Robert Christie has 25-years of ICT industry experience in software solutions. Based in Sydney, Australia, Rob has focused on mobile Telecoms since 1998, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region.
With a background in engineering, Robert moved from creating UN-sponsored software applications into spatial information systems – implementing the world’s first Digital Cadastral Database in 1986. He maintained an interest in mapping and GIS, from which emerged J-NAVI, a mobile concierge application for J-Phone in Japan which achieved 3 million users in its first few days of operation in May 2000. J-NAVI, featured in The Economist, went on to become a daily necessity for Tokyo commuters and the most commercially successful LBS of its time – not equaled until Google launched Google Mobile Maps.
After a stint managing customer support, Robert initially moved into sales with Data General, moving on to manage sales and marketing of numerous technically complex ICT solutions including Telco platforms ranging from interactive messaging, mobile billing and location based services through to mobile advertising.
Having built a number of sales networks from scratch, Robert recruited more than 80 channel sales partners and distributors in Europe and Asia, resulting in sales in more than 20 countries across diverse industries including Defense, Transportation, Utilities, Resources, Media, Manufacturing and Government as well as mobile Telcos. Partners ranged from small local companies to the largest Systems Integrators, including HP, IBM, CSC, Oracle, SAIC, Logica, EDS, Unisys, PWC.
With more than twenty published papers in Engineering, Environment, Meteorology, IT, GIS and mobile phone applications, Robert has delivered guest lectures at Universities in Japan and Australia. Robert has a wealth of experience in event-based marketing of software solutions - he has run event marketing campaigns at more than 60 industry exhibitions and chaired a number of conferences on LBS and wireless technology.
Robert’s deep skill in understanding and working within Asian business cultures, along with an extensive network of high-level contacts helps to gain fast access to markets in the region.