Generative AI,
delivered at enterprise scale.
AI & Analytics Lead · Solution Architect · Data Engineer · Generative AI Engineer · Brisbane, Australia.
Two decades of building data & AI.
Rob is a seasoned AI and Data Engineer, Solution Architect, and People Leader with over two decades of experience driving data and AI innovations across various industries, spanning two continents.
His expertise spans data engineering, cloud computing, DevOps, and AI-driven decision systems, enabling organizations to leverage data for strategic advantage. With a deep understanding of AWS and Azure ecosystems, he specializes in architecting scalable data solutions, implementing machine learning models, and optimizing cloud data infrastructures.
As a certified AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Data Engineer, and Microsoft Power Platform Consultant, Robert has led the design and deployment of enterprise-grade data architectures, integrating AI and real-time analytics into business processes.
His leadership extends beyond technology—he is a proven team builder, mentor, and advocate for best practices in data governance, security, and agile development. He has successfully managed cross-functional teams, facilitated solution architecture workshops, and driven innovation in cloud-based data engineering and automation. Robert has played a key role in high-impact AI initiatives, including developing a Generative AI-based Claims Research Assistant presented at AWS Sydney Summit 2024 and AWS Innovate.
With a passion for solving complex data challenges and leading high-performing teams, Robert brings a unique blend of technical excellence and strategic vision, making him an invaluable asset in any AI-driven enterprise. Please get in contact with me, using my LinkedIn profile.
Featured Projects
Click and Collect Kiosk Solution
Developed a Kiosk Click-and-Collect solution for a large retailer in South Africa. The solution enables customers to enter their order numbers, which triggers a notification to the back-office team. The back-office team then delivers the customers' purchased goods. The solution was developed using VueJS, along with several back-end API endpoints.
BCX Zone
Developed a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that enabled BCX customers to view monitoring statistics of their hosted platforms, along with detailed asset information.
BCX Commercial Management Solution (CMS)
Developed a commercial management solution that enabled BCX pre-sales architects and commercial staff to estimate costs for solutions, store configuration data, create proposals, and track billing information.
Object detection stock take solution
Developed a mobile application that enabled a retailer to use object detection technology for stock-taking. The solution leveraged shelf and fridge dimensions to estimate the number of items on a shelf or fridge shelf.
Service Management Dashboard
Developed a service management dashboard solution that enabled a managed service provider to share weekly and monthly operational reporting feedback and statistics with their customer base.
Price Spot Check
Developed a Price Spot Check mobile application that enabled a retail analysis company to record competitor pricing and monitor price competitiveness across different retailers.
Roles & impact.
- Lead the AI & Analytics function, defining the Generative AI strategy and roadmap across marketing, customer and BI domains.
- Delivered the Generative Marketing Platform (Google Imagen + Veo) demonstrated to the TLC Board, April 2026.
- Architecting Metrics-as-a-Platform — an AI-for-BI solution enabling natural-language analytics across enterprise data.
- Standardised AI tooling and engineering practice across the team using Claude Enterprise (Code, Cowork) and Google Vertex AI.
- Architected and deployed Generative AI and machine-learning decision engines for claims assessment, risk and product recommendations during web journeys.
- Designed and delivered Generative AI chatbot assistants — knowledge-base and data-driven agents — using Copilot Studio and Power Automate.
- Built and operated AWS SageMaker endpoints with full model training, versioning and deployment pipelines into production.
- Designed batch and real-time data pipelines on AWS (Glue, Step Functions, Kinesis) and integration platforms (Qlik); built bespoke ETL/ELT in Python and C#.
- Implemented enterprise data catalog and lineage via DataHub.
- Automated cloud and ML deployments using CloudFormation, AWS CDK and Terraform via Bitbucket and Azure DevOps pipelines.
- Showcased the GenAI Claims Research Assistant at AWS Sydney Summit 2024 and AWS Innovate.
- Designed and delivered cloud migration and data engineering solutions across AWS (LakeFormation, Glue, S3, Redshift), Azure (Synapse, Data Factory) and Databricks.
- Automated cloud deployments using CloudFormation, SAM and Terraform via Bitbucket and GitLab pipelines.
- Built bespoke ETL/ELT solutions in Python and C# on AWS Lambda and Glue.
- Led programming, BI/reporting, server and database administration services.
- Designed and implemented integration interfaces and on-premise to AWS Redshift / SQL Server migrations.
- Led the Data Operations & Optimisation value stream, owning enterprise data governance, security (POPI, PCI/DSS, ISO 27000) and monitoring (New Relic, SolarWinds).
- Designed and led on-premise to cloud database migration programmes across SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Cosmos DB and MongoDB.
- Built and ran a multi-disciplinary team of DBAs, ETL engineers and reporting developers; mentored multiple direct reports into senior roles.
- Delivered reporting and integration platforms using SSIS, Power BI, AWS QuickSight, SSRS and bespoke API services.
- Held technical ownership of system integration, software development and project management across on-premise and cloud RDBMS (DB2, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MaxDB).
- Drove database performance optimisation and bespoke reporting (SSRS, Power BI).
Validated expertise.
Degrees & qualifications.
Across the stack.
Generative AI & ML
Cloud
Data platforms
Languages
IaC & DevOps
Leadership
On the stage.
