Gordon Fraser
Proprietor
- Heathfield,
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Member Since: 2009/12/19
Industry: Computer & IT
Tech Certifications:
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Professional Background
Owner
1 Can Help, PC Problem Solving & Training Services
July 1994 – Present
IT Software Support and Tuition, Domestic and Corporate, System Setup and Maintenance, Impartial Purchase Advice, Network and Website Assistance.
Sales and Marketing Director
Smurfit Packaging Products
February 1991 – June 1994
I was head hunted into this position with overall responsibility for Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Estimating, Finished Goods Inventory, Production Planning and Raw Material Purchasing, I instituted a cradle to grave philosophy on Customer Service with complete organisational control of every order for every customer from enquiry stage to delivery.
Main achievements were:-
* Increasing Gross Contribution by an average of 12% resulting in a significant turn around in company performance.
* Training and equipping the field sales force with lap top computers, allowing field estimating and thereby improving reaction times to customer requirements.
* Sales efforts re-directed towards direct business with large end user accounts rather than the previous merchant customer base. Including personally opening accounts with Boots and Sainsburys.
* Phasing out of low margin business.
* Participation in a programme of work resulting in approval to BS5750 Part 2.
* Identifying markets and obtaining group capital for new machinery.
* Recruitment and training of new sales personnel.
Main achievements were:-
* Increasing Gross Contribution by an average of 12% resulting in a significant turn around in company performance.
* Training and equipping the field sales force with lap top computers, allowing field estimating and thereby improving reaction times to customer requirements.
* Sales efforts re-directed towards direct business with large end user accounts rather than the previous merchant customer base. Including personally opening accounts with Boots and Sainsburys.
* Phasing out of low margin business.
* Participation in a programme of work resulting in approval to BS5750 Part 2.
* Identifying markets and obtaining group capital for new machinery.
* Recruitment and training of new sales personnel.
Export Sales Manager
Syfer Technology Limited
February 1991 – November 1991
* Rapidly mastering new technology to such an extent that I was able to talk authoritatively on the product to design engineers in French as well as English.
* Appointing new distributors in Italy, Sweden, Israel, South Africa, Ireland and Denmark, rationalising distributors in France and Germany, revitalising distributors in Spain, Finland, Norway and Switzerland.
* Commencement of an approval programme with a major Swiss/Swedish multi-national instrumentation company, reinstatement of a lapsed approval programme with a French based major multi-national telecommunications company.
* Participation in 20% company growth at a time of UK market decline.
* Appointing new distributors in Italy, Sweden, Israel, South Africa, Ireland and Denmark, rationalising distributors in France and Germany, revitalising distributors in Spain, Finland, Norway and Switzerland.
* Commencement of an approval programme with a major Swiss/Swedish multi-national instrumentation company, reinstatement of a lapsed approval programme with a French based major multi-national telecommunications company.
* Participation in 20% company growth at a time of UK market decline.
OEM Business Manager - Europe
Duracell Europe
April 1988 – May 1990
The role of OEM Business Manager-Europe was newly created as part of a global initiative to harmonize sales and marketing to major multi-national OEMs.
I wrote the marketing strategy for this function and established the department, recruiting an administrator, producing the departmental procedures manual and setting up the organizational links with Logistics, Manufacturing, and Finance.
My main achievements were:-
* Selling batteries to the European headquarters of Japanese photographic companies.
* Saving the company nearly $900K through negotiation with major Japanese camera companies following a global product recall.
* Identifying a major new battery opportunity for Duracell in mobile telecommunications.
* Influencing the design thinking of major telecommunications manufacturers in battery choice for design into new equipment, involving negotiations with both senior marketing and technical personnel.
* Selling batteries to a number of telecommunications manufacturers in Europe, despite, in one instance, the end customer having its own battery manufacturing facilities.
I wrote the marketing strategy for this function and established the department, recruiting an administrator, producing the departmental procedures manual and setting up the organizational links with Logistics, Manufacturing, and Finance.
My main achievements were:-
* Selling batteries to the European headquarters of Japanese photographic companies.
* Saving the company nearly $900K through negotiation with major Japanese camera companies following a global product recall.
* Identifying a major new battery opportunity for Duracell in mobile telecommunications.
* Influencing the design thinking of major telecommunications manufacturers in battery choice for design into new equipment, involving negotiations with both senior marketing and technical personnel.
* Selling batteries to a number of telecommunications manufacturers in Europe, despite, in one instance, the end customer having its own battery manufacturing facilities.
Technical Product Manager - Europe
Duracell Europe
January 1986 – April 1988
Improving liaison between Manufacturing, Marketing and R & D, during a period of great change in the company product profile.
Main achievements were:-
* Completing a substantial investigation into Duracell speciality products, resulting in recommendations for second sourcing which proved successful.
* Originating plans for the formation of Duracell Special Battery assembly division as an independent entity following proposals to close the Gatwick Road factory of which it had originally been part.
* Lecturing on Zinc Air battery technology, to design engineers and technical press at the British Standards Institute.
* Controlling the production of technical PR material for distribution to subsidiaries across Europe.
* Providing technical assistance in customer liaison to European marketing subsidiaries.
* Surveying specific technical market sectors and building a battery application data base.
Main achievements were:-
* Completing a substantial investigation into Duracell speciality products, resulting in recommendations for second sourcing which proved successful.
* Originating plans for the formation of Duracell Special Battery assembly division as an independent entity following proposals to close the Gatwick Road factory of which it had originally been part.
* Lecturing on Zinc Air battery technology, to design engineers and technical press at the British Standards Institute.
* Controlling the production of technical PR material for distribution to subsidiaries across Europe.
* Providing technical assistance in customer liaison to European marketing subsidiaries.
* Surveying specific technical market sectors and building a battery application data base.
Business Development Manager
Activair Europe (A Division of Duracell Batteries Limited)
February 1985 – January 1986
This post was newly created as a result of the acquisition of Activair by Duracell for $19M in late 1984. Activair, the premier worldwide manufacturer of Zinc Air batteries for hearing aids, held many of the key patents for the technology at the time of acquisition.
At Activair I was responsible for the development of non hearing aid business throughout Europe.
Significant achievements were:-
* Organization of a pan-European multi-lingual trade press advertisement.
* Completion of market analysis, identification of niche markets in telecommunications and medical instrumentation.
* Recommending adjustments to cell technology to allow mass market sales.
At Activair I was responsible for the development of non hearing aid business throughout Europe.
Significant achievements were:-
* Organization of a pan-European multi-lingual trade press advertisement.
* Completion of market analysis, identification of niche markets in telecommunications and medical instrumentation.
* Recommending adjustments to cell technology to allow mass market sales.
Special Battery Development Manager
Duracell Europe
March 1983 – January 1985
This post was a promotion from one which had been newly created, to manage the design and costing of custom-made battery products.
My responsibilities included:-
* Project management of Special Battery assembly design.
* Assisting subsidiaries with customer liaison on all aspects of pan-European Special Battery development.
The most significant achievement during this period was to provide the technical input to the negotiation for the sale of Lithium Sulphur Dioxide batteries to a major Swedish defence contractor.
My responsibilities included:-
* Project management of Special Battery assembly design.
* Assisting subsidiaries with customer liaison on all aspects of pan-European Special Battery development.
The most significant achievement during this period was to provide the technical input to the negotiation for the sale of Lithium Sulphur Dioxide batteries to a major Swedish defence contractor.
Special Battery Development Co-ordinator
Duracell Europe
June 1982 – March 1983
This promotion into company headquarters was in order to resolve a major problem with Special Battery design and costings which I had identified during my previous role as Industrial Engineer in the Gatwick Road Assembly Plant (1980 to 1982).
I reduced the timescale on new designs from 3 months to 3 weeks.
I reduced the timescale on new designs from 3 months to 3 weeks.
Industrial Engineer
Duracell Batteries Ltd.
February 1980 – May 1982
Recruited as a graduate, trained in Industrial Engineering where I worked on plant re-organisation and work flow planning. I identified an issue with company procedures for special assembly battery design and costing which resulted in my promotion to a newly created position in Duracell European headquarters.
Education
King's College London, U. of London
B.Sc. (Hons)
Chemistry
1976 – 1979
Kenyon College
1975 – 1976
Westminster School
1971 – 1975
Dulwich College Preparatory School
1969 – 1971
Full Biography
1 Can Help, PC Problem Solving & Training Services is a UK based consultancy specialising in PC Problem Solving & Training and providing impartial system purchase or upgrade advice. Dealing with both Corporate and Domestic Clients. Servicing Sussex, Kent, Surrey and Central/South London areas. Or nationwide at cost plus rates.
Founded in 1994 by Gordon Fraser B.Sc. (Hons.), who spent 10 years with Duracell Batteries in a variety of Engineering and Technical Marketing roles followed by periods with Syfer Technology, in Export Sales Management supplying electronic components to the Computer and Telecommunications industries, and Jefferson Smurfit Group as Sales and Marketing Director for a Group Subsidiary supplying the retail sector with printed packaging.
The increasing use of Computers over his career combined with the substantial amount of PC training experience gained led Gordon to start the PC Problem Solving & Training Services business.
Specialties: Providing training, (on an individual basis or for groups), in Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP, Me, 2000, 98 and leading industry standard software packages. Problem solving and advisory services in PC system configuration, memory management, comms., internet implementation and simple web site design, printing problems, multimedia upgrades and client-server or peer to peer networks.
Languages
French
Elementary Proficiency
Dutch
Elementary Proficiency
Level Progress
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