Francie is an experienced Commercial Manager with a strong procurement and supply chain background within the Information Technology (IT) industry.

Francie has a wide breadth of experience in the technology environment, most recently in commercial management of large high value projects; management and negotiating significant contract Change Requests (CRs); end-to-end tendering processes from requirements capture to contract negotiation and final contract drafting; IT procurement and vendor management; business and asset/portfolio management; marketing; accounting and finance.

In her contracted role at Telecom New Zealand, Francie had sole responsibility for commercial management of the main XT Mobile network build contract originally valued at $168m, negotiating and managing over 90 contract CRs to the main contract and increasing the contract value by $155m to over $323m.  Her responsibility also extended to all related supply contracts with total cost responsibility in excess of $500m. 

As a member of the project’s Senior Management Team, she reported to both the Project Director and Head of  Infrastructure Supply Chain, managing external supply costs and maximising contract value through cost containment, mitigation of supplier cost creep, detailed understanding of the contract scope and pricing model, and strong commercial and relationship management.

As IT Procurement Manager at Transpower New Zealand, Francie managed the IT procurement team, procurement processes, and contract management and lead negotiations for contracts up to the value of $120m.  Her responsibilities included corporate and IT procurement policy, outsourcing strategies, achieving targeted cost savings through improved management of supplier conflict and relationships, introduction of robust commercial practices while ensuring flexible tendering processes, alignment with government procurement guidelines, and mitigation of commercial and legal risk.

Prior to Francie’s most recent role, her commercial skills were applied to managing and negotiating with 3rd party vendors and partners to enable full delivery of services and solutions across the breadth of Telecom/Gen-i business lines including Security Services, ICT Solutions, Contact Centre Solutions, Network and Mobile delivered services.  These have been for supplier agreements valued up to $8 million for the largest customer contract of $20m per annum.

During Francie’s time as a member of both the Operations and Finance/Commercial teams supporting all Gen-I business, she established the vendor management framework, leveraged vendor contracts within the wider Telecom business, identified areas of potential operational efficiencies, improvements for change, revenue opportunities and was exposed to the implementation of ITIL methodologies.

Francie has managed staff and lead virtual teams that require greater levels of influence, motivation and project management than that which is provided with line authority, to drive business and project deliverables.  Her breadth of business experience has allowed her to easily transition across and within organisations, communicating at all levels from technology managers to operational and business stakeholders, and senior executives.

Technical Skills

• Analysis of commercial, legal and financial implications of situations
• Business management
• Commercial management
• Communications
• Contract management
• Contract negotiation
• Procurement
• Product management
• Project management
• Supply chain management
• Vendor management.

Qualifications

• ITIL, Service Level Management (2006), Foundation Course (2005)
• Institute of Management Negotiation (1994)
• Massey University Palmerston North, Post Graduate Diploma in Business Studies, Marketing
• Victoria University Wellington, Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, Majors: Commercial Law, Management.