Job title: Research Business Development Team Leader
Business Unit: BT Group CTO Research & Venturing
Joined: July 1997
I've specialised in Research since joining in BT 1997 and I'm now Research Business Development Team Leader. I manage a team responsible for turning the findings of our research programmes into propositions that will inspire new products and services across BT's various business lines.
What I enjoy most about my job is when our research leads to the launch of a new product, service or system and it goes on to be a hit for the business. I also like the fact the nature of our job means that we get to see the latest technologies first, so we can judge their potential.
One of the most important skills I bring to my role is common sense. For example, when trying to understand if an idea for a new product or service could be successful, there are lots of really obvious questions you have to ask. Who needs this? Would it improve their lives enough to justify the cost? Things like that. Teamwork is also important - two heads are always better than one and it gives people a sense of ownership and empowerment.
In the future, the next logical step for me is move into a much more customer-facing role - one where I would be working directly with our customers to understand their need for communications and ICT in the future. It's this kind of collaborative working relationship that drives the next wave of research into new products and services.
The biggest changes we have seen, both in the research team and BT as a whole, have been our efforts to be more customer-focused. The customer is now as much a starting point for our research as the latest developments in technology.
My own role has changed too, as a result of the faster-paced environment we now operate in. This means I can make the decisions that will more quickly turn research into real opportunities for the business. Best of all, everyone's encouraged to contribute. The New Ideas Scheme and the My Customer Challenge Cup are two good examples - they're there purely to turn employees' ideas into reality.