Think Tank: Danny Maher

SOFTWARE juggernaut CEO Danny Maher believes in the Coast’s potential to be a hub for information technology and a centre for innovative commercialised charity.

Danny Maher boss of Gold Coast IT company Opmantek, has beaten Qantas boss Alan Joyce and Telstra boss David Thodey to take out the Gold Stevie award for Executive of the Year. Pictured at 50 Cavill Ave. Photo: Kit Wise

THIS year, Danny Maher was named Australian CEO of the Year, ahead of QANTAS’s Alan Joyce and Telstra’s David Thodey. As chairman and CEO of software company Opmantek, he oversees one of the world’s fastest-growing tech companies — its software used by over 60,000 organisations in 130 countries. Mr Maher believes in the Gold Coast’s potential to be a hub for information technology and a centre for innovative commercialised charity.

Danny Maher in Surfers Paradise. Photo: Kit Wise

What do you love about the Gold Coast?

“Without a doubt it is the lifestyle. You can be relaxing at a quiet beach, meandering through national parks or partying ‘til dawn.

“The Gold Coast has a great opportunity to attract and maintain talented business people due to the lifestyle it offers.”

Tourists are an important part of the Gold Coast Danny says. Picture: Scott Fletcher

What do you think can be done better on the Gold Coast?

“The Gold Coast has a way to go before its economy is sustainably diversified.

“We still rely heavily on tourism and while tourism is a great asset ... and should definitely be further invested in, the Gold Coast economy is significantly exposed to downturns in tourism.

“The reality is that within Australia the Gold Coast is not seen as a credible place to operate a business in many industries — including technology.

“We need to raise the profile of IT here and we need to raise the profile of Gold Coast IT outside of the Gold Coast.

“The Gold Coast IT community has to stand up and lead this change, not wait for others to do it for them. I would love to see more Gold Coast IT companies being active in the community, sponsoring community events and sporting clubs.”

Mr Maher celebrating his National Information and Communication Technology award at the Australian Export Awards.

In your travels, what have you seen being done elsewhere you think could work well here?

“One of the things I look for when travelling is to create key links — or train tracks — as I call them — between the Gold Coast and other appropriate persons and organisations around the world.

“A great benefit of technology is the ability to communicate and collaborate in many forms across geographical and cultural boundaries and I’m passionate about creating long-term links to appropriate organisations and educating them on the Gold Coast IT ecosystem for the benefit of all Gold Coast IT companies.

“This includes investors, governments, universities, resellers, research and development organisations, international lawyers, accountants, other IT companies — anyone that can help a Gold Coast company successfully export their technology.

“Opmantek has a great supporting business network in Latin America, US, Europe and Asia — we are still building on it but I hope we are laying some tracks that other technology companies from the Gold Coast can roll down.”

Mr Maher (right) meets with other IT leaders.

If money, laws, time and approvals were no issue, what is one big project you’d undertake tomorrow?

“It would have to be something on a charitable or community level. I have always desired that successful business people apply their creativity, drive and resources for greater good.

“I would love to have the world’s best minds collaborating for a greater good, creating businesses that serviced charitable and social causes without excluding the possibility that the business is profitable and generates shareholder wealth.

“Governments operate locally, but commercial organisations operate and market globally with a common goal and can be great instruments of change.

“For example, pharmaceutical companies often do this — they spend a lot of money researching and curing disease and creating drugs that benefit all of us, and they are able to do this because when they make their breakthrough they get a commercial gain from it and are able to export that breakthrough globally, addressing approvals and laws that need to be addressed in each geography and driving the change globally in a manner and speed that a single government could not and in a method that is infinitely sustainable due to its commercial nature.

“There are opportunities like this across a wide spectrum of society from addressing homelessness, obesity, depression, abuse — if we can get great minds together and work out where a commercial opportunity exists to solve a social issue then we can rapidly create and implement a global, sustainable, funded solution.

“So essentially, I would get some great people together with appropriate skills and linkages and form a globally-operating, investable, high-growth, wealth-generating commercial entity that was goaled at commercialising solutions to social issues. “

Movers and shakers of the Gold Coast need to ensure the Gold Coast doesn’t become a big city like Sydney. Picture: Scott Fletcher

What conversations should Gold Coast movers and shakers be having?

“One puzzle at the Gold Coast is how to keep the attractive lifestyle we all love while building and diversifying the economy.

“I don’t think there are many people that want the Gold Coast to be a big city like Sydney or Melbourne — I certainly don’t — but we do want jobs for everyone and economic prosperity.

“Too many people have to move away from the Gold Coast to find appropriate work. This is where the linkages I refer to are super important.

“We should be building the appropriate linkages to those places to allow Gold Coast businesses to flourish.”