Paul Gladigau

Paul Gladigau’s journey in technology began as a teenager, soldering together components to build his first computer – a device he now jokes has less processing power than his dishwasher. 

This early hands-on experience sparked a lifelong passion that has culminated in his current role as Chief Technology Officer for Equifax Australia and New Zealand.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in computing science that covered everything from programming to the social implications of automation, Paul embarked on a career that has seen him work across nearly every conceivable technology role.

From Olympic Games to transformation specialist

“I’ve had an opportunity to perform almost every role that exists in technology across the course of my experience,” Paul explains. 

This breadth of experience includes managing technology for two Olympic Games. “Probably the proudest technical moment was designing the test strategy for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games,” he says. 

“This came after the Summer Olympics in Atlanta experienced technology failures where the sports and systems couldn't integrate properly. I was part of IBM at that stage, running the commercial testing practice. 

“I got the gig to work on it and pitched to the organising committee on how we'd make it work—and it did. It was probably my best technical moment.”

He also spent 16 years in investment banking, where he worked at the forefront of trading and custody systems.

Evidently, Paul has never really specialised in one area, instead building a career by following his curiosity. 

“I follow my curiosity and effectively every role I kind of trade, it's a, 'Here I am, this is the skills and activities that I'm currently capable of doing, but I'm really passionate or interested in this, so how about I learn and get to do that?’”

This approach has served him well, particularly over the past 10-15 years as he has carved out a niche as a transformation specialist. 

“I have been working as a transformationist, specialising in going to organisations where the technology organisation has become misaligned with strategy,” he says. 

“I bring everything back into the fore, get them back on track and/or deliver a range of different things that an organisation’s been looking for.”

Tackling Equifax's technology challenges

It was this transformation expertise that initially attracted Equifax when they appointed him as CTO in 2023. 

The company needed someone who could align its technology base with customer needs while migrating to cloud platforms and group architectural standards.

Beyond these technical requirements, Paul faced significant business challenges. 

Equifax was facing revenue risks due to customer dissatisfaction, though the organisation couldn't pinpoint the exact causes.

The results of his two-year tenure speak volumes: all at-risk customers have renewed their contracts, productivity has increased by 2.5 times and 40% of revenue now comes from cloud platforms. 

He has also replaced 40% of the technology headcount while growing the Net Promoter Score by 30 points.

People-first leadership approach

Paul attributes much of this success to his focus on people – both within his team and through strategic partnerships with organisations like EPAM and UST. 

“I turn up everyday for the people I get to work with,” he says, highlighting the importance of human connections in his leadership approach.

His proudest achievement isn't a specific technical milestone but the lasting professional relationships he's built. 

“The people that I continue to work with over the years are probably the proudest ones,” he notes, mentioning a 27-year professional relationship that began with a mentor who later became a peer.

Looking ahead, Paul has mapped out Equifax's continued cloud journey and product development strategy. 

With a six-city approach to managing talent and a clear vision for technology evolution, he's focused on balancing innovation with pragmatism – particularly in the realm of AI.

For a leader who once had to physically solder circuits together to build computing capability, Paul now orchestrates digital transformation across one of Australia and New Zealand's most data-rich organisations. 

His journey reflects the evolution of technology itself – from hands-on hardware to strategic enabler of business value.

To read the full article in the magazine, click HERE.

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