Consulting Team

Jacob has over 16 years of experience working in a variety of technology-focused roles within the higher education sector. He possesses significant leadership experience, most recently having been a member of the Vice Chancellor’s Executive Group at the University of London in his role as Director of IT and Digital Services (CIO), where he was responsible for setting the strategic direction for the University’s digital capabilities.

He has designed and successfully implemented new IT operating models, merging disparate teams to develop new service and product orientated support and development functions aligned to the Organisational Strategy.

Jacob has managed specialist departments of circa 100 people supporting the full spectrum of IT and Digital functions. He has led complex multi-million-pound digital transformation programmes, developing and mentoring high performing teams in extremely pressured and time-sensitive environments. He also possesses significant Business Continuity experience at an organisational level, with responsibilities beyond technology, covering the full spectrum of organisational business continuity risk.

Jacob has a broad range of IT & Digital expertise encompassing cyber security, infrastructure, enterprise architecture, vendor management and service delivery. He has a particular interest in the people aspects of IT leadership and a focus on the development of digital skills and talent in the sector, along with a keen interest in developing creative approaches to the effective delivery of strategic change through collaboration.

In his role as a consultant, Jacob has experience of advising a wide range of institutions, from large Russell Group universities to smaller specialist institutions. He helps universities to optimise their IT operations and drive digital transformation through engagements focused on diagnostic and audit work, benchmarking and horizon scanning, strategic planning, relationship management, cyber risk and holistic enterprise architecture.

Jacob enjoys spending as much of his personal time as possible in the great outdoors, either fly fishing on the rivers of the northwest or cycling through its countryside. He is a bit of a foodie and when the weather is awful, he is often to be found being creative in the kitchen with a glass of wine in hand.