GET TO KNOW taught myself BASIC from the manual enclosed . I fell in love with basic coding and technology because of all the possibilities it could do . At first it was just for fun and then it turned into how I could leverage technology to solve problems .
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position ?
We stand out because we have built a culture based on the conviction that data analytics and management can be a dramatically easier process than it has been in the past or still is for many organisations today . Our whole company understands the pain our customers feel when they approach big data projects and we are passionate to solve it and show the market there is a more efficient , cheaper and effective way to do it .
It ’ s important to foster a company culture where you can be positively critical . It is okay to challenge each other , have friction and make mistakes . But it is not okay to not make up afterwards and move forward . At Zetaris we don ' t hold grudges and understand we are all working and galvanised around one common purpose . We hold very strong opinions at Zetaris , but we hold them loosely .
You need to surround yourself with the right people who have the right mix of skills . Being by yourself is the quickest way to fail . You achieve more success when you understand that you don ’ t have to do everything alone and don ’ t need to have all the answers . Having the right board is an enabler . A lot of startups get this wrong and the founder fills the board with their mates . Your board should comprise the right mix of people that your business needs for the future . I established my board 18 months into the journey and I focused on appointing people with the right skills across governance , compliance , strategy , finance and marketing . If your startup is failing , have a look at your board and question if you have got that mix right .
What do you think is the current hot technology talking point ?
AI and large language models . I believe that technology should blend into the natural world and shouldn ’ t be intrusive in people ’ s lives . ChatGPT and large language models are an augmentation of human intelligence . The amount that this technology can blend in and not be intrusive in people ’ s lives will dictate how widely adopted it will be by mainstream consumers . AI and large language models are not the only technology that are developing at fast speed , there are other technologies in the areas of biohacking , the microbiome , longevity and ageing that are accelerating rapidly .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
I believe it ’ s important to return to the hobbies you enjoyed as a child , to help you relax and unwind . When I am in the US with the business , I take my guitar with me and play in the hotel room . I started playing guitar in my cover band Rip it up in 2000 and we ’ ve been playing in various spots around Australia and overseas . I also greatly enjoy time with the family on beach trips .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
I strongly believe in destiny and that every step on the journey and twist of fate is leading you where you need to go . Choosing to walk down a road a certain way and
80 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www . intelligentcio . com