David ‘sort of fell into’ tech in the 80s – here’s what time in the sector has taught him so far.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
Taking the Bendigo Bank brand into the telecommunications and mobile payments space back in 2014 was quite innovative at the time. The Australian telecoms market is difficult to enter and being able to leverage our offering to a loyal, scaled customer base was a real coup. Having been successful, I then joined Southern Phone and spent a few years helping to grow the business. They were subsequently acquired by AGL where I worked on the launch of a mobile and broadband offering. Successfully bringing these big brands to market in a highly competitive space has been very satisfying.
What first made you think of a career in technology?
In the 1980s, no one chose technology; you sort of fell into it. I’m originally from Deniliquin in regional New South Wales, and I hadn’t used a computer before I went off to university in Bendigo. I started out studying business, then did a coding minor and found I was pretty good at it. Cue a switch to computer science and, upon graduation, a hardcore technical job managing Unix and telecoms systems for a national plumbing retailer. That role got me exposed to dealing with Optus and I ended up going to work for them a couple of years later.
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position?
While I’m not a fan of the term ‘servant leader’, I do subscribe to the philosophy that a leader is there to create the right environment for their team to succeed. My role is to ensure we’re all aligned and on track to meet our vision and our customers’ expectations. Authenticity and humility are big in my world. It doesn’t matter whether you’re dealing with hardcore engineers or contact centre agents, it’s about building relationships, finding out what motivates people and helping them achieve the things they want to achieve. Those are lessons I learnt via trial and error as a younger leader and I continue to draw on them today.
What do you think is the current hot technology talking point?
Artificial Intelligence. We’ve rapidly moved past the hype stage and now we’re talking about harnessing it to address real world problems. Within the boundaries of ethical deployment, of course – AI can have a life of its own!
All businesses are becoming more data hungry and data-centric in their thinking. They want insights that are deeper and more granular than those they can obtain from, say, downloading a generic report. For enablers like us – Prvidr helps subscription brands better target their products and campaigns – that means getting on the front foot and using AI to deliver those insights in ways that are actionable and relevant. We’re finally close to realising what used to be a utopian dream; the marketplace of one in which every customer experience is personalised.
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office?
I’m a country boy so, for me, it’s doing things outside. My wife and I lived in Melbourne for 13 years and began raising our children there but when Bendigo Bank came knocking in 2004, I took the opportunity to move back to a regional centre. We’ve been in Bendigo ever since, although I currently regularly commute to Sydney. Our home is on five acres and I enjoy getting out there with the chainsaw and clearing up some of the bush – with the dogs in tow. There’s also a great sense of community when you live in a regional area. Over the years, I’ve been chairman of the local VFL football club and involved in various school committee positions as well as other community causes.
If you could go back and change one career decision, what would it be?
I’m not sure there’s anything I’d change. I think all your experiences combined are learnings that get you to where you are today. Although I don’t like to dwell on the past, I am someone who takes lessons from it. One of the best ones I’ve learnt is to get your distribution model sorted before you take something to market. You can have the best technology and the best platform in the world but if you’re not leveraging distribution channels so it’s easy for customers to access your offering, then they can’t buy it.
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry?
We’re seeing more and more large brands looking to enter the subscription market by selling adjacent products and services alongside their core offerings. Banks are getting into the telecoms business, for example, and supermarkets are now selling holidays. It makes sense for businesses that have large, engaged customer bases to grow their product portfolio and broaden their offerings in this way and there’s strong demand for platforms and programs that make it easy and cost effective for them to do so. Being able to cross subsidise the various products and fully integrate the customer experience to create a unique loyalty proposition is the end goal.
What are the region specific challenges when implementing new technologies in APAC?
As an enabler of subscription businesses, we work across several sectors that are subject to heavy regulation, right around the region. While regulators are, quite rightly, motivated by the desire to protect consumers, excessive zeal can stifle innovation and create barriers for suppliers looking to take new propositions to market. Ultimately, that can be to the detriment of consumers. It’s a fine line.
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months?
Prvidr has been moving up the maturity curve over recent times. I’ve built out the executive and customer experience teams and broadened our technical and delivery capacity so we can deploy solutions for customers rapidly. Having hired the right people and established priorities and a direction with them, one of my jobs has been to get out of the way and let them get on with it! I’ve also spent a lot of time talking to large businesses about how they can integrate subscription services into their core product portfolios. In 12 months’ time, I expect to be implementing our technology for a long list of Australian brands and looking offshore for further opportunities.
What advice would you offer to someone aspiring to obtain a C level position in your industry?
I’ve applied for one job in my whole life, I’m lucky enough to have been approached instead. That’s in accord with my philosophy that if you work hard, be yourself and are a good human being, and keep the business, your team and your customers’ interests at the forefront, opportunities will come to you.
So, my advice is, don’t be too eager on self-promoting. Surround yourself with people you can learn from, do good work, lean into new challenges and show your leadership credentials. People will notice.
