Programme Director (Contractor): Renier Botha

Objective:
Renier Botha, Principal Consultant and Director at renierbotha Ltd in his role as Programme Director at Shawbrook Bank from August 2018 to September 2019, was tasked with establishing the Tech-Hub in Glasgow as a centre of excellence. His objective was to introduce innovative new standards and agile-driven governance to project and service delivery teams within the Business Finance division.

Assignments & Achievements:

1. Tech-Hub Maturity Transformation Programme:
Renier Botha led the “Tech-Hub Maturity Transformation” Programme, implementing a new Target Operating Model (TOM) in Glasgow. Through innovative ways of working, delivery targets were achieved approximately 9% more efficiently. Notably, support issue resolution time was drastically reduced from over 30 days to fewer than 2 days.

2. Establishment of Business Finance PMO:
He established the Business Finance Portfolio Management Office (PMO) from the ground up. Renier developed portfolio governance processes, templates, metrics, KPIs, and real-time management information (MI). This approach facilitated measurable improvements and set new standards for data-driven, commercially focused delivery. These practices were adopted across the entire bank.

3. Testing Capability Initiative:
Renier spearheaded an innovative initiative to create a Testing Capability for the bank. This included developing a risk-mitigating test strategy, automation framework, and associated Azure cloud development and test environments. He successfully delivered the operating model and a test-automation toolset proof of concept (POC). This initiative enabled continuous delivery (CD) and remarkably reduced regression testing efforts by 95%.

4. Ambit Enterprise Upgrade Programme:
Renier took on the challenge of managing the £1.3 million Ambit Enterprise upgrade (asset management system) across 14 business units, each with multiple product offerings. Despite the complexity, the upgrade was completed on time and under budget. This achievement earned accolades from the board, recognising it as the best-managed delivery in Shawbrook Bank.

Conclusion:

Under Renier Botha’s leadership as Programme Director, Shawbrook Bank witnessed a significant transformation within its Business Finance division. Renier’s innovative approach and strategic acumen not only established the Tech-Hub in Glasgow as a centre of excellence but also revolutionised the bank’s project and service delivery methodologies. His achievements, from efficiency improvements to groundbreaking testing capabilities, have left a lasting impact, setting new standards for excellence within Shawbrook Bank.