Dr. Paul Wheatley
Commercial Mediator
- 2004 CEDR Accredited Mediator
- 19 years mediation experience
- Specialisms, construction, property, commercial, IT, market/industry analysis & business cases.
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).