Forum 12: 'Adventures in Capitalism' - Monash alumnus and Silicon Valley identity Al Ramadan talked on the highs and lows of life in IT's heartland.

Listen to Al Ramadan's presentation (Real Audio Player required)

View Al's slides: Slides 1-12, Slides 13-33, Slides 34-39

Synopsis provided by Al:

"An entrepreneur in Australia is like foreign DNA. Yet in the technology industry in the USA entrepreneurs are the essential ingredient in the fastest growing industry in the world - and the US leads the world. Some say that Silicon Valley is at the centre of the storm. What does it take for an Australian technology entrepreneur to move into the heart of Silicon Valley and compete with the worlds best? What lessons are there for young (and not so young!) Australians who may wish to play on the world stage?"

Al provided the opportunity to meet an Australian, a Monash graduate, who has taken up such a challenge - and has the battle scars to prove it - in an interactive session with lots of audience participation.

About Al Ramadan:

For his role in founding Quokka Sports, Alan was recognized by Time Magazine as a member of the Top Fifty Time Digital Cyber Elite. In addition, Upside Magazine honored Ramadan as one of the most influential people in the digital world in its Upside Elite 100 list and Business Review Weekly honored Alan as one of Australia’s IT wizards. Quokka grew from one person to over 500 people with revenues growing from less than one million in the 1996 to almost $50 million in 2000. Quokka was listed on the NASDAQ in July 28^th, 1999 and reached a valuation in excess of $1 billion dollars.

In 1992, Alan was co-founder and CEO of Fluid Thinking, the technology company behind the oneAustralia America’s Cup challenge. Alan helped build a world class team of designers, scientists, CFD and IT specialists and benchmarked leading sports/technology companies such as McLaren racing and BMW Motorsport.

In 1990, Alan and a group of software engineers founded OzWare, an Australian software development company, seen as a prime example of Australia’s international competitiveness in the global Information Technology industry. OzWare won contracts with leading Unix companies including AT&T, Pyramid and Sequent.

In 1987, Alan established a consulting and services company, Best Knowledge Systems (BKS), specializing in applied technology consulting and software development.

In 1984, Alan joined the technological computing unit at BHP Steels Westernport works. At BHP Alan was involved in the development of innovative real time decision support systems and the implementation of TQC processes and techniques across the works.

Alan graduated from Monash University in 1983 with a dual degree in computer science and applied mathematics. In 1995, he graduated from Stanford University’s Executive Program for Growing Companies. An accomplished sportsman, Alan has represented Australia in baseball and yachting. He now represents the world in pushing the envelope in digital convergence.