Home: Seattle, WA. Age: 43. Birthplace: Adelaide, South Australia. Profession: Technology. Organization: Microsoft. Title: Corporate Vice President. Pronouns: He/Him/His. Significant other: My wife, Lara. Alma mater: Prince Alfred College; University of South Australia.
Current project: Being dad to my six- and nine-year-old kids. Recent recognition: 2021 Cloud Industry Executive of the Year by WashingtonExec. Recent professional development: Building cloud computing infrastructure to cover planet earth. Latest accomplishment: Running Artificial Intelligence on the International Space Station. Latest contribution to others: Creating a scholarship for Australian students who want to study technology. Hobbies: Woodworking, 3d printing, boating. Last book read: The Great Convergence, Information Technology and the New Globalization, by Richard Baldwin.
Personality profile: Passionate, focused, driven, decisive, fast. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Loyal. How do you define a perfect friendship? Mutual respect. How do you define an ideal business relationship? Humility and dedication. What is your greatest joy? My family. What word or phrase do you use far too often? ACK! What is at the top of your bucket list? Attending The Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. How do you relieve stress? Building things in my workshop.
What was your first paying job? Live music sound engineer for rock bands. What was your favorite college course? Theory of Computation. What book have you repeatedly read? The First 90 Days, by Michael Watkins. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Work hard and leave a lasting impact on the world. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Do something every day that scares you. What is your go-to source of news and information? The Wall Street Journal, Ycombinator, Hacker News. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? Beating cancer, twice.
What change would you like to see in the world?
Broadscale adoption of sustainable energy.
What message do you want to send out into the world? Work hard, kindness lasts a lifetime. What mega-trend most excites you? Space exploration. What mega-trend most concerns you? Social and digital media.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Thrive To Survive. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Daniel Craig. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? My dad. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? An engineer. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? Laughing and eating with my family. What advice would you give your younger self? Patience.
Personal motto: Work hard, be kind. Favorite quote: “When you are going through hell, keep going” (Winston Churchill).
