Dr. Paul Wheatley

Commercial Mediator

Background

Experienced telecoms consultant and manager, developed from technical background through business analysis, planning, finance and project and line management in technology & telecoms (fixed and mobile; domestic and international; start-up, operation and rationalization).

Extensive experience in market/industry analysis and business cases. Hands-on analytical, planning & control skills, solid “people person” and constructive self-starter. 

Employment Summary

2005 – Managing Director Paul Wheatley & Associates Ltd

  • Business plan development and bid support, mostly in the telecoms domain, for clients on a consultancy basis or with associates on an entrepreneurial basis.  Projects have included bid support for an MVNO in Saudi Arabia and “WiMaxing” Riyadh, business planning for an internet-based social monitoring concept and for an energy generation/trading concept and sales support for Telecom Expense Management solutions.

2004 – Commercial Mediator Self-Employed

  • Resolution of commercial disputes. Active founding member, now Partner, of the Association of Cambridge Mediators, a regional service provider for the National Mediation Helpline. Currently expanding practice into Deal Mediation, i.e. applying the principles of mediation to help parties in a negotiation “close better deals faster”

2004 – 2005 – General Manager EMEA and CFO Ceremon Corp

  • Ceremon is a privately-owned US-based IT consultancy/SI firm focussed on telecoms market.
  • Worked with CEO/Owner on investment appraisals, lead generation, revenue planning, client relations and development of strategy, value propositions and partnerships.
  • Prepared and presented bids, including complex proposals to supply Bulk Messaging Gateway to Dutch mobile operator, Customer Care & Billing systems to Triple Play operator in Bahrain, 3G strategy for Czech mobile operator and BPR to Indian telco.
  • Negotiated distribution agreements with suppliers of systems and mobile content.
  • Developed marketing collateral, web-site, news stories, corporate presentation and case studies. Successful assignment to produce financial business analysis and plan for a consortium bidding to provide full range of telecom services to Dubai International Finance Centre.

2003-2004 – Sabbatical – Study & World Travel

  • Completion of Law Degree; CEDR Accreditation as Civil/Commercial Mediator
  • Independent Travel: Russia; SE Asia; Australia & New Zealand

1988-2003 – Various positions listed below BT and its subsidiaries

2000-2003 – General Manager (“Algemeen Directeur”) BT (Worldwide) Netherlands

  • P/L responsibility for provision of internal business services, mainly customer and network operations and payphones, with close involvement in pan-European re-structuring activities
  • Part-time Managing Director of Intrax (satellite services for broadcasters) in Netherlands & Germany, managing integration into BT and major cost-reduction programme

1999-2000 – Director, Operational Planning & Performance Telfort (Operations) Amsterdam, Netherlands

  • Business planning & control for newly-formed department of 1500 people; introduced comprehensive performance reporting for fixed & mobile operations
  • Negotiation & resolution of complex commercial disputes at board and shareholder level

1998-1999 – Director, Finance & Business Planning Telfort Mobile

  • Control of annual budget over € 250m, hitting all P/L and cash-flow targets
  • Built, operationalised and controlled activity-based business plans and budgets for all departments, representing the CEO for most internal matters

1997-1998 – Networks & Systems Business Manager Telfort

  • Introduced and maintained financial and project control of € 30m engineering programme

1996-1997 – Implementation Project Manager BT Europe / Telfort Utrecht/Amsterdam, Netherlands

  • Project-managed set-up of joint venture between BT and Dutch Railways (NS), roll-out of nationwide network and initial product launches, co-ordinating 500 tasks and 80 people

1991-1996 – Manager, Technology Analysis Unit BT (Group HQ) London/Ipswich, UK

  • Appointed initially as the first analyst of this new unit undertaking industry, business & competitor analysis with a technology slant, producing annual R&D report for BT Main Board and analysis of competitors’ investments, applications & intellectual property.
  • On becoming manager in 1993, I expanded the team’s activities to support BT’s legal team for litigation against competitors and to provide direct support to BT business units, including a six month secondment to a marketing segmentation & targeting project

1988-1991 – Senior Development Engineer BT (Research & Technology)

  • Development of optical fibre amplifiers and transfer to commercial production

1987-1988 – Consultant PA Consulting Group Cambridge, UK

Project manager with extensive client contact; various technologies including ceramic sensors, lasers in explosive environments, conducting polymers and semi-conductors

  • 1984 Engineer (“Stagier” between university degrees) CGR Ultrasonique Meaux, France designed & tested digital filters for use in medical imaging system

Directorships

  • 2001 – 2003: Yellow Pages BV     Investment company
  • 2001 – 2003: ESAT Telecom Holdings Ltd – Owner of BT’s interests in Ireland
  • 2000 – 2003: Farland BV, Farland Services BV – Provider of pan-European broadband network
  • 2000 – 2003: BT (Worldwide) Netherlands BV – Global network and customer service operations
  • 2005 –Present: Paul Wheatley & Associates Ltd – Vehicle for own business activities

Education

  • 2003: LL.B (Upper Second Class Honours) Nottingham Law School
  • 1987: Ph.D.: “Devices for Optical Logic” University College London
  • 1984: B.Sc. (Eng.): Electronic Engineering (First Class Honours) University College London

Languages

French and German (O-level grade A; French fluent when practiced; German replaced by Dutch)Dutch (no formal education but good understanding, reasonable conversation)

Personal, Community & Professional

  • Interests: three children; boating & sailing; gym; horse-riding; travel; investment & derivatives trading.
  • Chairman of local charities and member of local council (1991-96; 2005-07).
  • Winner of various awards, including BT Chairman’s Award for Creativity & Innovation and finalist in Prince of Wales Award for Innovation & Production.
  • Thirteen academic publications and ten US/UK conference presentations on optoelectronics.
  • Member of UK Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET, formerly IEE). 
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