On the lighter side of things , we ask the industry experts what makes them tick . . . .

After working in the data analytics industry for over 20 years , I was frustrated at the lack of innovation in how it approached data management and preparation . I turned down a million dollar contract and headed into my garage to build a totally new approach , pivoting from a career as an enterprise level technology executive and CEO . I set about building the world ’ s first analytical data fabric for enterprise reporting , analytics and AI . This enables disparate data to be analysed in real time from any source without the complexity of building data lakes .

I wanted to find a new way to dramatically speed up the time it takes to analyse and extract data insights . My wife recognised the huge potential and supported taking a risk and agreed I should turn down the milliondollar salary I had on offer and leap into the unknown and launch Zetaris – a huge leap of faith with four young children at the time .

We recently raised $ 30 million , securing backing from In-Q-Tel ( CIA backed ), Exto Partners , Vulpes Ventures Singapore , 72 Capital and others . Zetaris is now valued in excess of $ 150 million . Zetaris customers include Telstra , NBN , Optus , Nokia , BUPA , Melbourne Water and Murdoch Children ’ s Research Institute . We

launched Zetaris on the Microsoft Marketplace and Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace in Australia in 2020 and expanded into nine global markets . Zetaris is part of a global alliance with IBM , Accenture and Ernst and Young and recently signed a significant account in the US with an HR provider . We recently appointed a US country manager to supercharge growth in the region .

What first made you think of a career in technology ?

My love of technology started with it being a fun new toy to play with and evolved into a career . When I was 14 years old , I gained access to a Commodore 64 and

Australia ’ s mentality to technology has shifted in recent years , from leading the APAC region . Singapore has now taken over and is leaps and bounds ahead in their appetite for risk taking , disruption and being a hub of innovation and investment .

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