Download my full CV / Résumé here   (PDF, Current as of Dec 2010)

Peter Torr  Smith 

Web | Technology | Business | Products | Analysis | User Experience | Projects | Agile

SKILLS OVERVIEW 

Product / Service / Operations manager

• 3-5hrs/wk, plus board responsibilities
• Business development, direction, management
• Customer services (customers, suppliers)
• Product specification, design, testing
• Administration and Finance

Achievements / Learnings

• Time and priority/focus management
• Distributed/virtual team management
• Offshore website deployment

Founder, CEO, Analyst, Developer, Administrator, Generalist

• Small business & start-up experience
• Team leader, director, shareholder, CEO
• Web 2.0 developer  (Ruby on Rails, HTML/CSS/AJAX/Javascript)
• Hire industry knowledge
• Presentations and Pitching
• Capital raising and shareholder management
• Contracts, terms of trade, legal compliance
• Research & development grant management & delivery
• Financial administration, tax and planning
• New product / service design and delivery
• Testing (automated, manual, usability, user groups)

Achievements / Learnings

• Establish founding team and launch service
• Entry into Creative HQ Business Incubator
• Approval and delivery for several large government R&D grants
• Initial core development, ongoing development
• Manage team, restructuring & business continuity
• Capital raising / shareholders’ agreement
• Development team and project management

Software Developer

• Microsoft .Net developer (C#, ASP.Net)
• SQL Server 7/2000/2005 DBA/Dev
• Mobile application development, testing
• Web Apps, Web Services, WinForms, Windows Services
• Onsite and offsite development

Achievements / Learnings

• Nationwide farm application – Energy Sector (Winforms)
• Support & enhance large govt website (ASP.Net)
• RFP response content lead architect (SOA/Web,. Client liaison
• Systems integration development (SAP/.Net web service)
• Online Post-code & address finder with map Integration (ASP.Net)
• Completion, testing and delivery of mobile museum tour application (.Net CF)
• DBA, co-developer on large financial management and reporting system (ASP/SQL) 
• Framework evaluation and prototype (Winforms, SOA)
• Microsoft Certified Professional (SQL Server)

Traveller

• South America, Cuba, Canada, Europe
• Started blogging. 
• Built & maintained own travel website (with Excel!)
• Actively studied Spanish.  Practice guitar

Achievements / Learnings

• Nearly fluent in Spanish through lessons and self study & imersion
• Maintained web competency (HTML, FTP, Blogging)
• Experience and appreciate foreign cultures

Web and Web Services Developer

• Delphi
• XML / XSL
• Web Services (proprietary and .Net)
• Mobile applications (Win Mobile)
• WAP application design, develop, deploy

Achievements / Learnings

• Learn Delphi, .Net, web services
• Primary web UI developer for eCargo.co.nz (Delphi, HTML, XML, XSL, Web Services)
• Justice sector document management support.  Cross sector web development (ASP)
• Drive and deliver WAP extension of eCargo.co.nz (WML, XML, Web Services)
• Mobile prototype for border security (C#, Windows Mobile, Web Services)
• Worked alongside the Trade Me team as they got off the ground & grew

Analyst Developer

• SQL Windows/GUPTA (OO WinForms)
• Informix DB
• MS Access & VBA

Achievements / Learnings

• Learn object oriented development
• Large relational database systems experience
• User & business requirements gathering & sign-off
• Development lifecyle & process appreciation

IT Coordinator. Senior Manager.

• Liaison between business and IT groups (meat works, quarantine, laboratories)
• Special Projects
• Business group reporting
• IT & Telecomms contract management 

Achievements / Learnings

• Roll-out nationwide Virtual Private Network to meatworks
• Selection and implementation teams for MAF-wide IT support outsourcing
• Execuitive responsibilities and reporting

IT Projects Manager, Assistant to National Director

• Support National Director, regional managers, executive team
• Represent and communicate corporate views and objectives
• Stakeholder coordination. Implement and coordinate national initiatives
• Special projects - Training event coordinator, campaign management
• Contract administrator
• Geographic Information Systems operator (5 month secondment)

Achievements / Learnings

• Nationwide seafood data collection and analysis programme
• Requirements for Audit management system
• Establish and maintain first MQM-wide “Intranet”
• Receivership management. Legal liaison and legislation contribution
• Annual budgeting and contract negotiation support

Cadence Performance Cafe - Manager - Wellington 1993

• Operations / general Manager
• Re-open failing business
• Core food, stock, hygiene, staff and cash-flow systems
• Music venue event management
  

Freelance writer / editor / deigner - All 2003

• Video Editing
• Desktop publishing
• Market research
• Environmental Assessment Reporting
• Database development

TV/Video Editor, Camera

• Video Masters (’89). TV3 (’89-’91). Production Post (’91-’92). Kids TV (’92)
• TV promos, News, Current Affairs, Sports, Kids Shows, Corporate Videos
• Editor, mixer, cameraman

University Part-time work

• Clifton Motors (Europa/BP) 24hr Service Station – Sole charge night shift
• Economy Car Rentals – Sole charge weekends
• Business computing / PASCAL programming tutor

Auckland University, Bachelor of Commerce. 

• Management
• Consumer Behaviour. 
• Market Research. 
• Statistics. 
• Economics. 
• Commercial Law. 
• Accounting (Financial, Management). 
• Business Computing, Pascal programming (then tutored business computing/Pascal for 2 years) 
• Management Information Systems. 
• Business Analysis.  
• Property Valuation
• B- / B average

Massey University - Diploma in Information Sciences

• Business Information Systems. 
• Business Process Re-engineering. 
• Database Management.
• Object Oriented Development. 
• Geographic Information Systems. 
• Part time over 6 years
• Start 1995. Finish 2000. Graduate 2001.
• B+/A- average

Schooling - NZ, UK, Canada 

• 7th Form (Year 13) - Takapuna Grammar School.  A Bursary. 1985
• Year 10-12 – Toronto, Canada. 1982-84 (incl. 2 yrs COBOL & FORTRAN programming).
• Year 7-9 – London, UK. 1979-81.
• Early – Takapuna/Devonport, NZ.

PRINCE2 Certification - Dec 2010

•  Foundation and Practitioner training and certification exams for Projects IN Controlled Environments framework. 

 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - Dec 2010

• Online assessment and consultant follow-up for the MBTI Step II assessment and interpretation. 
• My type indicator was ENTP.

CITCON - June 2010

• Continuous Integration and Testing (un)Conference
• http://citconf.com
• Participant driven workshops I took part in included 
  • test driven development
  • continuous integration and continuous deployment
  • extreme and pair programming
  • the Enterprise Continuous Integration Maturity Model

Drupal South - February 2010

• Weekend conference on
  • Drupal best practices
  • evolution and future of Drupal
  • case-studies
  • integration options
  • project management
  • Drupal 7 roadmap.

 GRIT Growth IT programme for “Tech venture CEOs” - 2007/08

• Programme led by Melissa Clark-Reynolds. 
• Pricing, Strategy, Product/Service, Marketing, Value Proposition, Niche / Segmentation.
• 6 Month programme

 Cable Car Challenge - 2008

• Entered Hire Things business into inaugural Wellington “Cable Car Challenge”.
• Of 300 business applicants was in 9 chosen to do “elevator pitch” presentation to judges (Sam Morgan, Rod Drury, Gowan Pickering, Dion Mortenson, Mark Dosser) going up the Cable Car. 
• Achieved runner-up in final awards.

 The Business Centre

• A number of single and multiple evening sessions
• Sales & Marketing
• Investment Readiness & Capital Raising
• Website Trafficology & Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Business Essentials & Planning 2007/08

 Creative HQ Business Incubation Programme -  2006-2008

• Pitched and gained entry into the Wellington Business Incubator to establish and grow Hire Things.
• Ongoing professional and CEO mentoring and training.
• Business in Residence

 Technical Training 

• SQL Windows, Cognos Reporting & Business Intelligence - 1998
• Microsoft Training (SQL Server, Web, Winforms) - 2000

 Business Analysis & Object Oriented Analysis - 1995, 1996

• 2 x 4 day training delivered by Software Education

 Project Management - 1996

• Essentials of good project management
• Balancing the pressures of Time, Scope, and Resources.
• 3 days.

 Toast Masters -  1993-1996

• Weekly public speaking
• Presentation practice
• Achieved Competent Toast Master certification

 BNI - 2006/07

• Represented Hire Things at weekly Business Networking International breakfast networking session. 
• Involved rapid pitching and longer presentations.

 Property Rennovation Projects  -  1997, 2002

• Project managed the complete redesign, gutt and internal rebuild of 2 properties.
• On budget, managed scope, supplier management.

 Lynda.com, & readings 

• Self study & upskilling
• via books, online training, CD-Rom training
  Drupal, Joomla!,
• CSS,
• PHP,
• more Ruby on Rails,
• Agile Development 

Michael Elwood-Smith

Senior Business Advisor, Creative HQ, Wellington  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Darryl Hamilton 

Previous employee.  Hire Things Senior Developer.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Natalie Furgeson

Web designer / owner, DecisiveFlow.com, Wellington  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bronwyn Arthur 

Barrister, Crown Law, Wellington  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it