Graham Taylor

Current

• Interim Commercial Manager & Analyst/General Manager. at Interim contract work (Self-employed)

Past

• Consultant: Commercial Analysis/Business Development at Hypercraft Associates Ltd
• Technical Director (Commercial Director) at Royal Institution of Naval Architects, England - Professional Institution
• Commercial Analyst/Internal Consultant: Group Operations at Oxford University Press, England

• Commercial Analyst & Major Account Manager at National Grid PLC, England
• Project Analyst at London Electricity PLC, England
• District Commercial Manager (Head of Tariffs and Supplies) at Eastern Electricity Board - West Norflok

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Education

• Thames Valley University
• University of Westminster

Recommended

1 person has recommended Graham

Connections

51 connections

Industry

Management Consulting

Websites

• My Company
• My Website
• My Publications

Graham Taylor’s Summary

Experienced commercial manager/commercial analyst/general manager offering a broad portfolio of skills.

I have special enthusiasm for innovation and emerging technologies, the commercialisation thereof, new business paradigms, pioneering the future, progressive initiatives, looking at things another way, challenging assumed wisdom and ‘the way it has always been done’, changing the way people think and for everything ‘outside the box’.

A true George Bernard Shaw ‘unreasonable man’ – but in a very nice way.

Graham Taylor’s Specialties:

• Account, contract, product, project and SBU management.
• Commercial/business/operations/marketing analysis including complex data and financial modelling.
• Business & marketing strategy, business process improvement.
• Management of customer/client facing activities.
• Interdisciplinary and business-to-business relationships.
• Team working and staff management.
• Commercialisation of Wing-In-Ground effect technology.

Graham Taylor’s Experience

• Interim Commercial Manager & Analyst/General Manager.

  Interim contract work (Self-employed)

  (Self-Employed; Myself Only; Management Consulting industry)

  January 2007 — Present (3 years )

  Currently: Interim Commercial Analyst Contractor at: National Grid Control Centre, Balancing Services. Wokingham. Undertaking ‘Balancing Actions’ analysis & reporting relating to the £millions daily spend on grid power management operations.
  
  
  - Offering a wide portfolio of skills centring on commercial/business/general management & analysis, but extending to supply chain, production and marketing.
  - Sector/industry-independent due to broad background. Instead, focussed on good business & management practice; committed to learning by transfer of principles across industries and to promotion of progressive, innovative and pioneering initiatives.
  - Driven to maximise the commercial effectiveness of a business through whatever channels necessary, taking a holistic view across the whole commercial framework and operation.
  - Tenacious, creative, strategic thinker, yet with a hands-on participatory approach to finding solutions to complex issues.

• Consultant: Commercial Analysis/Business Development

  Hypercraft Associates Ltd

  (Privately Held; Myself Only; Maritime industry)

  1999 — June 2006 (7 years )

  A pioneering consultancy venture focused on the commercialisation of emerging engineering technologies (centring on wing-in-ground effect vehicles).
  - Consultant/agent for a sector-leading German technology company, resulting in attracting investors and a deal for licensed production.
  - Developed strategy & business plans, including devising pricing methodologies and industry strategy through business and economic analysis/modelling (complex Excel spreadsheets).
  - Worked with technical specialists regarding product specifications, external resource requirements/suppliers, client meetings, business-to-business relationships.
  - Industry research, marketing, press release campaigns, media relationships & external communication.
  - Presentations to executive teams and at international conferences (including defence sector organisations).
  - The leading commentator worldwide on the commercialisation of WIG technology, with over a dozen professional papers published.

• Technical Director (Commercial Director)

  Royal Institution of Naval Architects, England - Professional Institution

  (Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Maritime industry)

  October 1998 — June 1999 (9 months)

  - Responsible for commercial activities of institution including international conferences, technical journal and technical paper publishing, accounting for 75% of Institution’s revenue and £1.5m turnover, management of 13 staff.
  - Specifically attended to the re-focussing and re-vitalisation of the commercial conference rolling programme of activities within its highly competitive market. Returned function to profitability by improvements to product design, positioning, marketing and sales.

• Commercial Analyst/Internal Consultant: Group Operations

  Oxford University Press, England

  (Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Publishing industry)

  April 1996 — June 1998 (2 years 3 months)

  The Group Operations function was a newly created department to try to gather together some synergy from the disparate activities of the individual Divisions within the organisation. In particular this involved a re-engineering review of production sourcing and supply chain practices for the global organisation, aimed at implementing radical cost-saving purchasing/procurement and inventory strategy.
  - Analysed £80m production procurement spend and production requirements, providing the organisation with its first ever clear view of its product portfolio.
  - Analysis of supply chain, logistics, production, market, sales.
  - Found savings of £500,000 pa through rationalisation of production/logistics process.
  - Developed product/performance & KPI specification.
  - Built Group-level relationships with suppliers.
  - Prepared and presented competitive bid specification documents.

• Commercial Analyst & Major Account Manager

  National Grid PLC, England

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

  September 1989 — July 1992 (2 years 11 months)

  The UK Governments privatisation program required The National Grid to be privatised and at the same time cut adrift from the Central Electricity Generating Board which had administered it under public ownership, thereby necessitating an entirely new commercial structure.
  - A key member of Use of System team which pioneered the change from Public to Private ownership and laid the new commercial foundations of the privatised company.
  - Single-handedly created the billing system that managed the utility’s £1.0 billion revenue during the first year of privatised operation.
  - Personally compiled the original circa 550 agreements/sub agreements between NCG and grid users at Vesting.
  - Business-to-business account management of multi-million pound projects; designed mathematical modelling approaches, project economic viability appraisal, major client liaison & contract negotiation, regulatory, legal and policy support.

• Project Analyst

  London Electricity PLC, England

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

  August 1988 — September 1989 (1 year 2 months)

  Guided management on commercial policy for major capital projects.

• District Commercial Manager (Head of Tariffs and Supplies)

  Eastern Electricity Board - West Norflok

  (Non-Profit; 1001-5000 employees; Utilities industry)

  December 1984 — August 1988 (3 years 9 months)

  Managed commercial & customer service aspects of electricity supply; in particular appraisal of the investment made in new electricity supply network, customer charges for connections/upgrades, and correct tariff application. Work included acting as interface/coordinator between customer and technical departments, pricing policy for industrial, commercial and domestic markets, customer negotiations and making contracts for supply, administration of all tariffs and special agreements. Face-to-face negotiation / liaison with major customers. Led team of 3 staff. Promoted new technology solutions. Designed a computerised system greatly improving accuracy and efficiency of accounts administration process;- adopted throughout the company.

Graham Taylor’s Education

• Thames Valley University

  MBA , Business studies , 1993 — 1995

  Wrote a pioneering dissertation on relationship marketing concept & buyer behaviour theory, juxtaposed against a strategic review of the house building industry: it set out to look at how/if the biggest purchasing decision that most people make stands up to marketing theory.

• University of Westminster

  DMS , Postgraduate Dilpoma in Managment Studies , 1992 — 1993

  Maybe a little strange getting back into academic life after so long in industry, but this was a great opportunity to study with fellow students from around the world. I thank them for their friendship and camaraderie.

Additional Information

Graham Taylor’s Websites:

• My Company
• My Website
• My Publications

Graham Taylor’s Interests:

Travel. Scuba diving, PADI Open-Water certified. Experimental technology. Keeping chickens.

Graham Taylor’s Groups:

Member of the Chartered Institute of Management, Nesta

•    LInked Business Strategists
•    Renewables Renaissance

Graham Taylor’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch