The National Narrowband Network Co (NNNCo) today announced the appointment of entrepreneur and ex-Vocus CTO, Chris Deere, to its company board of directors.
“NNNCo has a strong expansion program for 2018 to build out our IoT network across Australia. As we move into a more focused operational stage we’re excited to have Chris join the Board with his proven ability to build scale in both start-ups and established businesses”, said NNNCo Chairman David Spence.
“Chris has built his own successful technology businesses as well as expanding and aligning operations for a large-scale business at Vocus,” Spence continued. “He has excellent credentials to bring to NNNCo’s Board in preparation for our expansion objectives for 2018.”
Chris Deere is a Newcastle-based entrepreneur who has set up several successful businesses including the dial-up ISP Hunterlink sold to Pacific Internet in 2000 and Ipera Communications where he built a fibre optic network in Newcastle. Chris expanded the business to include co-location, building three data centres in Newcastle and adding Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) to the business before selling it to Vocus in 2011.
Following the sale, he took on a leading role at Vocus and was part of the executive team that saw the business achieve ASX300, ASX200 and finally ASX100 status in just a few years. Chris served as Director, Infrastructure & Strategy, Deputy CEO and then CTO following the merger with M2 Telecommunications.
“I’m inspired by the potential of IoT and the enormity of NNNCo’s opportunity as a LoRaWAN operator to become a national IoT network,” Chris Deere commented. “From a technology perspective, NNNCo’s network has the open standard, low power and low cost capabilities that are going to be essential to become the network of choice in many different verticals. I see the company expanding sustainably as we build out with key partners throughout 2018 and I’m excited to be a part of that.”