At a glance

• Client: FTSE-equivalent global retailer — client name available on request
• Programme: Enterprise data and cloud transformation — Azure migration, Databricks Lakehouse, Unity Catalog
• Scale: 40+ enterprise data products across multiple international retail brands
• Budget: ~$2.8m total programme budget (2024–2026)
• Duration: March 2024 to present — three contract renewals; programme now in its final delivery phase
• Role: Senior Delivery Manager — full programme delivery ownership and budget accountability

Context

A multi-year enterprise data transformation at a FTSE-equivalent global retailer. I came in to take over a programme already mid-flight — migrating 40+ data products to a Databricks Lakehouse on Azure, retiring legacy infrastructure, and standing up Unity Catalog governance across multiple international brands.

The challenge

The previous delivery lead had left mid-programme. Exec confidence had taken a hit, and scope changes, reprioritisations, and change-freeze breaches had been piling up without a clean view of them at the top. Predictability was thin, and the migration cadence wasn't keeping up with what the business needed.

What I did

• Took full programme ownership — exec stakeholder management, programme governance, and budget oversight.
• Built a Change Log Analysis framework — one source of truth for scope changes, reprioritisation decisions, and change-freeze breaches. The thing the exec team had been missing.
• Introduced a rotating SME model — partner engineers embedded each PI cycle, with clear Squad Lead and Product SME roles so they contributed from day one.

Outcomes

• 70% increase in delivery predictability after introducing the rotating SME model.
• ~30% platform cost reduction across the migrated estate.
• $2.8m total programme budget managed across 2024–2026.
• 3 contract renewals — programme now in its final delivery phase after sustained delivery leadership.
• 40+ enterprise data products migrated to Databricks Lakehouse, with decommissioning of the legacy platform well advanced.
• Change Log Analysis framework adopted as the executive-level programme accountability mechanism.

The full case study is available on request — get in touch and I'll send it directly.