Oliver Southgate

Current

Web Manager at IIR Middle East

Past

Digital Development Manager at Haymarket Publishing
Development Team Leader at Reed Business Information (world's largest B2B publisher)
Senior Analyst at RedEye Solutions Limited

Web Developer at Redweb
Software Engineer at BAE Systems

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2 more...

Education

Bournemouth University

Recommended

5 people have recommended Oliver

Connections

316 connections

Industry

Online Media

Websites

My Blog

Oliver Southgate’s Summary

Oliver is an experienced and well respected innovator in the online world, working with technologies and concepts that range from Web Content Management, Software As A Service and Service Oriented Architecture through to Enterprise 2.0, Web 2.0 and Social Media.

Having come from a development background, Oliver has learned all things web related through having worked with some of the largest companies in the world (eg. BAE Systems, Reed Elsevier). Oliver has over ten years experience within these companies covering numerous projects involving design, development, consultation and integration of information based solutions whilst keeping the users needs high on the priority list when delivering these solutions.

Oliver is a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual who enjoys learning and understanding online methods and problems in order to become the expert he desires. He also possess strong analytical and facilitation skills, so this combined with his motivation and enthusiasm for the web makes him a great asset and has given him successful track record in providing imaginative solutions to meet user, project and business objectives.

Oliver Southgate’s Specialties:

These are the areas in which I specialise:

Web Content Management (WCM),
Digital Strategies ,
Social Media ,
Enterprise 2.0 ,
Digital Business Models,
Information Architecture,
Technical Architecture,
Usability,
Interface & Interaction Design,
Product Design & Development,
Agile,
epiServer.

I do however have some weaknesses which I constantly fight with, the main one being that I should be more delivery focused rather than solution focused for short term goals.

Oliver Southgate’s Experience

Web Manager

IIR Middle East

(Privately Held; Events Services industry)

October 2008 — Present (1 year 3 months)

Revamp the role of the internal web function for the largest conference and exhibitions company in the Middle East.

Currently Managing the department which operates over 450 websites including e-commerce, social networking, brochure-ware and search based websites.

The revamp involves the following key areas:

Re-build the entire web infrastructure
Team size and structure
Process driven delivery
Enhanced Content Management System
Social Media
New revenue streams

Key achievements

Re-organised the department into three functional areas (Design, Development and BAU)
Grew the web team from seven to eighteen members of staff
Introduction of epiServer CMS with heavily negotiated licensing costs.
Social Media Initiatives via existing third party platforms (blogs, social networking and discussion forums).
Cost reductions
Negotiated a 75% discount on domain name renewals across IIR
Replaced an existing email marketing service with an improved product with a 50% reduction in costs saving on average $50,000 a year.
Digital Development Manager

Haymarket Publishing

(Privately Held; Publishing industry)

March 2008 — October 2008 (8 months)

Digital Development Manager for the Digital Media Department with Haymarket, Member of the Digital Media Operations Board. Managing a team of 9 developers that work across Motoring and Leisure brands such as WhatCar.com, whathifi.com and stuff.tv

Introduction of epiServer CMS
Social Media Initiatives
Organising Team/Department structure
Development Team Leader

Reed Business Information (world's largest B2B publisher)

(Public Company; Publishing industry)

March 2002 — March 2008 (6 years 1 month)

Development Team Leader the Hair and Travel Groups for Reed Business Information which are currently undergoing web 2.0 initiatives. These initiatives involve building the next generation applications and services within an SOA environment

Previously one of the technical team leaders for the core platform development team which is responsible for design and implementation of Reed Business Information’s SOA architecture and implementer of web based solutions across multiple business units. Lead member of 70 man team that designs develops implements and analyses new technology and applications that guide the individual business unit’s present and future development.

The design, development and implementation of business critical systems. Complex and dynamic bespoke solutions for internal business demand.

Currently involved designing SOA based applications to enable the delivery of a set of information based services based on Microsoft .Net 3.0 and SQL 2005.
Senior Analyst

RedEye Solutions Limited

(Publishing industry)

April 2001 — May 2002 (1 year 2 months)

Scope of role
-------------
At Ecom5 my primary responsibilities included the design and development of server code and databases for the various products.

Development Skills
------------------
.Net, MS SQL, XML, XSLT, JavaScript, ASP Classic, VB 6. Database design.
Adobe Photoshop.
Microsoft Access, MS SQL Server 7 & 2000.

Key achievements
----------------
I was part of a team that developed and tested an Electronic Semiconductor Broker tool called ‘Agio’ using Visual Basic, COM+ SQL Server and ASP. Agio is a sophisticated sourcing engine with an industry specific contact management system. Agio allows users and businesses to create the following modules:

# Quotations
# RFQ’s (Request For Quotation)
# Sales & purchase orders
# Stock
# RMA (Returned Merchandise authorization)
# I Defined & built a Help Desk/Bug Tracking system using ASP and SQL Server, this enabled users to…
# Developed a faceted search engine

I developed an installation package for the deployment of Agio with a one click setup, this involved the use of ADSI to create the website inside IIS with all the correct security permissions pre-selected.

Introduced ‘Inductive User Interfaces’ (IUI) into custom written server applications using Microsoft’s guidelines on IUI, this included manual import programs that allowed customers to manually add stock disks into Agio.

Was involved in re-designing Agio based on a 3-tiered approach using .Net, allowing the easy modification and addition of code modules and allows the opportunity to have multiple interfaces, e.g. Rich client’s and scaled down interfaces for mobile devices.
Web Developer

Redweb

(Privately Held; Internet industry)

December 1999 — April 2001 (1 year 5 months)

Scope of role
-------------
Developed web sites to help deliver customer objectives through the development of web based applications / marketing information / e-commerce using predominantly ASP and VB.

Development Skills
------------------
ASP, HTML, WML, DHTML, Visual Basic, JavaScript, VBScript, CSS, SQL, ADO.
Microsoft Access, SQL Server 7.

Key achievements
----------------
# Primary responsibilities included meeting with clients to discuss requirements and e-commerce strategies.
# Designed and Developed many e-commerce sites for large, medium and small Companies, Including the following
# Sony Distribution (http://www.ten-net.com/)
# Haynes Publishing
# UK Passport Agency (www.ukpa.gov.uk)
# http://www.subside.co.uk
# http://www.lexautocentres.com
# http://www.mi-mortgage.co.uk
# http://www.peverel.co.uk
# http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk
Software Engineer

BAE Systems

(Public Company; BA.L; Defense & Space industry)

July 1998 — December 1999 (1 year 6 months)

My responsibilities were to develop bespoke software for use within the defence sector, the main client being the MOD (Ministry of Defence).

Developed and tested a Personnel Tracking Systems using Swipe Card Readers and Electronic Tags. This project was an urgent Y2K project that had to be completed in a quick and professional manner, I was in charge of three developers in a team of six to develop and deliver the project. On completion, the project won acclaim throughout the defence sector.

Was involved with the recruitment team at recruitment fairs.

Developed web based applications including, vacancy search application, document search application, information base system for various projects.

Involved with digitization design framework. A project called BOWMAN, which was used to determine the computerization of the British army. Creating demo communications software in the early stages of the project.