Introductions

Hello,  I am Chris Molloy, an experienced Programme/Strategy Manager with a track record of delivering successful digital, eCommerce and IT solutions. I deliver sustainable growth through digital transformation, technology projects and change programmes. I design, develop, build and optimise multi-channel and omni-channel products and services to improve customer experience and deliver EBIT for global and domestic brands.  My most recent assignments have been in Senior Product Management and UXD optimisation roles.

Why me

Passion for combining aesthetic and function into great design centered around customer desire: I love innovating with digital technology to create elegant new products that simplify our lives and deliver sustainable growth for the business.

Natural curiosity, especially about human behaviour: I have an underlying desire to understand ‘why’ we do things. This helps me to continually improve my appreciation about the ‘how’ and ‘what’ we do, our wants and needs.  I’m intrigued by the effect these human traits have on our behaviours and habits.

Technical breadth: I have a good working knowledge of the complete digital technology stack, having started my career in computer hardware, moving across to low level programming and software, through to higher level languages, applications and ultimately to digital.  So I have a practical understand about how technology integrates and operates, from the foundational hardware architecture (server, desktop, mobile) to communications and security technology, through the abstract layers of software, to applications, analytics, web and UX.

Commercially grounded: I am mindful of the bottom line and driven towards sustainable growth and prosperity.

Champion for continual improvement: Following launch of new digital and IT products and cut-over to target operating models, I will manage online performance improvements (product and service) through digital and operational optimisation programmes and effective IT management.

Effective risk manager: I will manage and communicate all risk to the business and customer experience. Where possible I will test mitigation strategies, for example, by rehearsing cut-over (to live) .

Chris Molloy delivering sustainable growth through digital transformation

Trustworthy of stakeholders:  This enables me to manage changes and prioritisation.  I will set up a regular Change Board and ensure effective planning, estimating and risk management is in place across all product development, project and programme work-streams.  Senior Management Team will attend these forums, in addition to project and programme boards/committees, to oversee progress and make decisions on prioritisation and ratify changes to plan, scope or budget.

Advocate for best practice and using industry standards:  This is generally a good way of managing risk while still delivering positive business outcomes.  I am experienced in both Waterfall and Agile and in using either/or combining both methods to manage and deliver end-to-end projects (£1M to £12M).

My values and beliefs

Honesty and clarity: Supporting the principles of good strategy and planning.

Customer Centred Design: The best products are developed when we understand customer behaviours, wants and needs.

Sustainable growth through digital transformation: I believe in sustainable growth, underpinned by continual optimisation. To achieve these we need to design reusable components with plug and play capability.  We must develop product strategies that join up and support each other. For  example,  we can pave the way for an omni-channel customer experience that can adapt to meet changes in demand by defining a scaleable multi-channel strategy. We can do this if we have also defined supportive web-service development roadmap and linked to a flexible data-architecture strategy.

Creative innovation: I believe that great products are designed when we are bold enough to clear our minds and start again and form ideas together in away that they haven’t been connected before. In this way we can create something new and valuable.

Nothing sits in isolation:   Digital goes way beyond websites. We didn’t know we needed it and now we can’t do without it. Digital experience is the sum of it’s myriad parts.

The best quality possible:  Delivering the best quality possible means working to a set of  principles and approaches to that will include rigorous and repeatable testing at all levels and highly effective risk management for all product and service launches.

Fairness and tolerance:  I believe it is right to be fair and tolerant of everyone’s ideas, beliefs and needs so long as these are not selfish or hurtful to other people and do not compromise the common goal.

Test everything:  From the business case, requirements specifications, user experience designs, through to the finished artefacts and builds, releases and solutions prior to launch, everything will be tested.

Agile ways of working: I believe that being agile can combine with waterfall methods. I believe in delivering minimum product in the minimum time-frame is better than attempting to deliver the final solution only to run out of budget or to lose market position to a faster moving competitor. I find that Gantt Charts and PRINCE 2 are helpful but not the total answer. Scrum or Kanban also have their place. I have a leaning towards Kanban for ongoing ‘BAU’ service delivery. I have a preference  towards Scrum for developing new products, any thing from an MVP up to full project.

I deliver sustainable growth through innovation and transformation

I lead and manage technical, operational and business changes that increase revenues, streamline the business and reduce operational costs. I have owned eCommerce Strategy and more recently the product-development road-maps for new web, mobile, eCommerce and IT products and services.  I am experienced in leading the adoption of new/target operating models and incorporating training, verification and migration activities into launch  plans and BAU (supported) services.

I manage internal teams and external suppliers through strategy transformation, programmes and projects using my management expertise in:

  • Digital Tech: Web/mobile, CMS, hosting (on-prem/cloud), IT.
  • eCommerce: Making money online, payments, integration.
  • Creative Digital: Design, content/digtal asset management, migration.
  • UXD: User experience design / customer centred design.
  • Customer Insight: CRM and customer data.
  • Digital Marketing: SEM, PPC, automation, campaigns, affiliates.
  • Customer Experience Optimisation: A/B test, MVT, SEO, coding, IT.
  • Back end build / optimisation: Code development/application integration.
  • Social Media: Channel management, integration.
  • Security and performance:  Specify, build, test against NFRs.
  • Supplier management and procurement.
  • Quality management.
  • Business / operational  change management.
  • Strategy, project and programme management.

Digital and eCommerce Highlights

I have been privileged to have worked  with some great domestic and Fortune 500 companies.  I have led innovation projects using ‘test and learn’ methodologies to deliver some highly successful products with designs centred on customer wants and needs. I have led product developments that have provided my clients with the capability for market leadership through early adoption of the following technologies:

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  • Customer insight: Innovation and early adoption of applying propensity modelling within the user journey, based on customer data to inform next best action.
  • Mobile cheque payments app:   UK’s  1st mobile cheque deposit application.
  • RFID: An enabler for big-data and Internet of Things. Led the first big trial in the UK.
  • Mobile mapping: Solving the challenges of where am I? and how can I get to where I want to be? Navigation of large buildings and public spaces, great  for travel applications.
  • VOD (Video on demand): iPlayer and Demand5 – Enabling a business change across all sectors.
  • Beacons, NFR, WiFi:  Innovation,  for finding locations, knowledge and discovery.
  • Mobile web-apps:  Integrating mobile experience with back-end services and systems.
  • Online interactive applications: Games including  Dr Who Spooks and Parenting VoD.
  • Mobile VPN: One the first in the UK, established across a 2.5G mobile network.
  • Augmented reality: Proof of concept in an iconic and historic setting.

I’ve led development on pioneering commercial websites and mobile solutions,  FiveTV, DHL,BAA (British Airport Authorities), Sony Entertainment, The AA (Automobile Association), Saga Services and Historic Royal Palaces.  The projects I have delivered all play the part in contributing to sustainable growth through digital transformation. Read more about these projects by navigating to ‘my portfolio ‘.

Between contracts I have invested time in the design and build of my own personal digital propositions, usually comprising web,  mobile and social media combinations.  All maintained on a shoestring budget, these lean product developments keep me current with online construction methods, content management, analytics tools and online marketing.  The landing page for all my personal blog and all other personal websites can be reached on this link:   www.molloy.online