graham irwin: curriculum vitae

Overview

a strong business orientation to the use of IT, considering it a business aid and not an end in itself
a First Class honours degree in Computer Science from City University, London
over 30 years’ experience in systems development, project management and IT consultancy
over fourteen years management consultancy experience
extensive experience in the specification, development and implementation of accounting and management information systems
more recently developing a number of new business skills including web design, publishing and clerking to local councils

Summary of Employment

July 2006 to date - Hertingfordbury Parish Council
July 2004 to date - Little Berkhamsted Parish Council
Dec 1998 to date - CityScape Books
Oct 1990 to date - Irwin Associates
Sep 1992 to Dec 1995 - Kestrel Software
Feb 1985 to Sep 1990 - Spicer & Pegler / Spicer & Oppenheim
Nov 1980 to Feb 1985 - Hoskyns Group Ltd
Jan 1979 to Nov 1980 - Pye Records Ltd
Mar 1975 to Jan 1979 - Seismograph Service Ltd
Aug 1973 to Mar 1975 - Burroughs Machines Ltd

Current Employment

Hertingfordbury Parish Council (Jul 2006 to date)

Clerk, Proper Officer and Responsible Financial Officer to the Parish Council. Responsible for the day-to-day running of the council’s affairs.

Little Berkhamsted Parish Council (Jul 2004 to date)

Clerk, Proper Officer and Responsible Financial Officer to the Parish Council. Responsible for the day-to-day running of the council’s business. Awarded a certificate of achievement for successful completion of the training programme Working With Your Council, November 2005, and a pass in the Certificate in Local Council Administration, November 2006.

CityScape Books (Dec 1998 to date)

Set up and run a small publishing house initially to self-publish own books, later publishing one or two titles for others and providing advice and assistance to a number of other author-publishers.

Irwin Associates (Oct 1990 to date)

Own consultancy business; assignments include:

developing and maintaining various websites
training partners and cashiers in the use of a new (to the UK) legal accounts package
webmaster for the Time Banks UK network
design and development of an internet-based conveyancing system for solicitors
co-editor of an internet journal - the International Journal of Community Currency Research
design and development of an intranet-based divorce product for solicitors
sale and implementation of case management software
design and set-up of a website for a medium-sized firm of solicitors, and another for a charity
review of the security of patient identifiable information held on a computer system for a London hospital NHS trust, covering internal administrative procedures and operation of the system off-site by a third party contractor, as well as software and hardware security controls
design and preparation of brochures, promotional material and word processing templates for a housing charity
review of the technical strategy for a major City firm of lawyers, evaluating the available options for future development of back and front office systems, and presenting recommendations to the partnership’s steering group
IT strategy for a homelessness charity, covering its administrative and internal client care systems, and recommending a phased acquisition and upgrade plan for hardware and software
project management of the implementation of a practice management system for a "top 20" international law firm based in the City of London, preparing and agreeing project plans and monitoring progress against the plan
advice and assistance to a software house in the development and marketing of an accounting system for small to medium-sized professional firms
development of an IT disaster recovery plan for a large firm of solicitors, covering computer and telecommunications systems, off-site data storage, as well as manual systems and procedures
preparation of an IT strategy for a major City law firm covering accounts and word processing systems, document management and fee earner support systems
review of IT systems for two small firms of solicitors
selection of computer systems for a small charitable foundation
IT strategies for a variety of solicitors’ firms of varying sizes
selection of accounting, word processing and fee earner support systems for a number of solicitors’ practices, from three to 70+ partner firms
management of the implementation of a network of PCs for a multiple-site office automation system for a major firm of City solicitors, including project planning, contract negotiations and supplier appraisal
specification of the user requirements for an enhanced marketing database for a major City firm of solicitors, including supervision of the development by a third party software house, system testing and project management
selection of personnel, payroll and library management systems for a large firm of solicitors
specification for a trade marks registration system; user requirements and system specification of a fault logging system for the IT help desk of a large firm of solicitors.

Graham has also written a number of articles on the use of IT, particularly within the legal profession, and has published a guide to IT security planning; he has written and self-published a book about his experiences in running a small farm as a hobby. He has also been a guest tutor at Nottingham Law School’s MBA programme in law firm management.

Previous Employment Experience

Kestrel Software (Sep 1992 to Dec 1995)

Set up and ran, in partnership with a colleague, a small software house to design, develop, market and support an accounting system (Kestrel Accounts) for one and two partner solicitors’ firms. The business was later sold as a going concern to a larger software house.

Spicer & Pegler / Spicer & Oppenheim (Feb 1985 to Sep 1990)

Transferred to Spicer’s national IT department following a three month secondment from the consulting group. Responsible for managing the development of a management information system - a major systems project for the firm, lasting several years, and second only to the implementation of the firm’s national accounting system.

Initially covering financial information, the system was designed to encompass marketing and human resource information. Project tasks ranged from user requirements, through functional specification, to programming (by an outside software house) and acceptance testing.

Also responsible for selection of fourth generation development tools and investigating Executive Information Systems for longer term delivery and development of the system. Additional responsibility for development of a testing system, developing procedures and design of input forms for the new accounting system.

Within the Consulting Group, notable assignments include:

project management for one of the largest City firms of solicitors of the implementation of a new accounting system, devising accounts department procedures, coding schemes and basic training of some 400 partners and staff
review of the management, workloads and working practices of the Costs Department of a large City firm of solicitors
invitation to tender for retail stock and sales and head office accounting systems for a major jewellery multiple
office automation strategy for a large retail insurance broker
office technology strategy for a provincial firm of solicitors, followed by an invitation to tender for accounting and legal support systems
"expert" advice for a wholesaler in a law suit against a major European computer manufacturer over the failure to operate of a small business system
invitations to tender and evaluation of proposals for time recording, accounting and management information systems for several firms of solicitors
review of requirements, tendering and selection of office automation systems for several firms of solicitors
computer contract advice and negotiation for several clients in a variety of industries
"expert" advice in a multi-million pound law suit between a British oem and a US computer manufacturer.

Hoskyns Group Ltd (Nov 1980 to Feb 1985)

Client manager, project manager and systems designer for a number of Hoskyns’ clients, many of which are household names. Also line management responsibilities for a department of about 35 analysts and programmers. Assignments undertaken include:

design, development, testing and implementation of a time recording and accounting system for a major City firm of solicitors
project management, for the same firm of solicitors, of several projects covering enhancements to existing systems, as well as new systems for indexing library material and the semi-automatic charging of telephone calls
management of several smaller projects including design of an examination question data bank for the school of nursing of a major teaching hospital, a personnel system for a department of a district hospital, and a trading system for a supplier of advertising gifts
design of an appointments register system for an employment agency.

Pye Records Ltd (Jan 1979 to Nov 1980)

Head of Programming Services, responsible for the support and development of the company’s stock control, on-line order entry, sales and financial accounting systems.

Seismograph Service Ltd (Mar 1975 to Jan 1979)

Senior Programmer, leading a team responsible for the design, development and maintenance of a series of seismic applications for the Well Survey Division of a firm of international seismic consultants.

Burroughs Machines Ltd (Aug 1973 to Mar 1975)

Programmer and assistant project manager on Burroughs’ range of RT automated tellers, with particular responsibility for the RT1100 series developed in conjunction with Midland Bank.