Get to Know Your NSW Branch Executive Committee - Klaus Mathias Gaertner MACS Snr CP

25th Aug 2020

Highlights

Also known as Mathias, Klaus Mathias Gaertner was elected as Vice Chair of the NSW Branch Executive Committee.
As a cyber security and forensic specialist, Mathias is the Founder and CEO of IT Experts in Australia and Founder and CEO of IT Experts GmbH in Germany
Mathias is permanently sworn in and an accredited expert witness for IT as an Information Security specialist.

1. What do you hope to achieve for the ACS NSW Branch?

I hope to deepen the networking and knowledge exchange between members of our branch so that the implicit "knowledge-base" that everyone has spreads out to the benefit of all. Likewise, I'd like to represent the members as much as possible to create the best environment and to make ACS an even better place to be.

2. Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Why and how did this person impact your life?

That is definitely my former business partner and founder of my German Expert Witness Firm, Prof. Pausch. Sadly he died four years ago. He saw my potential of having deep understanding of IT technology combined with the ability to present that to laypersons. He started my career as sworn in Expert Witness. Besides the business he was the most social and fair person I've ever met. For example, after he found out that one homeless person "resided" in his backyard property, he gave him a permanent permit to stay there as long as he wished. He even wrote that in the contract when selling the property.

3. Considering the number of ACS initiatives that have been announced in response to COVID-19, how do you think ACS is staying current in these challenging times?

ACS is on a quite good path with all its initiatives and ideas. Moving onto Webinars and virtual presences also enhances the role of ACS as a trailblazer for new working environments with the help of IT. However, we must rethink our strategy on how to keep the networking part up without unnecessary endangering the members.

4. Looking forward, past the crisis, what changes for the good do you hope to see for businesses and employees in our community?

Every crisis has its benefits, even though a lot of damage will be and is done. But the major change for good will very likely be that more business owners see the benefit of digitisation and that teleconferences are beneficial for most of the meetings. To embrace that idea and have that put into a business strategy will not only help the business (by lowering the office expenses) but also every member of the team. Less commute time, less "overhead" before being productive etc. This is also a chance to rethink the old model of 9-to-5 working schedule. As it was demonstrated in a lot of areas, it's the work that needs to be done and not the time. Of course, this does not apply to every business, some things cannot be digital :-)

5. How has ACS membership supported your career journey in tech and what advice would you give to others looking to advance their career in ICT?

I joined ACS late in my career (being in Germany for 50 years) but it broadens the scope of thinking as well as creating a network of peers to rely on with all aspects of career life.

As for advice for the career: Decide early if you want to be a specialist or a generalist but never, ever cast that decision in stone. Being a specialist may bring high reputation (and money) but carries the risk that that area will fall out of fashion (what did happen to all VAX/VMS operators or TokenRing specialists?). Being a generalist on the other hand enables you to pursue a lot of different specialist areas but of course you are never as deep in the technology as the "true" specialist. But as I said, with either path decision there's always a possibility for changing the course. Always have a plan B for your career and never be afraid to take risks. s.

'Get to Know Your ACS NSW BEC' series aims to shed the spotlight on your NSW BEC members and get their insights on key topics related to your ACS membership and the IT sector. This week we continue our ‘Get to Know Your ACS NSW BEC’ series, with Klaus Mathias Gaertner MACS Snr CP, providing insights into keeping your skills updated and how to make the most of your ACS Membership.