Technical Support Tier 1
Resume:
FIONA BATWALA
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Results-driven Operations Manager and Business Development
Specialist with extensive experience in agribusiness, project management, finance and IT support. Proven expertise in optimizing operational efficiency, budgeting and strategic planning. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, training and implementing ISO 14001 standards for sustainable environmental management. A proactive leader with a strong background in financial analysis, M&E and IT systems support, contributing to data-driven decision- making. Passionate about capacity building, innovation and fostering growth in diverse industries.
CONTACT
Address: Kampala, Uganda
Phone: +256-*********
Email: ********@*****.***
SKILLS
Finance & Budgeting
Operations & Project
Management
IT & Technical skills
Monitoring & Evaluation
Training & Capacity Building
Leadership & Communication
Sustainable Business Practices
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Operations Manager, January 2017 to date
Tuliraba Estates Ltd (Uganda) – Agribusiness
Development of internal procedures for the daily processing using online banking and management of planning and budgetary data
Budget reporting and monitoring of weekly budgets for expenditures
Contribution to Project Management and coordination of project management activities, resources, equipment, and information
Implementation of documents according to the requirements of ISO 14001, Environment Management Systems
Collaborating in all aspects of human resources including policy maintenance, disciplinary processes, and daily operations
Training staff members on IT applications for reports and social media applications to be used for marketing of agriculture products, capacity building, and a platform for communication
Analytical work based on agriculture project outcomes, lessons learnt, and documentation of results
Office inventory of goods, equipment, and vehicles; farm vehicle management and repairs, renewals of insurance
Utilizing cost management programs to achieve per head and per acre income goals
Contributing to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills. Advocating for access to training programs for staff members in the latest best agriculture practices
Founder and CEO for Amanda bagasse briquettes
EDUCATION
Master of Business
Administration (Jan 2009 – Sept
2010) University of
Wolverhampton,
Wolverhampton, UK
Bachelor of Science Degree
(Hons) Business Information
Technology (Sept 2000 – June
2004) Manchester Metropolitan
University, Manchester, UK
Diploma in Software
Development, C++ (Oct 2002 –
June 2003) Gloucestershire
College of Art & Technology,
Gloucester, UK
CERTIFICATIONS
March 2022: Institute of
Chartered Shipbrokers: UNDP
and ICS: Ports and The Supply
Chain Awareness and security
measures to prevent illegal
wildlife trade
September 2021: Certificate of
Recognition for Global SDG
Advocate and Practitioner
2 – 30 April 2021: Introduction
to Sustainable Development in
Business SDGs – mooKIT
Platform
July 2018 – 2019: Zimba Women
Mentorship Program
November 2016: Prince2 (2009)
Foundation and Practitioner
May 2016: International Public
Sector Accounting Standards
(IPSAS)
Monitoring and Evaluation & Operations Subcounty Supervisor, July 2020 – January 2021
Ministry of Health (Uganda) – Under the Net Campaign
Monitored and distributed mosquito nets nationwide in different districts of Uganda
Installed and configured the mobile phone application EDMIS (electronic data management information system) used for registration of households and distribution of nets
Created and managed user profiles for data entrants on the EDMIS tool to collect data during the process to support the campaign programme
Carried out data management trainings for field teams. And supporting team management by attending regular meetings to share on progress, challenges, and solutions
Timely reports on the CCMIS (central collaborative management information system)
Offer basic IT support to field teams during data collection
Carried out safety measures during the covid pandemic and encouraged communities to wear masks as part of the health programs
PROJECTS
Co-authored a chapter in the
SDG Nugget Hour Book – A
Compendium of Bitesize Views
from Global Advocates and
Practitioners of the Sustainable
Development Goals, First
Edition, 2021 (available on
Amazon).
Implementation of Epos Call
Centre System – A project
focused on upgrading the data
center at River Island (UK).
Relocation and setup of the
main head office on Jinja Road –
Included setting up a call center
and implementing SunSolar
financial system at Dfcu Bank
(Uganda).
Environmental and Social
Impact Statement (ESIS) for the
GetFIT Programme –
Contributed to securing a USD 10
million grant for Kakira Sugar
Limited.
United Nations Volunteer Finance and Budget Assistant, December 2015 to December 2016
United Nations Operations in Cote D’Ivoire
Working with a Budget Assistant in extracting information and generating budgetary for ONUCI peacekeeping financing reports, including statistical or financial data for tables, charts, and spreadsheets using office software and templates
Extraction of data from Umoja into Excel spreadsheets to create charts, graphs, and tables for management reports
Assisting the Budget Officer in preparation of budget performance submissions, Results Based Budgeting (RBB) Framework, and analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures
Reviewing operating budgets periodically to analyze trends affecting budget needs
Working as a team in regard to proposed budgets before examining and fund-granting authorities to clarify reports and gain support for estimated budget needs
Achievement: Planned, coordinated, and organised training for the Finance and Budget team (over 40 participants) for Prince2 Foundation and Practitioner certification
CONFERENCES
African Development Bank
Group’s Annual Meetings –
Nairobi, Kenya (May 27–31,
2024)
5th United Nations Conference
on the Least Developed
Countries – Doha, Qatar (March
5–9, 2023)
Business Development Manager, July 2011 to November 2015 Tuliraba Estates Ltd (Uganda) – Agribusiness
Effective management of employee performance including appraisals, support, training, and discipline. Supervised 25 people
Created and delivered business presentations which support and influence decision-making
Acted as a leader in customer service, planning product strategy, and road map, according to market competition
Reduction of operational costs by 40% in 2012, through investment of new methodologies
Administered costs by 30% by negotiating pricing and fees while ensuring the continuation and enhancements of services
Part of the management team to communicate effectively with all the stakeholders, managing both the dependencies and the interfaces between projects and managing risks to the projects’ successful outcomes [Programme Management]
Independent agribusiness advisor in encouraging farmers to adapt to sustainable methods of protecting the environment through tree planting
Preparing regular reports on performance of the business and also reporting on sales of the farm products/services
Executive Assistant to the General Manager, March 2014 to September 2014
Kakira Sugar Limited, Jinja (Uganda)
Carried out research on renewable energy projects and their impacts on human life for the quarterly newsletters for the company
Development of an Environment Sustainable report for Kakira Sugar Limited
Project member: Worked on the Environmental and Social Impact statement (ESIS) for the GetFIT Programme for a grant at USD 10m
Implementation of documents according to the requirements of ISO 14001, Environment Management Systems (SOPs, SAPs, Manuals, Technical procedures, Work instructions, and Quality forms)
Analysed the production of electricity from bagasse. Kakira Sugar Limited produces about 52MW per day and sold to the National grid
Mentored and encouraged women on business operations TECHNICAL SUMMARY
Audit & Compliance: ITIL, ISO
2700, Budget Essentials, ITIL
2011 Foundation and Service
Lifecycle, Financial Management
with SAP/Umoja (United
Nations), Bloomberg
(fingerprinting) and Reuters
(Treasury department)
Remote Desktop Management:
Remote Desktop Connection,
Dameware, VNC
Telecommunication & Call
Management: Cisco Call
Manager 4.5v, Unity Messaging,
Cisco VoIP phones, Epos call
centre system, Avaya telephone
billing
Organizational & Operations
Management: Organization
development, Service Level
Agreements (SLAs), Change
Management, People
Management, Organization
Behaviour, Operations
Management
Software Proficiency: Microsoft
Office applications (Word, Excel,
PowerPoint), SPSS data analysis
Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit Research Assistant Intern, Feb 2012 to April 2012
Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development (Uganda)
Coordinated quarterly data collection and analysis on renewable energy sources that include solar panels, mini hydro-power dams, energy saving stoves
Worked closely with the M&E Research Assistant to introduce and monitor implementation of renewable energy sources within the Ugandan districts
Field activities: awareness of programmes both at community and national levels as per the approved monitoring and evaluation plan
Participated in documentation and dissemination of achievements, lessons learned, and good practice so that they have an influencing impact
Desktop Support, Jan 2008 to Jan 2009
River Island (UK)
Installed and maintained network facilities, including hardware, software, and system data for small to medium sized networks
Configured IT hardware like Blackberry, Apple Mac, Dell, and Toshiba laptops and software within a fast-paced and demanding environment
Built and configured new Dell computer systems to standard specifications
Coordinated with vendors in line with Service Level Agreements
Installed, supported, and maintained the Cisco Call manager VoIP system which was used for internal voice telephony, telephone billing, and Unity Message system
Projects worked on: Implementation of Epos Call centre system; upgrading of the Data centre
IT & Desktop Support, July 2005 to June 2007
DFCU Bank, (Uganda)
Resolved problems, queries, emergencies, and complaints affecting quality and availability of services
Carried out weekly Risk assessment reviews of the IT systems for management
Part of the team that worked on IT projects that included implementing a new financial system for the newly merged bank, SunSolar system
Knowledge of Avaya telephone billing to reduce on telecommunications spending
Reduced helpdesk tickets by 60% through the use of knowledge base
Documented the Group IT Policy
Monitored the company's virus protection procedures, ensured adherence to IT security policies, coordinated responses to detected intrusions
Achievements: Completed short-term projects in the implementation of IT systems for new branches in time and back- up automated systems
Projects worked on: Relocation and set-up of main head office on Jinja Road, setup of Call center, Implementation and project follow up of SunSolar financial system
Field Technician Support, August to September 2004 02 (UK) Limited, Manchester. www.02.com
Conducting field tests with TEMs software
Use of RF properties with WCDMA and CDMA 1X networks
Carrying out QA/QC on checks on contractors
Systems Research & Development of Software
Performing site acceptance from contractors
Fault finding on transmission networks
Helpdesk Assistant, October 2003 to June 2004
Manchester Metropolitan University (UK)
Assisted over 1000 students with general queries relating to Microsoft Office and customer issues
Provided a point of contact and information for users using UMS
Resolved IT help desk issues efficiently; helped with timely recovery of valuable data in cases of software disaster IT Assistant, July 2002 to July 2003
British Energy (UK)
Configured, built, and implemented computer systems to standard Windows NT 4.0 through LANs on Nortel platform
Documented end-user manuals, which provided simple guidelines for the different software applications in use
Performed IT Asset management and provided IT support to users
Managed information security and enforced security policies
Achievement: roll out of PDAs within the company REFERENCES
Mrs. Dorcas Muhwezi
General Manager, Customer
Experience
MTN Uganda
Head Office, Plot 69-71 Jinja
Road, Kampala, Uganda
******.*******@***.***
Mr. Lamech Muluya Kibudde
Credit Analyst
Standard Chartered Bank
Head Office, 2nd Floor,
Standard Chartered House, Plot 5,
Speke Road
*************.******@**.***
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