Another Top 4 Influential Australian IT Pioneers – Part 2

Discover 4 more Australian tech trailblazers who have been highly influential within our IT sector, shaping its future and spearheading game-changing new initiatives.

1. Pip Marlow, the managing director of Microsoft Australia

Ms Marlow has been with Microsoft Australia for 20 years having held positions with the company in the US, as well as locally. In January 2011 she became the managing director and under her leadership a program was initiated which shifted the local office to ‘activity-based working’ and in the process made the company an award-winning model to others.

Marlow was also behind another stellar campaign for Microsoft, the Joined-Up innovation campaign which displayed how vital innovation and culture is to business success and innovation.

Aside from her work at Microsoft, she also chairs the Business Council of Australia’s Labour Market, Skills and Education Committee, and sits on the board of the Australian Information Industries Association.

2. David Whiteing, the enterprise services group executive & CIO of Commonwealth Bank (CBA)

Mr Whiteing has continued shifting the bank in the digital direction with an innovative digital transformation agenda evolving it into a proper technology company.

He is backing the CBA’s $5 million investment in building a silicon-based quantum computer, has opened the CBA Innovation Lab, as well as introduced numerous other innovations into the bank’s operations. 

He advocates for increased cyber security training & promotes online child safety programs.

3. Cyan Ta'eed, the executive director & co-founder of Envato

Envato is behind the operation of many of the globe’s biggest online media marketplaces.

Ms Ta’eed advocates for more diversity within the country’s technology sector. The company was the first home grown tech firm to deliver a diversity report in 2014 and even challenged other tech businesses to do the same.

She is often a speaker at events, covering topics about entrepreneurship & female representation in start-ups & the technology sector in general.

She has instigated a thorough program within her company to promote gender diversity and inclusion, amongst other innovative initiatives.

4. Larry Marshall, the chief executive officer of CSIRO

CSIRO was limp from budget cuts when Mr Marshall took the reins, but he has begun turning it around through the creation of CSIRO’s 2020 strategy which focuses considerably upon speeding-up the organisation’s entrepreneurial capacity and embracing digital innovation.

The NICTA & CSIRO’s digital research business merger was overseen by Mr Marshall and he also initiated the CSIRO On accelerator program.

.

A Brief History Of Australia’s Greatest Inventions

Australia has a rich history of invention & innovation. Let’s take a look at what we can credit Aussie’s for.

Australia’s Economic Growth Depends Upon Our Capability for Innovation

Where does Australia rank in regards to innovation compared to the rest of the world? How can we improve our standing and retain our competitive edge?