Executive Guest Lecturer Program

If you want to rub shoulders with some of the leading lights from the IT industry we say go there

During 2008, our Executive Guest Lecturer Program will provide students with great opportunities to interact with a diverse line-up of successful IT professionals including entrepreneurs, venture captalists, CEOs, developers, and some great success stories.

All part of QUT's commitment to real world connections for students.

Mr Bob Christiansen | Managing Director | Southern Cross Venture Partners

Mr Bob Waldie | Founder and Chief Executive Officer | Opengear Pty Ltd

Mr John Grant | Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer | Data#3 Limited

Mr Adrian Di Marco | Founder and Executive Chairman | Technology One

Mr Graeme Wood | Executive Director | Wotif.com

Mr Kon Kakarnis| Managing Director | Sundata

Ms Marilyn Harvey | Founder | ChalkPort

Ms Cathy Forward |Consultant| SMS

Dr Tim Redhead | Director | DotSec

Cameron Beavis | Managing Director | Global X

 

Mr Bob Christiansen | Managing Director | Southern Cross Venture Partners

Bob has over 10 years of early stage venture capital experience. He is Managing Director of Southern Cross Venture Partners which manages a $175 million early-stage technology venture capital fund – Australia’s largest. Prior to that, as a founding partner of early-stage VC manager Allen & Buckeridge, Bob led investments in numerous early stage- Australian high technology companies, including VaST Systems Technology, eServ Global, Wedgetail Systems, Fultec, Mantara and Xerocoat.

Prior to becoming a venture capitalist, Bob had a successful 25-year international operating career as an executive in both large international and small entrepreneurial technology companies in the US and Europe. During his 20 years in the US, he helped found two early stage technology companies, the first of which was a painful learning experience, and the second, which went on to a successful exit.

Prior to returning to Australia in early 1998, Bob acted as Chief Technology Officer for the Advisor Technology Services division of Fidelity Investments in Boston. Fidelity is the world’s largest managed fund company.

Company Website : www.sxvp.com

 

Mr Bob Waldie | Founder and Chief Executive Officer | Opengear Pty Ltd

Bob is an entrepreneur with a track record of successfully growing niche ICT businesses - all Queensland based with a strong open source focus on security and communications technologies, and global markets (USA/ EU/ Japan/ China/ Asia/ Aus).

Prior to Opengear, Bob founded Snapgear, a local developer of embedded Linux security appliances. Before this, Bob was Chief Executive Officer of Moreton Bay Ventures (a company he founded in 1996), which developed Internet messaging products. Prior to this, Bob was managing director of Stallion Technologies, a pioneering remote connectivity company he co-founded in 1985.

Company Website : www.opengear.com

 

Mr John Grant | Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer | Data#3 Limited

John worked for 10 years as a civil engineer with the Brisbane City Council. He moved into the IT industry in 1980 and has just celebrated 25 years at Data#3, one of Queensland’s premier ICT companies, the last ten as Chief Executive Officer. Data#3 has grown from a small private company employing 16 staff in 1980 to an ASX listed ICT company operating along the east coast with over 360 permanent employees and 360 contracting staff.

John has also been a member of many government advisory boards and is Chairman of the Australian Information Industry Association.

John has also had a successful sporting career having played rugby league for South’s Rugby League Football Club in Brisbane in the 70’s from which he represented Queensland on many occasions and Australia in the 1972 World Cup.

Company Website : www.data3.com.au

 

Mr Adrian Di Marco | Founder and Executive Chairman | Technology One

Adrian Di Marco is the founder and executive chairman of Technology One Limited, one of Australia’s largest and most successful publicly listed software companies.

Technology One is also recognised as one of Australia’s leading software research and development companies, with the successful commercialisation of a wide range of world class software solutions. Technology One has offices throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Pacific Rim and the UK.

Adrian joined the IT industry in 1975 and worked in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. In 1987, venture capital was secured from JL McTaggarts Industries and Adrian started building a suite of enterprise software.

Adrian has founded and developed a number of successful Australian IT companies. He has played a major role in promoting the Australian IT industry, as past director of the Australian Information Industry Association, as well a founding member of Software Queensland. He is currently Chairman of the advisory board for inQbator, providing funding to young start up IT companies, helping them to commercialise their ideas.

Adrian is also a member of the Royal Children Hospital Foundation of Queensland, a fellow of the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants, and a regular speaker at business forums both inside and outside the computer industry.

Adrian won the highly coveted Pearcey Award in 2004 for “innovative and pioneering achievement and contribution to research and development in IT”. In 2001 he was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Company Website : www.technologyonecorp.com

 

Mr Graeme Wood | Executive Director | Wotif.com

Graeme Wood revolutionised the travel industry in Australia when he created the concept for, and co-founded, Wotif.com in 2000. From his simple and innovative idea, Graeme has grown Wotif.com into a global company with a team of over 160 employees worldwide.

Graeme’s background is in information technology, with more than 30 years’ experience in the field of information systems and software development, beginning with NCR and later IBM. His career as an entrepreneur began in the early 1980s with the first of several technology start-ups.

Graeme holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Information Systems. He is a frequent speaker at functions covering topics relevant to the travel industry as well as entrepreneurship and innovation.

His not-for-profit interests through the Graeme Wood Foundation and the Wot’s Next Programme support youth development programmes in the arts, sailing, and conservation.

In October 2007, Graeme will retire from his role as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Wotif.com and assume the position of Executive Director, where he will focus on developing new business concepts and promoting the company.

Company Website: www.wotif.com

 

Mr Kon Kakarnis | Managing Director | Sundata Pty Ltd

Kon Kakanis is Managing Director of Sundata Pty Ltd and was a founder of Software Queensland. His ICT experience encompasses small business and international organisations.  

Kon's current speciality is in providing guidance to senior and board level executives on the best use of IT. His role also involves providing products, integration, consulting and technology services to corporate and government clients.  

Kon was the Queensland Pearcey Award winner in 2005 and is a long term member of ACS. Kon is currently Chair of the Queensland Govt ICT workgroup where he is involved in consolidated industry forums debating IT issues on how to improve industry development. 

Company Website: www.sundata.com.au

 

Ms Marilyn Harvey | CEO | ChalkPort

Marilyn is an entrepreneur who founded Australia’s first e-learning specialist company in 1999. She project managed the research and development of their proprietary learning technology before taking the product suite to market in 2001. ChalkPort is now a successful company operating in a rapidly maturing niche sector of the ICT market.

She is recognised as one of Australia’s leading authorities in e-learning, has been a keynote speaker at international conferences and provides specialist advice to national and international companies and government systems.

Marilyn also worked in the wine trade in London for eight years before returning to Queensland where her work in education earned her the Minister’s Award for Leadership. She is currently a member of the Queensland Minister’s ICT Advisory Group.

Company website: www.chalkport.com

 

Ms Cathy Forward| Principal Consultant

Cathy Forward is a managmenet consultant who has worked in the ICT and business sector for more than 20 years. She has held many senior leadership positions specialising in professional service delivery, business transformation and portfolio management.

Cathy's expertise in maximising business performance through leveraging people, processes and technology to create responsive resilient and focused organisations.

Cathy is a director on the board of Queensland Motorways and is chair of the Free Flow Tolling Committee. Cathy is also Chair of the Queensland branch of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

 

Dr Tim Redhead | Director | DotSec

Tim established DotSec with the goal of attracting excellent staff and delivering top quality information security products and services. Since then, Tim has directed innovative projects that have supported clinicians, exposed vulnerabilities in legal and financial applications and secured online payment systems.

He remains excited by the opportunities that are made possible through the clever use of IT.

Company website: www.dotsec.com

 

Mr Cameron Beavis| Managing Director| Global X Information

Cameron Beavis is Managing Director of GlobalX Information. GlobalX Information was founded in 1995 and provides business information and practice management solutions to professional services businesses throughout Australia.

Cameron has 25 years experience in marketing, business development, IT management and management consulting as well as international marketing, business development and mergers and acquisitions in South America, Central America and Europe in both private and public corporations.

He is now primarily focussed on growing his GlobalX business whilst encouraging younger entrepreneurs with the challenges of establishing their ideas into businesses.

Company Website: www.globalx.com.au