Meet Brandon Bell, Project Manager
Brandon Bell, Project Manager at Agilisys Guernsey, speaks about customer-centric project delivery – and shares why a career in IT is for anyone.
Hi Brandon! Can you tell us about your role within Agilisys Guernsey?
Some people may think that to start a career in IT, you need to have a lifelong passion for tinkering with tech. Maybe you built your own computer from scratch at the grand old age of seven, or your bedroom wall is adorned with pictures of Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos as opposed to Bananarama.
While I may not be an archetypal ‘IT person’, rather than this being a hindrance, I think it actually gives me an opportunity to really explore how technology can be meaningful and enabling for our customers – and how our projects can be ever-more people-focused.
I joined Agilisys Guernsey as a Project Manager nearly five months ago, working to drive the successful delivery of projects for the States of Guernsey. In this role, being an effective communicator, increasing stakeholder engagement, supporting customers, understanding insights, developing strategies and tactics, and managing projects to successful delivery are all in a day’s work.
Our work involves supporting States of Guernsey employees as they deliver services for the whole island – spanning Health, Building Control, Social Security, Education, and much more. This means that our work is both complex and varied. But it’s also, in equal parts, challenging and exciting as we provide end-to-end IT solutions to support civil servants who spend each day delivering the Island’s public services, and in doing so, connecting every Islander in one way or another.
What does a typical day look like?
I’m still relatively new in my role – and I’m not sure I’ve experienced a typical day yet! There’s so much variety in our Projects team, and we work alongside so many different colleagues, suppliers, and key stakeholders. Safe to say, I’m learning something new every day.
Currently I’m working with specialist suppliers to deploy software upgrades at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, supporting the introduction of new technology to support the rolling electronic census, as well as working on a public service reform project.
Many of my colleagues are former civil servants or come from varied roles within the private sector, and it’s great to be surrounded by people who are so passionate about delivering community outcomes. I’m grateful for the support and understanding of everyone as I navigate my new role, building my knowledge, learning new processes and procedures.
As we’re going through IT Transformation, there’s a huge focus on training and workplace learning within our team. Many colleagues have attained accreditations and certifications over the past couple of years – with an emphasis on both technical training and soft skill learning.
As for me, I’m set to take my ITIL 4 and PRINCE2 certifications later this year, helping to further develop my knowledge of IT service management and IT project management.
How did you get to where you are now?
Saturday jobs or part-time work is, for many of us, a rite of passage during our studies. For me, this was really the beginning of my career. While completing my A-Levels, I worked in the electrical area of a department store – and since then, my career has spanned Sales, Business Development, National Accounts, Brand Management, and Marketing.
I’ve worked at Southern Electricity in their flagship store in Wiltshire, joined Texaco as an Area Manager, and relocated to Birmingham before being promoted and moving to London. I then had a 10-year stint with Coca-Cola, where my last job was Brand Manager for the Relentless Energy Drink. Finally, in 2007, I moved to Guernsey with my wife and kids and joined Specsavers, where my last role was Head of Local Marketing for the UK, Ireland, and Spain.
Whilst the business sectors I’ve worked in have changed over those years, a move to Agilisys in 2021 provided a perfect opportunity to seek a new challenge – and where I could draw upon my previous experiences to help make a difference for our community.
Though I’m new to Project Management in the formal sense, my background has given me strong leadership, teamworking, and adaptability skills, which are essential to ensure our project delivery is – from beginning to end – customer-centric. We work in partnership with the States as well as other local and global businesses, so fostering relationships built on mutual trust and joint problem-solving is critical for success.
I’m appreciative that Sam Brehaut, our Head of Projects, identified my potential – and I’m proud to be part of the Agilisys Guernsey Team. I think we’ve got a huge amount of talent, knowledge, and expertise in the team, and everybody has been welcoming and willing to help – no matter how daft my questions might be!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my time with Agilisys, it’s that there’s a role in IT for just about anyone – you just have to explore and possess the ambition.
Can you tell us about yourself?
My dad was in the Royal Air Force, so it’s fair to say I’ve moved and travelled quite a lot. I was born in Germany, lived in Hong Kong for a few years, and did stints in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Wiltshire, West Midlands, London, Hertfordshire… and now Guernsey for the last 15 years!
Lovin' the beach (Left) and volunteering at Guernsey Marathon (Right)
I’ve now been married for 21 years and we have three beautiful, fun, and occasionally annoying kids.
When not working, I enjoy socialising with family and friends, travelling, cycling, walking, volunteering at a local school or ParkRun, and listening to music!
Brandon Bell is a member of the Project Management team at Agilisys Guernsey, working to deliver technology solutions that make a difference for civil servants and islanders. Having worked in retail, sales, healthcare, and manufacturing industries, Brandon has expertise in Project Management, Leadership, Commercial and Financial Analysis, Marketing, Business Development and Account Management.
