Ratheesh Thomas

Senior Delivery Partner | IT Services | Diverse Industries

Accomplished professional specializing in managing high-value Managed Services contracts. My focus is on delivering top-tier infrastructure services and ensuring client excellence. I lead a collaborative team, drive successful transformations, and optimize costs while prioritizing security and compliance. My dedication is always centered on delivering excellence for clients.
With a track record of successful IT transformations, cost optimization, and unwavering dedication to security and compliance, I am your trusted partner for delivering excellence.

Executive Delivery Partner: Collaborating with UK-based global clients in diverse sectors such as Aerospace, Financial, Defence, Steel, and Energy, I oversee comprehensive IT solutions.

Managed Six Contracts: Overseeing contracts exceeding £10 million, I specialize in delivering IT services, including Cloud infrastructure, SAP, and Mainframe solutions.

Global Team Leadership: Leading a global team of 50+ professionals across diverse technologies and support functions, I ensure their performance meets the highest standards.

Audit and Compliance Expertise: My extensive experience in iSEC, ISO, and Datacenter security audits equips me to deliver SOC1 and SOC2 reports, assuring clients of regulatory compliance and robust security measures.

Cost Optimization: I meticulously manage contract lifecycles, scrutinizing cost elements to drive efficiency and proactively tracking project budgets to prevent overruns.

Innovative Cloud Migrations: Orchestrating transformative programs, I've successfully executed two IBM to AWS migrations (~£0.3 million each) with exceptional client satisfaction.

Enterprise Upgrades: My expertise extends to planning and executing Enterprise-level Cloud infrastructure and SAP upgrades for three clients, totaling approximately £1.5 million, without any business disruption.

Disaster Recovery Planning: I take the lead in directing comprehensive reviews of Disaster Recovery Plans, ensuring infrastructure standards meet Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) requirements.

Mainframe Migration: Collaborating on a Mainframe to OpenSource migration strategy (~£1 million), I align this strategy with corporate Data Centre services changes, ensuring seamless transitions.

Client-Centric Excellence: Regular delivery governance meetings with clients and stakeholders are my forte, consistently exceeding Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and Project Services commitments.

Agile Transformation: As a catalyst in the organizational shift towards an Agile Delivery framework, I actively participate in designing Agile Team structures and strategies, reinforcing our commitment to providing top-tier shared services support.

A seasoned Delivery Partner Executive at IBM, responsible for ensuring the delivery of services within Managed Services contracts. With a successful track record, I excel in building and nurturing client relationships, ensuring excellence in service delivery, and managing multifaceted programs of work. My experience includes end-to-end program ownership, people development, and financial accountability. I am dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvement, compliance, and vendor management, all while upholding the highest standards of safety. My strategic direction and commitment to service excellence drive value and client satisfaction at every stage of project execution.

Proven Excellence: Successfully led and managed a portfolio of over 35 UK and Ireland Cluster Accounts, with a combined contract value exceeding $10 million. These accounts encompassed a range of critical services, including Network Services, IBM Security Services, and Cloud Infrastructure.

End-to-End Account Management: In my role, I was accountable for the full lifecycle of managed services. This included overseeing operations from day-to-day activities (BAU) to project execution and even service termination. My commitment to overseeing the entire service cycle ensured that clients received consistent, high-quality support.

Global Team Leadership: I functionally managed a diverse team of over 60 professionals located across the globe. These individuals played crucial roles in ensuring the availability and performance of our services. I established annual performance targets for Service Availability Managers, driving the team towards excellence.

Commitment to Quality: One of my key responsibilities was to ensure that we consistently met and exceeded Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and Project Service commitments. I maintained regular communication with clients to review delivery status, making certain that we fulfilled all contractual obligations.

Financial Stewardship: As a responsible leader, I had direct financial oversight for each account I managed. This encompassed sharing detailed monthly cost and budget reports with senior leadership. I carefully scrutinized all cost elements throughout the contract lifecycle and meticulously tracked project budget utilization to prevent overruns.

Strategic Partnerships: My role involved collaborating with top-tier global network and communications providers, such as Juniper, Cisco, Axtel, and BT. This collaboration was essential for delivering high-quality managed network infrastructure services. I brought expertise to hardware procurement and streamlined shipment processes, ensuring efficient and cost-effective solutions.

Revenue Generation: In addition to ensuring seamless service delivery, I had the privilege of generating approximately $2 million in additional revenue through IBM Enterprise Security services. I also secured new long-term IBM cloud infrastructure deals worth $0.6 million, expanding our footprint in the cloud services arena.

Audit Preparedness: Audit readiness was a priority for me. I ensured the success of internal, external, and supplier audits by conducting comprehensive IT risk assessments and mitigation. This approach aligned with industry standards and demonstrated our commitment to compliance.

Asset Compliance: Maintaining compliance of all assets, including hardware and software, was a crucial aspect of my role. I achieved this through regular patching and updates. Additionally, I facilitated hardware refreshes for clients, which generated approximately $0.5 million in additional revenue while ensuring the longevity and efficiency of their infrastructure.

In my role as an IT Global Service Delivery Manager, I have a proven track record in IT services delivery assurance, with a focus on ITSM tools services and core infrastructure services, including storage, backup & recovery services. My responsibilities encompassed the following key areas:



Account Clusters Management: In my role as the Service Delivery Manager, I efficiently managed two clusters of accounts. These clusters consisted of 20-25 clients based in the UK and Ireland. These accounts were in the domain of Cloud Services and Security Services, and they collectively held a substantial contract value exceeding $5 million.

End-to-End Accountability: For these accounts, I held end-to-end accountability for service delivery. Remarkably, no Executive Leaders were involved in the delivery, reflecting my ability to take charge of complex projects.

Client Collaboration: I worked directly with Client Partner Executives (CPE) and Client Executive Focal, actively overseeing the delivery process, Requests for Service (RFS), and cost and budget management. This hands-on approach ensured that the services were aligned with client needs and budget constraints.

Cost Optimization: I conducted comprehensive reviews of cloud infrastructure costs in collaboration with vendors. This practice allowed me to provide valuable cost and budget input to CPE, especially in the context of managed and project services. My keen eye for cost management led to budget optimizations and efficient resource allocation.

Seamless Scalability: Ensuring the seamless scalability of infrastructure for clients was a priority. I proactively reviewed services and contracts to accommodate fluctuations in client requirements, fostering agile and adaptable service delivery.

Client Engagement: My commitment to honoring contractual engagement commitments extended to over 20 clients. I maintained constant communication with client focal points, ensuring that their expectations were consistently met or exceeded.

Client Satisfaction: I consistently produced and shared monthly delivery reports as per client requirements, consistently achieving above-target Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) survey results. This reflects my unwavering dedication to client-centric service excellence.

Supplier Management: In collaboration with IBM's Security Business Unit, I served in a supplier management capacity. This role involved overseeing the delivery of committed services in Cloud security strategy, Cyber Threat Management, Threat Detection and Response, and X-Force services. It further exemplified my ability to manage multifaceted service portfolios.

Security Audits and Revenue Generation: I led Security Audit activities for selected accounts, which included internal and client-initiated audits. My role in securing additional revenue of approximately $1 million from existing clients was instrumental. This revenue was generated through new Requests for Service (RFS) for Penetration Testing, Incident Response (IR) services, and Vulnerability Management services, highlighting my proficiency in capitalizing on opportunities to enhance service offerings and financial outcomes.

Global Service Delivery Manager - Storage and Backup Services: During my tenure from August 2015 to January 2017, I assumed the role of Global Service Delivery Manager for Storage and Backup Services. This role was held within a U.S.-based Global Automotive leader, a high-profile client with demanding service needs.

Comprehensive Service Delivery: My responsibilities encompassed the end-to-end delivery of in-house storage services, both distributed and Mainframe, and the management of subcontracted midrange storage services. I ensured that all services were delivered in strict alignment with contractual agreements.

Stakeholder Relationship Management: I held full accountability for maintaining strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. These relationships were crucial for smooth service delivery, conflict resolution, and meeting the client's evolving needs.

Team Leadership: I oversaw a globally distributed team, comprising approximately 40 dedicated resources. I set annual performance targets for the team members and provided feedback during annual reviews, promoting continuous improvement and professional development.

Regular Reviews and Meetings: To facilitate effective communication and collaboration, I conducted daily stand-up meetings with both internal and vendor technical teams. Additionally, I engaged in weekly client interactions, mirroring the structure of Sprint reviews and retrospectives, which fostered transparency and feedback loops.

Performance Reviews: I ensured that performance feedback was actively integrated into the team's operations. This included conducting annual reviews to acknowledge successes and address areas for improvement.

Cost Management: Scrutinizing the monthly usage of Storage and Backup Infrastructure resources was an integral part of my role. I provided detailed Resource Reconciliation and Accounting (RRC/ARC) reports and performed comprehensive cost and budget analyses for senior management. My efforts in this area led to financial efficiencies and optimized resource allocation.

Projects and Achievements: I spearheaded storage recovery and optimization projects, resulting in a notable 15% reduction in storage Resource Unit (RU) costs. Furthermore, I led architect proposals and executed new project deals, securing investments of approximately $0.5 million for Storage Hardware refreshes.

Cost Reduction: Through a comprehensive project focused on reviewing backup policies and long-term storage infrastructures, including tape and media storage, I achieved a substantial 20% reduction in long-term storage infrastructure and backup labor costs.

Change Management: I reviewed Statements of Work (SOWs) and actively negotiated with the client for the extension or closure of Project Change Requests (PCRs) and Request for Change (RFCs). This role in change management was crucial for adapting to evolving client needs.

Exemplary Service Availability: Maintaining service availability above 99%, exceeding SLA requirements, was a key achievement. This was accomplished through health check monitoring improvements, hardware refreshes, and routine cleanup activities.

Disaster Recovery Leadership: I led the engagement of the Storage and Backup team in all disaster recovery annual tests and table-top exercises. This included conducting comprehensive reviews of the Disaster Recovery Plan and test outcomes with subject matter experts (SMEs), ensuring that the client's critical data and operations remained protected and recoverable under adverse circumstances.

Global Service Delivery Manager - Service Management and ITSM Tools (Sept 2013 - Aug 2015)

During my role as a Global Service Delivery Manager from September 2013 to August 2015, I took on an extensive range of responsibilities for a global mining and metals company in Australia. This role involved overseeing Service Management and ITSM Tools, and it was marked by various significant achievements:

Promotion and Leadership: I was promoted to the position of Service Delivery Manager (SDM) with a specific focus on Service Management and ITSM Tools. This role required a comprehensive understanding of IT service delivery, coupled with a deep knowledge of IT Service Management tools, processes, and best practices.

Operational Excellence: During this tenure, I led the offshore transition of the ITSM Tools SDM role. This transition was pivotal in optimizing operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness, ultimately delivering substantial value to the client.

Global Team Management: I functionally managed a diverse team of over 50 global resources. Ensuring that the team consistently delivered top-notch service was a key objective. This involved setting performance targets, monitoring progress, and providing regular feedback to foster professional growth.

Enterprise Infrastructure Services: I directly supervised daily operations and service management for enterprise infrastructure services. In effect, I served as the Operations Manager for the client's account, assuming full responsibility for the operational excellence of these critical IT services.

ITIL Best Practices: Leading the Change Advisory Board (CAB) and actively participating in problem management reviews were integral parts of my role. I was responsible for approving problem records and ensuring their smooth progression to the corrective and preventive phase, all in strict alignment with ITIL best practices.

Enterprise ITSM Transformation: I played a central role in championing a substantial $3 million Enterprise ITSM transformation project. This involved collaborating closely with multiple service providers, ensuring the seamless execution of this large-scale initiative that significantly enhanced IT service management capabilities.

Organizational Change Management: I assumed the pivotal role of Organizational Change Manager for IBM during this extensive ITSM transformation initiative. In this capacity, I supervised Project Managers and scrutinized all commitments and deliverables, ensuring that the project achieved its objectives and delivered maximum value to the client.

ServiceNow Expertise: As part of my responsibilities, I developed extensive ServiceNow catalogs for the entire portfolio of managed infrastructure services. This encompassed defining approval and execution workflows, SLAs, and reporting mechanisms, facilitating more efficient and organized service delivery.

Cost Efficiency: A notable accomplishment during this period was the reduction of ITSM tools and service management costs by an impressive 35%. This was achieved through a comprehensive consolidation of multiple ITSM tools into a single unified system, eliminating the need for bridging services.

Service Desk Enhancement: I led initiatives to enhance service desk operations, notably by eliminating the Swivel Desk function post-project. This strategic move led to a 15% reduction in labor costs and a concurrent 15% improvement in first-contact resolution rates, made possible through ServiceNow workflow enhancements.

Stakeholder Engagement: I cultivated strong relationships with clients, effectively managed vendor relationships, and navigated relationships with competing service providers. These relationships were key to the success of various projects and initiatives.

Recognition and Excellence: Throughout my engagement, I received accolades and recognition from clients and peers alike. This recognition culminated in the Best SDM award, celebrating my outstanding contributions to the success of the ITSM transformation project.

As a Major Incident Manager, I assumed responsibility for end-to-end major incident management at a prominent multinational mining and natural gas company headquartered in Australia. My role involved:


Service Restoration Leadership:
* I played a pivotal role in influencing the performance of technical support teams, orchestrating swift service restoration during critical incidents.
* Provided critical direction and leadership to ensure rapid incident resolution and minimal business impact.


Outage Communication:
* Managed clear and transparent outage communication, both to the client and the internal leadership team, ensuring alignment during critical situations.


Post-Incident Reviews:
* Chaired post-incident review meetings involving client IT managers, IBM delivery and technical leaders, and Problem Managers to conduct comprehensive assessments.
* Collaborated on actionable recommendations and process enhancements to prevent future incidents and bolster service resilience.


Supervisory Role:
* Supervised the Major Incident Management (MIM) team, serving as the shift lead for 24/7 services.
* Ensured effective coordination, response, and resolution of major incidents, maintaining service excellence around the clock.
In this role, my primary focus was on swift service recovery during major incidents, promoting collaboration, and driving continuous improvement to enhance the resilience of critical IT services.

* Recognised as the top-performing employee for exceptional contributions during the War Room management of a critical SAP migration project.

As a Service Management Operations Professional, I held a pivotal role in delivering top-tier service management operations to clients in the financial and media industries across the UK and US regions. Throughout my tenure, I coordinated and oversaw a variety of service management functions, emphasizing a holistic and integrated approach to service delivery.

IT Service Desk Representative (L1) to Change Management Expert

My journey in the world of IT services began as an IT Service Desk Representative, primarily responsible for managing internal IT service requests and incident reporting for a US-based financial services organization. My responsibilities included ensuring that IT incidents and requests were promptly addressed, setting a strong foundation for my career.

Recognizing my capabilities, I was soon promoted to L2 Application Support, specializing in providing rapid responses to high-impact incidents. This role required a deep understanding of complex IT systems and an ability to troubleshoot and resolve critical issues swiftly.

My career then took a significant turn as I assumed the role of a Major Incident Manager for a top-tier US-based market research firm. In this challenging position, I led Major Incident Operations, a role that required me to manage critical incidents with precision and receive recognition for my pivotal crisis management abilities.

My expertise in change management led me to head the Enterprise Change Management Team for a prestigious US-based global financial services client. Here, I oversaw seamless change management, ensuring that any alterations to IT systems or processes occurred efficiently and with minimal disruption.

One of my notable accomplishments during this tenure was spearheading the transition of service operations from on-site to offshore locations. This initiative involved consolidating Change Management functions across seven business units into an efficient Enterprise Change Management function, reducing operational costs and enhancing overall efficiency.

As a testament to my commitment to continuous improvement, I chaired all Failed Change Review (FCR) meetings, with a particular focus on major incidents. This dedication to learning from past challenges and enhancing future processes became a hallmark of my approach to IT service management.

My commitment to the field of change management and its significance in operational excellence led me to publish a White Paper on Enterprise Change Management. This internal white paper outlined a custom change management framework that received praise from both the client and TCS leadership. It was seen as a significant contribution to improving operational practices and achieving greater efficiency in the delivery of IT services.

My journey from an IT Service Desk Representative to a Change Management Expert showcases my growth, expertise, and dedication to the IT services industry. Each role and experience played a crucial part in shaping my career and the value I bring to clients.

Customer Services Associate at Allianz Cornhill Information Services

During my tenure as a Customer Services Associate at Allianz Cornhill Information Services, I played a pivotal role in delivering exceptional support to insurance agents in the UK region. This support extended to addressing their queries and concerns via both calls and emails, ensuring that the highest standards of service excellence were maintained.

To optimize efficiency and streamline operations, I proficiently managed insurance policies through the ACIS Mainframe system, demonstrating my ability to adapt to complex systems and leverage them to enhance operational effectiveness.

As a testament to my leadership and commitment to operational excellence, I also had the privilege of leading as a shift lead during my time at Allianz Cornhill. In this role, I utilized Avaya systems to enhance both operational efficiency and customer service. This experience underlines my dedication to not only providing top-notch support but also optimizing the processes and systems that underpin exceptional customer service.

My experience at Allianz Cornhill Information Services allowed me to refine my customer service skills, understand the intricacies of the insurance industry, and further develop my ability to optimize operations for enhanced service delivery.

Customer Services Associate at Infotips Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd

My tenure as a Customer Services Associate at Infotips Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd marked the beginning of my illustrious career in the IT industry. During this foundational role, I provided dedicated support to a prominent UK-based telecommunications company, where I gained valuable insights into the world of technology and customer service.

In this capacity, I contributed significantly to the success of the telecommunications company by successfully marketing contract mobile phones from various renowned brands. My efforts not only boosted customer satisfaction but also played a pivotal role in driving business growth for the organization.

One of my key responsibilities included managing escalated incidents, which required me to collaborate closely with specialized teams to ensure swift and efficient resolutions. This experience allowed me to develop strong problem-solving and collaboration skills, which have been instrumental throughout my career.

This role was instrumental in shaping my understanding of the IT industry, as it exposed me to the dynamics of technology and the importance of delivering exceptional customer service. My time at Infotips Technologies was not just a career launchpad; it was a platform for me to develop essential skills that would serve as the foundation for my future roles in IT service management and leadership.