Just a couple of months into her role as Managing Director for Datacom Australia, Laura Malcolm says one of her clearest observations is the breadth of expertise that the team has, and the trust placed in the team by so many organisations across Australia – and it’s this role as a trusted partner to Australian businesses and government organisations that she wants to see grow.
“Growing Datacom to become known as the local trusted technology partner for Australian organisations and communities is key,” she says. “We’ve already got a strong reputation with our customers, but we want to grow that awareness of what we can do. It’s about bringing all of our vast capabilities to bear and delivering real value.”
When the MD appointment was announced, Datacom Group CEO Greg Davidson described Laura as having values that were strongly aligned with Datacom’s vision and values and as someone who believes in building “customer-centric, talented and inclusive teams, with a strong focus on culture and belonging”.
In practice, Laura says being customer-centric means keeping the customer at the forefront of your thinking and focusing on really delivering value.
“Every day, I want all of our leaders and team to wake up and think: What have I done for my customer today? A truly customer-focused business is one where everyone wakes up thinking about that and has that thought front of mind as they go through their working day.”
The current market has been challenging for a lot of organisations and Laura says that being customer-centric is also about prioritising customers and being responsive to their needs.
“Everybody wants acceleration — helping them do things faster, easier and with reduced risk. It’s not about reinventing the wheel every time but bringing repeatable solutions and continuously improving.”
With those drivers in mind, Laura says it is clear AI and automation will be – and in some cases already is – a transformative force.
“AI done safely and responsibly can help people work, live, and play in more engaging and efficient ways.”
Laura’s own interest in technology started early. Long before starting her career in tech – a career that has seen her working in large consulting and technology organisations in Australia, APAC, UK and EMEA and most recently as General Manager of IT consulting and services company Avanade – her mother sparked an interest in coding.
“Back in the early ’80s, when I was about nine or ten, my mum and I taught ourselves how to code in BASIC.”
This early interest in technology stayed with her and after earning a degree in physics, Laura joined a graduate programme designed to train systems engineers. The two-year programme to become a systems engineer led to new opportunities – “I just kept on trying new things, and people kept on asking me to do more” – and provided the foundation for a varied career that has included roles in database administration, integration, architecture, consulting and leadership.
“Working with technology, and in the tech sector, has always proved to be such an interesting space — there is always more to learn.”
“I’ve literally done a bit of everything. It’s been a continuous journey, pivoting between technical roles, sales, consulting and operational leadership.”
Asked about her own leadership style, Laura says her experience is that an open, honest and collaborative approach works best.
“For me, being a collaborative leader means working as a team and bringing out the full strengths and capabilities of that team. It’s also about being authentic and open — you have to be genuine to build trust.”
“Being brave enough to show vulnerability encourages others to do the same, and I find that really helps build trust and strengthens teams.”
Laura, a supporter of the #TechDiversity community, is also adamant that the most successful teams are diverse, inclusive and have a strong team culture that encourages performance and fun.
“It’s important to create a culture of performance and fun. Work is such a big part of our lives, it has to be enjoyable.”
“Diversity is about not just gender or ethnicity; it’s about culture, characteristics, abilities, and all the things that make us unique and similar as people. I’ve seen how effective it is when you have teams where everybody feels comfortable bringing their diverse opinions and thoughts into the room. The power of that and the impact it has on our ability to work is incredible.”
“It’s really important that the diversity of our teams and business matches the diversity of the customers and the communities we’re serving.”
An active ambassador for the Corporate Mental Health Alliance of Australia and a contributor to their working groups and practical resource kits and content, Laura is also a strong advocate for mental health.
“The tech industry has a huge impact on wellbeing — it can help or hinder. As a leader, I think it’s important to create a culture where people feel comfortable managing their mental health and recognising it is part of our overall health and wellbeing.”
Outside of her professional life, Laura enjoys staying active with running and pilates, attending live music gigs and spending time with her family.
“My kids, at ten and eight, are at such a fun age — they keep me amused and active.”
Looking ahead, the new MD for Australia wants Datacom to be “our customers’ favourite partner”.
Laura says achieving ‘favourite partner’ status is about leaning into Datacom’s strengths and being a tech partner that really understands their customers – their business, their needs, their culture, their ‘why’ – and solves their challenges using that information.
“Our team will draw on our breadth of experience and technical expertise to ensure we’re consistently delivering insights and value that our customers can’t get anywhere else.”
