John Macpherson

Current

Managing Consultant at PIPC (Hong Kong) Ltd.
Director at Catchwater Consulting Co. Ltd. - johnmac @ catchwater.com

Past

Program Manager, HSBC Securities Services at HSBC
Implementation Manager at Fidelity Investments
Project Manager, Global Fund Services at Bank of Bermuda

Product Manager & co-founder at OpenNet Inc
Account/Project Manager at CMG Asia
Project Manager, Regional IT at Guardian Royal Exchange
IT Consultant, International Systems at Eagle Star Life
IT Manager, Financial Insurances at Eagle Star Group
Team/Project Leader, Corporate IT at Eagle Star Group
Technical Clerk, Group Pensions at Eagle Star Life

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Management Consulting

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John Macpherson’s Summary

Experienced Program & Project Manager, enterprise-level technology and change programs, predominantly in Insurance & Investment Banking. Now managing PIPC's new Hong Kong office. [PIPC is a specialist project management consultancy, and is one of the UK's fastest growing companies ranked in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100: www.fasttrack.co.uk]

12 years working in large multi-national financial services companies, initially in IT Support & Management, then Project Management, in business facing roles across a broad spectrum of technologies (PC, mainframe, client/server, n-tier, Web, MIS, POS, package implementation, bespoke development, open source, rules engines, etc etc!).

Consulting since 1998, predominantly project & program management roles, working variously with end-user clients and with vendors/consultancies.

Internationally mobile, extensive regional and global project experience. Asia-based since 1993.

Strengths include ability to "bridge the gap" between Business and IT, and a notable track record of "repeat business".

Selected Achievements:

> Mobilised and managed a global program to standardise and off-shore Investor Services business processing, and migrate multiple legacy systems to a single global platform.

> Co-founded an Asian insurance and healthcare B2B service provider.

> Defined complete technology strategy and requirements, and selected appropriate systems for new Asian regional life and health insurance business - including support for multi-line and flexible benefits products.

> Solved the management information needs of a crisis-hit subsidiary company, which thereby allowed the business management to understand their potential exposure, define reserves, reduce or eliminate claims and minimise the size of the losses.

> Managed development and implementation of Point Of Sales systems for agents, brokers and sales offices in UK, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand.

John Macpherson’s Specialties:

IT Strategy Definition, Benefits Management
Business Process Improvement, Off-shoring, Outsourcing
Project/program management, implementation management
Systems integration, migration, data conversion.
Functional architecture
Business requirements analysis
Modular (insurance) products, rule-based systems e.g. claims, underwriting automation.
Financial POS, sales force automation
MI, Business Intelligence
Open Source Software
Methodology, best practices, plus common sense!

John Macpherson’s Experience

Managing Consultant

PIPC (Hong Kong) Ltd.

(Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Management Consulting industry)

July 2007 — Present (1 year 4 months)

Responsible for managing newly created HK office operations of PIPC (www.pipc.com), one of the UK's fastest growing companies (ranked in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100: www.fasttrack.co.uk). Business development, account management, and provision of Project Management consultancy services - engagements undertaken include:

> Consultant to JP Morgan Asset Management, Hong Kong, providing relationship management, facilitation and advisory services for implementation of “Flexcube Investor Services” from iflex Solutions in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Director

Catchwater Consulting Co. Ltd. - johnmac @ catchwater.com

(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

June 1998 — Present (10 years 5 months)

Provided IT consultancy services - engagements undertaken include:

> Program Manager at HSBC Securities Services, Hong Kong, responsible for global Transfer Agency system implementation & off-shoring.

> Implementation Manager at Fidelity Investments, UK, co-ordinating the implementation of the ALIS Life & Pensions system from Formula Insurance Systems.

> ‘Industry Specialist’ for Kanbay, developing rules engines and web services for AIG (ALICO) Japan.

> Worked with Bank of Bermuda in Hong Kong to enhance their Group Pensions administration capabilities.

> Consultant to CMG Asia, managing implementation of a new Group Life and Health package in Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia.

> Co-founder of, and Product Manager for a start-up insurance and healthcare B2B company based in Malaysia, handling group health insurance transactions.

> Access to Broadband Campaign, UK and Thailand: co-founder of Thai campaign, webmaster for UK campaign
Program Manager, HSBC Securities Services

HSBC

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; 005; Investment Banking industry)

April 2005 — July 2007 (2 years 4 months)

Program Manager for global enhancement of Transfer Agency services, including replacement of three in-house systems in 6 countries (initially) with a packaged system (Flexcube Investor Services from iflex) - managed across vendor package implementation, internal IT developments, multi-country process business model standardisation & process offshoring.

Also conducted project portfolio optimisation exercise across HSS strategic global projects.
Implementation Manager

Fidelity Investments

(Privately Held; 10,001 or more employees; FMR; Financial Services industry)

June 2004 — December 2004 (7 months)

Worked for Formula Insurance Systems implementing their Group Life and Pensions package, ALIS, for Fidelity Investments in UK. provided consultancy to Fidelity's internal teams to assist their development of implementation strategy and plans, and co-ordinated planning and provision of vendor resources and deliverables to support client testing, parallel run, migration, operational readiness and production support. Also co-ordinated system performance testing and capacity planning, working with FIS's technical specialists and Fidelity's IT teams.
Project Manager, Global Fund Services

Bank of Bermuda

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Investment Banking industry)

May 2001 — September 2002 (1 year 5 months)

Managed ongoing enhancements of BoB's internal Group Pension and Mandatory Provident Fund administration system. Worked with business users to specify enhancements, and worked with management to define enhancement priorities and agree funding. Co-ordinated the delivery of these enhancements with the internal Hong Kong IT team, a Shenzhen based development team, and the business users.

Subsequently, at the request of the GFS Operations Director, conducted a strategic review of MPF administration capabilities and development processes, including options for moving to a software house model for system maintenance. Recommendations made were subsequently taken up and implemented by the bank.
Product Manager & co-founder

OpenNet Inc

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Internet industry)

January 2000 — April 2001 (1 year 4 months)

Involved in developing initial concept for, and became Product Manager of, a startup insurance and healthcare B2B company based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, handling transactions between insurers, employers and healthcare providers. In addition to defining the product roadmap and managing outsourced development, assisted with business development in Hong Kong.
Account/Project Manager

CMG Asia

(Privately Held; 10,001 or more employees; Insurance industry)

June 1998 — December 1999 (1 year 7 months)

Worked initially for a Malaysian software house as their account/project manager in Hong Kong, working on a “custom package” Group Life/Health system for regional implementation in Colonial Mutual Group's Asian offices. Responsible for overall delivery and activities involving the customer, in particular requirements analysis and UAT, with development and system testing conducted and managed in Malaysia.

Relocated to take up same role in Thailand, but client then requested that I take over as their internal project manager. Responsible to the CFO, managed requirements analysis, data conversion, system installation and UAT.
Project Manager, Regional IT

Guardian Royal Exchange

(Public Company; 5001-10,000 employees; Insurance industry)

March 1996 — June 1998 (2 years 4 months)

Developed IT strategy to support new regional Life and Health Insurance companies, and the launch of an innovative Flexible Employee Benefits product and distribution channel.

Developed regional data warehousing and management information system architecture.

Managed the development and implementation of a Marine Cargo policy issuing system for brokers in Thailand and Indonesia.

Managed teams building a new administration system for regional General insurance operations.
IT Consultant, International Systems

Eagle Star Life

(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Insurance industry)

January 1987 — February 1996 (9 years 2 months)

Defined an international IT strategy for development of a core Life administration “package”, for implementation in start-up companies, and existing companies in need of a replacement administration system.

Feasibility study for migration or replacement of legacy WANG RPG application systems.

Managed the development and implementation of sales and marketing systems for life insurance operations in UK, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
IT Manager, Financial Insurances

Eagle Star Group

(Public Company; 5001-10,000 employees; Insurance industry)

January 1992 — October 1992 (10 months)

Managed provision of information technology and management information to enable the control of a loss-making subsidiary.
Team/Project Leader, Corporate IT

Eagle Star Group

(Public Company; 5001-10,000 employees; Insurance industry)

April 1988 — December 1991 (3 years 9 months)

Managed End User Computing Support team, providing end-user PC hardware, software and support across the Group.

Managed a team designing, developing and supporting management control systems for the Division.

Conducted a comparative evaluation of Executive Information System packages.
Technical Clerk, Group Pensions

Eagle Star Life

(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Insurance industry)

January 1987 — March 1988 (1 year 3 months)

Administration of group life, health and pension schemes.

Additional Information

John Macpherson’s Websites:

John Macpherson’s Interests:

The future of technology/Applications of new technology, Open Source Software (as a concept & in practice), Motorbikes, motor sport, Scuba diving

John Macpherson’s Groups:

Project Management Institute,
Access to Broadband Campaign,
RS2H3

AIESECAlumni
SdB+ PM Forum
Plone
Content Management Professionals
Global Project Management
On Startups - The Community For Entrepreneurs
Open HealthCare
LInked Business Strategists
LIONs "LI Open Networkers"
Worldwide Management Consultants (10,000+ members)
Systems Thinking
GeoExpat Members
PMI Information Systems SIG (ISSIG) 6300+
Project Management Institute - Members Network
Project Manager Networking Group
ki work - powering the online work revolution
bluefuse
Linked LInterims
Banking and Finance Technologies
Friends of Britain
The Economist
"Project Management Professionals Group"
GroupLinked.com
$Thailand Connection ราชอาณาจักรไทย \ Professionals and Friends$ Thailand Connection ราชอาณาจักรไทย \ Professionals and Friends
Hong Kong Connection
Empire Search & Select
STRATEGY Consult
Open Source for Insurance
Insurance & Risk Management Professionals - Thailand
Hong Kong Programme and Project Managers
Open Source Community
LION500.com (Open Networkers)
Confluence (Insurance professionals & Insurance recruiters)
Insurance Project Managers
Technology Professionals in Financial Services
TopLinked IT (Information Technology) Professionals
TopLinked Consultants
Hong Kong Open Networkers
Start-ups: Insurance and Reinsurance Global Group