Meet a Member – Chris Jeffery FACS
Highlights
- In this edition, meet long time ACS Fellow Chris Jeffery. Hear his career highlights to date and how ACS has supported his journey from a tech start up in 1997 to a successful tech consultancy.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself
I am the Chief Guru of CyberGuru, an IT managed services provider with a focus on productivity and cyber security. CyberGuru provides proactive and innovative IT solutions that empower Australian businesses while ensuring minimal disruptions along the way.
I began working in IT in 1997 when home PCs were starting to become common and I felt the need to assist given that most people were not computer literate. My family, friends, teachers and parents of friends became my first ‘clients’ who recognised my ability to explain things simply, resolve issues calmly and be friendly and approachable.
CyberGuru was born to address that need. Twenty-seven years later, technology has evolved significantly, as have our services. We take the time to ensure an organisation’s IT systems align with their goals and strategies, to ensure that technology is powering their success.
I hold a dual degree in Business and Information Systems and have industry qualifications including Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Microsoft Certified Trainer and Microsoft Certified Professional. I have also attained various certifications including ITIL, PRINCE2, CompTIA and ISC2.
Last year I was appointed a Fellow of the Australian Computer Society, having been a member and Certified Professional for many years since my time studying at university.
2. What is a key project or initiative that you are personally working on that is tech related?
A key project that I am working on is aligning our products and services to industry-aligned standards, including the Essential Eight Security Model and SMB1001. My aim is to benchmark our clients, identify areas of improvement and to increase our clients’ security posture. I believe that this is important to help to build greater understanding of cybersecurity and raise professionalism in the industry.
3. What do you enjoy most about working in the tech industry?
I most enjoy making a difference, as well as building relationships and partnerships.
Technology has become such an integral part of work that every organisation is dependent on it. By helping businesses work more effectively through the effective adoption of technology, we can have a significant impact on their overall success and growth.
We have great rapport with our clients, which helps establish a high level of trust. Many of our clients have remained with us for years, and it is an honour to build such strong relationships with them and ensure they can always count on our support.
I also really enjoy education and training and seeing people interested in IT, whether that be the owner of an organisation, many investing their own time and resources to conduct professional development or a student studying at school and university preparing for their future career. I have been involved in lecturing and tutoring at both a university and Vocational Education and Training (VET) level, along with teaching people in my own business.
I have also mentored future IT and business professionals through various roles within secondary school, higher education and vocational education and training sectors on a pro-bono basis. I previously mentored a high school student who then started his own IT business, like myself a long ago. I am also involved with industry validation events supporting Vocational Education and Training teachers improve their assessment instruments in IT and business qualifications.
4. What is a tech related project or achievement are you most proud of?
I have been fortunate to be recognised for several achievements over the past few years.
Most recently, I was awarded the 2023 Future Leader Spotlight Award by CompTIA Australia and New Zealand (ANZ for my success and innovation in advancing the technology industry. It is “given to a young professional who is making their mark within a CompTIA Corporate Member organisation, who has shown success or originality as an entrepreneur, or has made an industry impact in some other demonstrable way”. It was great to be recognised for this as much of my work is unseen, however what made this most special was that judging was done by a panel of volunteer leaders from other CompTIA communities outside the region.
In 2017, was appointed an Advance Queensland Community Digital Champion in recognition of my work in the community to educate people in staying safe online and work with not-for-profits, allowing them to implement new technologies, access discounted software, and become more self-sufficient in maintaining their technology.
I was also the 2012 Young ICT Professional of the Year by the Australian Computer Society Queensland Branch for my initiative and leadership in promoting and serving the ICT community in Queensland.
5. What is the key piece of advice you would give to a student or emerging professional entering the industry?
The IT industry is forever changing and requires one to be prepared to work diligently and continually look at new opportunities for growth. The next five years will bring much more growth in the industry than the last 25 years. It is important to remain up-to-date with emerging technologies and business developments, such as automation and artificial intelligence, and develop an awareness as to how these can apply to organisations you may work for in your career in the future.
6. How can others contact you if they are interested in connecting and knowing more?
The best way to connect with me is via LinkedIn, where I can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cajeffery.
You can also find out more about CyberGuru on our website, https://www.cyberguru.com.au.