Chris is an IT leader who believes technology should empower people, strengthen communities, and drive meaningful change. With a diverse background in strategic IT management, Chris focuses on delivering solutions that not only address technical needs but also align with the unique goals of the organisations he supports.
For Chris, fostering lasting relationships and giving back to the community are at the heart of his work. He takes pride in supporting local schools through technology initiatives and mentoring young professionals, helping them build their careers in the IT field. Chris sees technology as a tool for connecting and uplifting others.
In his leadership role, Chris prioritises empathy and inclusivity, cultivating a culture of continuous learning and growth within his team. This people-first approach extends to his clients, guiding them through the digital landscape with clarity and compassion.
Outside of work, Chris is deeply committed to his family and community. He is a proud father of three, coaches a junior soccer team, and actively contributes to local causes. Whether mentoring the next generation of IT professionals or volunteering his time, Chris is dedicated to creating lasting, positive change in both his personal and professional life.
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 20 years of experience spanning industries such as education, finance, construction, and technology. His passion for IT drives him to stay on the cutting edge, constantly exploring the latest innovations to help businesses thrive.
Tim has been with Step Fwd IT for 10 years, serving in various capacities. He began by leading the Education team and later transitioned into the role of General Manager – Operations. In this position, he now oversees the operations of both the Managed Services and Education teams.
Outside of work, Tim is a proud dad of two and loves hanging out with his family. He enjoys travelling, cheering for the Essendon Football Club through thick and thin, and perfecting his skills in American BBQ.
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.
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.
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.
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!
