What’s Happening?
Rockhampton-raised technology entrepreneur Bevan Slattery has joined the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame.
He was recognised at the 2026 induction dinner, held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The new inductees also include Endeavour Foundation, Ludo Studio, Sarina Russo AM and TechnologyOne. Healthcare entrepreneurs Cathie Reid AM and Stuart Giles were inducted together.
Their work spans technology, disability services, entertainment, education, employment and healthcare.
Why It Matters
The Hall of Fame recognises people and organisations that have influenced Queensland’s economy, communities and cultural identity.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil AO said each inductee had contributed well beyond their respective industries.
“These inductees have each played a defining role in Queensland’s growth, contributing ideas, innovation and leadership that reach well beyond their industries,” Professor Sheil said. “For our students, their stories demonstrate what can be achieved through creativity, determination and collaboration. They also strengthen our connection to industry, with many inductees engaging directly with QUT through teaching, mentoring and partnership.”
State Librarian and CEO Vicki McDonald AM said business leadership remained an important part of Queensland’s history.
“By honouring these leaders, we are acknowledging how business innovation and enterprise have helped shape Queensland’s identity as much as its economy,” Ms McDonald said.
“Their achievements will become part of State Library’s collection, ensuring future generations can learn from their vision, resilience and contribution to the state.”
Local Impact
Bevan Slattery grew up in Rockhampton, where his interest in technology began and many of his early ideas took form. He remembers being an energetic student who sometimes struggled to focus. Slattery later recognised traits associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
“‘Bevan could do a lot better if he focused more on his work and less on disrupting others’ was a common theme in my report cards. It’s pretty hard to contain that,” he said. “I think I was always respectful in class, but I was also always full of energy and ideas.”
Slattery entered the growing internet sector during the 1990s. When an early employer collapsed, he started a business with school friend Jason Gomersall.
He later sold iSeek for $US16 million and began developing a series of Australian technology companies.
In 2002, Slattery co-founded Pipe Networks, an internet exchange that helped providers share traffic more efficiently. The company also developed fibre infrastructure and the PPC-1 subsea cable between Sydney and Guam.
Pipe Networks entered the Australian Securities Exchange in 2005 with a market capitalisation of $12.3 million. However, its expansion faced serious pressure during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.
“When the financial crisis hit, a bank called force majeure and pulled financing,” Slattery said. “Suddenly, we had a $100 million gap in our funding arrangements. It was definitely one of the most difficult and challenging periods of my career, on both a personal and professional level.”
Slattery continued building companies that addressed gaps in Australia’s digital infrastructure. His ventures include NextDC, Superloop, Subco and Megaport. Megaport became the world’s first fully automated network-as-a-service company. Thousands of companies now use its services across international markets.
His companies have built more than 30,000 kilometres of subsea cables. The connections link Australia with Oman, Singapore, Indonesia, Guam and Papua New Guinea. Much of this work began in Brisbane and supported broadband, cloud computing and international data connections across Australia.
Slattery’s current projects include APX-East, a recently announced subsea hypercable connecting Sydney and Los Angeles.
The 12,700-kilometre cable will carry digital traffic between Australia and the United States. It will also support emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
“About 98 per cent of all international digital traffic goes through undersea cables, so it is critical infrastructure to the modern economy,” Slattery said.
Outside business, he supports education, environmental programs and scientific research through BioPixel and the BioPixel Oceans Foundation.
Slattery said strong teams remained central to turning an idea into a working company. “You need a great vision, but you need amazing people to execute that. You can’t do it without them,” he said.
His induction gives Rockhampton a direct connection to one of Queensland’s major business honours. It also recognises someone whose interest in technology began while growing up in the city
By The Numbers
- 111 members have entered the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame since the program began in 2009.
- Five companies founded by Bevan Slattery have entered the Australian Securities Exchange.
- Six countries host TechnologyOne offices, with the company supporting more than 1,300 organisations across several sectors.
Zoom In
QUT and the State Library of Queensland established the Hall of Fame in 2009.
The program records the work of business leaders and organisations that influenced Queensland’s economic and social development.
It also connects inductees with education, research, mentoring and cultural programs. Records of each inductee’s work will enter the State Library of Queensland collection.
Zoom Out
Beyond Slattery’s Rockhampton connection, the 2026 intake recognises major contributions across disability services, entertainment, education, healthcare and technology. The other inductees have each influenced Queensland through their work, ideas and community impact.
- Endeavour Foundation, a leading service provider and charity supporting people with intellectual disabilities to live, learn and work.
- Ludo Studio, an internationally acclaimed creative studio based in Brisbane, producing original drama, comedy, animation and digital content.
- Sarina Russo AM, founder of The Sarina Russo Group, one of Australia’s largest education, training and employment providers.
- Stuart Giles and Cathie Reid AM, entrepreneurs who built the Epic Pharmacy and Icon Group, Australia’s largest cancer care provider, and now lead investments through their family office, Arc 31.
- TechnologyOne, Australia’s largest enterprise Software as a Service company, headquartered in Brisbane and delivering solutions across government, education, health and industry.
What To Look For Next?
The inductees’ achievements will become part of the State Library of Queensland collection.
Their involvement with QUT may continue through teaching, mentoring, research and industry partnerships. Slattery will also continue work on APX-East, connecting Sydney and Los Angeles through a 12,700-kilometre subsea cable.
The achievements of Queensland’s pioneers and innovators, QUT continues to connect the community with leaders shaping the future. Looking ahead, the QUT Business Leaders’ Forum will welcome Erica Berchtold, CEO of David Jones on 15 September for a conversation on leadership, transformation and growth in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.
