Stephen Gray
Transformation & Infrastructure Director
Stephen leads Digital First and has a specialist focus on strategy across the digital place. He is an experienced digital transformation and fibre/5G infrastructure consultant and delivery director and works in support of 5G and LFFN programmes, adding commercial and technical experience to clients.
He supports organisations on strategic change, technology enablement and place based strategies for digital transformation and the deployment of 5G and fibre that enable smart places and cities. He develops strategies and investments cases that drive external funding campaigns and organisational transformation programmes.
He combines both an astute commercial view of digital transformation – a Digital ROI – and an ability to innovate and help clients to re-think and ‘disrupt’ service delivery. Stephen is recognised as a leader and innovator in the creation of new commercials models, an ability to design and establish new service models and create entities that benefit not only the client but also promote wider economic growth.
Nick Kemp
Head of Change
A specialist business change and organisation design lead with over 15 year’s experience of creating the conditions for business change across the UK. Nick’s has clients in financial services, the nuclear and construction sectors as well as public sector clients from the home office, DWP and several local authorities where he has focused principally on developing new models for back office operations.
Nick has worked with Digital First on several similar projects including the redesign of enabling services with the Local Government Association and the creation of agile and innovative working conditions to support digital transformation with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He has a particular interest in public sector integration and the development of new cultures and ways of working that allow more responsive, commercial and agile services in the public sector and has written a number of articles on this subject.
Nick’s style is pragmatic, integrative and inspiring. He brings gravitas and an outcomes driven approach to change, measuring success against contribution to service outcomes and the wider corporate plan.
George Negrescu
Fibre & 5G Architect
George is an accomplished Senior Broadband Architect with an impressive portfolio, including pivotal roles in Geo Networks’ Welsh Broadband Plan and crafting the technical specifications for DCMS’s BDUK contract. He has been instrumental in shaping the infrastructure landscape at City Fibre and Geo Networks. His expertise extends to recent contributions at F&W Networks, Airband, and Vodafone, where George has continued to drive innovation and excellence in broadband architecture. At Digital First, he serves as a specialist technical advisor and consultant, leveraging his in-depth knowledge to support LFFN and 5G bids, enhancing business case development, and ensuring technical project integrity.
George founded George Black Consult, a Telecom construction enterprise that has made significant strides in the industry since 2017. His firm has successfully delivered over 12,000 FTTP connections, showcasing its versatility across diverse settings from the rural expanses of Scotland to London’s dense urban landscape. A visionary in integrating complex cross-technology projects, including IoT, 5G, and OSS/BSS, George’s unique blend of project management and technological acumen sets him apart.
A respected voice at public forums like the World Broadband Forum, George’s educational background includes a Computer Science degree and an MBA from Sheffield University, underscoring his holistic understanding of the sector. His passion for telecommunications and commitment to advancing broadband infrastructure underscore his role as a key influencer in the field.
Adanna Ubuane
Project Manager & Data Analyst
Adanna is an experienced project management professional renowned for her exceptional ability to balance people and tasks across cross-functional teams, driving the successful execution of high-impact projects within the dynamic landscapes of finance, public sector and technology. She is adept in the application of Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid methodologies, tailoring project management approaches to maximise outcomes, ensure punctual completion, and maintain budget fidelity. Adanna strongly contributes to supporting larger programme initiatives, bringing her planning and organisational skills to the fore alongside her results driven focus.
Her expertise extends to the smart utilisation of a comprehensive cloud based toolkits for project management, enhancing operational efficiency, risk mitigation, and stakeholder engagement, confidently setting up and applying modern tools and methodologies
With an unwavering attention to detail and a practical results driven mindset, Adanna excels in navigating complex project landscapes, consistently helping to deliver solutions that foster innovation and drive organisational success. Adanna has developed her data analysis skills and continues to expand her capabilities working with new client challenges utilising Power BI and other data analytical tools.
James Watson
Digital Consultant
James is digital leader of many years’ experience leading complex digital programmes, customer platform design delivering delivered change, service improvement and efficiency benefits and service transformation.
He is a UX/UI specialist that has advised a wide number of organisations on their front office design and service architecture.
Key skills and experience includes the design of digital functionality in self-service platforms and portals, platforms development, content delivery, eforms, payments and customer identity management and authenticated personalised services.
James has been involved with all sizes and scales of CRM systems from the forms and work flows engines (e.g. Firmstep) and traditional (e.g. Dynamics), to open source such as SiteCore and LifeRay to top tier platforms such as Oracle.
Tony Galloway
Commercial Specialist
Tony has a proven track record of achievement including the successful development and delivery of commercial change management, organisational development, performance management and service improvement programmes across a number of public sector organisations. This includes corporate, departmental and service restructuring & mergers. He brings strong commercial procurement, contract and programme management skills and has had significant experience of successfully managing and delivering complex public and private sector partnerships and new commercial delivery vehicles.
Stephen Dolan
Commercial Advisory Lead
Stephen has an excellent track record of financial and business programme delivery that ranges from internal efficiency, to strategic outsourcing through to PFI/PPP, across Local and Central Government and the Private Sectors. His commercial experience has helped underpin our early innovative work around Digital ROI. Stephen is a highly experienced advisor, consultant and financial director, a former Big 4 senior consultant with KPMG, technical/infrastructure professional advisory services with LeighFisher and Local Partnerships (JV between PUK and LGA). He leads in the construction of service delivery strategies, business cases and the delivery of service improvement initiatives ranging from internal improvement through to strategic outsourcing. He has experience of working separately in advisory client side and bidder teams.
Larry Anderson
Programme Delivery & Service Transition Lead
Larry is a Security Cleared (SC) Digital Transformation & Outsourcing Change Lead specialising in transition and business change. He builds lean, scalable capabilities which enable private and public organisations to deliver against strategy and policy in order to optimise services and manage costs. Larry combines vision with implementation skills to launch digitally-enabled operating models, bring services back in-house/successfully outsource, and transform performance.
Larry combines 14+ years’ right-sourcing expertise, with the proven ability to lead technology programmes and cultural change. He has successfully led or provided assurance for transition of programmes with a total contract value in excess of £1bn, affecting over 3000 staff.
Larry brings the deep knowledge, cumulative experience and lessons learned from £multi-million bids; and BPO solution design, transition delivery and assurance for local and central government, telecoms, retail, health, defence, government and travel sector clients across Europe, Asia and the USA.
Stuart Hilton
Digital Consultant
Stuart is an experienced digital consultant and change project manager. has strong partner and stakeholder management experience across the tech and business consulting sectors. He specialises in managing the delivery of technology enabled change, business transformation programmes, commercial and partner sourcing, shared services delivery and business continuity.
He brings a strong understanding of customer centric service delivery, bid and proposal writing and has worked in multi-organisational delivery teams. Key clients include local government, policing and private sector organisations
John Demeter
5G and IoT Technology Consultant
Ioan is a senior specialist in telecoms, 5G and IoT. He combines a Strategic focus on business combining innovative 5G, (I)IoT and AI and has worked with major telecoms and infrastructure players in the industry including Vodafone, (as former CIO), Huawei as Technology Consultant Director and Swisscom.
He has developed enterprises strategy and road maps Industry 4.0; Providing IoT gap analysis and maturity models and modelled 5G business use cases (Osterwalder canvas) for the public and private sectors.
He was extensively involved in 5G use case development at Huawei and the development of IoT platforms. Ioan has also led the creation of a ISP startup with FTTH, with triple-play (voice, data, IPTV) and help launch the first 3G-UMTS network.
Simon Williams
Place & Infrastructure Consultant
Simon is a senior proposition and delivery consultant specialising in digital infrastructure in the place and in Smart Cities. He previously worked and collaborated with the Digital and Future Cities Catapult supporting UK development of 5G, IoT and place based technology in cities. He also supports business development in 5G and LFFN in his role.
Simon supported the Ferrovial group helping to develop the next steps of SME innovation and IoT delivery to support Boroughs, Cities and regions.He also led the research and development of the digital infrastructure plan for Brent Council, help benchmark the UK’s approach to full fibre and 5G against best in class internationally.
Simon is known for belief in and delivery of partnerships that achieve the objectives of all stakeholders including the first ‘incremental partnerships’ in the UK. Simon has held senior roles and has worked with contracting clients to change the delivery paradigms of organisations such as Anite, Serco, Capita, BT, Amey, Unisys, Anite, HCL and Balfour Beatty.
Ian Ward
User-Centred Design and Customer Insight Specialist
Ian is a user-centred design and customer insight specialist with over 20 years experience. His passion to understand what makes customers tick is fuelled by a natural inquistiveness, empathy and analytical methodology. He has led innovative teams in the creation of transformative customer journeys, and services, that always improve, efficiences, sales or enagagement.
Ian has created best-in-class solutions across digital and analogue platforms and varied sectors, from Emma Bridgewater to Toys r Us, Boots to E-On, Lloyd Bank to HMRC; recently specialising in Local Government, Social Care service delivery and ethical investments.
