with PowerBI
- Database design, development and management using SQL Server on Azure
- Significant tool development with PowerApps, integrating with various O365 tools, Azure AD, Teams, Planner, OneDrive
- Various integrations and pulling data through APIs from avariety of tools to create consolidated tools and dashboards
Global management consulting firm that has delivered more than 500 projects around the globe for over 20 years.
Consulted with senior management of clients on a wide variety of IT and business challenges, and often in how they intersect.
- Consulted and advised IT executives on IT strategy to help drive the business.
- Worked with senior management to identify areas for improvement, collected and analyze data to devise dashboards to enable and monitor improvement.
- Trained client employees to become the internal consultants that will ensure the continued success of changes in process and, more importantly, the culture of challenge and improvement .
Global leader in staffing. $20B revenue, approximately 32,000 employees. Milwaukee HQ, with approximately 500 branches in NA, 3,900 worldwide.
Oversee various teams, including Infrastructure, Enterprise Architecture, ERP, Business Intelligence, Business Analysis and Software Development.
- Underwent reorg and rebuild of department after 2 years of right-sizing before I arrived.
- Rebuilt some teams from scratch, brought in and promoted some excellent leaders to create a productive environment and improve morale.
- Brought the infrastructure and enterprise architecture function under an excellent new leader who has brought energy and alignment.
- Moved our main data center to a managed service provider - minimal impact on business operations but a big impact on the bottom line.
- Collaborating with business leaders and sales analysts to create a roadmap to greatly improve our business intelligence offerings.
- Freeing up data for cosunmption outside of IT, while empowering users with intuitive self-service tools.
- Restructured the ERP team and investigated ways to streamline our back-office operations further.
- Created an environment that enables us to more quickly action new ideas from the business. Currently running a pilot program in Azure.
- Meet weekly with the CIO and business technology partners to ensure alignment.
Large, established law firm, with over 300 employees, HQ in Milwaukee. Since aquired by Husch Blackwell.
Brought in to improve the business relationship of an IT department that had numerous technical debts and service quality issues.
- Tackled some immediate technical and personnel concerns - low hanging fruit - to clearly demonstrate new expectations of customer service.
- Identified some org changes that needed to be made, relocated team to central space - with windows - unusual in a law firm.
- Regularly attend industry events and interact with key vendors to ensure we are aware of new solutions we could take advantage of.
- Attend monthly Practice Group meetings to market new ideas, discuss industry trends and innovations, and to encourage conversations.
- Rolled out Sharepoint 2010 with a custom dashboard integrated with financial and CRM systems for which we have recieved quiet recognition from industry vendors.
- Achievements include: Sharepoint 2010, Windows 7 and Office 2010 with walk-around interns, Exchange 2010, quick training video initiative, mobile platform roll-out, financial system upgrade. Litigation support system, Knowledge Management, Sharefile, security audits and upgrades, new WiFi network, core switch upgrade, Cisco phone upgrade.
- Initiatives currently in progress: Monitor Suite Business Intelligence, VDI pilot, Business Development and Project Management strategy (CLOC, LTC4, Sky Analytics).
- Challenge managers on the network, infrastructure, software and training side to ensure we are implementing solutions that truly make the firm more productive.
- Meet weekly with the CE and the other directors to develop strategy and ensure alignment.
- Awarded SIM Wisconsin IT Executive of the Year 2013 (Corporate Category) in recognition of the achievements of the department.
Rapidly growing provider of market research services (4th fastest globally), through acquisition and organic growth. 12 offices in 9 countries, 1,300 employees.
Recruited to create top performing technical development and support teams, that could provide competitive advantage and cost efficiencies.
- Drove systems design to support generic solutions to improve standard solution offering and reduce customized development - web-enabled, data-driven solutions.
- Improve project bidding mechanism, enable knowledge sharing across the enterprise and make presentations/recommendations to client's senior leaders.
- Supervise local teams including infrastructure, telephony and software teams - as well as another 12 developers in India. Integrate acquisitions.
- As Division Head, I form part of senior management team with functions including country manager meetings, interviewing senior candidates, assessing acquisitions and major RFPs.
- Heavily involved in all major proposals, presentations and initial high level system design and integration.
- Greatly enhanced department's ability to create industry leading client-facing web-based tools. Web-based Dashboards now considered a key competitive advantage for the company.
- Working with call center team to improve efficiencies and evaluate vendor offerings, including CATI software solutions.
- Improved efficiency of call center by 32%, without external spend. Then convinced leadership to implement predictive dialer system, globally. Huge success.
- Spearheaded initiative to standardize CATI (and CAWI) system in all North American call centers. Largest technology investment in company's history - realized efficiency improvement up to 60%. A centralized solution that is highly integrated with sampling and reporting systems.
- Established demo web sites and IT capability, FAQ and RFP documentation for client handouts.
- Improved working relationship between IT and the various business departments it supports by establishing relationships and clear communication channels with key individuals.
- Broadened skill sets of tenured IT employees through training and mentor program.
- Implemented project management practices and tools to help manage projects using local and offshore resources. Collaboration tools include JIRA, wiki, Sharepoint, IM, Skype.
- Elevated team performance/morale and overall quality of deliverables with the implementation of functional/strategic tools and methodologies - including project tracking and issue tracking.
- Overseeing key technology initiatives - these include migration of systems to SQL Server and .Net (C# and Visual Basic), virtualization, disaster recovery (including a documented test of our detailed BCP), WAN optimization, Silverlight development.
- Working with other business units to restructure part of organization to ensure efficiency and employee satisfaction and contribution.
Leading provider of market research services (now part of IPSOS). 99 offices and 5,200 employees in 47 countries. Revenues exceed $800M annually.
Promoted to orchestrate development of the organization's original panel management and sampling software to support a new business unit.
- Cultivate and maintain productive relationships with vendors, review proposals, and perform due diligence. Generate comprehensive technical presentations/recommendations to senior leaders in support of new ventures.
- Provide planning and reconciliation of software development and maintenance budgets. Support merger of newly acquired companies through assessment/identification of technical resources that could add value to the enterprise.
- Fueled corporate revenues by spearheading successful launch of software for new business unit in 6 Western European countries. Delivered panel management, sampling, broadcast, and email management.
- Coordinate global project teams, often consisting of numerous different resources - on-shore/off-shore and external vendors.
- Establish project plans ranging from analysis, software development, and integration to database upgrades, data migration, database centralization, and software acquisition.
- Liaise with user groups to identify necessary system modifications and improvements. Research, evaluate, and recommend implementation of new technologies, tools, and services.
- Identifying new business opportunities and strategies for enhancing operations as well as slashing expenditures.
- Served an instrumental role in unit exceeding sales target for 2005 by 10%.
- Propelled organization's competitive advantage and visibility through new product introduction.
- Elevated team performance/morale and overall quality of deliverables with the implementation of functional/strategic tools and methodologies as well as establishment of the "Idea Champions" initiative focused on fueling innovation.
- Enhanced operational processes, products, and communication channels through detailed analysis of internal/external customer satisfaction surveys.
- Delivered award-winning and highly recognized systems to General Motors, Army Surgeon General, and American Express.
Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university located near the heart of downtown Milwaukee, Wis., that offers a comprehensive range of majors in 11 nationally and internationally recognized colleges and schools.
Teach IT Foundation class for the MBA program, along with participation on CIO Panels for the Business School and Executive MBA program.
| Programming Languages | .Net (VB and C#), C, Pro*C, C++, Java, Cobol, Ceres, Magic, PHP, Node.JS, JavaScript, Swift, Unix Shell scripting, J2EE |
| Operating Systems | Unix (SCO, Solaris), Linux (Red Hat), Windows, iOS |
| Tools | Visual Studio, Sharepoint, Google Docs, IE, Google Chrome, Firefox, MS Office suite |
| Cloud | Google toolset, Azure, web hosting, VPS, Certified AWS Solution Architect |
| Databases | Oracle*, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2*, Neo4J, DynamoDB |
| Protocols | XML, SMTP, FTP, IMAP, JSON, Ajax, SAML, YAML |
| Others | Bootstrap, JQuery, SDLC, OOP, Wiki, PMP*, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt+, ITIL Foundation+, Professional Scrum Master+ |
| * Certifications earned in the past. | |
| + Certifications currently held. |
Programming Languages
.Net (VB and C#), C, Pro*C, C++, Java, Cobol, Ceres, Magic, PHP, Node.JS, JavaScript, Swift, Unix Shell scripting, J2EE
Operating Systems
Unix (SCO, Solaris), Linux (Red Hat), Windows, iOS
Tools
Visual Studio, Sharepoint, Google Docs, IE, Google Chrome, Firefox, MS Office suite
Northern Illinois University
Masters of Business Administration
University of South Africa
BSc Computer Science
DePaul University
Masters Software Engineering (Incomplete)
Van Zyl & Pritchard
Top Structured Programming School in South Africa.
A good book leaves you wanting to reread the book. A great book compels you to reread your own soul - Richard Flanagan
A hungry mind
Learning about me, other peoples realities, how to learn, leadership, technology, business, teaching ...... through discussion, books, online teachings, podcasts, film, conferences, industry think tanks, SIM sessions, vendor events, consultants, audio books, TED talks.
Travel
Have lived on 3 continents
My life has seen a variety of places and lifestyles, which I believe lends itself to a balanced outlook on life and the ability to grow.
A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving - Lao Tzu
World traveller
Been to many different places but my travel bucket list just keeps getting longer. The more I learn, the more I know how little I know. Click on the Lifemap to see my journey so far. Next up - South America.
Football (aka Soccer)
Former player, passionate fan
Played and loved the game from the moment I could walk. Lived my dream to play professionally.You'll never walk alone.
Professional Soccer Career
Western Tigers
Arsenal FC
Partick Thistle
Falkirk FC
Grinaker Rangers
Dynamos
Wits University
Years of Experience