Simon Jones

Experienced Programme and Client Relationship Manager with 20+ years’ experience delivering large-scale transformation across the cards, payments and financial services sectors. Adept at leading complex, multi-million-pound change portfolios in global environments, including with top-tier organisations such as Visa, Lloyds Banking Group & Yorkshire Water. Trusted leader with strong stakeholder engagement and cross-functional team leadership across global and matrixed structures.

Expert in cards and payments ecosystems with a proven track record driving regulatory compliance, delivery in financial services, and client success. Experienced in both Agile and Waterfall delivery with a people-first leadership approach that fosters high-performing teams.

IT (Infrastructure) Programme Manager - Yorkshire Water

(2025-10)

Leading a major IT infrastructure and data migration programme to migrate from on premise data centres to Microsoft Azure Cloud.

• Co-ordinating and facilitating over 20 IT workstream project teams to deliver workload migrations from on-premises data centres to Azure cloud, across key organisational applications and platforms including Billing, Telemetry, Networks & SAP.
• Establishing programme governance ensuring alignment with Yorkshire Water technology delivery framework, co-ordinating with teams across infrastructure technology teams, wider technology teams and external organisations such as BT/EE, Hitachi, Computacenter & Hexaware.
• Owning programme management of scope, detailed workstream and programme planning, budget, risk, issue and dependency management and delivery management.
• Primary interface with Programme Sponsor, IT senior leadership team, head of PMO, Service Transition, Technology Infrastructure teams, Architecture and IT procurement.
• Author and gain approval of delivery cost funding requests across financial year cycles ensuring delivery remains within approved portfolio budget and appetite.

Director, Programme Management - Chargebacks911/Fi911

(2023-06 - 2025-08)

Multifaceted role comprising of three areas of responsibility: client rollout, client relationships and internal card scheme management.

• Portfolio delivery for Fi911 products and services working closely with India based scrum teams to facilitate the delivery of new client set up, new product features, client change requests and service delivery ticket resolution for clients.
• Client Relationship Management including provision of scheme analysis and insight, response to escalated queries, proactive and reactive issue mitigation, sprint deliverables and maintenance of regular strategic reviews, such as Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR).
• Internal Scheme Management SME contribution providing initial triage for potential impact on CB911/Fi911 products, as well as wider impacts on issuer & acquirer clients for discussion in client forums.

Director, Client Success UK & Ireland, Client Services - Visa

(2021-08 - 2023-06)

Led a team of 7 Client Success Managers supporting major UK and global clients across operations, service improvement, and strategic delivery. Acted as a senior escalation point for critical issues, while driving performance improvements through cross-functional collaboration.

• Drove operational improvements and implemented recommendations, through stakeholder engagement, to drive increased service quality, revenue, and efficiency for clients (Issuers & Acquirers).
• Championed the development of a shared service approach for tier 2/3 clients; introducing a service management model to increase service coverage
• Led design and rollout of UK and Ireland client success role guide, aligning delivery standards across the region.
• Collaborated in response code optimisation and airline deferred authorisation working groups.

Senior Account Manager, Client Services - Visa

(2019-06 - 2021-07)

Working within the UK & Ireland cluster providing account management to a Signature UK & Global issuing client, providing day-to-day operations, product and back-office support, and client performance reporting.

• Conducting regular client operational reviews across key performance measures; optimising operational performance; supporting cost efficiency; and advocating opportunities for improvements, such as response code and deferred authorisation optimisation.
• Resolution of complex client problems, including mandate non delivery/waivers, impacts to the wider system and market/region wide deliveries, scheme mandatory & regulatory changes.
• Global Account Management co-ordination for Client Services activities across multiple regions.

Programme Manager (Debit Cards) - Lloyds Banking Group

(2015-05 - 2019-06)

Programme Manager accountable for shaping and leading the delivery of c£15m portfolio of programmes and projects. Extensive Stakeholder Management Experience – across various levels of seniority, portfolios, divisions and externally across commercial organisations and schemes. Led a team of 10 senior project professionals.

• Led the annual Debit Card Scheme Compliance programme and strategic deliveries such as Debit Card Improvement Programme, with key achievements including a complex pricing change, delivered for the first time in 10 years, and workstreams delivering key fraud prevention measures.
• Provided SME and delivery input to organisational scheme compliance assessments.
• Scheme and externally respected industry representation for LBG – including the senior industry Visa European Processing forum, Visa Integration, SMS, Transit and Recurring Payments Working Groups.
• Member of Visa UK Payments Committee and UK Cards Contactless Committee.

Lead Project Manager (Debit Cards) - Lloyds Banking Group

(2010-01 - 2015-04)

Established a high performing team, and network of contacts, to facilitate successful delivery across external organisations.

• Devised new strategy for delivery of the multi-brand platform Debit Card Scheme Compliance, consolidating disparate deliveries into a cohesive annual programme and building the case for enhanced investment (from c£2m to £5m).
• Undertook regular review of scheme documentation to inform senior product management of key compliance items.
• Led the removal of cheque guarantee across the organisation.
• Member of Transport for London contactless working committees.

IT Project Manager - HBOS

(2007-08 - 2009-12)

Led a team of IT analysts and developers for the end-to-end IT delivery of multiple Banking & Savings product and fraud projects, with typical budgets of c£1 to £2m.

• Established a resource pool management approach with offshore resource partners to enable greater flexibility within IT projects.

Business Project Management Roles (Analyst & Project Manager) - HBOS

(2003-04 - 2007-07)

Led & supported key workstreams as an analyst, and subsequently as a project manager, responsible for implementing various projects. Key projects included:

• Launch of the Halifax Ultimate Reward Current Account, a £4.5m delivery, introducing a new added value product including features for Travel, insurances and breakdown cover.
• The end-to-end delivery of a transition of travel money provision from American Express to Travelex.

Graduate Management Trainee - HBOS

(2001-09 - 2003-04)

Various customer facing roles within the Greater Manchester Halifax plc retail branch network, including responsibility for the management of the Counter and Banking Hall teams and Assistant Branch Manager.

Association for Project Management Practitioner Award (APMP) - Association for Project Management (2010 - 2010)

BA (Hons) - History - University of Sheffield (2001 - 2001)

3 A-levels (1998 - 1998)

10 GCSEs (1996 - 1996)