Our story is anchored in the pursuit of becoming more than a service provider; we strive to be your trusted advisor and steadfast partner to provide better outcomes for your team.
At Step Fwd IT, we believe that knowledge and expertise are the cornerstones of genuine progress. Our mission began with a commitment to providing Victorian schools and businesses with IT solutions that not only address immediate needs but also lay the groundwork for a brighter, more connected future.
We strive to be more than just a service provider; our goal is to be your trusted advisor and partner. We immerse ourselves in understanding the unique needs and goals of each client, creating customised strategies that align with their vision. Our team of experts leverages advanced technology to enhance and elevate your operations, ensuring every solution is both sustainable and forward-thinking.
Years of experience have taught us that successful IT management requires foresight and meticulous preparation. That's why we prioritise proactive monitoring, robust security measures, and comprehensive training. Our approach extends beyond addressing current issues to anticipating future challenges and equipping our clients with the tools and knowledge to stay ahead.
At Step Fwd IT, we are dedicated to continuous learning and innovation. We keep up with the latest technological advancements and industry trends, ensuring our clients benefit from the most advanced solutions. Our commitment to education also reaches the communities we serve, empowering schools with the digital capabilities to inspire and educate the next generation.
Join us on this journey of continued business success. With Step Fwd IT by your side, you can confidently navigate the ever-evolving landscape of technology, assured that you have a reliable partner guiding you every step of the way.
At Step Fwd IT, we believe collaboration drives success. Our "You. Us. Together." framework is our commitment to forging meaningful partnerships. Together, we craft tailored IT strategies that align perfectly with your business goals, propelling you forward in the digital age.
Every organization is unique, with its own challenges, goals, and risks. We understand that IT needs are not one-size-fits-all. Our approach starts with understanding your specific needs and concerns. We tailor our solutions to address your unique IT landscape, supporting your vision for the future and guiding you toward your goals.
We’re more than a service provider; we’re your trusted partner. Our skilled professionals bring expertise, resources, and dedication to delivering high-quality IT solutions and support. We thrive on close collaboration, driving innovation and guiding you through your digital transformation journey.
Our culture of problem-solving and teamwork shines through our engineer pod structure, empowering collaboration and fostering a team-oriented environment. This setup ensures our engineers consistently deliver on our promises, tackling every task with confidence. At Step Fwd IT, our team excels, creating better outcomes for you.
Together, we achieve more. Embracing the "1+1=3" principle, our combined energies, resources, talents, and efforts create greater value than the sum of their parts. Our collaborative approach ensures IT solutions that align with your business goals, enabling swift responses to challenges and adapting to evolving needs.
Our pod structure fosters a close, 1:1 relationship between an engineer and their client. Regardless of additional involvement, the engineer who takes your call remains accountable until completion, ensuring continuity and a deep understanding of your unique environment.
We craft strategic roadmaps and provide tailored solutions that drive efficiency and empower your organisation. By transforming IT challenges into opportunities for growth and success, we help you exceed your business ambitions with innovative solutions for today and tomorrow. Moving forward together, we enable informed decision-making and drive your future success.
Come meet the insightful team at Step Fwd IT, where intelligent thinking and innovation converge to solve problems effortlessly. Our experts harness their extensive knowledge and fresh perspectives to address challenges head-on.
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.
Olivia Mannering specialised in Office Administration; and in previous roles, has put her interpersonal, communicational and organisational skills to use in Personal Assistant; Executive Assistant and Event Management roles.
A passionate person, she loves to broaden her knowledge and experience by learning new processes and systems. Her current position as Director / Financial controller includes the diverse and engaging roles of Office Management, Finance, Human Resources and Marketing.
Adding to this, Olivia and Chris have 3 children; so life is (most of the time) busy, busy, busy – but filled with much love, happiness and gratitude.
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 over 13 years of experience working in retail, undertaking various roles within a large store. Most recently, he held a supervisory position for the online fulfilment team.
Jared graduated with an Information Technology degree while majoring in Interactive Media. This provided an opportunity for him to pursue his passion for combining technology with creativity.
Outside of work, he can usually be found catching up with friends, working on craft projects, going to the theatre, or building sets from his ever-growing LEGO collection. For Jared, nothing beats going to the beach to enjoy the warm sun, the sand under your feet, and the soothing sound of the ocean.
Rachael has been with the Step Fwd team since February 2015. With experience in various different administrative/office roles over the past 25 years. Rachael has a very strong work ethic and thoroughly enjoys working with customers to build a solid customer/client business relationship.
Rachael is a highly motivated and exceptionally organised individual with a professional approach to business.
Originally from Perth, Rachael moved to Brisbane before finally deciding to settle down in Melbourne.
Katrina comes to us with a 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 which comes from her time spent as a teller for the National Australia Bank, before starting on her I.T. journey.
During a long absence from her career to raise two children, Katrina volunteered for a number of organisations in an administrative capacity to keep her skills current. This included helping out as a secretary for a kindergarten committee, establishing a School Banking program for her son’s primary school and undertaking a Website Administrator/ Database Manager role for a local basketball club. She also dabbled in a home business for a time until life got too busy with the arrival of her second child.
Having been born in England, you will notice an accent even though she has been living in Australia since she was eleven. She does barrack for the English soccer, cricket and rugby teams but don’t hold that against her!
Katrina is very excited to be joining the team at Step Fwd IT and looks forward to the next phase of her career. She brings with her enthusiasm, professionalism and a keen interest in providing dependable support to her peers and Step Fwd IT’s many and varied clients.
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.
Everyone deserves access to mental health programs. The Hanna Foundation, a registered charity, is dedicated to making Australia’s foremost mental health resources available to those who are most vulnerable.
Step Fwd IT is honoured to have been recognised for our exceptional service and innovative IT solutions. Our awards reflect our commitment to excellence and strategic thinking, demonstrating our ability to deliver tailored solutions that empower businesses and schools to thrive.
These accolades underscore our dedication to nurturing growth and adapting to the ever-evolving technological landscape with insight and foresight.
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