Our global experience in strategy development is both broad and deep and extends to the highest levels in the industry.
We have advised professional investors, telcos, vendors, governments, regulators, and enterprises across a range of areas inclusive of business innovation, cost management, financial performance and modelling, investment appraisals, strategic reviews, and transformation.
As organisations approach the need for change or the development of new opportunities, the starting point is often a cross-functional blend of commercial and technical ideas which may lack form, business case, or conviction. Strategy development is required to develop commercial ideas and bring form and structure, whilst assessing risk.
Our work has included strategy and execution on entirely new business units, external review of investment and programme plans, development of detailed financial plans and tools, and programme risk reviews.
Quantitative modelling and rigorous financial analysis are cornerstones in professional strategy and policy work. However, analysis without insight and experience can yield poor results.
We have advised clients extensively in the development of both bottom-up and top-down regulatory cost models, and also in private strategy analyses. By blending our expert sector and technology knowledge with broad capability in business analysis, we are able to offer our clients results backed up not only by quality modelling, but also by sound judgement and proven industry experience.
Performance improvement needs may exist at corporate or divisional levels and can include both technology-enabled and procedural improvements to business operations.
Plum has advised clients in numerous areas of operational practice; our staff have experience in working with senior leadership teams in telcos in developing good practice across demand management processes, and we have advised on operational excellence, contracts, process development, and both financial and operational benchmarking in transformational programmes and industry deals.
Independent review in development of new ventures and deals can be critical in managing and mitigating risk.
Our experience includes supporting clients in the development and review of financial plans, with a solid underpinning knowledge of technologies, industry practices, and cost structures. We have also supported numerous large programmes from a risk management perspective, where ongoing risk analysis and action planning can form a critical element in overall programme governance.
Financial performance can be driven by many factors including strategic alignment of projects, complexity of directionally correct change programmes and legacy operations, operational efficiency, and sourcing and contracting.
We have advised clients in independent reviews of large strategic transformational engagements and investment planning, activity-based cost forecasting, and strategic alignment.
Ian is a Director at Plum, bringing over 25 years of experience in industry and consulting within telecoms and technology. He is passionate on the application of emerging technologies, engineering, and innovation for the development of commercial, economic, and social value.
He specialises in the intersects on strategy and transformation, technology, engineering, and architecture, and policy and regulation, with a particular focus towards development and delivery of practical commercial solutions, underpinned by robust analysis and proven experience.
Ian’s work has been used by governments and regulators to inform on policy development and implementation, and by operators, vendors, investors, and law firms in regulatory, commercial, and technology strategy development and solutions delivery.
He is particularly proficient in connecting strategy and policy with real-world engineering and technology, from the perspective of commercial players, whose motivation is often to forge innovative business models and high performance solutions quickly and efficiently, navigating or changing policy and regulation as may be required.
Solutions delivered for clients have included development of a converged 5G-fibre architecture and commercial plan for a leading UK-based altnet, 5G spectrum review influencing national government policy for a leading UK industry body, quality review of a wholesale local access regulatory price control model for a major European regulator, c. £10m capex saving on a major IP network implementation programme for a European telco, spectrum auction valuation advice for a European mobile operator, and valuation advice to the board of a European telco on disposal of a key business arm.
During the early part of his career, he worked in defence systems and digital mobile radio and was awarded the Bell Labs President’s Prize for R&D and product development at Bell Labs NJ USA. Ian holds PhD and BSc (1st Class Hons, IET Prize) degrees in Telecommunications and Electronic Engineering, plus PgD in Management and Finance, UK Chartered Engineer, Fellow IET, and is Vice-Chair of the techUK Communications Infrastructure Council.