Eleven friends and colleagues united seven years ago to form the Canberra-based IT consulting firm A23.
Having now grown to more than 60 staff and $30 million a year in revenue, A23 has appointed one of those initial eleven first starters as CEO, to lead the company’s bold plan to target another 75 per cent in growth over the next three years.
Proud Kamilaroi woman and entrepreneur Natalie Legg takes the CEO role, replacing Simon Metcalfe, who will move into a new Chief Growth Officer role.
On being replaced by Legg as CEO, Metcalfe said that her perspectives as an Indigenous woman were a significant asset to the company.
“Having a First Nations woman move into this role really represents something for the company, it’s about advancing opportunities,” he said.
“This is an industry dominated by men, especially in senior leadership, that should change, and this reflects that. It is a chance to lead by example,” he said.
He described her as a strong leader who has already contributed significantly to getting the company to where it is today.
Legg also brings her entrepreneurial experience to the role, as she owns a cafe and bar in Canberra.
Legg said on her appointment that at a macro level, she wants to see the consultancy grow beyond Canberra to take on more private sector clients.
“At a cultural level, I want to lead a company with clear communications and positive culture. And I hope we can continue to be an employer of choice, championing diversity with more women and diverse cultural backgrounds,” she said.
“We are aiming for 25 per cent year on year growth over the next three years. With Simon in his new role we want to expand further into Sydney and Brisbane; do more work outside of Government and expand our offerings. There is still plenty to do in Canberra though, we’re only just getting started.”
Originally from North Western NSW, Legg has lived in Canberra for nearly twenty years.
Metcalfe described his decision to step back from the CEO role as also being about realising that he was personally ready for a change, and looking at what the company needed to do for growth.
“We recognise that to grow further we need a focused sales engine to drive our goals over the next three years. I’m looking forward to working with the team to build and drive this.”
The IT consulting firm helps organisations achieve digital transformation outcomes across business applications, data and analytics.