Mike is a creative problem solver and a project governance specialist. His passion is to bring together technical and business people to creatively use technology to bring greater value to organisations. He ensures projects have clear vision, tangible results and meet the real needs of an organisation.
Mike brings organisation and a sense of purpose to everything he does. In his spare time he organises creative groups around writing, improvisation and roleplaying games and has played pivotal roles in their ongoing financial success. Mike is also a coffee explorer. He enjoys tinkering with different blends, grinds and experimenting with home made roasting devices.
Mike has always been interested in creativity and invention. At an early age he was inspired by the new possibilities examined by science fiction and an active space program – televised rockets bringing his science fiction dreams to life! Together these developed his love of science and, with the addition of home computing, gave him the tools to start building the future himself.
Mike started university determined to become nuclear physicist but he was seduced by the possibilities offered by computers and the internet. Through emerging information technology he saw the promise of making an immediate, bigger impact on the future. Mike changed streams and fascinated by the development of internet and declared to the world “One day I shall make my living out of it”. Within a year of graduating his vision came true as the world wide web emerged, bringing with it new possibilities and new ways of interacting.
Mike maintains an active interest in emerging technology and has a track record of innovating with them to create valuable corporate resources. Mike champions the creation of web enabled business applications and makes extensive use of open source and emerging technologies to do it. Mike pioneered the use of new technologies in several work places (such as Hewlett Packard, IP Australia and the Department of Health and Ageing) to solve previously painful business problems.
Mike’s focus on clear headed results and practical innovation kept him busy through the dot.com bust. During this time he followed his love for strategic problem solving, moving him away from directly technical work and into business consulting. Recently he has been working with Australian Government agencies to mature their IT delivery capability and to measure and improve their use of IT. He has worn many hats for different organisations, tailoring himself to meet their needs. He has served as a Solutions Architect, Project Manager, Enterprise Architect, IT Strategist and Analyst.
During this time of economic gloom, Mike has his eyes firmly fixed on the future. This time of upheaval will change the way business and technology relate, and Mike is eager to be a part of this new world. He and his partner are currently in the process of relocating to Portland, Oregon. There they will throw themselves into the vibrant Silicon Forest community, working to bring the future closer.