Timothy Birdsall

My objective is to lead Australian information technology organizations to international success.

Overall my business strengths can be characterized as entrepreneurial, sales-focused and people-oriented: these factors will also guide my next career progression. I have successfully built or expanded a number of businesses from original concepts, both within larger organizations (see IBM, Technical Software Services), and at my own. Presence Online (Aptrix) grew from a 2-person Sydney start-up in 1996 to a 150+ person company with 5 offices on four continents before a successful trade sale. We provided the world’s leading Lotus Domino-based Web Content Management suite, Aptrix, to a portfolio of global blue chip and mid-market customers, before we engaged in an acquisition by IBM in 2003. As Founder and Board Director I was instrumental in both the business’ global development and its sale and was retained by IBM as a condition of the acquisition process. I have remained with IBM since then, with sales leadership roles in both Lotus and Tivoli Security, gaining internal recognition such as appearing regularly in IBM’s “top 10%” evaluation process and being awarded the AP Top 200 “IBM Golden Circle” Achievement award & gaining promotion to Director, IBM Lotus Asia Pacific Growth Market Unit (China, India, ANZ, ASEAN & Korea) in 2010, achieving double digit growth throughout the year for the business.

In my career development I look to best leverage my all-round managerial & business development skills. With an Honours Degree in Law from Cambridge University, (BA, MA), and a twenty-year career in leadership positions I can handle a wide range of business competencies, both externally-orientated (business negotiations, press, analysts) and internal (P&L management, corporate governance, business strategy & execution, operations). As a business leader and personnel manager within IBM I have direct experience and knowledge of the implementation of corporate policies and procedures at the enterprise level. As both a Managing Director and Board member with Presence Online I managed at the top of an international structure and reported regularly to corporate investors such as Deutsche Bank and Rothschilds. Within IBM I had direct people management responsibility – coaching, strategic direction, business leadership. I built a team across Asia Pacific who in turn each acted as overlay sales leaders