Manny VaraHousehold Head of IT

The household's technology,in safe hands.

I'm Manny Vara, part of the household team about three days a month. I look after the family's technology day to day, keep every supplier doing its job, and keep the family's money, privacy and homes safe.

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I'm Manny Vara.

I've spent my career where money, security and regulation meet. As a co-founder of ekko, a fintech, I run operations across the UK, South Africa and the US, and I took the company through ISO 27001 certification and a SOC 2 audit with no non-conformities.

Now I bring the same discipline into private households: quietly, as part of the team, about three days a month.

  • Banking background at Lloyds Banking Group and Metro Bank, where confidentiality isn't optional
  • Advisory Board member at De Montfort University
  • I build AI tools and automations myself, so I know what's safe for a household to use

The role

Household Head of IT, part-time
Through
My own company, so no employer NI, pension or holiday cover
Time
About three days a month, at your homes and office and remotely
Response
The same business day, in business hours
Reports to
The principal, the estate or house manager, or the Head of Office
First month
Settling in, then a written picture of where things stand
Fee
A monthly fee agreed with each household, based on its homes, staff and time needed
Terms
A three-month trial period, then 12 months
Vetting
DBS checked, references, and an NDA before we meet
Availability
A small number of households only

Room by room, what I look after.

Every household runs differently, but its technology lives in the same places.

A floor plan of a house, with each room linked to what I look after there

  1. The front door and gate

    Who can open what: gate apps, door codes, alarms and cameras. When someone leaves the household, their access leaves with them the same day. Once a year I check what can be found about the family and the homes online, and what can be removed.

  2. The hall

    A one-page "who to call" plan for a hacked account, a lost phone or a suspicious payment request, practised once a year with the people who'd have to use it.

  3. The study

    The IT company, the installer, every subscription and contract, kept in order: chased when they slip, reviewed every quarter, and never paid for twice. Sensible rules for what the staff put into AI tools, too.

  4. The drawing room

    A simple family rule for checking any payment request, a code word against cloned voices, and extra care whenever a house is bought or sold.

  5. The kitchen table

    Everyone's phones, laptops and accounts: up to date, backed up, two-step login on, and sorted out the same day when something stops working.

  6. The children's rooms

    Children's devices set up safely, always with a parent present, a plain briefing for parents on the risks online, and a proper handover when they leave for university.

  7. The comms cupboard

    The Wi-Fi, cameras and smart-home systems: the family owns every admin account, former installers are locked out, and the cameras can't reach the family's laptops.

  8. The annexe

    Grandparents, or a grown-up child's flat, looked after in the same way. Older relatives are the most targeted of all.

Part of the team, not over it.

I answer to the family, usually day to day through the estate or house manager, the PA or the Head of Office. I fix the everyday things myself and keep every supplier and specialist doing their job.

The familyThe principal and spouse
Estate or house managerPA, or Head of Office
Household Head of ITEveryday help, suppliers, security, privacy
IT companyOffice systems and backups
Home installerWi-Fi, CCTV and AV
SpecialistsFound when they're needed
Incident firmOn call out of hours
  • Out of hours. I work business hours; an incident firm the family holds is on call.
  • Engineering. The IT company and installer keep the systems they're contracted for.
  • Specialists. Security testing, forensics or legal help, found by me and contracted by the family directly.
  • Selling. I sell nothing and take no commissions; everything is bought at the supplier's price.

The year in the household.

Every month

Records kept up to date, access checked, suppliers chased, and a short note to you.

Every quarter

A sit-down with you: how each supplier is doing, and what's coming up.

Every year

Budget and policies reviewed, a fresh privacy check, and a "what if" rehearsal with the people who'd need to act.

When things change

A new home or a build, new staff or a leaver, a child off to university, a separation, or planning ahead for the family's digital legacy.

Joining a household.

It's a careful process, and it should be.

  1. An introduction

    Usually through the agency that places your staff, or through your own advisers.

  2. Meeting you

    An NDA first, then a meeting at the home or office about how the household runs and what's on your mind.

  3. Settling in

    A month getting to know the homes, the people and every system, without ever needing your passwords.

  4. Day to day

    Everyday help, the urgent fixes done first, the suppliers kept in line, and a steady routine through the year.

In my first month I look at eight areas, using the NCSC's Cyber Essentials scheme as the checklist: the family's devices, accounts, money and payments, homes and networks, people and access, privacy, suppliers and office IT, and what happens when things go wrong. You get a plain-English picture of where things stand, the fixes and who is doing each one, a family payment rule, a "who to call" plan and an AI policy for the staff.

Discretion.

  • An NDA before anything else, and I never name a family I work for.
  • Least access. Where I need admin access, it's my own named account, kept in your password manager and removed when I leave. I never hold your master passwords.
  • Privacy work agreed in advance. You decide who and what is in scope, and my notes are deleted once it's done.
  • Safeguarding. With children's devices a parent is always present, and I never contact a child directly.
  • I answer to the family. No partners or preferred suppliers, no commissions, no markup on anyone's work.
  • Checked. A current DBS certificate, which you're welcome to see.
  • A proper handover. If I ever leave, you get a full handover and all my access is removed within five working days.

Terms.

Household Head of IT

About three days a month, covering the main home and one other, starting with a settling-in month. A three-month trial period, then 12 months.

Larger households and family offices

About four days a month, for several homes, a large staff or a family office.

Another home or household

A further property, or a further household such as the principal's parents.

Extra time

For busy months, such as a house move or a run of new staff, in four-hour blocks agreed before use.

I agree the fee with each household directly, or through your agency, once I understand the homes and the team. Anything else, including any specialist I find for you, you buy directly at the supplier's price. If you'd rather start with a one-off review of the household's technology, ask me.

Questions families ask.

How do you fit in with the rest of the household team?

I work alongside the house manager, PA and the rest of the team, not over them. Most are relieved: technology stops landing on their desk, and they have someone to call.

We already have an IT company. Why would we need you?

They run the systems they're contracted for and wait to be called. I'm in the household: I sort out the everyday things myself, make sure they're doing the right things, and look after everything nobody else owns.

Who do you answer to?

The family, usually day to day through the estate or house manager or the Head of Office. I have no partners or preferred suppliers, and I take nothing from anyone.

Do you need our passwords?

Not your master passwords. Where I need admin access to fix something, I use my own named account, kept in your password manager and removed when I leave.

How quickly will you respond?

The same business day, usually by phone or remotely, with visits arranged. For anything that can't wait, your IT company is behind me, and your incident firm covers out of hours.

What about evenings and weekends?

I work business hours. In my first month I make sure a specialist firm is on call for emergencies, with a clear plan for who rings whom, practised once a year. I pick up the follow-up the next morning.

What if it isn't working out?

The first three months are a trial period with one month's notice either way. After that it's 12 months with three months' notice, and you always get a full handover.

Let's meet.

An introductory meeting at your home or office, under an NDA if you prefer.

Email me Save my contact

Recruitment consultant? Email me for my profile and the agency brief.

Manny Vara

Household Head of IT, part-time, for private households and family offices

[email protected] +44 7843 028725 LinkedIn
Based near Beaconsfield, working across London and the Thames Valley.
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