Type Of Business:
Provider of asset information management systems for companies in the process industries, including utility, power and mining companies, oil, gas and chemical manufactures, and producers of consumer packaged goods
Marketing Area:
International
Expertise:
Data harvesting and analysis; Asset information management; Enterprise asset management (EAM); Business operations optimization; Strategic project planning; Risk management; Budget and scope management; Staff development
Major Product/SVS:
Asset life cycle information management and asset data governance software solutions; Asset information management (AIM) solutions, which ensure people, processes, and enterprise systems have the asset data they need to reduce compliance risk, and make operations safer and more productive; Information technology solutions for a safer, more sustainable and profitable future
Favorite Business Publication:
Canadian Business
Hobbies/Sports:
Investing in residential real estate; Designing landscapes; Playing the guitar, bass and piano; Rollerblading; Traveling
Education Degrees:
Diploma in Business Management, Information Technology, Sir Sandford Fleming College (1996); Certificate of Completion, Canadian Securities Course, Canadian Securities Institute, with Honors (1988); Coursework in Architectural Science, Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (1985)
Affiliations Awards:
Project Management Institute
Throughout the duration of your career, what was the one highlight that stood out the most?:
The highlight of his career was the first time he spoke at a financial planning conference sometime around 1997. The software his company sold focused on planning for the future, but used historical trends in the complex financial projections. The key point he made in his speech was about history repeating itself, and he used comparisons between Lincoln and Kennedy as an analogy. The presentation was a hit, and he went on to do a cross-country series based on this same speech.
Charity:
Various Charitable Organizations; Local Minor Sports Organizations
Number Of Years In Profession:
14
Number Of Years In Current Position:
7
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
He attributes his success to his analytical skills, his focus, and his ability to understand problems by viewing a situation from the ground up; he utilizes a holistic approach to develop solutions based on individual businesses' operating models, current and desired technology environments, and his own understanding of a variety of enabling technologies and platforms.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
He became involved in his profession through his background in finance, consulting and information technology. After working in the investment banking industry and pursuing a number of opportunities, he recognized that IT represented the wave of the future. He chose to return to school, received a college diploma in IT, and started his technology career at a small company that developed financial planning software. His consulting career began at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he found his niche in systems implementation management.
Extended Bio Profile:
Mr. Picknell is experienced in all aspects of the system delivery life cycle, and skilled in managing a variety of IT service functions. He has worked on a wide range of projects, in production, plant operations and financial systems for numerous industries including oil and gas, energy, mining, financial services and consumer packaged goods. He has also developed, produced and facilitated a number of workshops and seminars on realizing value from technology investments. His IT experience is built on a foundation of varied business expertise with strong knowledge of the financial service industry, particularly wealth management, energy, retail and distribution. He has a strong client service background, and has had direct responsibility for numerous account relationships in both current and past positions.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Creating and developing the NRX project delivery methodology and standards as well as internal processes; Maintaining and auditing projects, such as the quality management plan; Tracking delivery performance versus plan objectives; Consolidating projects' financial data and profitability; Analyzing trends and making forecasts for resource management; Making periodic executive reports and conducting project portfolio reviews; Developing and reviewing all statements of work, project change requests, risk management plans and the acceptance matrix; Managing a core team of project managers and functional consultants; Providing support for pre-sales activities, including product presentations, project scoping and requirements definition; Addressing business needs for creating, managing and governing asset information through all phases of the lifecycle, from initial handover and readiness at commissioning and startup, through ongoing data governance and sustainment during operations and maintenance, to decommissioning and disposal; Improving the quality of data captured by casual users in the maintenance work process
Education Certifications:
Certified Financial Planner; Canadian Institute of Financial Planners (1998); Canadian Investment Finance Certification, Canadian Securities Institute (1989)
Awards/Honors:
GE Canada Award for the Top Graduate, Sir Sandford Fleming College (1996); President's Honor Roll, Sir Sandford Fleming College (1996)
Where Will You Be In 5 Years:
In five years, Mr. Picknell intends to branch off into some independent consulting, and further his real estate investments.