Alan David Walker, Project Manager in Naples, FL, United States
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Alan David Walker

Verified Expert  in Project Management

Project Manager

Location
Naples, FL, United States
Toptal Member Since
November 1, 2019

Alan Walker is an international insurance digital transformation strategist and implementer, currently based in the US. He has helped some of the world's largest insurers to figure out how to respond to new technologies and changing customer demands—to the benefit of both their customers and themselves. Alan has delivered in multiple roles as a program director, change director, program manager, project manager, and scrum master.

Project Highlights

Top 3 US Insurer | Change Management Center of Excellence
Led a review of a top 3 US insurer's existing change management center of excellence, advising on changes and improvements.
Major Global Insurer | Program and Change Management Advice
Advised the UK subsidiary of one of the world's biggest insurers on how to manage change programs.
Major UK Insurer | Program Management, Change Management, Regulatory Compliance
Directed a more than $50-million business and technology transformation program over the course of two years.

Expertise

Work Experience

Principal

2019 - PRESENT
Alan Walker, LLC
  • Launched this digital transformation and insurtech consultancy to provide interim executive, advisory, and transformation delivery services to clients worldwide.
  • Composed and delivered strategies to improve customer experiences, increase growth, and enhance efficiency.
  • Designed and delivered new operating models, structures, and processes to improve customer experiences, increase growth, and enhance efficiency.
  • Created, delivered, and reviewed programs and projects that improve customer experiences, increase growth and enhance efficiency.
  • Devised, delivered, and reviewed change management activities that improved customer experiences, increased growth, and enhanced efficiency.
  • Served multiple roles successfully, including program director, program manager, project manager, and scrum master.
  • Developed training materials for Agile (including Scrum and SAFe) and trained client staffing for their use.

Executive Vice President | Global Lead

2016 - 2019
Capgemini Consulting | Capgemini Invent
  • Served as the global lead for the sales and delivery of digital transformation management consultancy services to a $30 million portfolio of insurance clients across Europe, Asia, and the United States.
  • Drove the development of Capgemini’s thought leadership and transformation propositions within the digital insurance space.
  • Delivered a flagship $4 million digital transformation strategy for a top-three US insurer that included a five-year delivery roadmap for process and technology capabilities, target operating model, and governance mechanisms.
  • Led the design and implementation of a center of excellence for the business’s first sale and delivery in robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI) for a major US insurer.
  • Defined the organizational change management strategy for a core platform transformation for a large North American insurer.
  • Delivered stakeholder maps, readiness assessments, roadshows, discovery session design and management, written and visual communications, training program development, and train-the-trainer roll-out.
  • Introduced the executives of a Fortune 50 Group to Agile in general and Scrum in particular, and oversaw the first use of those approaches outside core IT, providing executive coaching and support as needed.

Vice President | Senior Vice President

2010 - 2016
Capgemini Consulting | Capgemini Invent
  • Directed insurance practices in the United Kingdom and the United States, each generating $5 million+ annually in revenue from the sale and delivery of management consultancy services.
  • Worked with senior executives of a major US insurer on developing and gaining buy-in for an enterprise-wide CRM vision and roadmap strategy.
  • Advised senior executives of a major life and pensions group on digital insurance.
  • Created a digital transformation strategy and roadmap for digital growth and cost reduction.
  • Redesigned the claims organization and target operating model of the UK subsidiary of a major European insurer.
  • Established the root cause, advised on actions, and directed remediation activities for transforming a failing in-flight program at a major P&C insurer.
  • Led a review of the existing organizational change management (OCM) function, people, and associated methods, processes, and toolsets for a major US insurer.
  • Benchmarked them against leading practices across key dimensions.
  • Advised the CEO, COO, CDO, and CIO of insurers around the world.
  • Oversaw program and project designs, deliveries, and reviews.

Vice President

2006 - 2010
Hitachi Consulting
  • Joined the organization as one of the first three employees to direct business and IT consulting services delivered to UK financial and commercial services providers.
  • Achieved an annual turnover of £14 million and helped lead the UK business to £40 million+ through both organic and inorganic growth.
  • Advised the UK subsidiary of one of the world’s largest financial services companies on the design, structure, planning, and implementation of major programs, tools, and techniques.
  • Directed an assignment for a claims and process reengineering initiative for a major P&C insurer.
  • Partnered with the UK commercial insurance subsidiary of a European insurance group to develop and implement a new target operating model (TOM) in support of its expansion strategy.
  • Oversaw, for a major financial services provider, a program to migrate several thousand processes and procedures to a new content management platform. The program was delivered both on time and within budget.
  • Advised the CEO, COO, and CIO.
  • Led the sales and delivery of technology-enabled business transformation services.
  • Oversaw program and project designs, deliveries, and reviews.

Partner

2003 - 2006
Unisys
  • Led the sales and delivery of technology-enabled business transformation services.
  • Oversaw program and project designs, deliveries, and reviews, including core system implementations and data migrations.
  • Reviewed programs and projects.
  • Served as a director of a business process outsourcing (BPO) subsidiary.
  • Co-led the transformation of the BPO subsidiary.

Senior Consultant | Partner

1990 - 2003
Ernst & Young | Capgemini Ernst & Young
  • Worked on sales and the delivery of technology-enabled business transformation services.
  • Oversaw program and project design, delivery, and review.
  • Handled process improvement, redesign, and reengineering.

Top 3 US Insurer | Change Management Center of Excellence

Led a review of a top 3 US insurer's existing change management center of excellence, advising on changes and improvements.

I led a review of a top-three US insurer's existing change management center of excellence, including its people and its associated methods, processes, and toolsets—benchmarking them against leading practices and recommending changes and improvements.

The critical dimensions examined were leadership engagement, stakeholder engagement, organizational alignment, communications, change readiness, reskilling, and culture change.

The recommendations have now been implemented, improving the performance of the center of excellence materially and positioning it to support multiple change programs across the insurer.

Major Global Insurer | Program and Change Management Advice

Advised the UK subsidiary of one of the world's biggest insurers on how to manage change programs.

I advised the national subsidiary of one of the world’s largest Insurers on how to design, structure, plan, and implement major business and technology transformation programs.

My deliverables included the change management tools and techniques to be used, the circumstances in which each was appropriate, and the structure and governance of the change management center of excellence.

The recommendations were accepted and implemented.

Major UK Insurer | Program Management, Change Management, Regulatory Compliance

Directed a more than $50-million business and technology transformation program over the course of two years.

I directed a multifaceted $50-million program for a major insurance group in difficulties with the financial services regulator. The work included a large change management component.

The two-year program of work included fixing the immediate problems, completely redesigning and implementing new company-wide compliance processes, and delivering the required technology services to support the new way of working.

A major component of the program was the change management required to weave a new culture into the fabric of the business, and this workstream received particular focus form both executive leadership and the regulator.

The program was a success, the required changes were achieved, and the client was "signed off" by the regulator.

Major North American Insurer | Organizational Change Management

Led the change management around a core platform transformation using the agile methodology.

I led the change management around a major Canadian insurer's core platform transformation.

The deliverables included branch readiness assessments, roadshow design and management, discovery session design and management, written communications, training program development, and train-the-trainer roll-out.

The work was all delivered using the agile methodology.

The roll-out was subsequently given high satisfaction scores by all stakeholders.

Fortune 50 Financial Services Group | Enterprise-wide Digital Transformation Roadmap Design

Helped develop and launch the five-year roadmap for delivering enterprise-wide digital transformation, using agile (scrum).

For a Fortune 50 financial services group, I helped senior executives to develop and gain buy-in for the company's digital vision and customer experience priorities, design key customer journeys, establish the people, process and technology capabilities required, design the target operating model and governance mechanisms, and agree on the five-year roadmap for delivery.

The program roadmap included tracks for processes, operating models, data, technology, and change management with a total program budget of $300 million.

All phases of the work were delivered using agile (scrum).

The strategy was accepted, and I stayed on to kickstart the delivery of the program—which is now delivering powerful results.

Major US Life Company | Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Designed and implemented a center of excellence for robotic process automation (RPA), using the agile methodology.

I led the design and implementation of a center of excellence for robotic process automation (RPA).

The work included operating model design, role descriptions, governance RACI, and change management requirements.

I went on to help define the roadmap for RPA over the coming months and to help get the center of excellence up and running.

All of the work was delivered using agile methodologies.

Business Requirements, User Stories, Roadmap and Backlog

Helped to design and agree upon the business requirements, user stories, roadmap, and backlog for a group-wide tech delivery.

I helped design an enterprise transformation strategy and roadmap, with a focus on customer data and CRM, to be delivered using scrum.

My role included establishing potential business requirements, achieving alignment of key stakeholders as to the priorities, and helping to design the key user stories, product backlog, the overall roadmap for delivery, and the initial agile sprints.

Major US Life Company | Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Helped introduce the insurer to the opportunities available from artificial intelligence (AI) and kickstart its AI MVPs.

I helped the insurer to launch its enterprise-wide artificial intelligence (AI) initiative.

The work initially involved educating client management about AI, exposing them to existing insurance AI use cases, discussing the potential, and the challenges of AI in insurance and developing a long list of potential use cases specific to that client.

I went on to help them refine and clarify their potential use cases and down-select to a small number of use cases to take forward to proofs of concept. This included a software selection exercise via a request for proposal (RFP) process.

All of the work was delivered using agile methodologies.

The initiative is ongoing.

Insurance | Program Planning and Program Management

Directed a program to implement a revised distribution strategy.

On behalf of the CEO, I directed a program to implement a revised distribution strategy for the UK subsidiary of an overseas insurer.

The assignment included program planning, program staffing, program governance, program direction and the running of the program management office for the design and implementation of a new operating model, a new organization structure, and new products.

The program was delivered successfully.

Financial Services | Program Management and Regulatory Compliance

Managed a program to retrain and recertify two financial devices sales teams.

I managed a program to retrain and recertify the entire sales teams of two life companies within 30 days.

My responsibilities included developing the approach, overseeing the design of compliant sales processes, managing people and venues across the UK, and implementing the plan.

Each sales team was back at work within the 30-day target.

Diverse Financial Services Group | Program Management and Program Review

Provided program oversight to the CEO of a diverse financial services group.

I provided program oversight to the CEO of a diverse financial services group undertaking a large-scale transformation program.

Areas covered include a regular review of progress against expectations, analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of key client executives and program members, and advice on the recruitment specification for a new transformation director.

The program remained on track.

Major UK Bank | Program Management

Managed a major data migration program.

For this major UK bank, I directed a program to migrate several thousand processes and procedures to a new content management platform.

The program was delivered both on time and within budget.

Major Insurer | Program Review

Reviewed a core systems replacement data migration program.

I reviewed, at regular intervals, a program to replace core insurance systems and migrate all policies to the new system.

I highlighted previously unseen risks and issues and helped the insurer to avoid and/or mitigate the consequences.

Major Bank | Program Advice

Provided program advice to a major internet banking program.

As a member of the supplier board for the bank's internet banking integration program, I provided advice on ways that the program's management could be improved.

My advice helped improve the performance and contribute to the success of the overall program.

Major US Insurer | Organizational Change Management Review

Led a review of the existing organizational change management (OCM) function, making recommendations for improvement.

I led a review of the existing organizational change management (OCM) function, its people, and its associated methods, processes, and toolsets. I also benchmarked them against leading practices across seven key dimensions.

The recommendations are now being implemented, improving the performance of the function materially.

Financial Services | Enterprise-wide Process Reengineering

Directed an assignment to spot re-engineering opportunities in the company's end-to-end processes.

For a listed financial services company, I directed an assignment to spot re-engineering opportunities in its end-to-end processes, developing value propositions for delivering multiple millions of recurring savings and additional revenues.

Most of the recommendations were adopted, the targeted revenue increased, and savings were realized.

Core Systems Data Migration

Oversaw the data migration from multiple legacy systems onto new core platforms.

As the industry leader for a company implementing new core systems at major insurers, I was responsible for overseeing multiple data migration projects and programs.

In the life insurance industry, this is particularly complex because of the length of the data history (a customer can hold an individual product for decades) and the huge number product variations.
1985 - 1986

Master's Degree in Law

University of Oxford - Oxford, UK

1982 - 1985

Bachelor's Degree in Law

University of Bristol - Bristol, UK

OCTOBER 2019 - PRESENT

Business and Finance Professional (BFP)

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)

SEPTEMBER 1989 - PRESENT

Chartered Accountant

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)

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