• Homepage
• Enquiries

• Conferences
• Corporate Testing
• Management Consultancy
• Sales Consultancy
• Corporate IT Dining

About Black Raven

Black Raven was founded as a premier, specialist consultancy firm organising events and foreign visits either as a Black Raven initiative or addressing specific company needs. Additionally we also assist supplier and services organisations to help them better target their sales campaigns and improve overall effectiveness.

The founding Director was Roger Ellis who brought with him a vast experience gained from the IT Director's perspective. Roger served as IT Director for the leading FTSE 100 company, Blue Circle Industries PLC, for 12 years and also held senior managerial positions in Gulf Oil Corporation in London, Rome, and Houston. For 2 years he also held a senior managerial position in an American software company where he gained a thorough appreciation of the sales cycle and strategic targeting. Since leaving Blue Circle he has worked in a consultancy role with various leading organisations such as HM Treasury and Clifford Chance. As Chairman and co-founder of the IT Director's Network and a past Chairman of ELITE (the BCS's forum for IT Directors), a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Court Assistant for the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists and Treasurer for the ISSA (the leading association for IT Security professionals), Roger has acquired not only an in depth knowledge of the Industry but an extensive network of contacts. He also serves as Chairman of the London Branch of the International Wine and Food Society.

Assisting Roger as Events Director is Sharon Michaels. Sharon has been in the advertising, marketing, PR and exhibition industries for 25years and her client base spans both trade and consumer. She has an excellent understanding of the requirements of varying market sectors from fashion, charity, travel, home interest to finance. A 'hands on' person, involvement and back-up for clients' marketing and development programmes has resulted in wide ranging activities at all levels. She has also been involved in TV commercials (from concept, script, production through to approval) and publishing with a good all-round knowledge of production, print and photography. Her expertise in exhibitions are in both the trade and consumer sectors and she has been involved in every step from identifying the market, advertising, PR and organisation through to maintaining after show follow-up/reaction. Finally she maintains a network of regular associates who work on a freelance basis and so can offer a complete service covering all sectors.

Supporting Black Raven as Associate Consultants are some of the most experienced and eminent IT Directors in the industry, drawn from FTSE 100 companies. These include: 

• Robin Laidlaw - for six years Robin served as the Director of Information Technology for British Gas plc. Prior to that he held executive positions within British Gas, firstly as Director of Marketing for Eastern Gas, then as Deputy Chairman for Southern Gas. More recently Robin acted as a Director for the Gatton Consulting Group Limited. Robin remains one of the most experienced and respected figures in the industry.
  
  
  
• Dr. David Jacobs - served as Head of IS for National Power plc for many years. During that time he was responsible for creating the vision and IS Strategy to support international expansion called NP World. This involved all power stations, offices and mobile staff in this major organisation. David has been recognised in the industry and is the recipient of several awards.
  
  
  
• Ian Hillan - has served as IT Director for W H Smith and the Financial Services Authority. Prior to that he was Group Systems Director for Royal Sun Alliance and also served as the main board Director at Freemans plc (Sears UK), responsible for both IT and Marketing. Ian brings a considerable experience operating at the highest level in a variety of major organisations.
  
  
  
• Alan Brooks - has a record of accomplishment in managing IT for business benefit, with extensive senior management experience in “blue-chip” companies. Early in his career after IT managerial positions in Volvo Concessionaires and Dunlop Engineering, he was appointed MIS Director for the world-wide operations of Nabisco, outside of the US. From 1990 - 1997 he served as Director of IT for The Rank Group plc, before moving to OSI Group Limited. More recently he was CIO for Europe and the Middle East for Brinks, the US security transport firm.
  
  
  
• Tim Wickes - has worked extensively for both users and suppliers within the IT Industry. This included 6 years with ICT, as a Sales Engineer and Manager of Technical Information; Honeywell Ltd as a Divisional Director and Consolidated Computer Inc., as European Vice President. In 1974 he founded the first European-wide specialist IT marketing consultancy, with clients including Cable & Wireless, Data General, Digital, IBM, Nashua, Geisco, Microfocus, Novell and AT&T. He is currently Managing Director of i4NET UK and Chairman of CH Business Development as well as holding several non executive directorships.

• Dr. Richard Sykes - served for some six years as Vice-President and CIO for ICI. During that time he led a major restructuring and downsizing of the corporate IT based on outsourcing at a time of considerable change, including the demerger of Zeneca and the acquisition of the speciality chemicals businesses of Unilever. Prior to this appointment Richard had held many senior business and commercial leadership roles within ICI's chemical and plastics divisions, including being based in Japan for three years. He recently served as Chairman of Morgan Chambers plc, one of Europe's premier outsourcing consultants, as well as two other non-executive chairman positions, two other directorships and various advisory roles.

• Dr. Robina Chatham - originally qualified as both a Mechanical Engineer and as a Neuroscientist. Her IT career commenced within the shipbuilding industry where she pioneered the introduction of computing on to the shop floor. Subsequently she held many senior positions within the world of IT including that of European IT Director for a leading merchant bank. However in 1996 Robina left the corporate world to join Cranfield School of Management as a Lecturer specialising in interpersonal relationships and organisational politics. Author of the book "Corporate politics for IT Managers", she now runs her own training company, whilst remaining a visiting Fellow at Cranfield.

Collectively these individuals have held positions of the highest level operating with multi-million pound budgets. They know what would have worked with them and how to deal and operate at the IT Director level. They can bring their considerable knowledge and experience.