Zap Technology - Board and Management

President, Garth D. Laird

With more than 20 years experience in the information industry, Garth brings to Zap extensive experience working with enterprise software products in many segments and geographies. After working in Tier One consultancy firms for the first 5 years after graduating from university, he then moved to corporate information systems. Realizing the vast potential globally for a mid-market business management system, Garth started Navision Software’s Australian operations in 1996. He opened other offices across the Asia Pacific and Navision was later acquired by Microsoft. Over this time, Garth had grown the business to have 100 employees, 80 partners and some 800 clients in the Asia Pacific region. Overall 1,000 people were employed in selling, supporting and managing Navision clients in the region. As Regional Vice President for Navision, he made many international contacts around the globe and it is this, in addition to the vast number of years with many other organizations that he now brings to the management and expansion of Zap.

Executive Director, Matthew Lingard

Founder of Zap, Matthew gained extensive business experience through a number of sales and marketing management roles at Unilever, Pepsi-Co and Lion Nathan. Matthew then created a marketing consultancy that eventually formed the basis for the renamed Zap to become one of the largest business intelligence software resellers in Australia and onward to becoming the first Microsoft Gold Certified partner for Business Intelligence in Australia. As a thought leader in the business intelligence space, Matthew has spearheaded the move into the emerging corporate performance management category which is aimed at achieving greater margins and long term profitability.

Vice President - Asia, Joy Paul Tharakan

Joy Paul is responsible for Zap’s Asian operations based out of Singapore, and has global responsibility for OEM activities in the capacity of Director – Global OEM. Joy Paul is a seasoned professional in the enterprise application software industry. He began his software career in customer support and since then has successfully fulfilled roles such as sales, marketing, business development and general management within a number of market leading companies in the software industry. Until recently, Joy Paul was the Managing Director for Asia of Microsoft’s ERP and CRM Division. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director of the Asian Operations of Navision. Joy Paul has extensive experience across the Asia Pacific markets and has also held senior roles at Exact Software - a Dutch ERP software provider and Solomon Software's Asian operations.

Non-Executive Director, Bill Jackson

Bill has 25 years experience in the IT industry, with 12 years in senior management roles with a leading global technology company in Sydney, Melbourne, Boston and New York. He has 15 years experience managing sales and consulting businesses, and is a recognized leader in the commercialization of early stage businesses. Over the past 9 years, Bill has acted as an advisor, investor, director, mentor and consultant to a number of early stage businesses. Bill brings significant business management experience as well as a strong knowledge of business strategy and sales execution models to the Zap team.

Non-Executive Director, Chris McIntosh

Chris has more than 25 years experience in the international financial and commodities markets, spending 11 of those years based in the United States. He has held senior management roles with global organizations including heading a division of Salomon’s global energy business. Chris has significant experience in the development and implementation of strategy in the establishment and commercialisation of innovative new businesses, the development and patent-based protection of intellectual property, the management of risk, and development of financial services. Over the past 10 years Chris has acted as a director, consultant and investor with a number of businesses and brings this broad business management experience to Zap. Chris has undertaken studies in the sciences and economics and has an MBA.

Non-Executive Director, Geoff Marshall

Geoff has over 25 years corporate experience in Australia, Europe and North America working with organizations such as Philips Electronics, British Airways Engineering, and Compaq Computers. He has worked with many private and public companies, focusing on business improvement, strategy, financial, business development and growth areas. He is a former Partner with Price Waterhouse, and has held CEO and general management positions with Healthcare of Australia Limited, Rothmans Holdings Limited, Nanosonics Limited, and Orica Limited. With a background in corporate finance and management consulting experience with Price Waterhouse, Geoff has been involved with numerous business restructures and capital raisings, and has successfully demonstrated significant business improvement in both large ASX listed companies as well as small technology start ups.