Simon Pepper

Following a Management team lead Technology Spin-out from the Oxygen8 Group completed in January 2022, Tola Mobile is now able to continue its focus on integrating Mobile Money Wallets in Sub-Saharan Africa. A market with 605M MoMo subscribers, 183M active accounts served by 161 providers and transacting $700bn a year. To date Tola's footprint has now expanded to 22 active regions including Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Cameron, DRC, working with Safaricom, Tigo, Vodacom/Vodafone, MTN, Airtel. Orange, Africell, TNM, with more regions in development and on the expansion plan. I have Product responsibility, ownership and leadership, within the Management team, of the Tola platforms serving Mobile Money integration, SMS communications and Mobile Enablement technologies with custom USSD Menus, SMS Keywords and Telegram Bots.

Product ownership and leadership of the Tola platform, part of the Oxygen 8 Global Group. Supporting the existing Mobile Wallet aggregation deployments in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Mozambique and Rwanda, working with Safaricom, Tigo, Vodacom/Vodafone, MTN, and Airtel. Operates Mobile Billing in the UK, leveraging an e-Money licence and existing Carrier integrations for SMS and Carrier Billing, operates PFI & PRS based billing regulated by the PSA (formerly PPP) working with Vodafone, O2, EE and 3 Operates in South Africa for OBS Billing regulated by WASP, working with Vodacom, MTN, CellC and Telkom Operates in Australia for WAP Billing and Ireland for DOB Billing. Product responsibility for the Oxygen8 Messaging Platform operating throughout UK, East Africa, West Africa, South Africa, Australia, Ireland connected with all major MNOs and processing upward of 7Bn SMS annually.

Product Camp is an annual peer-to-peer event focused on Product Management & Product Marketing. Now having taken place since 2012, at which I have not only been involved in the organizing in advance and during the event, but also contributed with session content and panel moderation. See www.productcampdublin.com

AIPMM Product Manager Ambassadors Council is an invited group of association members. These individuals are the embodiment of the highest standards of excellence as they represent the Association of International Product Marketing & Management (AIPMM) and the field of product management and product marketing. They speak or lecture at universities, schools, other groups, and events. As the most experienced and highest-ranking group of product managers and product marketers, they offer their insight and advice on the career path, education, and the day-to-day tasks of a working product manager, making a difference to the next generation of professionals.

Management & maintenance of Sysnet's Product portfolio throughout the entire product lifecycle. This covers a comprehensive Product Roadmap, Product specifications, Product positioning, Competitor analysis and messaging, incorporating client required developments and conformance to the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS), which applies to all businesses taking and processing card payments. Introduction and execution of Strategic Product Roadmap planning processes, with prioritized requirements, revisions to compliance standards, Card Scheme reporting requirements, technological direction, with direct integration into Agile/SCRUM based Product Development processes and Architecture departments. Head up the Product Management and Product Design teams, ensuring that Product Management disciplines are adhered to, and an excellent customer and user experience for over 1.6 million merchants is maintained.

Axiologix / Prime Carrier is an International Technology and Services Organization focused on delivering and enabling Cloud-based next generation Products and Services. By delivering solutions from a hosted data-centre, such as ‘Software as a Service’ (SaaS), minimizes up-front and on-going software and IT costs to the customer. Solutions include Wholesale Carrier Destination, Rate and Route Optimization.

Management of all areas of business operations to now include Account & Customer Management, Product Development, Finance & Legal. Undertaken business restructuring to enable the company to become profitable with a positive cash contribution to the overall group.

Prime Carrier acquired AM-BEO in June 2005. Product portfolio management, Product positioning, 'Go-to-Market' definition, Competitive Analysis and positioning, Channel preparation for this software company providing solutions for the Wholesale and Retail Telecommunications Industry. Redefined Product and Business Strategy into a Cloud-based ‘Software as a Service (SaaS)’ provider into the Telecommunications industry. Resulting an incremental reoccurring annual revenue stream with strong predictability & reoccurrence. Marketing communications covering National, International & Trade press, Communication with customers, partners & industry analysts and presence at Industry Trade Shows.

The Irish Software Association (ISA), is the principal trade association for the software industry in Ireland. The core mission is to promote the common interests of the software sector as a whole as well as serving as a key resource to member companies by providing an organised forum for the exchange of ideas, sharing of resources and promotion of industry goals and influencing public policy. The ISA assists software companies to start, manage and expand their companies and to help them to be successful in global markets. www.software.ie

AM-BEO was acquired by Prime Carrier in June 2005. Product portfolio management, Product positioning, Pricing, 'Go-to-Market' definition, Competitive Analysis and positioning, Channel preparation for this software company providing solutions for the Telecommunications Industry in the area of Rating, Charging and Settlement. Set and executed Product Strategy to redefine the Product portfolio for Next Generation Rating and Charging technologies Product launches with business-lead positioning, pricing & promotion, complimented by revised collateral sets and sales-tools. Partnering strategies for in-direct Channel and Global Alliances, including System Integrators and Technology Partners, namely Hewlett Packard & Accenture.

Performing consultancy to determine Market Segmentation strategy, the re-definition of existing Product offerings, formulation of ‘Go to Market’ plans for short and medium term revenue growth, the identification of new product offering opportunities, determining criteria for Pricing & product structure and the identification and on-going tracking of competitor activity & market forces.

Relocated to Ireland for a global Product Management and Product Marketing role, based in Dublin HQ for this Irish multi-national publicly traded software company. Product Manager for IONA’s Application Service Provider, a J2EE Compliant Application Development platform Managing all Product Marketing processes, positioning, pricing and messaging for the global market dominant Orbix™ product line, which contributed over 80% of annual $100m+ product licence revenue. Established, executed and managed unified processes for setting cross industry product strategy, defining and verifying customer & market requirements, building roadmaps and launching Products. Formulated and managed pricing strategy for all IONA products, based on detailed business analysis Creation of Sales material structure and of delivery of training to support a Global Sales channel to build market awareness and raise opportunity assessment, improving sales channel effectiveness. High profile industry presence through key speaking engagements including Keynote presentations at the Java One events, and elected membership of multi-vendor standardisation committee. Published articles in both industry and national publications. Responsible for the strategic product direction, planning and positioning for a new software product line, a key component of IONA’s product line, with over $100m of incremental license revenue generated. Managed a number of key relationships including technology licensing from Sun Microsystems, Progress Software, DataDirect & Hewlett Packard as 3rd party OEM channels.

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) accredited course, giving Membership status (MCIM).

Received a 1st Class Honours Degree Accredited Degree with IEE, partnered with ICL's Graduate Engineer program to give MIEE CEng status.