Colin Whelan

Head of Training, Professional Planning Forum

Previously, Resourcing and Planning Manager at Barclaycard Business, Colin joined the Professional Planning Forum June 2007, and is responsible for supporting both the Professional development and Best Practice services offered to members. This includes training, tutoring students on their certificate programmes, developing and delivering Best Practice seminars and events and providing consultancy and support to members. While at Barclaycard Business, Colin was responsible for achieving a finalist position in the 2007 Contact Centre Innovation Awards presented by the Professional Planning Forum, for their achievements in productivity and employee engagement. These same operational achievements saw Barclaycard Business awarded the EMEA IEXcellance award in 2007 for Performance Improvement Multi Site. “With over 10 years as a planner and analyst in contact centres, Colin has a wealth of experience to offer our members. We are delighted that he had chosen to join us”, explains Steve Woosey, Membership Director of the Professional Planning Forum. Colin’s previous positions have included, Virtual Intra Day Manager also at Barclaycard with direct responsibility across all 3 sites, Head of Resourcing at First Choice, where he managed 2 teams of analysts with direct responsibility for all resourcing and scheduling activity across 4 sites, and Business Modelling Manager at Barclays, directly responsible for modelling resource and capacity for all products sold and serviced through the telephony channel of Barclays Bank and maintaining MI for the operating plan used to manage a 2500+ FTE operation. Colin is widely considered a specialist in Management Information, from identifying targets to support business strategy through to ensuring appropriate behaviours are developed to drive effective cultures within organisations. Colin has fronted a number of seminars on this topic and will be speaking at Call Centre Expo 2008. Colin heads the Professional Planning Forum Best Practise Stream on Management Information. Colin is also pioneering the industries understanding in Back Office Planning, through a number of seminars, workshops, research and events, bringing together the software companies supporting the development in this field, along with the companies who are delivering ground-breaking innovations in the area of Back office planning through to companies who are looking to begin the journey. Colin also heads the Professional Planning Forum Best Practice Stream on Back Office Planning.