CURRICULUM VITAE - Alex Weir  - last updated March 2006 – download http://www.cd3wd.com/resume/resume.zip or view http://www.cd3wd.com/resume/resume.doc or http://www.cd3wd.com/resume/index.htm  for the latest version of this document.

[This resume is pre-coded for MS Indexing Service search as per http://www.cd3wd.com/WindexService/ Standard]

Contact Info:   4 Brechin Drive, Marlborough, Harare, Zimbabwe. Tel +44 7950 511 606, +263 23 824 045 and +263 4 301 047. Email address – alexweir1949@yahoo.com.

Availability: Immediate

Some Selected references: http://www.cd3wd.com/resume/ref.htm

Rate Required: Flexible

 

Rate History (numbers refer to jobs as listed further below):

 

(72) US$ 430/day

(71) Euro 350/day + per diem

(70) Euro 350/day + per diem

(65) US$ 350/day + per diem

(64) US$ 20/hour

(62) GBP 13.50 /hour

(58) Euro 10/hour

(54)  US$ 74/hour

(53)  Euro 58/hour

(52) GBP 350/day + GBP 99/day subsistence + airfare

(50)  DM 120/hour

(48) DM 130/hour

(46)     DM 92/hour

(44) DM 880/day

(43) NLG 100/hour

(41)     GBP 34/hour

(38) USD 40/hour

(36)  DM 90/hour

(34) US$ 20/hour

(23) US$ 45/hour plus hotel.

(22) DM 80/hour

(20) DM 70/hour

(18) GBP 18/hour

(17) GBP 20/hour

 

 

Summary:  Contract Computer Software Developer, Analyst/ Programmer, Business Analyst, Systems Analyst.  Also Mechanical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Industrial Management, Education (University Lecturer) , Training, Sales, Export Promotion and Management Consultancy experience.  Experience in both Public and Private Sector, in UK, Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, and South America..

 

In Computer Software, I specialise in very high-quality and very high-speed building of greenfield systems or debugging, maintaining and fixing of existing systems, regardless of their original build quality.  The high speed with which I operate in no way reduces the high quality to which I work or the high system reliability which I incorporate.   Consistently top of class throughout school and university, extrovert gregarious personality, excellent communicator, high level of drive and energy, high level of acquired business, technical and people-oriented wisdom.

 

Nationality: full UK and EU Citizen

DOB : 4 January 1949, Kilmarnock, Scotland, UK.

Marital Status: Married (2nd time), 2 sons, both grown up.

 

 

C#

7 months

Visual Basic (VB)

10 years

MSSQL (Sql Server)

10 years

ASP

3 months

Oracle

6 months

Access

6 years

XML

4 weeks

.net

7 months

Web databases

7 months

HTML

6 years

PL /SQL

6 months

OOD

3 years

ADO

3 years

COM

3 months

WINNT

6 years

Win2000

1 year

Delphi

3 months

Client /Server

10 years

 

 

Contract Analyst/Programmer

10 years

Business Analysis

12 years

Systems Analysis and Database Design

12 years

 

 

MIS

2 years

Data Warehousing

6 months

Reporting

6 months

EDI

6 months

 

 

English

Native

German

Fluent

French

Fluent

Russian

Basic

Swahili

Basic

 

 

BSC Mechanical Engineering

UMIST Manchester UK 1970

Mphil Engineering and Economics

Edinburgh University UK 1979

 

 

Mechanical Engineer (Aero Engines)

1966-1970

Agricultural Engineer and University Lecturer

1973-1979

Salesman (Reprographic Machinery)

1980

Mechanical Engineer (NC Machine Tools)

1981-1986

Business Graphics Consultant

1987-1988

Export Promotion Consultant

1989-1990

Computer Programmer and  Software Developer

1990-present

 

 

UK

11 years

Tanzania

6 years

Germany

3 years

Belgium

5 months

Netherlands

5 months

Denmark

4 months

Saudi Arabia

1 year

India

3 months

Brazil

1month

Israel

1 week

Cambodia

2 weeks

Rwanda

3 months

Malawi

1 week

Zimbabwe

4 years

France

1 month

Romania

1 week

Tunisia

3 months

Uganda

2 months

Iraq

3 months

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work List:

 

(73) 2005/10 thru 2006/03 – writing classes and components in C# - while at home in Harare Zimbabwe.  Including Data Access Components, automated MIS Charting System and Client Interface for Microsoft Indexing Service.

(72)   2005/07 thru 2005/09 – Database Adviser, IFES (Washington DC)  in Baghdad Iraq.  DBA and sole Programmer for National Electoral Register.  C#, VB6, T-SQL, Stored Procedures.  Built systems for data input, storage and output and print in Arabic, with some Kurdish script work also. Langdon Miller lmiller@ifes.org; www.ifes.org

 

(71) 2005/04 thru 2005/12 – IT Consultant, EU Project, Statistics Office Lithuania – for Icon Institute, Koeln, Germany.  One of 3 external IT Experts advising Lithuania Statistics Office on aspects of their program of automation.  My area mainly E-questionnaires, Metadata, and data capture using handheld computers . 20 days work over 6 months.  Silke Rautenbasch at www.icon-institute.de . 

 

(70) 2004/11 thru 2005/03 – Analyst Programmer, EU Project, Tunisia – for Icon Institute, Koeln, Germany for EU Commission. MIS System to assist insurance sector regulatory body – automation of data capture, ETL, RDBMS data storage, automatic reporting to HTML reporting files.  Sole programmer with 80% role in system architecture and design. System in VB6 with Sql Server 2000 Database, IIS Intranet, VPN network. Trilingual System - Data storage, display and input in Arabic script, French and English.  4 missions, 75 man-days. Communication in French with also conversational Arabic. Mike Pfister. Mike.pfister@icon-institute.de

 

(69) 2005/08 – writing C# Classes for ADO.NET (Database), parameter reading, error logging and other functionality for the creation of client/server, n-tier, web database, and  webservice systems in C#.NET.

 

(68) 2004/08 thru 2004/10 – Consultant – Business and Technical Advice to Cyberplex Zimbabwe, the leading Zimbabwean Web Design, Web Database and E-Commerce Company – Ref: Roy Steiner - tel +263 4 777 160 - roy@Cyberplexafrica.com

 

(67) 2004/07 – Consultant -Design of Medical Insurance System for Rwanda Military – Alphasoft Kigali. Reference Richard Nzamwita rnzamwita@yahoo.fr and tel +25008518465.

 

(66) 2004/05 – Developed tool for automatic production of screens from underlying database, plus database table-driven screen positions, labels etc..  Used for a PC Maintenance system in VB6 and Access database for Iplex Technologies Harare. Technique can be used equally easily with SQL Server, Oracle etc.. Ref: Farid Husein fareed@iplex.co.zw or iplex@hotmail.com tel: +2634781396.

 

(65) 2004/04 thru 2005/06 – Analyst Programmer for a National Petroleum Management Information System,  Uganda.  For Petroleum Development Consultants London and World Bank.  In VB6 with Access 2000 database.  An MIS system with 6 business areas; among other work, created innovative database-driven automatic charting system, with  automatic production of 250+ dynamic MIS Charts and 350+ reports. Sole IT person on the project.  4 missions, 50 man-days. davidaron@pdc.uk.com

 

(64) 2004/02 - Analyst Programmer for local Software House Alphasoft sarl Kigali Rwanda. Conceptualised, designed and programmed a highly innovative Database Security System to protect a Banking Application in Visual Basic 6 and Sql Server 2000.  This technology is applicable also to conventional Western Banking Systems and any/all sensitive data, and is superior to C2 security measures. All communication  was in French language.  Reference Richard Nzamwita rnzamwita@yahoo.fr and tel +25008518465.

 

(63) 2003/11 thru 2003/12 - Instructor and Software Developer, National Electoral Commission, Kigali, Rwanda Africa for Geekcorps USA, , Academy for Educational Development, IESC and USAID (as volunteer) .  In 6 weeks built complete system in VB6 and Sql Server 2000, with 500k Stored procedures, 200k VB classes, and 200k VB forms, 31 menu options plus 45 reports.  System has many smart features, including DTP-standard printing and instant user-controlled reporting without programming.  And taught 3 NEC staff who were primarily System Administrators; this teaching was  done totally in French language. Reference Mr Fiacre Mutabaruka, (fiamut@gmail.com)  NEC and Neil Bibbins, Geekcorps tel +1 413 664 0030 x 15,  neil@geekcorps.org  -  http://www.geekcorps.org/default.asp?l1i=1&l2i=7&l3i=440

 

(62) 2003/10 - Unisys Milton Keynes UK – Contract Operator, Global PC Discovery Project. In addition to normal operational duties, conceived, programmed and implemented reporting system in VB6 and Access Database on progress of discovery activities.  Reference: Zan Sayani or Keith Moore, Unisys, +44 1908 212 251, and Nathan Ross, Logistics International.

 

(61) 2003/09 - One day project for NRI, East Maldon, UK – mastering of HTML and PDF information onto CD for dissemination. In VB6 and Access Database.

 

(60) Work converting and mastering a CD of 3rd world development technologies – CD3WD - a 4 week project – my private initiative.  Product passed on to World Vision UK , Interserve and other bodies active in 3rd world development activities.  CD contains 800 books on all aspects of 3rd world development. www.cd3wd.com

 

(59) Canteen Management system for private client in Zimbabwe.  In ASP, VB6 and Access Database.

 

(58) 2002/12 thru 2003/01 – Analyst Programmer for http://www.uptoyou.com in Chamonix France - a site associated with http://www.easyjet.com - which organises and sells ski holidays.  VB6 Com Object, ASP 3.0, SQL Server 2000, Visual Source Safe , Visual Studio. Maintaining, enhancing and debugging existing site.

 

(57) 2002/09 thru 2002/12 – HTML work on expansion and enhancement of website http://www.suzannewhite.com.  Also creation of  global online issue voting system and various other asp web database systems.

 

(56)    2002/08 – Consultancy to Software House in Brasov, Romania – advice on Project Management and  Marketing.  Refence dan@itprovision.com

 

 (55) 2001/06 thru 2002/07 – Various voluntary and self-training Projects – Self Training on Dot Net (.Net), VB.NET, XML, SQL Server 2000 etc. – writing a collection of classes for use when building Dot Net Systems.  Writing an ecommerce web database system in ASP (Project X) and an online email and phone address redirection system (Xref). Writing a Shareware Rapid Text Search Utility – Wfindstr.exe.  Also a Shareware high level encryption utility and a Word-created -htm processing utility to slim down the size of the html output file.  Zimbabwe export promotion actitivities.  Promotion of Humaninfo Technical Encyclopedia CD’s for 3rd world development.  Editing and dissemination of a high quality practical business,  industry and commerce  shareware CD for the 3rd world.  Remastering of 13 Megabytes of Text and 4000 .tiff file diagrams to an HTML system for Volunteers for International Technical  Assistance (VITA), Virginia, USA – Village Technology Handbook and other related info for 3rd World Development.   Mastering of a 3rd world info system with data on electronic and paper publications by the major players in 3rd world development technical info, i.e. CTA, NRI, Humaninfo, ITDG, GTZ, VITA, SKAT, KIT  etc..  Relaunching CPS – a database of 3rd world development consultants.  Launching GPS – a text-based global database of companies, products and services utilising rapid text search utilities.

 

(54) 2001/01/ thru 2001/05 – Data Architect for Maersk Copenhagen through Tanning.  Performed complete Data Mart project in 17 weeks.  Business analysis,  Database design, programming of loading module to read, import and load 8 text file formats, programming of reporting direct to HTML under IIS (80 reports written).  In Oracle 8.1.7 on WinNT with a VB6 Enterprise application running as a service.  Extensive use of PL/SQL Stored Procedures.  Achieved to spec on time on budget.  Reference : Michael Jul Hansen (Maersk). Carsten Wievel (Maersk). Through Progressive Computer Recruitment.

 

(53)  2000/11 thru 2000/12 – A/P with a telecoms company in Brussels Belgium.  Working on telecoms billing system – SQLServer 6.5  on Dec Alpha with VB6 programs.  Largely an operations-type job.  Some development work involved in the porting of data to a Sybase system and in MIS reporting,

 

(52)     2000/10 – Programming Consultant to DFID (UK Government) through Empower Dynamics Consulting in Kigali, Rwanda, Africa, on Rwandese Government Integrated Payroll and Human Relations System Project. 5 days work – assessing competence of system under construction, recommending improvements in programming techniques, and supplying and working in of sample code segments.   VB6 and Sql Server 7 - Supplied  8 page report before departure.  Reference :  james.emmett@empdyna.com .

 

(51)    2000/09 – Appropriate Technlogy Consultant to ZOA (Netherlands Refugee Care), Poipet, Cambodia – 9 days onsite assessing existing technologies and scope for additional production processes.  This was a non-programming engineering-type assignment.  Reference : Mike Fennema zoappt@ksc.th.com .

 

(50) 2000/01 thru 2000/07 – A/P with Compaq Computers, Munich, Germany.   VB6 and Sql Server 6.5, Client/Server.  Programming an NT-Admin type-system for dissemination of 55 Applications (comprising 2.5 Gigabytes) to 130+ Servers throughout Compaq Europe, Middle East and Africa which in turn fed 20000+ desktop PC’s.  Picked up existing 700k code, reworked where necessary, wrote additional modules, built automatic testing system whereby we simulated 1 year operation in 6 weeks.   Redesigned operational methodology to minimise bandwidth hit and built in several intelligent features.  Extensive use of fault-tolerant concepts and in general an OOD programming technique to produce an industrial-strength package. 

Reference : Kevin Mahoney – tel 00 49 89 9392 2410 kevin.mahoney@hp.com and James Turner, Certes Recruitment – tel 00 44 121 712 6657/ 6681 - james.turner@certes.co.uk

 

(49) 1999/10 thru 2000/01 – developing programming tools and self-training at home office in Zimbabwe Africa.  Main product was an advanced version of VB6 Wizard using disconnected ADO suitable for rapid system prototyping and construction for Sql Server, Oracle or Access Client/Server or Multi-Tier Systems.  Complete with sophisticated rights system, selective menu item display, sorting, filters, obligatory fields, reporting with totals etc.  Creating own web page system to document Appropriate Technology, Consultancy and other work done 1972 through present.   Creating web database system for Technical Cooperation Experts Database project.  Porting some old Clipper systems to VB with Sql Server.

 

(48)   1999/07 thru 1999/09 – A/P Essen Germany – VB6 & Sql Server 7 - Data Warehousing project thru German Consulting Firm (RWE/Mitoc) for the client, an international telecoms company.  Importing data to 50 Sql Server 7 tables and 44 shadow tables from 3 families of 45 different data format text files, exports from 3 different computer systems (Ingres and Oracle).  Formats were too complex for use of simple Sql Server DTS methods.  Complete with audit trail triggers for update and delete. Set up for weekly/periodic incremental imports.  Automatic allocation of industry sector to 70% of companies by automatic processing of company name.  Part of a 3 man team, other team members handling reporting and editing using Access 97 with the Sql Server tables.  Done in 490 man-hours over 9 weeks to tight deadlines.  3.5 Meg VB6 Code, including 75 classes; 3.3 Meg Sql Script; extensive use of server side stored procedures, OOD, automatic code generation, error trapping and logging, and thin client techniques.  Performed last 48 hours offshore from Home Office in Zimbabwe.  Reference : Frank.Wendiggensen@mitoc.de

 

(47)  1999/04 thru 1999/06 – on holiday in Zimbabwe – writing VB OOD classes and dll’s for high level encryption, for array sorting and for code generation of VB classes for database handling.  The last of these mini-projects can typically save 5-10 days programming per project, and also eliminate coding errors.  Also writing an automatic-email-based database search system, in VB5 Enterprise with Sql Server 6.5 database and RDO.

 

(46) 1999/01 thru 1999/03 – Analyst/Programmer, VB6, Sql Server 7, VB5, Oracle 8 (under Unix), ADO and RDO for DASA (Daimler Chrysler Aerospace) Munich Germany.  Working as part of a team of 1 perm + 2 temp programmers producing modules for an EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) system to link DASA with their suppliers.  Utilising automatic internet email and automatic FTP. This was actually 2 separate projects in 10 weeks.  Produced 1 Megabyte code in 6.5 weeks on the EDI Project.  Heavily Object Oriented (OOD).  Wrote simulation code to test my modules. Many of my classes were also used by the Project Leader.  Used also Sybase Data Architect.  Reference: Klaus Steltzl –tel 00 49 89 607 21662 and Anju Handa, Computer Futures London – tel 00 44 171 446 6565

 

(44) 1998/08 thru 1998/10 – Analyst/Programmer (A/P),  VB5, ADO, Access database for Cambridge Technology Partners Inc Frankfurt/Darmstadt Germany.  Working as part of a team of 8 perm + 4 temp programmers producing a business system for Deutsche Post with 100 screens for the selling of Financial Products in 1300 branches throughout Germany.  With 3-tier architecture, an Oracle backend and utilsing ICL Riposte middleware.  Heavily OOD with 60 Active X dll’s.   In a QA environment with coding standard adherence.  Completed in 13 weeks from start including documentation and User Acceptance Testing.  The 100 screens are effectively dynamically painted from local Access Database and the system utilises an innovative events-driven architecture designed and developed by members of the Team. Reference: Parity Eurosoft Germany – Philip Sanner –tel 00 (49) 69 170 8615.

 

(43) 1998/02 thru 1998/07 – A/P VB5, RDO, SQL Server 6.5 for Digital/Compaq Nijmegen Netherlands.  Business Analysis, Docu, Programming, Data Translation and Go-Live of business system for testing and routing of suspect and faulty hard drives for Digital Europewide.  To replace an RDB system on Dec Vax.  Utilised Client/Server architecture with extensive use of OOD and VB Classes, and also a high useage of Thin Client techniques – namely Server-side Stored Procedures, called with passed parameters thru VB5 RDO, to provide solidity, reliability and high performance.  Project also involved reading and printing of barcodes to Intermech and Zebra barcode printers – VB Active Barcode components were used, also proprietry Intermec and Zebra programming scripting languages in order to get high quality rapid output printing.

 

Also with 2 of Digital’s permanent employees designed and built an automated email data warehousing system which shadowed a Dec Vax business system thru nightly data textfile dumps and processing into SQL Server, with automated reporting and automated emailing of these reports.  Using VB5, RDO, SQL Server 6.5, MAPI, MS Exchange, and local Access Database.  Released at end of 3+2 month extension because Digital were under pressure from Compaq to shed all non-mission-critical contractors.  Reference: Paul Thijsson paul.thijsson@compaq.com or Geer Leenders geer.leenders@compaq.com or patrick.mcgovern1@aol.com  tel 00 (31) 24 352 9010 or Parity Eurosoft Netherlands

 

(42) 1998/01 – 2nd project for Adore Gold Harare Zimbabwe (see item(39) below).  Property sales system for Low Cost Housing Project assisted by USAID.  To replace original system written in Cobol.  In VB5, DAO, Access Database.  Project included data importation.

 

(41) 1997/10 thru 1997/12 - A/P VB5, DAO, Access Database with LANT NV, Leuven, Belgium.  Maintaining and Enhancing existing VB5/Access Database Application for Machine Language Translation company. Reference: paul.busse@lant.be , tel (32) 16 40 51 40 Paul Busse or Herman Caeyers.  Agency was FdiGroup / Longueville.

 

(40) 1997/10 - A/P VB5 Enterprise, RDO, MS SQL Server 6.5 – for Trustserve Software Harare Zimbabwe  - designed and created system for insurance of retail credit hire purchase contracts.  85% of work done in 5.5 days – this was a cooperative program-and-train venture with Trustserve.  Reference: Craig Jones – craig_k_jones@hotmail.com

 

(39) 1997/09 - A/P with Adore Gold Harare Zimbabwe - designed and created a system in VB5, DAO, Access Database for management of 1300 savings accounts for a Building Society Operation.  Package done in 15 hours; data conversion module (from 1300 messy excel spreadsheets) took another 12 hours.

 

(38) 1997/08 - A/P with Mashonaland Holdings, Harare Zimbabwe - VB5 Enterprise, RDO, MS SQL Server 6.5, Win-CGI VB routines - a Web Database  (Reilly Website) Project for selling of electric motors.  4 VB Modules written and revised after customer testing in 52 hours - Internet exe, control panel, sales managers module, and exe for auto import from Tetra (Unix) accounting package. Reference: Farid Hussein, tel +263 4 781 396.

 

(54)  1997/06 thru 1997/08 - A/P with Software Associates,  Harare Zimbabwe - VB5 Enterprise, RDO, SQL Server 6.5 job creating automated search system for credit checking of individuals and companies.  I was technical team leader of 3 other programmers.  Wrote most of programs for searching, data entry and for the data translation of very dirty data from an existing Dataease system.  Created innovative search algorithms using fuzzy logic and soundalike technology.  Technically a very interesting project.  Done in 770 hours over 11 weeks, working 6.5 days per week, 11 hours per day.   Fixed Price Contract.  Reference: Steve Newman aegis@id.co.zw

 

(36)   1997/03 thru 1997/06 - A/P with Hoechst AG Frankfurt Germany thru InlineKpg agency. Internet/ VB5 Enterprise , RDO, SQL Server 6.5, Macrofirm IdleYIsapi dll's for Microsoft Internet Server (IIS), Microsoft Index Server (MIS) - a text search internet project with Web Database logon and client billing incorporated. Had not worked with Microsoft Index Server or IdleYIsapi prior to this project.  This was a tight-budget project  – I completed the work inside 8 weeks, including business analysis.  Reference: Mrs Ulrike Augustin or Mirko Reimat, email: world@hiserv.de ,  tel: 00(49)69 305 168 47.

 

(35)                   1997/02 - private project with a programmer colleague in Florida USA - Web Database creation.  Did literature search (web, textbooks, magazines), considered Cold Fusion, Visual Interdev, installed and tested Intrabuilder and Website Plus, finally, because packages gave insufficient power, wrote generic windows CGI program in Visual Basic to interact with any backend system (e.g. VB, Delphi, or any other Windows language) on any Windows NT  Server or Workstation with Website+ installed.  Reference: Philncyn@netscape.net .

 

(34) 1996/12 - learn and teach project to enable programming team to build Tobacco Sales System from scratch using VB4 Enterprise, RDO, MS SQL Server 6.5.  Did literature search, studied 2 books on the techniques available, set up examples using RDO (Remote Data Objects) technique and Stored Procedures to effect add, modify, view and delete records in the various tables on SQL Server.  Designed sample tables.  Conducted training course and produced video for later reference.  For Archangel Systems Harare Zimbabwe. Reference: Andrew Cranswick andrew@mweb.co.zw .

 

(33) 1996/09 thru 1996/12 - design and build automated internet email search database system for identification of products and services, with searching and data updating done through standard-format emails.  In Delphi ver 1 and Visual Basic 3.  3 modules were built - email pop3 and smtp module utilising Devsoft Delphi dll's; database search and maintenance module in Delphi with Paradox 5 tables; plus a VB3 DDE module to drive Delrina Winfax Pro fax server.  For Samara Systems Harare Zimbabwe.

 

 

1993/08 thru 1996/08 - various projects including: (note all are in Clipper 87 multiuser unless otherwise stated, and are fixed-price contracts performed in Zimbabwe unless otherwise stated):

 

(23) 1994/09 thru 1994/10 - Systems Analyst, World Bank/African Development Bank - Tanzania Livestock Marketing Project, Dar es Salaam (through Carl Bros/Danagro, Copenhagen).   To improve physical data capture techniques, computer data capture, data processing and reporting for 3 major and additional cattle markets throughout Tanzania, in order to give cattle buyers and sellers better information on which to base their decision-making. Inherited 2 disparate systems in Lotus Symphony and Enable. Converted 5 years' data from 3 sites from spreadsheets and disconnected databases into a single database system in Clipper 87; analysed data using Harvard Graphics 2.3.  Discovered that despite daily and seasonal variations, prices and weights could be well correlated by a log-log relationship; wrote software to process best-fit, reporting, and storage; made extensive practical recommendations to reduce sample sizes required, increase accuracy, and present data in understandable format. Reference: Danagro Adviser Copenhagen,  tel (45) 43 43 45 90 attn Verner Jensen. vjedan@carlbro.dk  or raymond.colley@carlbro.com

 

(22) 1993/03 thru 1993/07  - Analyst/Programmer, Dell Computers Frankfurt Germany.  Performed most of the programming to integrate a new remote selling operation (Dellware) utilising EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) into the existing Product Selection and Sales System.  This linked the business partner's Dec Vax system with Dell's Clipper 87 system through an IBM VAN, PCExpedite and Perwill.  Dell recalled me after my success in 1992 on another project.  In Clipper 87 multiuser.  Communication in English and German.  Reference : www.dell.de

 

(21) 1992/12 thru 1993/02 - A/P Belina Computers Bulawayo Zimbabwe. Design and create a payroll package from scratch in Clarion 2.1, a language in which I had not programmed before.  Work done in 12 weeks.  I designed the data structures to be future-proofed against any and all Domain changes to the payroll processing requirements without reprogramming.  An enhanced form of that product is still in use and still on sale in 2003.

                                                                           

(13) 1990/03 thru 1990/10 – Export Promotion Consultant to UK Developing Countries Trade Agency on Software  from India to EU.  2 field trips to India of 4 weeks each.  Reference: DECTA, 66 Cannon St, London and EAG Consultants London.

 

(11) 1989/02 thru 1989/10 – Export Promotion Consultant - export promotion, medical equipment sector, Brazil and India for EU.  Field trips 4 weeks each country.  For Deva Consultants Coventry UK.

 

(9) 1987/02 thru 1988/11 - various temporary/freelance data entry, data analysis, programming (in Clipper 87) and graphics production jobs for a wide variety of clients in London, including Bain & Co Management Consultants and Ambrosetti Management Consultants.  Best job was a 4 week Harvard Graphics assignment (in colour) for a major Market Research company producing 300 graphs for a US$ 0.4 million study for one of the top 10 Global Pharma Companies.  I had total creative input on graphics; as the client said:  'the graphs are so good they dont actually need any written comment!'.

 

(8) 1982/02 thru 1987/01 – NC Service Liaison Engineer then Service Manager Machine Tools for B Elliot plc/Press & Shear Machinery London UK.  Applied intelligence, computerisation and hard work to improve service levels, company image, machine tool sales and profitability. Our range of products were Strippit Sheet Metal Hole Punching (USA) , Peddinghaus Structural Steel Drilling Lines (Germany) , and Promecam Sheet Metal Press Brakes (France).  Reference: tel +44 208 965 6535

 

(7) 1981/01 thru 1982/01 - Maintenance Engineer III ARAMCO Dharan Saudi Arabia, dept MRPD/MMD - worked on designing physical plant inventory systems and computerising the data input. IBM Mainframe TSO, SPF and Mark IV. Advised by Don McArthur  (head of MRPD) that I 'would be on the board of directors one day' (I never made it).  Reference: PESACO agency and ARAMCO, Dharan.

 

(6) 1980/01 thru 1980/12 - Copier Salesman, Roneo Alcatel, London UK.  As a sideline wrote an innovative computer program for Sinclair ZX81 to enable complex double-sided printing and collating of 150+ page documents using 20-bin offset litho highspeed sorter.

 

(5) 1979/07 thru 1979/09 - Sep 79 – Mechanical Engineer Appropriate Technology Specialist, USAID/Tanzania Govt Arusha Integrated Dev Project; thru DAI Inc of USA. Reference: sherie_valderrama@dai.com  or akanksha_marphatia@dai.com or www.dai.com

 

(4)  1973/01 thru 1978/12 – Agricultural Engineer Small Farmer Technology Specialist, University of Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Tanzania.  Built prototype equipment: threshers, winnowers, grain mills, water pumps, windmills, sugar cane crushers; utilising man power, animal power, windpower, tractor power.  Sold 2 of my design of manpowered irrigation pumps to UNICEF and one of my pumps made a photo in Newsweek Magazine.  Did computer simulation of windspeed analysis, windmill performance and water pump characteristics using HP and TI programmable calculators. 1998 I formalized most of the content of my work during those years on my website and on my 3rd world development information initiative CD3WD.

 

(3) 1970 thru 1972 - MPhil Student, Edinburgh University UK - "Appropriate Technologies for Less Developed Countries" - a combination of economics and engineering; equipment design plus work on appropriate capital intensity for workplaces.  Did 10-week field trip in Idi Amin's Uganda.

 

(2) 1967 thru 1970 - BSc Mechanical Engineering Student UMIST Manchester UK.  Consistently top of class.  Also Chairman of Mechanical Engineering Society and Third World Society, and Academic Vice President, Students Union.  Got married and became father at end of 2nd year; attained BSc (Hons 2.1) despite extra-curricular activities.

 

(1)     1966 thru 1970 - Student Apprentice Mechanical Engineer, Rolls Royce Aero Engines, Glasgow UK.  Employee ref S4420. This was a 1-3-0 sandwich system.  I was destined for top management but went instead into the aid/development business for idealistic reasons.  I learned a lot about quality in this job.