Microsoft 365 digital transformation

I bring almost 25 years of experience in the university sector, with all but two of those years dedicated to the University of Portsmouth. I began my career here as a teenager and have been supported through various secondments and permanent positions over the years. During this time, I’ve witnessed significant changes and advancements within the institution and the broader higher education sector.  

My journey at the University has been wonderfully varied. I started as a support assistant in an academic department, handling student interactions. From there, I moved into roles in course administration, international recruitment and events, admissions management, business analysis, and system implementation. Eventually, I transitioned into permanent IT management roles within what is now the Library and Information Services (LIS) department.  

Throughout my time at the University, I have been fully supported in achieving my career advancement and personal learning goals, particularly in analysis and IT. This includes earning a Bachelor’s degree part-time while working here and obtaining a full Business Analysis qualification, leading to professional accreditation with the BCS.  

In my current role, I am seconded to the Modern Workplace Programme as the Senior M365 Product Manager (Productivity, Solutions and Adoption). This exciting position involves ensuring successful preparation and procurement to set the Modern Workplace Programme up for initial mobilisation. I will work with carefully chosen external partners to ensure the best value and fit for the University, coordinate business readiness, and drive new ways of working across various workstreams. My focus is also on leveraging M365 to meet the ever-changing needs of the University and my extensive experience to date allows me to act as a bridge between workstreams and the business, ensuring that we implement technologies with the necessary support and consideration for user perspectives.  

I am very excited about this role, not just from a professional perspective of bringing modern technology to the University and being at the forefront of such a pivotal transformation, but also from a personal perspective. The University supports my continuous learning in modern technologies, providing me with opportunities to gain a solid grounding in Azure, M365, Power Platform and more.  

I have always strived to uphold our institutional values of being ambitious, responsible, and open. The University has supported me both personally and professionally in these endeavours. The University of Portsmouth expects its employees to be knowledgeable, informed, self-aware, self-motivated and engaged, and in my experience, it provides the support and assistance needed to ensure this.  

I look forward to welcoming new members to our team and working together to achieve our digital transformation objectives. 

I joined the University in 2021, bringing with me over eight years of experience in the education IT sector, where I had the opportunity to navigate the challenges of a highly demanding independent school environment. During the pandemic, I led a significant transition into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, which sparked my passion for digital transformation. 

At the University, I started as a Desktop Specialist in the Digital Workspace Services team, right as the institution was gearing up to modernise its IT infrastructure. I quickly became involved in efforts to optimise user experiences, enhance productivity, and drive innovation towards a more future-ready workplace. 

Thanks to the exceptional support and mentorship of my team manager, I was able to grow into my current role as Principal Desktop Specialist. Here, I leverage my experience in M365 to help begin the transformation the University's digital workplace, collaborating closely with colleagues across Information Services to spearhead the modernisation program. 

Most recently, I have been seconded to the Modern Workplace Programme as a Technical Engineer, where I am responsible for delivering on the project's objectives. This role allows me to provide technical insight into the design and functionality of M365, particularly focusing on our shift from on-premises endpoint management to a fully integrated Intune environment within the Microsoft 365 stack. 

Working at the University has been incredibly rewarding. The supportive, flexible atmosphere, alongside the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from across higher education, has offered me a strong platform for personal and professional growth.

While we face a challenging period of change, including financial pressures and evolving demands, I’m excited about the future of the Modern Workplace project. Together, we aim to enhance productivity, improve user experience, and deliver exceptional service to our university community. 

I’ve been with the University since 2005, joining the trainee program after I graduated. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to work in various departments, including the Service Desk, Site Support and Service Improvement. These experiences have allowed me to take on more responsibilities, leading to my current role as the manager of the Digital Workplace Services Team.

Our Digital Workplace Services team has been instrumental in driving Microsoft’s adoption at the University. We’ve been transitioning to a more modern approach to managing endpoints and embracing a cloud-centric strategy with technologies like Microsoft Intune and Azure Virtual Desktops. 

I’ve particularly enjoyed being part of the modern workplace program, especially the Microsoft-only approach for the opening of our London campus.