Nicolas Parfait's 25 years of experience in software development and engineering might have been filled with golden rings had he not embarked on a path to build an online bank. His early fascination with computers was sparked by his father, an electronics tinkerer who experimented with the early home computer, the ZX80 Sinclair, which led to a long love affair with computing.
Inspiration from home
Growing up in the 80s, Nicolas immersed himself in the era’s burgeoning computer culture, being hands-on with Commodores, Amiga PCs and any other hardware he could find. By the early 90s, he had set up a home network using old coax cables and was exploring bulletin boards, witnessing the dawn of the internet. Initially interested in developing video games, Nicolas eventually found himself exploring new avenues as opportunities in gaming were limited.
Nicolas pursued his passion formally at the University of Technology, Sydney, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with First Class Honours. Although initially drawn to gaming, he soon realised the vast opportunities of software development across all industries.
After graduating, Nicolas began his career as a Junior Software Developer at Avon Cosmetics. He then moved to Sony Music Australia, where he worked on both B2B and B2C portals, and later joined a startup focused on online music portals. There, he developed an MP3 platform to allow purchasing and downloading of music as well integrations with music catalogues and partners such as Qantas for voucher distribution.
Nicolas's career continued its evolution when he joined Macquarie Bank, where he had previously completed a year in the industry during his studies. At Macquarie, he gained deep product experience in wealth management and experience in enterprise agile transformation and cloud migration projects. Seeking new challenges, he transitioned to consulting before joining Avenue Bank in 2020. At Avenue, he played a pivotal role in building a tech platform aimed at providing better banking experiences for small businesses.
“Through that experience, I’ve got a really good, broad knowledge across technology and banking and the ability to operate at a really high and really low level of detail,” he says. “I’m able to plan and design systems for the scale and size of the business as well.”
Building the bank
Nicolas' interest in creating software solutions was evident in his work on various start-ups. Reflecting on his journey, he says: “I think I've always wanted to be involved in building something from scratch. Working at other startups with that vision, when the opportunity to build a bank came, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
After a brief stint at a startup followed by a year in consulting at Industry and Co where he honed his skills in DevOps, cloud infrastructure and software development, Nicolas found himself intrigued by the vision of Avenue Bank. Drawn to the idea of revolutionising banking for small businesses and enhancing their cash flow experience, he joined Avenue Bank in early 2020.
At that time, the company was still in its nascent stages, with just 15 employees and no established tech platform. Despite the challenges posed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Nicolas remained committed to Avenue Bank's mission, eager to contribute to its growth and success. Collaborating with AWS solutions architects, he used his 20 years technology experience and research to implement Avenue’s cloud integration platform.
Hands-on leadership
Despite his senior position as CIO, Nicolas is a hands-on leader. He believes in operating at a technical level, addressing specific problems alongside engineers, and effectively communicating with the board and investors.
“You want to look at a leader and see them in the trenches with you, working towards the same goal,” Nicolas explains. “As the company grows, there are more layers. At Avenue, I have direct reports from engineers and security. Having a leader who is involved and works harder than the team is crucial.”
Now, he has set his sights on helping Avenue become the first place anyone thinks of when they hear the words, "bank guarantee”.
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