SAS IT appoints strategy and finance leaders

Managed service provider SAS IT has appointed two new leaders, with Simon Walker joining the team as chief strategy and revenue officer and Dhaval Parikh taking on the role of financial controller.

Both roles have a group-wide mandate, covering the New Zealand, Australian and ASEAN businesses as the company approaches its 50th year in business, CEO Matt Roberts said.

“2024 marks a milestone year for SAS IT, and it’s important that as we acknowledge the past we look to the future,” he said.

“Simon and Dhaval bring new energy and fresh ideas to the leadership team, which will be invaluable to our customers as we solidify our position as New Zealand’s leading infrastructure as a service specialist and explore new technologies and market opportunities.”

Walker joins the SAS IT team having recently exited marketing agency Proposition, where he worked closely with SAS IT’s customer-facing teams over the last four years.

“When the opportunity came up to join the team and lead group strategy and growth, it felt like a real chance to continue the journey from within the team.” Walker said.

SAS IT’s growth goals around exporting New Zealand innovation and knowledge also aligned with his own, he said.

Walker fills an executive seat vacated in late 2022 by Gavin Stone. Roberts said while it had taken the business a long time to settle on the right direction for the role, the wait was worth it.

“As a business with such deep roots in core infrastructure technologies, it was important to me that we had a strategy and growth leader that understood just how mission critical our customer’s systems are,” he said.

Parikh joins SAS IT having held finance manager roles at Ray white and NEP Broadcast Services.

As SAS IT moved into a growth phase, Roberts said having an innovative mindset across the entire leadership team was essential.

“While it’s important that we retain our reputation for market-leading financial stability, we also need finance leadership that helps us look to the future,” he said.

Parikh said the role was an opportunity to contribute to the financial stability and growth of a dynamic organisation.

“I look forward to working with the talented team at SAS IT to drive financial success and support the business’ strategic objectives,” he said.

Walker and Parikh join a refreshed leadership team that includes chief operating officer Zach Porath, who joined the company from network provider Devoli last May.