CV: Russell Taylor | 07881 300 962 | russell@onlyforward.org | Ripon, North Yorkshire, UK PROFILE High-achieving Programme and PMO Director or Chief Projects Officer with 30+ years’ experience delivering complex engineering and technology programmes across sectors including R&D, industrial IoT, automotive, and defence. Proven ability to transform underperforming portfolios, drive operational efficiency, and deliver multimillion-pound outcomes. Chartered Engineer and Fellow of both the IET and APM, with a strong commercial mindset, technical depth, and an inclusive leadership style. Excels in aligning projects with strategic goals, building high-performing teams, and steering innovation from concept to delivery. KEY SKILLS & EXPERTISE * Board Director * Strategic Planning & Execution * Project, Programme, Portfolio and PMO Management * Bid Management * Project Turnaround & Recovery * Engineering Process Design * Regulatory & Safety Compliance (e.g., SIL3) * Product Innovation & Delivery * Cross-functional Team Leadership PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Cambridge Consultants, Part of Capgemini invent Programme Director, 2013 to 2021 Led major innovation and delivery programmes in a world-leading product development consultancy specialising in wireless solutions. Operated at the executive level across diverse client sectors. * Directed development of the world’s densest industrial IoT system for a FTSE100 online retailer 5GHz LTE Base Station & Robot Terminal plus SIL3 safety system to control a large fleet of robots * Delivered complex projects for start-ups and multinationals, on time and to budget * Turned around underperforming £300m automotive consultancy business * Programme Director for a Cambridge Consultants spin-out company * Mentored 30+ staff and introduced scalable project hiring strategy Roke Manor Research, Chemring Group Projects Director (Portfolio and PMO Director), 2000 to 2013 Director for a team of 22 professional Project Managers and five Quality Engineers. Executive Board member responsible for a £79m project portfolio and project process and tools definition. * Board Director in this world-renowned contract R&D establishment, undertaking complex, high technical risk product developments as well as developing products in-house * Creator of the 'Roke Engineering Process' (REP), through which best practice using the CMMI framework was implemented and championed * Developed a PM learning and development competency framework * Coached a team of Project Managers, seven achieving APM RPP * Chaired quarterly PM forums which shared best practice and built a supportive community * Introduced 'project categorisation' matching value, risk and complexity to PM competence * Created initiatives that transformed project management and led to a turn-around and annual improvement in project results across a typical portfolio of 400 projects a year * Developed 'Project Management Excellence Programme' and achieved APM Corporate Accreditation * Inherited a loss-making portfolio and delivered above budget performance in five consecutive years, with company profit totalling £20m (£8m above budget) Project Manager Managed the company’s most technically demanding and high risk product developments, all delivered on time and with record profit margins. * Bid Manager for 33 fixed price bids, winning business to the value of £6.9m * Overachieved combined profit target by 294% delivering an additional £1.94m profit * Managed project teams with up to 45 Engineers on single and multi-site projects * Roke’s 'Top Project Manager' in 2005 * Managed many complex, high risk projects including: XSCard, the world's first tri-band UMTS & HSDPA mobile broadband PC Data Card; MC55 & MC56, the world’s smallest GSM-GPRS modules; Sarbe G2R, a military Search & Rescue Beacon that trebled the client's book value; CF45, the only compact flash format GSM-GPRS product in the world * All projects were delivered on time and on budget Siemens Industry Division Project, Business & Engineering Group Manager, 1990 to 2000 Led a team of nine Engineers responsible for product development from specification to finished stock for worldwide sales of CombiMaster, a combined induction motor and variable speed drive. * Built CombiMaster into the market leader, creating a new market at launch and winning European trade journal New Product award * Project Manager for three product family projects, total budget £19.5m, delivered to time and budget * Indirect management of up to 50 production staff * Championed and managed CAD tool budgeting, selection and maintenance, bringing FPGA, simulation and PCB layout tools in house * Led cost reduction and process re-engineering programmes using the EFQM model * Undertook FPGA, ASIC and control and processor system design * Started on degree placement, later employed as Graduate Engineer; following several results-prompted promotions achieved Project Manager position Safe-T-Guard Founder Operator, 1982 to 1990 Started company at 18 to design, manufacture and install electronic security systems, installing over 100 security systems based around own designs. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING and QUALIFICATIONS BEng Honours Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Chartered Engineer Extensive training from over 120 training courses and seminars, covering technical development, soft skills and senior management topics, including: Advanced Management – the Siemens Leadership Programme, Strategic Plan Development All aspects of Bid and Project Management including APM Project Management Qualification Process development and benchmarking including CMMI, EFQM and Process Re-engineering PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS and PUBLICATIONS Association for Project Management: Fellow Institution of Engineering and Technology: Fellow and Chartered Electrical Engineer Engineering Council: Chartered Engineer Authored project management articles in Project Manager Today and the APM’s Project, and technical articles in Drives & Controls and Antriebstechnik Inventor on four EU and two US patents Russell Taylor | 07881 300 962 | russell@onlyforward.org