Our Story

Chris has held positions as CIO, General Manager and National IT Operating Manager with some of Australia’s major suppliers of IT services. This experience helps Chris manage IT systems that are 100% fit-for-purpose, robust and competitively priced.

Chris is a people person and an acknowledged expert in providing clear IT advice and direction to business leaders. He leads a team of technical staff and is highly competent at converting business needs into viable technical solutions. Chris is also well versed in the IT needs of small and medium enterprises.

For the past 15 years, Olivia has proudly co-led the growth of Step Fwd IT alongside her husband, Chris. While Chris drives IT services innovation, Olivia focuses on our most valuable asset—our people—by leading the 'People & Culture' initiatives that shape our thriving workplace. In addition to overseeing the business culture, she continues to head up the finance team, ensuring the smooth management of our financial operations.

Olivia’s background in Office Administration and extensive experience in personal and executive assistant roles, event management, and business operations have been essential in building the backbone of our company's success. Together, Chris and Olivia have nurtured Step Fwd IT into a dynamic and growing business.

Outside the office, life is a full-on balancing act as a working parent of three teenagers. Between managing a growing business and surviving the whirlwind of teenage drama, school runs, and a fridge that’s never fully stocked, there’s never a dull moment—but Olivia wouldn’t have it any other way. Their days are filled with love, laughter, and a healthy dose of organised chaos!

Tim is a versatile IT professional with over 13 years of experience working across multiple industries such as Education, Finance, Construction and Technology. Tim is passionate about IT and technology and is continually learning to find the latest and greatest technologies to help your business succeed.

He has a diploma in IT – Networking and has a broad range of skills in IT. He specialises in Microsoft Technologies, Citrix XenDesktop/XenApp, Cloud and Virtualisation and Networking.

Tim’s role within the Step FWD IT is a Senior Engineer and Team Leader of the “Special Operations” Team, which focuses on education. He has led the team through several large projects including Major Network Stabilisation, Infrastructure Upgrade and Server Virtualisation and a rollout of a BYOD program with Virtual Desktops provided by Citrix XenDesktop.

Jennifer started her career as a University Lecturer with a Bachelor's Degree in English Education and an Associate Degree in Computer Science and Technology. While hosting a full-time teaching position for nearly ten years, she completed a Bachelor's Degree in Tourism Management and a Master's Degree in English Literature.  

To have a big family, she moved to Australia with two suitcases. While pursuing a Master's Degree in Management (Accounting) from the University of Melbourne, she explored her interest in different occupations. 

She began to use accounting software when she got her first job as a Medical Receptionist in Werribee in 2017. She then worked as an Assistant Accountant, Finance Administrator and Management & Reporting Accountant.  

She has three beautiful kids and two cheeky cats. She is an active volunteer in her community to support people who can only speak Mandarin. In her spare time, she is studying to become a CPA.  

Jared has always had a passion for technology, learning how to use a computer through experimentation and research from a young age. Even today, he still enjoys tinkering with the latest gadgets and learning new things.

While in school, he frequently set up technical equipment for teachers, assisted fellow students, and worked in the sound and lighting booth for school productions and assemblies. Later, Jared graduated from university with an Information Technology degree, majoring in Interactive Media, allowing him to blend his love of technology with creativity.

Jared has over 13 years of experience working in retail, undertaking various roles within a large store. Most recently, as the supervisor for the online fulfillment team.

Outside of work, he enjoys catching up with family and friends, working on craft projects, going to the theatre, and building sets from his ever-growing LEGO collection. For Jared, nothing beats unwinding at the beach and enjoying the sun, sand, and the soothing sound of the ocean.

Rachael has been with the Step Fwd IT team since February 2015, bringing over 25 years of experience in various administrative and office roles. Known for her strong work ethic, Rachael thoroughly enjoys building solid relationships with customers and clients. She is a highly motivated and exceptionally organised professional who approaches her work with thoughtfulness and dedication.

Originally from Perth, she moved to Brisbane before eventually settling in Melbourne.

Outside of work, Rachael cherishes time with her grown-up daughters, who are pursuing their careers and university studies. She also treasures time with her partner Gary and his large family of children and grandchildren. A passionate AFL fan, Rachael spends many weekends watching games, despite the frequent frustrations of following her team (“Freo, get your act together!”). She also enjoys entertaining at home with close friends, where Gary’s cooking is always a standout feature.

Katrina recently celebrated her five-year anniversary with Step Fwd IT.  She started with the company as an Admin Assistant helping Rachael with Accounts Payable and various administrative tasks.  She is now in charge of all hardware and software procurements for Step Fwd’s many and varied clients.

Katrina came to us with a strong background in I.T. having formerly worked as an Analyst Programmer for a financial software company.  She has experience providing software solutions and support to clients from various industries in Australia and in the UK.  Delivering excellent customer service is a passion that comes from her time spent as a teller for the National Australia Bank, before starting on her I.T. journey.

Being born in England, you will notice an accent even though she has lived in Australia since she was eleven.  She does barrack for the English soccer, cricket and rugby teams, but don’t hold that against her!

Gabriela Florindo is our vibrant new Receptionist. Despite having just joined the Step Fwd IT family, Gabi has made an immediate and positive impact, seamlessly integrating into our team. 

Gabi brings diverse experience from her various roles in fast food and retail. Her drive to work came from her goals to maintain a stable routine, gain industry knowledge and experience, foster personal and professional growth, support her family, and gain independence. Her varied background has equipped her with a strong work ethic, excellent customer service skills, and the ability to quickly adapt to new environments. 

Outside the office, Gabi is passionate about soccer. She previously played for Endeavour United Soccer Club and now volunteers, helping with the committee. At home, she enjoys watching soccer on TV and cheering for whichever team her family is supporting. Gabi also loves spending time with family and friends, going out, eating, watching movies, and travelling. 

A dog lover at heart, Gabriela shares her home with a German Shepherd named Zuzu. Her love for animals and warm personality make her a perfect fit for our team.

Kiet has over 15 years of experience in IT and has continually sought to improve his technical skills over this time.

He is very customer focused, his skillset includes extensive infrastructure management, operational support and implementation capabilities.

He has extensive experience developing and supporting diverse business infrastructures for the private sector and public from his time at CenITex.  He was a member of the ‘Team of the Year 2011’ award winner at CenITex.

Kiet is an experienced Technical Consultant with a strong background in IBM Lotus Notes / Domino, MS servers.  And more recent experience in migrating clients to Office 365, Skype for Business and Notes/Exchange Co-Existence environments.

In his time off, Kiet enjoys relaxing and spending time with his wife and two sons.  He loves driving his children to Karate, music, swimming, soccer, parties and especially, PokeMon hunting.

Jayden's passion for technology began early on, as he was the go-to person in his family for solving tech issues. This natural inclination led him to pursue a career in IT. 

He holds a Cert IV in Cyber Security and is an Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP), with a specialisation in Apple and Unifi products. After starting his IT career in 2021, Jayden now leads the expansion of Step Fwd IT in Queensland. 

Outside of work, Jayden enjoys playing beach volleyball, trying out the latest tech, and exploring Brisbane after his recent move from Melbourne. He’s also a proud owner of a Cavoodle named Yoshi. 

Kenneth's love for technology and helping people succeed has driven his career in IT. With over five years of experience, he holds a Cert IV in Information Technology and a Diploma of Software Development. His career highlights include supporting prominent organisations such as the Richmond Football Club and the Melbourne Storm NRL club. Kenny finds great satisfaction in resolving technological challenges and positively impacting others. 

Outside of work, Kenny enjoys fishing, gardening, and farming, and he likes travelling to warm tropical destinations. He also played soccer for Endeavour United SC. At home, he looks after two Rottweilers, six chickens, a rooster, and a turkey. 

Vassily's passion for technology started at a young age, leading him to study Information Technology and build his own PCs. His skills in troubleshooting, 365 administration, and managing active directory and group policies have been honed through years of experience. 

After working at another MSP for five years, Vassily progressed from a Level 1 helpdesk position to a team leader, gaining invaluable problem-solving and IT management expertise. 

Outside of work, Vassily enjoys martial arts, particularly kickboxing and MMA, as well as cooking, hiking, and exploring. A devoted Sydney Swans fan, he primarily follows martial arts. At home, Vassily has a little pug named Ceaser. 

Jacob has always had a keen interest in technology. His earliest memories are pulling apart machines just to put them back together again, trying to better understand the inner workings of technology. He brings this keen interest to his role at Step Fwd, helping the team pick apart problems and find solutions for clients.

Jacob has spent the last few years in a retail-orientated role, focusing on making sales, providing quality customer service and problem-solving for difficult customers.

In his spare time, Jacob is an avid gamer and likes to engage in methodical puzzle games on his PC. He is always on the lookout for new games and is keen to find new titles to help challenge and stimulate his mind.

Jacob brings his customer service skills and warm demeanour to his roles as Pod Leader and Engineer at Step Fwd IT.

Dean's journey into IT began as a hobby alongside his grandfather, sparking a passion that he later transformed into a fulfilling career. Over the years, he has accumulated over 12 years of experience in the IT MSP and Education sectors across Australia and New Zealand. 

Dean holds certifications from Microsoft, CompTIA, and Acronis, as well as a diploma in computer network engineering. One of his career highlights includes managing and serving as the sole onsite support for a large South Melbourne business with over 200 employees. 

Outside of work, Dean enjoys staying active with fitness, diving into DIY renovations, and exploring IT networking and gaming. He’s also a proud half-owner of a Cavoodle named Scout. His solo move from Christchurch to Melbourne marked a significant step in his journey, reflecting both his personal and professional growth.

Having been with the Step Fwd IT Team for over two and a half years now, Chris has well and truly found his feet with us and is undoubtedly one of our most well-rounded engineers.

Chris came into Step Fwd IT with an arsenal of diverse IT qualifications and over six years of IT experience in the Finance & Automotive industry, bringing a particular passion for Networking, Cloud, Systems Administration and pretty much all things Tech.

Outside of office hours, Chris is fond of a video game or two, and also likes to pivot between Watersports in summer and Snowboarding in winter. He has also made the office well aware of his expertise in Muay Thai Kickboxing, so we always make sure we’re on his good side!

Isuru, one of our newest Engineers, joined the team in March 2024. 

Christopher joined our team in February 2023 as the third piece of the rapidly growing “Chris Alliance” that is slowly growing within the Step Fwd IT ranks. With a strong background in Education IT – Chris has slotted in seamlessly with the rest of our team at Salesian College.

With over 20 years of experience in the IT & Education space, Chris has held roles as an ICT Systems Administrator & Leader at St Michael’s Grammar School and Mentone Girls Grammar School. From a technical standpoint, he is certified as an MCSA in Windows Server Technology & Systems Admin for JAMF, has a Diploma in Computer Games Development, has vast experience in a multitude of scripting areas, and is very well versed in Adobe & Autodesk products too. In short, there are a lot of strings to Chris’ bow.

When it comes to time outside of office hours, Chris likes tinkering with Retro Arcade computer hardware and game consoles, even going so far to develop his own video games. But occasionally he likes to keep it a bit more simple – delving into a good old fashion LEGO set!

Neville joined the team in October 2023 and is our ICT Manager at Aquinas College. 

Grant became part of the Step Fwd IT family in November 2022 and has quickly become a pivotal part of our Education Team – becoming the on-campus primary engineer for staff and students at Thomas Carr College. 

He has a rich background in the IT space, spending four years as a Network Engineer before spending a further nine years working as a Specialist Technician for the Victorian Department of Education’s TSSP unit – giving him an excellent foundation for working in alignment with our niche as an education IT partner. 

Away from work, Grant’s main interests reside in all things cars & motorbikes, as well as having a keen interest in music! 

Gerard Walker brings to Step Fwd IT extensive experience in digital imaging, video and music production.

Within the role of ICT/AV support officer as part of the ICT support team based at Salesian College, Gerard tends to everything from maintenance of classroom, AV facilities, capturing and editing audio/video/, installing AV systems for training and staff presentations to large scale events at the college along with daily ICT help desk duties.

Gerard has a passion for new digital technology within the industry and has facilitated the upgrade to digital AV hardware at Salesian College. Gerard enjoys the vibrant nature of delivering a professional AV service and looks forward to the years ahead.

Having joined Step Fwd IT at the end of March 2023, Jack is one of the newest members of our team, but has not wasted time getting into the swing of things, becoming a key part of our Education Team at Salesian College.

Since graduating from his Bachelor of Information Technology in 2019, Jack has held a number of tech-related positions – getting his start with an internship at his local hardware store, before moving into IT Support Technician and Helpdesk roles at Automotive and Construction companies over the past few years. He has well-rounded expertise across all things IT, but specialises in Networking, Infrastructure and Hardware.

Outside of work hours you’ll find Jack tinkering and testing with cars and engines (he’s a bit of a mechanic on the side), or doing pretty much anything outdoors and considers himself to have a ‘green thumb’!

Michael is one of our Help Desk Engineers at Salesian College Sunbury and joined the team in January 2024. 

Tara joined the Step Fwd IT Family in November 2022 – quickly becoming a key part of the education team at Salesian College.

Having completed her Masters of IT Networking, Tara has since worn many hats, holding Technical Support & IT Engineers roles with a number of industries – allowing her to bring a diverse range of skills and experiences into her role with us (and aren’t we lucky to have her!)

Outside of work hours, Tara juggles a variety of hobbies and interests – ranging from dancing, to reading, to film-watching – all of which help keep her weekend schedule looking pretty dynamic.

Eliza, the Cavoodle, is a regular at the office, visiting most weeks to keep everyone on their toes. Always in need of attention, she loves racing around the office and staring out the windows, making sure she doesn’t miss a thing!