Martin Cooperwaite
June 2013
Today, Kiandra IT is a globally-awarded software development company, considered veteran in its field and ranking as the premier choice for IT infrastructure, managed services and digital solutions.
But back in 1995 it was merely an extension of a high school friendship group consisting of a handful of ‘buddies’ who had no business sense but just wanted to work in a place they loved.
By sheer coincidence, according to co-founder and Director of Software Development, Martin Cooperwaite, Kiandra IT became a place that others loved too which still remains the essence of what the company is all about.
“When Cam [Cameron Brookes, Managing Director] and I started the business, everything was about care,” Cooperwaite says. “It was central to everything. We worked overnight and we’d sleep under our desks just to be there when the first person arrived and the last person left. Our message was that we had exceptional experience and that we applied the same level of care to our clients as we did to our staff and each other as friends. So we were absolutely, fundamentally focused on caring and it had to be genuine and real.”
This not only remains the heart and soul of Kiandra IT 18 years on, but ought to be the core of every business model, according to Cooperwaite. If that’s not the case, he advises companies to rethink what their business does.
“Reputation is everything, too. You want every experience related to your company to be as positive as possible and that starts with how your people relate to you as an owner and a leader. Again, it goes back to the essence and dynamic of the company. Always ask yourself if all your staff, clients and entire network consider you to be relevant, humble and loved. It’s a hard place to reach, but I think if you can set that as your goal, if you can achieve to be loved by everyone, then you’ve nailed it. Relationships are so important. Business has become very what-can-you-do-for-me-versus-what-I-can-do-for-you but our focus is assisting our clients without asking for a return.”
Kiandra IT is proof that this philosophy works. As testament to Cooperwaite’s leadership and the innovative solutions Kiandra delivers, the company has been awarded countless accolades, including Microsoft Worldwide Partner of the Year for Software Development in 2009, Software Application Partner of the Year finalist in 2010, and Software Development Partner of the Year in 2011. Additionally, last year Kiandra IT was named the 2012 Microsoft Australia Partner of the Year under the Windows Azure Platform SI category and also won Medium-Sized Business of the Year at the Telstra Business Awards, Best SMB Reseller at the ARN Awards, and Best Overall Business at the Asia Pacific Business Excellence Awards. However, it is one accolade in particular that is more special than any other to Cooperwaite personally.
“The one I am most proud of by far is the BRW Best Place to Work for four years running, because as I said, that’s the essence of what we stand for. Happy, passionate people produce the best results. If you don’t have passion for what you do, you won’t get very far. For me, that started at about age six when I started writing adventure computer games for my primary school friends. I also really loved problem-solving in general. I learned very simple programming as I was also learning to read and write so Dad would give me source code, which is a list of instructions that you type into your computer to make it do something. So Dad would get me a ‘new game’ but I couldn’t get the game straight away – he gave me the source code which would take me a couple of weeks to type in, but I would have a game at the end of it! I did it all myself since I was six, so Dad pretty much secured my nerd status! I was never going to be a jock.”
Co-founder and high school friend Cameron Brookes filled that role, Cooperwaite jokes.
“Friends’ parents would ask me to fix their computer problems and would tell me, ‘This is fantastic, we’ve had an IBM consultant working on it for three weeks and he couldn’t get it sorted’. I’m also working at McDonald’s for $6 an hour at this time so when they started paying me $60 I realised I could make something out of it. My current business partner Cam was doing the same sort of thing back then except he played sports, unlike me. He came to me one day and said, ‘Marty, you’re the nerdiest person I know at school, let’s work on this together!’ The partnership started from there. Word got out and has continued as word-of-mouth since 1995.”
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