About

Samir Sharma

Samir’s focus is to empower business users by enabling informed decision making through data. As principal at datazuum, Samir has the ability to tackle both business and technology challenges.

He has 20 years of international experience in the UK, Europe, Africa, USA, all gained from consulting and strategy roles across a variety of sectors – Aerospace & Defence, Government, High End Luxury Retail, Postal, Telecoms. Prior to datazuum, Samir led the decision sciences team for a large organisation where he delivered strategic data driven Business Intelligence & Analytics solutions across all sectors.

Samir’s understanding of people in different environments enabled him to effectively manage large transformation programmes where he coached and motivated individuals to succeed. He frequently shares knowledge as a conference speaker, contributes to charities as a fundraiser, and is a youth champion for social enterprise Working Knowledge.

Hans Melgaard

Hans is a senior consultant with 25 years’ experience in Data Architecture including over 11 years specializing in Business Intelligence and Data Architecture.

Hans’ experience comprises data modelling, data migration, data quality and data warehousing with BI, covering strategy, design, management and implementation.

Hans’s approach is to model for simplicity and change, with metadata based generic and scalable solutions which are easy to maintain, for small or large projects. He is a driven individual and works tirelessly to deliver quality products to exacting timescales.

Hans’ recent experience has involved work with analytic teams in the UK and abroad in the design of solutions to deliver Management Information timely, accurately and securely. He has worked on modelling standards and procedures to align enterprise, conceptual and physical models to provide data lineage and metadata management that has been used to support agile projects within the Visa Europe mobile projects.

Craig Jones

Craig is a senior Business Intelligence consultant with 20 years’ of working and is proficient in a number of BI tools and technologies.  He has gained in-depth experience and assisted a variety of clients delivering solutions in the areas of data architecture, strategy, design and implementation of BI solutions.

Specialties include: Data Warehousing (dimensional modelling/ ETL/ Data Standards, control and governance), Data management (standards/definitions/governance), Information Architecture, Business Intelligence Strategy, Balanced Scorecards, Dashboards and visualisations, Business Analysis, CA Erwin, TOGAF 9, Software Development Lifecycle, Kimball modelling methodologies, Relational modelling methodologies, Stakeholder Management, Training.

Neil Strange

Neil is an astute and highly experienced senior level consulting practitioner with over 20 years experience in consulting engagements, with a focus on Information Management. Neil has a solid business background in business strategy, data governance and management, and solution implementation – working on complex solutions involving people, process and technology.   He has worked in numerous sectors, with a particular focus on government and supporting parts of the UK government with their information strategies.

His key competences comprise data governance, data management, data quality, Programme and project management, change management, Strategic planning, implementation, Agile, Scrum and Lean management.

Matt Cocker

Matt is a successful change leader with extensive experience and comprehensive professional education in portfolio, programme, project, change and programme office management. Matt is quick to get to the root of problems and is particularly skilled at bringing clarity and control to large, complex changes.

Matt has delivered a wide variety of changes in organisations including: strategic organisational transformation, one version of the truth for operational MI, new product launch, outsourcing, business critical IT system rollouts, business process redesign and improving project delivery capability.

The organisations that Matt has worked with have included: CITI, RBS, HBOS, sensitive government departments, London Fire Brigade, Johnson & Johnson, Avis Budget Group, Royal Mail Group, Norwich Union Healthcare and Abbey National.

Richard Cook

Richard has made a career out of starting businesses from scratch, building them up and successfully selling them. His first was in property, building one of the largest independently owned chains of estate agents and selling out to one of the building societies. He then built a publishing business, followed by a chain of successful bars and restaurants. He went on to build up the largest chain of cheque cashing shops and sold out to Money Shop and he then built up a nationwide loans business which he franchised and then sold. Richard is currently a non-executive director on a number of boards across a diverse range of businesses. He has been a Magistrate for 15 years and is a Trustee of Starlight Foundation. Richard founded moving weather the online marine weather business, is chairman of infoshare a large data business and is on the board of e-dba a major oracle partner.