Mr Michael J McNeillis

Profile

I have over 20 years experience of IT at all levels in the software development lifecycle, the last eight years of which, have been specifically in Investment Banking.

My current role is a Plan and Build manager at JPMorgan Investment Bank in the Settlement Transaction Processing area. I manage a small team which provides the support and development of a post-instruction trade workflow system. My role often involves liaising with the business users to understand and document their needs and issues, where I ultimately translate these into technical changes for an improved service. This includes all aspects of the management and delivery of these changes while ensuring that all work conforms to the SOX compliant documented code of practice. Managing a small and focused team often means that I regularly get involved at all levels, from Project Management to writing code.

Working for a core business function, such as Settlement Transaction Processing, means that I often assist other teams with business and technical analysis due to my in depth knowledge and experience of JPMorgan systems in this domain.

In addition to my main role I also provide technical support of the Gloss TRAX system, managing the implementation of vendor supplied fixes and providing a UAT environment for validating feeding system's changes.

 

Skills Summary

  • Proficient in various programming languages, especially C and Digital Basic Programming

  • Proficient in open source database languages such as Ingres v6.4 thru Ingres II (SQL/QUEL/ABF/ESQLC/OSQ and Report Writer), Sybase SQL and Oracle PL/SQL

  • 20 years experience of HP Digital Command Language (DCL)

  • 20 years experience of HP Digital VAX/Alpha under VMS & Open VMS

  • Proficient in UNIX scripting (SunSparc)

  • 6 years experience of Gloss TRAX Support

  • Expertise in structured Analysis & Design

  • Expertise in Project Team Leading

  • Good Business knowledge of Equities and Fixed Income settlements systems and external interfaces (Swift/Euroclear/Crest)

 

Professional experience

May 2004 - date JPMorgan Investment Bank London, EC4

Plan and Build Manager Current Role (Permanent)

  • Planning and Implementing functionality and enhancements to an existing post-instruction trade workflow system

  • Analysing Business user requirements from elicitation through to specification and design.

  • Planning and tracking of team's work through to release

  • Liaison with the business users to plan and perform user acceptance testing of changes and enhancements

  • Providing 3rd Level support to production operations team to resolve urgent technical issues

  • The workflow system utilises Smartstream Technologies TLM-PA workflow engine with a Webconnect front-end.

May 1998 – 2004 JPMorgan Investment Bank London, EC4

Consultant Analyst Programmer (Contractor)

  • I joined JPMorgan as a Contractor Analyst Programmer initially to work in the MOSS Support Team. MOSS is a bespoke Online Settlements System written in Digital Basic and C using both Quel and SQL to access the Ingres databases. During my time as a contractor at JPMorgan I worked on the development of new functionality and was fully involved in both the Euro conversion and the Y2K updates. Both these projects involved a large amount of weekend and overnight shifts. I worked as part of a small and dedicated team responsible for the planning and implementation of the transfer of this large and complex system from a VAX onto an Alpha platform (summer 2000) whilst at the same time upgrading the database version from Ingres 6.4 to Ingres II.

  • Since early 2000 I have also supported the running of a Gloss TRAX system which is used for matching trades and regulatory reporting to ISMA. The Gloss TRAX system runs in a Sybase environment running under UNIX and the communication to ISMA is via an ISMA system running on an NT Server. In late 2004 I was the key technical resource in the upgrading of these applications to the latest versions. To date I still retain responsibility of the Gloss TRAX UAT and assist with production issues as required.

  • Through 2002 - 2004 I was part of the team providing business led cost saving changes to the processing of settlements including the introduction of Swift Netted Settlements, JPMorgan trade netting and using Swift-alike files to transfer settlements related messages to a main custodian via a secure ftp link.

  • In 2002 I worked on replacing the old X25 link to Euroclear with a transfer method using the Radianz network. I developed the file transfer software that had to comply with JPMorgan security policies.

  • In 2001 I worked on a project related to the JPMorgan/Chase merger, involving the migration of the Fixed Income business from MOSS to a Chase settlements system. Since then the MOSS system has been a dedicated Equities Settlement System for non-Dollar transactions.

 1996 - 1998 CSC (UK) Limited - Autoglass Bedford

Contractor - Analyst Programmer (Applications Support Team)

  • Providing support to over 200 Autoglass branches throughout the UK responding to user logged faults and problems

  • Analysis of reported problems to determine system faults and then coding, testing and scheduling for release of fixes

  • The main Autoglass systems were bespoke systems written in C with embedded Ingres SQL running on Alpha hardware under VMS

1987 - 1996 Hoskyns Group (Cap Gemini) London, UK

Consultant - Service Delivery Manager

  • Successfully managed a Multi Client Support Team. This role involved Team Leading responsibilities for a team of six technical staff supporting three clients, two running Ingres systems (1 VMS & 1 UNIX) and the other an Informix system (UNIX).

  • Provided Technical Consultancy and expertise for the Social Security system since I had gained an in depth knowledge of the business and of the technical design for this system. This was a large and complex bespoke system, written in Ingres ABF and C with embedded SQL, running under VMS on a Digital VAX cluster. I worked on a number of significant enhancements to this system, including the taking on of some functions previously done manually or on PC based systems.

  • Responsible for leading the project of porting this system from the Digital VAX to the Digital Alpha platform and for resolving the problems encountered in this

Senior Programmer/Technical Consultant (various assignments)

  • Programming and systems testing of the final phases of the development of a Social Security Ingres system - with particular emphasis on resolving performance issues (see final assignment)

  • Producing Computer Systems Design documentation for a Retail & Distribution system for a well known ladies fashion retailer - this system was written in the Hoskyns 3GL MAS-ADAPT using VAX Basic running under VMS

  • Carrying out the systems testing and implementation planning for the above system

  • Part of a team responsible for defining and documenting the standards for the development of VAX Basic systems within Applications Maintenance

  • Team leading of a team of two programmers and one contractor providing support and enhancements to a back office stock brokerage system. 

1985 - 1987 Argos Distributors Limited Edgware, HA8

Senior Programmer

  • I joined Argos as a programmer working as part of a team providing support and enhancements to a warehouse stock location system

  • The system was written in Digital Basic running on the PDP range of hardware running under RSTS/E

  • I was part of the team responsible for designing and programming a major upgrade of the system to implement the use of RMS files and extended Digital Basic

  • I was promoted to Senior Programmer and then had additional responsibility for allocating programming tasks to junior team members and mentoring them

1984 - 1985 Applied Systems Techniques London, UK

Programmer

  • I joined AST as a Junior Programmer after successfully completing a 3 month Government sponsored training course (Computer Programming for Business)

  • I worked as a member of a team working on various programming tasks on a Bureau based system used by Estate Agencies to match properties to buyers

  • The system was written in Digital Basic running on the PDP range of hardware running under RSTS/E

Interests and activities

Reading, Cryptic Crosswords, DIY