Chris F.
About me
| Chris F. | |
| Computer Science | |
| ITBML | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Goodricke | |
| 1996 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Project Director | |
| Infor | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Digital and IT services | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2019 |
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A day in the life of a Project Director in the United Kingdom
Look for opportunities to enrich your experience. It's no longer enough to be successful academically.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
Infor is a global enterprise company that provides software products for every aspect of a business. Infor builds complete industry suites in the cloud and efficiently deploys technology that puts the user experience first, leverages data science and integrates easily into existing systems.
Over 68,000 organisations worldwide rely on Infor to help overcome market disruptions and achieve business-wide digital transformation.
What do you do?
Project Director responsible for EMEA-wide Project Management Community of Practice.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
I have always been in Project Management, ever since graduating when I joined Whitbread in a hybrid Business Analysis / Project Management role.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I have worked in a number of industry sectors - from automotive, to leisure, high tech to consulting. I now find myself working for one of the worlds largest and most successful software companies.
Describe your most memorable day at work
Wow what a question. I guess there are many, mostly those days when we go-live with a new project. It's always great to see the results of the teams hard work being realised.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
Project Management is a people business and like any role that involves lots of people a lot of the challenges are about motivating the team and ensuring they are well managed. As they say, it's people that deliver projects not processes.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
I work from home although spend a lot of time travelling to see customers. I am currently involved with projects all over the UK and Western Europe. I'm particularly involved with a large project in Northern Italy implementing new technology across the whole of their business.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I was heavily involved with the Athletic Union and actively played College sport, particularly badminton and hockey. I was also very lucky and took a year out to work in industry as part of my degree.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I plan to continue to work in Project Management, hopefully helping organisations to improve and grow their project management capability.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Look for opportunities to enrich your experience. It's no longer enough to be successful academically. Also do what you love - life's too short otherwise!
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Very open to most questions although have particular experience in Project Management so very happy to speak with students who may be keen to pursue a related career.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Very much looking forward to being a mentor for York Students! I had some of the best years of my life whilst a student so envious of those still there!
Next steps...
If you like the look of Chris’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Chris a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Chris to be your mentor.