Michelle Hales

Michelle is ConnectSphere’s Training Director and IT service management consultant. She has 20 years experience within the retail sector and over fifteen years service management experience. Her roles have been within the senior team included representing IT at board level and managing large operational support teams.

Service Management

Michelle has been responsible for establishing the governance and service management best practices within leading retail organizations. She has a wide experience of the service desk and support team, service level management, change and release management processes.

Michelle has extensive experience of establishing and managing business and supplier relationships, which includes experience in mergers and acquisitions. She hosted a retail benchmarking group with a supplier organisation to understand best practice within the service management arena of many large retailers with both internal and outsourced service providers.

Training and Learning

Michelle is an accredited ISEB trainer and member of the APMG ITIL examination panel. She develops and delivers IT service management courses at all levels, with excellent client feedback and pass rates. She holds the ITIL V3 expert certification and is a member of the Institute of Service Managers. She has also provided one to one coaching to senior managers to guide them to successful certification of the ITIL V3 Expert. Michelle is an accredited SFIA® consultant.

Michelle has facilitated many client workshops for both ITIL and ISO/IEC 20000 covering both process and service improvements, and personal development sessions. She is an NVQ assessor and internal verifier, and has led NVQ Level 3 programs.

Business Transformation and Change

Michelle has designed and implemented a number of organizational change programs, as a practicing manager as well as for client organisations. She has played a lead role in radical change programmes, including the set up of a shared service delivery model and off shoring services. She was project manager for the organizational transition of IT support to a 7 x 24 model.

Industry Leadership

Michelle has represented the itSMF Regional groups as vice chair and has been a member of the itSMF marketing sub committee. She reviewed the BSI Code of Practice on IT Service Management that won an itSMF award in 1999. Michelle was project manager for an initiative to establish change management practices. The project was short listed by the itSMF for Project of the Year 2001. She has recently contributed to the ITIL V3 Service Transition book, and subsequent industry training. Michelle has spoken at many events on service management including the itSMF conference.