Meet the Team

Michael Lester

Director

Michael has worked in technology related fields for over 18 years, more recently focusing on ICT use in education and acting as a business-to-tech translator. Michael has worked with a number of leading digital schools, locally, nationally and internationally helping deliver ICT vision through design, planning and the practical application of technology. He has delivered a large number of strategic ICT reviews in conjunction with educators, applying this knowledge in partnership with leadership and executive.

Described by colleagues and friends as quiet, self-assured and hard-working, Michael enjoys variety and at Catalytic IT every day is different. He’s a big picture thinker who thrives on seeing the positive impact of the work we do.

Education is Michael’s passion area and when it comes to this sector, he knows that every dollar saved (or hour of time gained in efficiency), means more resources available for students. Michael is deeply committed to changing the traditional approach to ICT as a cost centre and helping organisations discover ICT as a strategic business partner which can free-up time and resources.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Esteban Vidal

Director

Esteban has been working in the IT field for the last 12 years, focusing on the Microsoft eco-system. Originally from Venezuela, he worked as a System Administrator for 4 years and later as an IT Consultant for a year before moving to Australia in 2012. Esteban is a Microsoft Certified Specialist and holds certifications with several of our Wifi partners.

Esteban takes pride in helping clients to improve their day to day operations through the implementation of information technologies. A natural ‘people person’,

Described by friends and colleagues as enthusiastic, driven and chatty, Esteban is known for his gregarious nature, love of music and passion for fitness.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Heather Twaddell

Operations Manager

Heather has many years of experience in medical administration and is well grounded in navigating multiple tasks and systems. As well as strong organisation skills, Heather is a proponent of excellent customer service.

Reliable and organised, Heather also brings a lot of fun and friendliness to the workplace which is an asset to any team. Heather’s ingredients for a perfect day in the office are plenty of jokes, a healthy amount of sarcasm and endless cups of tea.

A true animal lover, Heather dotes on her three sausage dogs and would love to extend her fur family one day.  

David Moyle

Principal Consultant

David has over sixteen years’ experience in education ICT across the independent and Catholic education space throughout WA, including several Apple Distinguished Schools. David is well known within the space and has a strong passion for education and providing a trouble-free technical environment for educator and students.

A natural problem solver, David is driven by the sense of achievement he feels when finding the best solution to a complex issue. He is described by friends and colleagues as chatty, thorough and meticulous, with a good sense of humour. We’d describe him as one of a kind. 

David is a keen motorsport enthusiast, he has travelled extensively to experience world-class motorsport events from the Lemans 24-Hour Race in France to the Singapore F1 Grand Prix.

David’s passion for motorsport has also led him to one of his passion areas for IT – namely RF technology and Wi-Fi. David has quite the collection of antennas and radios, and on the IT side of things has pursued multiple industry certifications (such as the CWNA, CWDP, ECSE, in addition to vendor-based certs) as well as being a HAM Amateur Radio operator.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Josh Litton

Senior ICT Consultant

Before joining Catalytic IT, Josh spent 9 years working in the ICT industry, building a wealth of experience across multiple businesses.

His solid understanding of core IT services, along with excellent relationship building skills, allows him to provide outstanding support and advice to our clients. He’s known for his patience and finds it incredibly rewarding when someone gains confidence because he’s shown them a new solution.

Josh specialises in Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM). His interest in mobility solutions was sparked while working for the Department of Education on the incredibly successful Notebook for Teachers solution. He also has a keen interest in UI/UX design.

Away from work, Josh enjoys playing games with his friends and going to the gym. He’s happy to play a casual game of squash, basketball, or soccer, but his real interest lies in Calisthenics. He’s already competed in an event and is in training for future competitions.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Jacob Huggins

Senior ICT Consultant

Jacob has been working in the ICT industry since 2013 with a strong focus on education technologies. Jacob originally started with Catalytic IT as a Service Desk Technician, working his way up to ICT Consultant where he’s currently thriving.

Jacob has a passion for scripting and programming languages and enjoys the challenge of solving problems with code. Jacob is a keen soccer player and gaming enthusiast in his spare time.

Jacob studied a Double Major in Cyber Forensics and Information Management and Network Security and graduated in 2018.

Described by friends and colleagues as quiet, friendly with a good sense of humour he enjoys spending time with his friends at the beach, playing indoor soccer and video games.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Peter Hardy

ICT Consultant

Peter has worked in the ICT industry since 2013 and has in-depth experience in health and education technologies.

He particularly enjoys implementing systems that change the way people work and trigger lightbulb moments as they start to see new possibilities.

His career highlight so far has been working at a high school where computer knowledge was minimal, and processes were outdated. By setting up multiple systems and procedures, providing training and getting staff collaborating with O365, he helped change things for the better.

In his downtime, Peter enjoys hanging out with his friends and his not-so-tiny English Mastiff – Sophie Doaf. He’s pretty sure his friends would describe him as stubborn but honest, with a tendency to work ‘cool beans’ into any conversation!

If he could make one change in the world, he would magically turn all discarded plastic into fish food.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Nathan Napier

ICT Consultant

Nathan has always been attracted to the ever-changing world of ICT. He has worked in the industry for over 10 years and has a background in remote problem solving and troubleshooting.

His aim is to do an excellent job of helping clients understand what has happened and what has been done to fix it. He also has a knack for understanding hardware repairs.

Nathan’s particular interest is automating the deployment of operating systems. Working on Catholic Education WA’s Leading Lights digital ecosystem project, and being part of the roll-out, was a highlight of his career so far.

Even when he’s not at work, Nathan still likes to keep up with tech news and tinker with his home lab set up. He also enjoys going bush for some 4WDing, exploring, and camping with his family and their dogs, Tyson and Lulu.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Adam Fardig

Service Desk Team Lead

Adam has been leading service departments over the last 8 years and is a visionary for improving technology and systems which are capable of transforming an organisation.

Thriving on the opportunity to teach others, Adam is a true team player dedicated to supporting customers and his colleagues. He will bring a smile and energy to everyone he works with.

His true passions in life are his family and rural lifestyle. When Adam isn’t at work, he’s bound to be in the kitchen cooking up a storm or in the great outdoors, tending to his garden, feeding the chickens or sampling some locally crafted ale.

Kieren Blaney-Murphy

Service Desk Technician

Kieren brings Service Desk experience within education to his role. With a passion for helping others achieve their goals using technology, he deals with every incoming support request or enquiry with enthusiasm and professionalism. Kieren loves seeing the smiles on our clients’ faces, as they have been able to achieve more because of the assistance he provides.

Described by his friends and colleagues as loyal, caring and energetic, Kieren has a well-developed sense of community and brings a very patient, thoughtful personality to the office.

In his spare time, Kieren pursues his passion for science fiction or fantasy related reading and enjoys creating origami when time permits.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Dominic Ellis

ICT Consultant

Dominic Ellis joined the team at Catalytic IT in September 2019.

He has over seven years’ experience working in a range of challenging customer service roles. His genuine desire to help others drives him to explore and understand incoming support requests. He thrives on making sure our clients receive the help they need to get their technology working well once more. His role on our Service Desk is not only perfect for him – it’s perfect for our customers too.

Although he started out studying a business degree, Dominic has consistently gravitated towards the field of IT. He takes interest in industry developments and stays up to date by watching Youtube videos and reading tech blogs or news articles.

When he steps away from the keyboard, Dom loves to go adventuring with friends. He is currently tackling the world of bouldering – that’s rock climbing without ropes!

Professional & Industry Certifications

Owen Bennett

Service Desk Technician

After spending 7 years working in the hospitality industry, Owen brings well-honed communication and client support skills to our service desk.

He enjoys the process of problem solving and is renowned for delivering a welcoming and helpful experience to clients seeking support. He takes a collaborative approach to ensure issues can be resolved as quickly as possible.

As well as studying cyber security at university, Owen has a special interest in computer forensics and network security. He keeps up with industry changes and breakthroughs by reading news articles, watching YouTube videos, and tuning into podcasts.

Outside work, Owen’s diverse hobbies range from sport to music to astronomy. But nothing beats heading up a mountain after a heavy snowfall knowing that untouched slopes await him his snowboard.

Jacob Crook

ICT Consultant

Jacob’s interest in IT started at a young age. He volunteered in an IT support role at high school for 4 years, before joining the ICT industry in 2018.

Since then, he has completed a BSc in Cyber Security & Forensics and gained practical experience providing technical advice and support in a range of CEWA schools.

Prior to joining Catalytic IT, Jacob worked as a Network Engineer for Telstra. During his employment there, he was nominated for a Networks & IT Award for outstanding contribution to cyber security.

Jacob’s solutions-focused approach and ‘must-do’ attitude reflect his commitment to providing brilliant customer service. His favourite part of problem-solving is seeing his clients relax because they know their pain points are being resolved.

Jacob unwinds by watching footy or basketball. He’s the Referee Manager at his local Basketball Association, and in his spare time he’s a keen photographer.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Francesco Talpo

Service Desk Consultant

Originally from Italy, Frank has experience in customer service plus a genuine desire to provide quality ICT support to our clients.

Attracted to the IT industry because it’s always evolving, he’s a driven member of our service desk team. He enjoys acquiring new skills that help him deliver the best possible phone or remote support solutions to our clients.

Frank’s particular interests in cyber security and networking have led him to study a Diploma in IT with a specialisation in Cyber Security.

He also likes to stay up to date with new developments in ICT by reading industry publications.

Frank has a diverse range of interests outside work. His favourite sport is soccer, but he also enjoys dinners out with his wife, and playing video games as well as skydiving.

Professional & Industry Certifications

Towhid Jamal

ICT Consultant

TJ’s love of problem solving and his desire to seek new solutions saw him join the IT industry straight out of high school.

Since then, he’s gained in-depth experience in the technologies, strategic planning and implementation required to support successful education programmes.

TJ has a special interest in the Mobile Device Management field. He enjoys the combination of technology, automation and the solutions it delivers to clients and their businesses.

He still finds the ICT industry exciting and likes to stay current with new innovative solutions and improvements. So, he frequently participates in tech community forums such as Jamf Nation.

Sometimes described by friends as a caring clean freak – TJ values kindness. He brings these positive qualities to his role overseeing our broad range of ICT systems and our day-to-day Helpdesk operations.

TJ loves sport – especially basketball. So, after work, he’s always up for a 1-to-1 or a team challenge on the basketball court.

Professional & Industry Certifications