Richard White
Master of Business in Information Technology Management, 2002
Fellow of UTS, 2017
Richard White is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of WiseTech Global, a technology company that provides logistics software for the world's biggest transport companies. WiseTech's cloud-based software is now used by 5000 companies in 103 countries, and the company was successfully floated on the Australian Securities Exchange in early 2016.
A former musician, who used to repair guitars for AC/DC and The Angels, Richard has more than 20 years’ experience in the logistics industry and over 30 years’ in software development, embedded systems and business management. His company supplies its platform to some of the world’s biggest freight, customs, warehousing, and trucking companies including Toll, MainFreight, UPS, DHL, TNT and many others.
Making a company that's worth something in monetary terms is the more trivial issue. What is more important is making a company that employs great people and changes the world.
Unlike most start-ups, WiseTech has been profitable for over 10 years. But, as the Australian Financial Review reported in 2015, White seems to be as focused on fostering an innovative culture at work as on making money.
“Making a company that’s worth something in monetary terms is the more trivial issue. What is more important is making a company that employs great people and changes the world,” he told UTS engineering and IT students on their graduation in 2015.
Wisetech is often compared to Google. The company provides breakfast, a gym, fitness instructor, a music studio, high-tech equipment and flexibility on start and end times. There are 280 staff in the Sydney office and more than 500 globally, including North America, China, the UK and South Africa. They are recruiting around 10 staff a month, many of whom are UTS graduates.
White is an enthusiastic and generous supporter of UTS, not only employing UTS graduates, but also sponsoring UTS degrees for his staff, providing internships for students and participating as a graduation and special event speaker to help motivate and mentor the next generation of technology entrepreneurs.
White also works with the Australian Computer Society and a number of other universities and high schools on creating pathways for students to enter the IT industry.
On his time studying for a Masters of Business in Information at UTS, White says he thought of things he couldn’t have imagined previously.
“That degree focussed me, gave me purpose, gave me understanding and introduced me to a number of things I would not have had access to, had I not been a student at this university.”
White received UTS Alumni Award for professional achievement in 2008.
