Local Faces: Cyber Guru Chris Jeffery

Zillmere local, Chris Jeffery has been providing IT solutions for over 26 years and has recently been presented with the 2023 CompTIA ANZ Future Leader Spotlight Award for his success and innovation in advancing the technology industry. 

“I started in the industry when I was very young, before Facebook and Google,” Chris said. “I love seeing how the industry is constantly evolving and seeing how technology can transform businesses to help them thrive. It was a great honour to receive the award and be recognised as an advocate for the IT industry and ambassador for our clients.”

This Future Leader award is reserved for young professionals who have shown success or originality as an entrepreneur, or who have made an impact in another demonstrable way, and Chris definitely fits the bill.

With nearly three decades of IT experience, Chris has been passionate about helping others navigate the ever-changing IT industry ever since his family bought their first computer when Chris was 11 years old. It didn’t take long for him to figure out how to fix them and teach his family and friends how to use them. At 13, Chris was contracted by a local state school to look after their computer lab and started his own business at just 14 years old.

Now residing in Zillmere with his family, Chris and his wife, Jessie, work as a team while raising their two children. Together, they enjoy being able to help others see how much IT can improve productivity.

“It’s so satisfying being able to help our not-for-profit clients in particular so that they can better support their community,” Chris said. “I really enjoy training our clients and seeing them have that ‘light bulb’ moment.

“I started in the industry when there was only dial-up internet and now nearly every mobile phone is a computer with high speed internet. There have been so many changes – such as cloud computing, cybersecurity and, more recently, artificial intelligence.  For me personally, what has kept me engaged with the industry for so long is that there are always new things to learn. Looking back, it is incredible to consider how much technology has changed over time and it’s exciting to be at the forefront of it all.”