Congratulations to Wayne Fitzsimmons OAM, BE (Comms), FACS, FIEAust., Hon Fellow Melbourne University on his ACS Fellowship

26th Aug 2020

Highlights

• ACS Victoria would like to congratulate Mr Wayne Fitzsimmons on his recent ACS Fellowship.
• Wayne Fitzsimmons OAM is an outstanding ICT executive and ambassador for Australian innovation and has made many significant and distinguished contributions to Australian ICT. 
• Due to the current climate in Victoria, we are unable to present Wayne at an upcoming event, so we spoke to Wayne recently to find out how he began his career in ICT, an overview of the many years he has dedicated to the profession, and what becoming an ACS Fellow means to him.

1. What first encouraged you into a career in ICT?

I recall building my first radio when I was at high school in late 50s. Friends of my brother were all studying Electrical Engineering at the University of Queensland, as they seemed to enjoy the new technologies they were exposed to. I liked maths and sciences, and so thought, why not? It turns out that during my undergraduate years I was exposed to computing on campus and also at Aeronautical Research Labs in Melbourne where I worked during my vacations over summer. I met Gordon Moore of Moores Law fame in 1967, when I worked at Fairchild Semiconductor (he was then their CTO based in Sunnyvale, California) in Adelaide. I have to say he was an inspirational visionary and meeting him was a major highlight of my professional career.

2. How many years has your experience and studies in ICT spanned over?

ICT has been my whole life –I loved it at the start (1964) and am now even more enthusiastic about Australia’s potential in the field of ICT. As a nation we are very good at it and have been for a long time. I had the privilege of working internationally for over 15 years (London and Boston) during my career which took me all over Europe, Asia and Africa. I believe I have developed a good perspective on how excellent our education system is here and how well trained our professionals are in the areas of ICT and of course Medical Sciences. I also was extremely fortunate to start my own successful software company in 1997 here in Melbourne, and my experience allowed me to sell our directory software globally from the outset.

3. What does becoming an ACS Fellow mean to you?

I believe the ACS makes a vitally important contribution to our community, nationally. Fellows can represent role models for aspiring ICT professionals and demonstrate what can be done to influence and effect change for the betterment of our society overall, as well as individually. In my role as Chair of the Pearcey Foundation I have collaborated with the ACS over many years to articulate how we address these issues. Now, as an ACS Fellow I believe I can collaborate even more effectively with all of the Australian professional societies to ensure we manage these challenges even more effectively.