Non-Executive Director · AI Era Strategic Advisor · C-Suite Executive
MAICD · Chief Automation, Data & AI Officer, Tecala Group
Founder, executive and strategic advisor who helps boards navigate the opportunities and risks of the AI era. I built, scaled and exited an Automation, Data & AI business, and I lead an enterprise Automation, Data & AI division today. Not a view on AI, but a track record of turning it into productivity, competitive advantage and decisions a board can act on.
Boards are facing one of the biggest business disruptions in decades. Most directors understand AI is important, but far fewer have practical experience turning it into business value. AI literacy is becoming table stakes; lived experience is something else entirely. I've built, scaled and exited an Automation, Data & AI business, and today lead an enterprise Automation, Data & AI division. That gives me a practical perspective on strategy, governance and commercial execution that few boards currently have around the table.
The career arc · present to past
From founder to enterprise executive, each chapter has strengthened the commercial, strategic and governance perspective I bring to the boardroom today. Jump to any chapter, or read straight down.
Executive · 2023 → now
Tecala Group · Sydney
Tecala Group · Sydney
Founder-side transaction
$10m+ transaction valueFounder · 2015 → 2023
Operating in AI since 2018
rapidMATION · Sydney
AppsForOps · Australia
Global operator · 2005 → 2019
K2 · Europe, North America & Africa
Director of Customer Success 2014–19 → Global Services Director 2010–13 → Services Director 2010 → Presales Manager 2005–10
Technologist · 2001 → 2005
Transport for London · United Kingdom
Vesta Software Solutions · Johannesburg
Board capability
Skills matrices have changed. These are the six rows I fill, starting with the one most candidate pools cannot.
I founded an Automation, Data & AI business in 2018, scaled it, sold it in 2023, and now carry the P&L for an enterprise AI division. It isn't a course or a briefing pack. It's judgement earned by making real commercial decisions while the technology - and the market - were still evolving.
Built, scaled and exited a business through one of the fastest periods of technology change in recent history. Led commercial decisions where there was no established playbook, then successfully navigated acquisition and post-merger integration into a larger enterprise.
Strategy, revenue, pricing, margin, utilisation, backlog and delivery risk. I read a P&L before I read a technology diagram, and I'd rather be the director who asks what it costs than the one who explains how it works.
Good governance starts with good information. Throughout my career I've built the data capability that gives leaders a single version of the truth, and I naturally ask what the evidence says before opinions take hold.
Boards don't benefit from complexity; they benefit from clarity. I've spent two decades helping executives, customers and boards understand complex technology in simple commercial terms, creating alignment, confidence and better decisions.
Boards are now being asked to oversee AI systems running in production. I help organisations balance innovation with governance, bringing practical experience across policy, risk, decision rights and accountability - without governance becoming the reason innovation stalls.
Board contribution
My greatest contribution is helping boards navigate the opportunities and risks of the AI era by turning Automation, Data & AI into sustainable commercial advantage while ensuring it is governed responsibly.
Where I contribute
The greatest value I bring is not simply experience - it's judgement. These are the conversations where I naturally contribute, challenge assumptions and help boards make better decisions.
Thought leadership & intellectual property
Frameworks, communities and published work that demonstrate how I think, influence and lead beyond my executive responsibilities.
A vendor-neutral operating framework for how Robots, AI Agents and People work together - helping organisations redesign work, improve productivity and scale AI responsibly from individual users through to enterprise-wide adoption. frontieroperatingsystem.com
Founder of ADAverse, an executive community dedicated to Automation, Data & AI through podcasts, newsletters, executive events and thought leadership - bringing together business and technology leaders to explore the future of work. adaverse.com.au
Author of Project Rat Race, exploring the four wealths - time, money, health and relationships - and challenging leaders to think more intentionally about success, balance and long-term fulfilment. Also creator of the Project Rat Race reflection cards. projectratrace.com
Co-author of Professional K2 blackpearl (Wrox). International speaker at Microsoft TechEd, Microsoft TechReady, SharePoint Conference and industry events across Australia, Europe and North America.
International perspective
I've lived and worked across Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa, leading teams, building businesses and working with organisations across multiple industries and cultures. That experience has shaped a global perspective on leadership, governance, growth and how organisations successfully adopt and scale emerging technology.
Education & credentials
A commerce foundation combined with executive leadership, formal financial education and ongoing governance development through the Australian Institute of Company Directors.