Mason Barendrecht
Director of IT, AI & Systems | Hales Group Ltd
linkedin.com/in/mason-barendrecht
Personal Profile
A results-oriented, AI-forward IT executive with over a decade of leadership experience driving digital transformation and optimizing enterprise operations within the health and social care sectors. Adept at managing complex commercial portfolios, building high-performing matrixed teams, and influencing cross-functional stakeholders across distributed environments to deliver maximum business value and structural scalability. Armed with strong influencing and negotiation skills as well as sound commercial acumen to ensure that any technology stack is optimized to deliver maximum business value.
Thought Leadership & Engagement
OneTouch & Hales Partnership
Care Show London Campaign Case Study
Exploring the system integration roadmap and partnership framework between Hales Group and OneTouch Health. Discussing caregiver enablement, operational compliance, and leveraging modern platform technology to eliminate manual bottlenecks.
Care Show Birmingham
NEC Birmingham Keynote Theatre
Selected as a panelist and keynote speaker for the session: "Using AI to achieve outstanding care: a leaders' summit". Addressing care operators on embedding practical, responsible AI strategies.
The Staffing RecOps Podcast
Hosted by James Lawton
Invited guest talking in-depth on the crucial role of data hygiene, system integration hurdles, and legacy data migrations during complex mergers and acquisitions within high-volume sectors.
Sumillion IT Summit
Legacy Infrastructure Modernization
Delivered deep-dives into roadmap creation for replacing legacy technologies, determining clear technical ROI, and handling human change management factors inside major organizational shifts.
UK Care Week
Frontline Technical Empowerment
Presented on using data-backed architectures and simplified systems to support caregivers, directly increasing productivity while boosting care delivery metrics.
Key Achievements
Managed Print Savings (Nuvem)
Partnered with Nuvem Solutions to consolidate an aged print fleet into modern Toshiba MFDs. Captured a massive 36% saving (£30,000/year) across all branches with zero downtime.
AI Strategy & Governance
Formulated the framework for responsible generative AI adoption and deployed cross-functional AI agents across recruitment, QA, and operations to drive a lean operating model.
M&A Integrations
Led end-to-end IT due diligence and post-merger integration for over 6 major technical acquisitions, securing zero operational downtime during staff and system transitions.
Phishing & Security Posture
Spearheaded simulated campaigns and training frameworks that achieved a 97% reduction in phishing clicks. Secured group-wide Cyber Essentials & DSPT compliance.
"Champion Change" Finalist
Shortlisted for driving adaptability and tech-enabled care. Recognized for outstanding efforts to deploy advanced systems that benefit vulnerable people.
Cloud Migration & ESG
Executed a full Azure Virtual Desktop deployment and server decommissioning project. Integrated carbon offsetting and responsible print recycling targets into standard operations.
Critical Core Payroll Overhaul
Migrated complex legacy payroll systems to a modern cloud setup, capturing direct commercial savings over a five-year period while minimizing transition risk through API integrations.
Core Expertise Matrix
Strategic Leadership
- Digital Transformation Overhaul & Roadmap Planning
- High-Value Stakeholder Influence & Board Alignment
- Cross-Functional Governance & M&A Diligence
- ITIL, PRINCE2, & Agile Delivery Methodologies
AI & Automation
- Generative AI Adoption & Governance Frameworks
- Predictive Care Scheduling & Electronic Monitoring (ECM)
- Unified Communications & AI Voice Analytics (Zoom)
- Power BI, Workday Dashboard, & Advanced Data Enablement
Systems Architecture
- Comprehensive Care Management Systems (CMS/CRM)
- Financial & Payroll Software Integration (Sage/IRIS/NetSuite)
- Azure Cloud Infrastructure & Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)
- Cyber Essentials, DSPT, & Regulatory Security Standards
Professional Journey
Director of Technology and Systems
Hales Group Ltd
Retained to architect and execute enterprise technology, information security, and AI enablement strategies across the group. Act as the strategic bridge between executive board members, operational leaders, and technology partners to align systems with long-term growth and commercial velocity.
IT Project and Transition Manager
Cera Care Ltd
Promoted through progressive support, business partnership, and operational lead roles. Managed the rapid modernization and service transition framework as the organization hyper-scaled from a startup to an international market scale-up.
Information Technology Services Manager
Cera Care Ltd (acquired Mears Care)
Responsible for leading, supporting, and developing IT business applications and service desk systems during the complex integration of the acquired Mears Care estate.
Early Career & Support Operations
Mears Group PLC
Established foundational IT engineering, financial control, and infrastructure skills through successive roles:
Nov 2018 - Oct 2019
IT Business Partner
Apr 2015 - Nov 2018
IT Helpdesk Team Lead
Jan 2013 - Apr 2015
Credit Controller
Sep 2012 - Jan 2013
Service Desk Analyst
Ventures & Projects
EternaPlan.co.uk
Co-founded and launched EternaPlan, an intuitive digital security platform built to help individuals and families seamlessly map, store, and manage their digital legacies, asset transfers, and final planning requests. Represents a personal commitment to building technology for human-centric problems.
Licenses & Certifications
AXELOS Global Best Practice
AXELOS Global Best Practice
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
AI compliance, Power BI Desk