Summary of Qualifications
Nick Vandekerkhove is an experienced Project Manager in the Telecom sector and member of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
For many years Nick worked in the R&D department of a major player on the market where he was able to gain an in-depth knowledge and
understanding of the technology. In this international environment, Nick was Project Manager for 4 years, reporting towards Headquarters
and delivering projects on time. Always keen on new challenges, Nick wanted to meet the customer for whom he had been working all the time
and therefore he became Sales Project Manager, delivering solutions to several Belgian Telecom operators. To come full circle, it was a
logical step to start working for the operators themselves. Within short time, Nick also excelled in this highly competitive market place.
Major achievement is the successful introduction of new mobile core technology in the Proximus network. Latest highlight to date is the
timely introduction of vectoring in the Belgacom network allowing higher bandwidth for their VDSL customers.
Personal Information
Name: Nick Vandekerkhove
Address: Steenweg Op Holsbeek 7
3110 Rotselaar
Mobile: +32 476 996 317
Date of Birth: 15 October 1966 (Roeselare)
| Language Skills |
Speaking |
Reading |
Writing |
| Dutch(Native) |
Fluent |
Fluent |
Fluent |
| English |
Fluent |
Fluent |
Fluent |
| French |
Fluent |
Good |
Basic |
| German |
Fluent |
Fluent |
Good |
Knowledge
- PMI Based Project management
- Scope Management: A clear definition of a project in the early stages is a key to success
- Schedule Management: Project Planning in MS-Project
- Quality Management: Working to the highest standards possible
- Cost Management: Strict cost control
- Budget Management: Follow governance to assure budget is released on time
- Customer Relationship Management: Project Manager is Single Point of Contact during execution of project
- Escalation Management: Problems are a reality within a project. Deal with them in a professional way
- Risk Management: Define risks as early as possible to reduce impact. Benefit from your chances
- Procurement Management: Initiate and follow up logistical chain
- ITIL
- Working in ITIL Professional Service Environment
- Incident Management
Skills
- End-to-end Project Management
- Functional Analysis of customer requirements
- Working in an international environment
- Required Helicopter view on a project through analytical analysis
- Excellent communication skills with both third party suppliers, customer, top management and own team
- Problem Solving attitude based on Creative and strategic thinking
- Team leader of project teams
Education
Formal Education
Civil Engineer in Electronics and Mechanics, Dept Electronics (KU Leuven 1985 – 1990). Degree reached with Distinction (Onderscheiding).
Additional Education
- 2007: Certified Project Manager according PM@Siemens (based on PMI)
- 2007: Customer Focus (Atlas Business Training)
- 2007: Onderhandelingsvaardigheden (Antwerpen) (Kluwers)
- 2006: Advanced Project Risk Management Training (Pro-Source)
- 2006: Advanced Project Risk Management Training (Pro-Source)
- 2006: Training Onderhandelen (Advice and Training Centre)
- 2005: Leiderschap (Het Trainingshuis)
- 2005: Claim and Change Management (Knowles Limited)
- 2004: Getting started in SAP (Siemens internal course)
- 2004: Praktisch Project Management (based on PMI) (Pro-source)
- 2003: Management & Leiderdchap (X-Kwizit Management Training)
- 2001: Project Management (Siemens Internal course)
- 1996: TMAP training (Edinburgh)
IT Knowledge Areas
- GSM/GPRS/UMTS: Siemens and NSN
- Cable-TV-amplifiers: Kathrein (Rosenheim/Germany)
- DWDM: Nokia Siemens Networks
- VOIP: Nokia Siemens Networks
- Internet-Routers: Juniper
- UNIX servers
- Public Wireless LAN: Cisco
- Service Control Plane/Deep Packet Inspection: P-Cube (Israel)/Cisco
- VDSL-technology: LEX/LDC/DSLAM/ROP/CPE
- FTTH-technology: LEX/OFP/DTP/ONTP/UTAC/CPE
- Webapplications:
- Development on Fujitsu Siemens PrimeCenter Rack (MS2003 Server)
- Development on HP Servers
- Oracle 10G Enterprise version
- Java/ C/ ProC
- Dot Net framework on Microsoft IIS web server
- AJAX Frame work
Summary of Experience
2014 – ... PROXIMUS: Senior Project Manager for Fiber to the Home Brownfield
Project definition: Roll-out of fiber into the home in urban areas.
- Challenges:
- Top priority project for Proximus
- Very aggressive time to market planning
- Manage multiple vendors on same core application
- Responsibilities:
- Gathering business requirements
- Adapt OSS/BSS systems to support the massive roll-out
- Major Achievement
- Yet again a new technology successfully mastered
- Despite impossible timings, delivering quality with only minimum of delay
2013 – 2014 BELGACOM: Senior Project Manager for Fixed Access Network
Project definition: World-wide pilot, introducing vectoring in VDSL technology, pushing bandwidth to new heights.
- Challenges:
- Major strategic project for Belgacom
- Massive time pressure
- "Failure is not an option" attitude
- Responsibilities:
- Gathering business requirements
- Streamline requirements into the Release Management cyclic
- Organize development of supporting IT migration tools
- Major Achievement
- Quick knowledge build-up in new technology, earning respect from technical teams
- Bridge builder between 2 different worlds (network & IT-development)
2009 – 2012 BELGACOM: Senior Project Manager/Program Manager for Mobile Core Network
Project definition: Replacement of R99 Core Network with R4 split architecture.
- Responsibilities:
- Communication towards Top Management
- Manage the different teams (Switching, Transmission, Cabling, OSS, BSS, Statistics,...)
- Resource Planning
- Active Vendor Management (NSN)
- Financial control through yearly business case renewal
- Major Achievement
- Stakeholder Management by early detection of impacts (present/defend project towards top management)
- Motivator of technical teams
2009 TANGO LUXEMBOURG: Senior Project Manager for Mobile Core Network
Project definition: Implementation of Virtual Home Environment (INAP) & Steering of Roaming (MAP) and VoiceMail System
- Responsibilities:
- Functional Analysis of business process and business needs of customer
- Set up RFQ & corresponding Vendor selection
- Implementation/deployment/Acceptance in network
- Major Achievement
- Time between Vendor Selection & Acceptance of VHE: 3 months
2007 – 2008 SNCB: Project Manager for GSM-R Project/Support presales (VOIP, DWDM)
Project definition: Set up a Customer Care and Billing Centre for GSM-R for SNCB
- Responsibilities:
- Functional Analysis of business process and business needs of customer
- Customize the solution (Web application based upon .NET and Oracle-dB) with Siemens India
- Distributed Architecture (3 Layers: database, business logic & Front End Layer)
- Support Pre-sales (Scope Definition in early stage/Support Pricing Strategy/Contract Negotiations with customer)
2003 – 2007 Telenet: Sales Project Manager.
Project definition: Execute in parallel different infrastructure multi-million € projects ranging between Cable-TV, Internet-routers, Wireless LAN.
- Responsibilities:
- Set up Project Management Plan
- Agree planning with stakeholders
- Financial follow up: Keep costs under control
- Procurement Management: Keep track of PO′s towards supplier
- Service Project Management according ITIL principles
- Major Achievement
- 2007: Certification Project Manager according process PM@Siemens, based upon PMI. This certificate was issued by CEO of Siemens Belgium, Mr. Verheughe
2000 – 2003 Siemens NV
Project Manager for Mobile Core R&D projects.
Project definition: Development of 2nd and 3rd generation Circuit Switched switches for World -Market. Projects run in parallel.
Whilst the current release is under test, the next release has already been started its analysis phase. In general 2 to 3 projects run in parallel.
- Responsibilities:
- Development Team consists of 50 members
- Quality assurance (e.g. during ISO-9000 related audits)
- Single Point of Contact towards Headquarters, representing the team in status meetings
- Major Achievement
- In-depth analysis of results of resource planning
1998 – 1999 Siemens NV Test Coordinator GPRS
- Responsibilities:
- Team-leader of 5 system Testers
- Technical expert of GPRS test area
- Major Achievement
- Development of my organizational skills
1993 – 1997 Siemens Atea NV End-to-End test Mobile Core (GSM)
- Responsibilities:
- Perform testing on land-specific (China, Malaysia, Qatar, UK...) signaling adaptations
- Major Achievement
- Accepted Test Expert in international environment
1991 – 1992 Siemens Atea NV Developer Mobile Core (GSM)
- Responsibilities:
- Design, Development, implementation and testing of software (Billing Area) used in GSM-switches.
