Geoff Thirlwall

Head of IS Shared Services, Centrica PLC

I have a wide range of experience in IT, and in the last 15 years have enjoyed senior Exec positions at Bass (Director of IT Services), Guinness (Global Director of Infrastructure), Diageo (Director for IT Shared Services and Unilever (VP - Global IT Services). I am now formative director of my own Consultancy company - Bossman Swan Ltd My experience covers Applications Development, Support, but my passion and most of my experience is in Services (Infrastructure). I am a Fellow of the Institute of Service Management, a Student of the Year (1997), ITSMF Service Manager of the Year 2000, and was one of the main stakeholders for the Unilever 'PRISM' project which recently won ITSMF project of the year for global rollout of ITIL best practice. I am a family man, with children and grandchildren, and now live in Nantwich, Cheshire, which is a nice market town between Stoke on Trent and Crewe (Junction 16 of the M6). I have been in IT for over 35 years, starting in English Electric Leo Marconi, Kidsgrove, Staffs as a Trainee Operator , then via Air New Zealand, Pirelli, Bass, Guiness/Diageo, to Unilever as Vice President - Global IT Services, then to BP as an independent Consultant . I am now working with Centrica to develop the Shared Services transformational journey. My IT Consultancy company - Bossman Swan Ltd, commenced Jan 2004, and seeks to help Companies serious about being the best, to become the best in IT.