In this role Allen is responsible for the Membership products as well as those concerned with awarding the X/Open branding certificates to IT suppliers for products that meet the conformance criteria of the standards.

He is also responsible for the integration of all Security programs across The Open Group and for the management of the Reading UK site.

Allen has an MBA from the London Business School and retains a current licence to practice as a certified accountant and auditor. Prior to joining X/Open, Allen ran a small consultancy specialising in delivering part-time management services to companies at start-up or in time of turn-round. Previously he had spent 13 years in Unilever, eight with Unilever Computer Services Limited.