Why you would engage me
Why You would Engage Me
Summary
Engaging me means gaining a senior architect with more than four decades of direct experience designing, repairing, rescuing, and delivering mission-critical systems across defence, government, industry, and frontier computing environments.
I specialise in stabilising fragile architectures, restoring coherence to drifting systems, and ensuring that technical outcomes align with organisational mission, not inertia. I bring systems-level thinking, deep technical acumen, and the ability to operate under extreme complexity without losing clarity or momentum.
I excel in environments where:
- knowledge has become siloed or lost
- systems need to be transitioned, scaled, or commercialised
- architecture has decayed under piecemeal “tinkering”
- continuity must be restored
- critical projects need a trusted senior technical custodian
I have been repeatedly engaged by organisations precisely because I can solve the problems that no one else wants or is able to touch.
My Value Proposition
1. I create stability in unstable environments
When systems have drifted, documentation is imperfect, and technical debt obscures mission outcomes, I reconstruct the architecture, identify the real constraints, and bring the project back under control.
2. I remove single points of failure—including myself
I actively design myself out of knowledge bottlenecks by:
- externalising architectural reasoning
- creating transparent artefacts
- preparing documentation that is actually usable
- enabling handover to teams, vendors, or cloud providers
I know the danger of sole custodianship, and I mitigate it deliberately.
3. I can transition HPC and AI systems into sustainable, commercialised platforms
I specialise in:
- de-risking fragile infrastructure
- structuring outsourcing arrangements
- preparing architectures for cloud migration
- transforming research-grade systems into industry-ready products
- advising external partners such as hyperscalers and primes
This is essential for HPC and AI projects that must survive beyond the original team.
4. I bridge government, defence, research, and industry
Few architects can operate equally well across:
- defence acquisition
- scientific research computing
- commercial cloud engineering
- software product development
- security governance
- systems integration
I can—and have repeatedly.
5. I work with speed, clarity, and high agency
My career has not been built through portals or automated systems. I am engaged because:
- I cut through noise
- I identify the shortest path to value
- I am accountable for outcomes
- I operate independently with minimal direction
- I deliver what I say I will deliver
This is why organisations keep calling me back.
6. I am the architect you engage when failure is not an option
I specialise in projects where:
- delays are no longer tolerable
- technical leadership has become inconsistent
- institutional knowledge is at risk of disappearing
- the consequences of error are significant
I stabilise, recover, transition, and commercialise large-scale systems—particularly HPC and AI architectures.
Why You Should Engage Me Now
The risk profile for your program increases with time:
- architectural knowledge is concentrated
- internal documentation gaps widen
- decision fatigue embeds
- external commercial opportunities may be lost
- fragility grows with each intervention
- the market will not wait indefinitely
Engaging me now ensures:
- continuity of architectural understanding
- a coherent, vendor-ready transition plan
- a commercialisation pathway with defensible intellectual value
- removal of single-point-of-failure risks
- preservation of institutional memory
- delivery of an architecture that can survive and scale
If required, I can also:
- lead the transition to an external HPC/cloud provider
- structure the outsourcing engagement
- support commercial discussions with partners
- produce the architectural, security, and operational artefacts necessary for adoption
Why My Age and Country of Residence Are Strengths
My decades of experience give me:
- long-horizon architectural thinking
- the ability to recognise system patterns and failure modes early
- familiarity with every generation of HPC and enterprise architecture
- resilience under pressure
- judgement that only comes from time
Being based in Australia is fully compatible with:
- international architectural work
- HPC and AI system design
- cross-border collaboration
- remote advisory roles
- cloud-first deployments
Global technical leadership is no longer geographically constrained.
Engagement Recommendation
If you need to:
- stabilise
- transition
- commercialise
- rescue
- or de-risk
a large HPC or AI architecture, or if you need a senior architect who can operate independently and protect your long-term technical viability, then you should engage me.
I can deliver the architecture you need now—and ensure it survives after I hand it over.
Recent Professional Biography
Overview
I am an Australian systems architect with more than 40 years of experience across defence, government, scientific research, HPC, cloud systems, and enterprise architecture. My career has included R&D, international engineering work, defence contracting, systems integration, platform development, and major architectural leadership roles.
I have served as:
- security engineer
- systems architect
- enterprise architect
- R&D engineer
- technical founder
- Identity and Security ASsurance engineer
- an HPC architecture lead
- trusted advisor to government and defence agencies
I currently work with DSTG on a major HPC architectural program.
Nov 2018 – Present: DSTG — Security Engineer → Architect → Solution Architect
- Initially engaged as Security Engineer.
- Following a colleague’s medical incapacitation, assumed architectural leadership.
- Re-engaged as Solution Architect shortly after.
- Current lead custodian architect for a major HPC architecture and transition program.
- Responsibilities:
- System stabilisation and defect correction.
- Architectural recovery and redesign.
- Preparation of outsourcing and cloud transition strategy.
- Establishing survivable long-term architectural artifacts.
- Guiding commercialisation pathways suitable for global HPC/HPC-adjacent customers.
2018: TAP — Enterprise Architect
- Enterprise architecture leadership across complex systems programs.
- Defined long-horizon technical strategy and integration patterns.
2017: Thales — Architect
- Architect supporting defence-related platform and systems programs.
- Delivered solutions requiring deep domain understanding and systems thinking.
2011 – 2017: Department of Defence — Prime Contractor (Multiple Contracts)
- Delivered multiple Defence contracts under different engagements.
- Provided architecture, security, integration and systems engineering.
- Supported various Defence capability programs.
- Obtained DISP accreditation Dec 2019 (formal accreditation)
2015 – Present: N4RC — Director
- Director of a scientific/technical innovation startup.
- Provides architectural, research, and technical strategy capability.
2010 – 2018: Arising Technologies Pty Ltd — Founder & Vendor (IR-GIS)
- Established company delivering geospatial software solutions.
- Designed, built and supported IR-GIS (Infrared Geospatial Information System).
- Provided niche technical capability to clients across multiple sectors.
- Operated independently at senior technical level.
2005 – 2010: Codarra Advanced Systems
- Senior technical and architectural roles.
- Delivered defence and government systems engineering outcomes.
2002 – 2005: Centrelink
- Large-scale government systems work.
- Systems integration, architecture and engineering assignments.
2001 – 2002: DFAT (Second Engagement)
- Systems and architecture roles in departmental programs.
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Specialisations
- High-performance computing architecture
- Complex system rescue and recovery
- Defence and government systems
- Transition planning and outsourcing
- Commercialisation pathways for HPC/AI platforms
- Systems security and governance
- Enterprise and solution architecture
- R&D engineering and long-term systems design
- Programming consultant and developer
Professional Characteristics
- Systems-level thinker
- High-agency operator
- Fast integrative reasoning
- Direct, concise communication style
accreditations
- Australian Government DISP accreditation (Dec 2019)
- B Sc - UNE, 1979
- Dip Ed - UNE, 1979
- (post grad) Dip Com Sc - UNE, 1979
- Amateur Radio Operator - VK1-BRH
- Private Pilot, Command Instrument Rated.