Services

Someone senior who owns IT for your business, for the days you need. Strategy, budget, suppliers, projects, and reporting to the owners or the board.

You might need this if

You've outgrown ‘the person who knows computers’ but a full-time IT director isn't justified. Or your IT director has left and you need cover while you decide what comes next.

What it involves

Setting a plan and a budget. Taking charge of suppliers and contracts. Running projects. Reporting back in plain English. Getting hands-on where it helps, because I've run helpdesks and fixed things myself.

My background

IT Director at Romero Insurance Brokers for ten years, reporting to the board and responsible for strategy, infrastructure, systems, budget and the IT team.

A short, honest look at what you have, what could hurt you, and what to do first.

You might need this if

You've inherited IT you don't understand, you're about to sign a big contract, or you'd like to know whether your backups would actually bring the business back.

What it involves

I talk to the people who use the systems and the people who look after them. I look at infrastructure, backups and recovery, security basics, and supplier contracts and costs. You get a written summary in plain English, with the problems in priority order.

My background

I wrote the group IT standards and policies at G&A (Abbeycrest) to meet external audit requirements, and I've put disaster recovery in place at more than one business.

Moving from servers in the office to Microsoft 365 and the cloud, with backups and disaster recovery planned properly, and a sensible security baseline.

You might need this if

Your servers are getting old, you want people to work from anywhere, or customers are asking whether you're Cyber Essentials certified.

What it involves

Planning the move, running it, and keeping the business working through it. Setting up backups and recovery. Training staff. Helping you get ready for Cyber Essentials, the government-recommended baseline from the National Cyber Security Centre. The certificate itself is issued through a licensed certification body.

My background

I moved Romero from on-site infrastructure to the cloud, introduced cyber security and Cyber Essentials, and built an in-house helpdesk for 200 users.

Thinking of upgrading, replacing or moving your ERP, CRM or main business software? I can help you decide what to do, and run the project.

You might need this if

Your ERP, CRM or main business system is old, unsupported or outgrown. Suppliers do end support: Microsoft's support for Dynamics NAV 2016, for example, ended in April 2026. Or the system is fine, but orders still get typed in twice, or it doesn't talk to your website.

What it involves

Working out whether to upgrade, move or replace, and what it will cost. Writing down what the business needs. Managing the software supplier and contractors so the project runs to time and budget. Connecting the system to your website and your customers' systems where that helps. Looking after the business side too: processes, training and go-live.

My background

I've worked with business systems large and small. I was involved in an SAP R/3 upgrade at G&A, upgraded Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) at Buckley London, and project-managed a full ERP re-implementation at Doric FPD, including the website and sales ordering link. I work for you, not for a software reseller.

Moving a business you've bought, or that has bought you, onto one set of systems without stopping the day job.

You might need this if

A deal has completed or is close, and nobody has worked out yet how two lots of IT become one.

What it involves

Mapping what each side has. Agreeing what moves, what stays and what gets switched off. Keeping local IT running while the work is done. Working with the buyer's central teams.

My background

I was IT Director at Romero when AssuredPartners bought it in 2023, and again when Gallagher bought AssuredPartners in 2025. I also worked with Gallagher's M&A team to move acquired agencies onto Gallagher's systems.