john@frieslaar.net
About Me
John Frieslaar is an accomplished Chief Technology Officer (CTO) renowned for his strategic leadership and innovative solutions in the ICT/Telecoms industry. With over two decades of experience, Frieslaar has spearheaded governance, policy development, and strategic planning initiatives, consistently driving operational impacts and cost savings. Notably, at Huawei, he played a pivotal role in securing multi-billion-pound equipment sales to UK service providers, resulting in substantial OPEX savings and significant contributions to the UK economy. Frieslaar’s leadership also propelled ZTE to market leadership in Western Europe, where he oversaw the development of cutting-edge broadband solutions and secured business projects worth over £1Bn. A cybersecurity expert, Frieslaar has established and managed highly secure Cyber Security Evaluation Centres, ensuring world-class security standards across operations. With a diverse educational background in business administration, environmental decision-making, and marketing, Frieslaar combines strategic vision with technical expertise to drive business growth and innovation.
Education
The Open University 2002
MBA in Business Administration
The Open University 2012
MSc. Environmental Decision Making
The Open University 2004
MA in Marketing
The Open University 2004
BSc. ICT and Business Studies
Work & Experience
ZTE UK Ltd. | Slough, United Kingdom 09/01/2015 - 12/31/2023
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Tasked with establishing ZTE’s UK and EU presence by developing market entry strategies, overcoming incumbent competition, reducing fibre broadband and 5G deployment costs, and aligning telecom solutions with UK regulatory and commercial standards. • Achieved £800M+ sales pipeline growth, delivering over £10M in annual revenue through strategic market positioning and innovative telecom solutions. • Implemented strategic cost-saving initiatives resulting in £2M annual savings by streamlining presales and operational processes. • Expanded market share and facilitated a £500M+ addressable market through advanced financial modelling for fibre network deployments. • Secured £50M annually in FTTH solutions by effective market engagement and comprehensive proposal development.
Huawei Technologies | Reading, United Kingdom 11/01/2011 - 09/01/2015
Principal Consultant
Drive revenue growth by aligning Huawei’s telecom solutions with sustainability goals, SDG- challenges, and carbon reduction initiatives, develop strategic partnerships, advancing IoT and smart city innovations, and ensuring regulatory and environmental compliance. • Generated annual revenue of £30M via strategic partnerships, IoT, smart city innovations, and targeted executive-level engagements. • Realised cost efficiencies of £3M annually by optimising international processes and fostering cross-border collaborations. • Developed and implemented sustainable telecom strategies that enhanced competitive positioning and regulatory compliance.
Huawei Technologies | Banbury, United Kingdom 10/01/2009 - 10/31/2011
Managing Director - Head of Huawei Cybersecurity Evaluation Centre
Establish Huawei’s UK Cyber Security Centre to drive sales, secure existing business, and position Huawei as a security-conscious company. Ensured regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and transparency to strengthen market confidence and competitive positioning. • Built and led UK Cybersecurity Centre, securing £50M annual sales growth through effective regulatory compliance and trust-building. • Successfully defended intellectual property, achieving £2M in legal cost savings. • Reduced annual recruitment expenses by £1M, optimising team composition and improving cybersecurity capabilities.
Huawei Technologies | Reading, United Kingdom 10/02/2006 - 10/30/2009
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
• Drove £30M+ annual global revenue by strategically aligning next-generation telecom solutions with client business objectives. • Secured over £400M in long-term contracts through innovative broadband infrastructure solutions. • Achieved substantial £40M cost reduction through strategic localisation of manufacturing and supply chain optimisation.
BT Group, | London, United Kingdom 11/01/2005 - 09/29/2006
Head of Platform Engineering
• Delivered £8M in operational savings through strategic restructuring and improved processes. • Generated £10M additional annual revenue through scalable IP network enhancements. • Managed and optimised £380M budget, ensuring financial targets met without compromising operational excellence.
Portfolio
