About Paul

Paul is a Consulting Enterprise Architect, IT Strategist and Entrepreneur living in Melbourne Australia and has been involved in IT for the last two decades.

Further details about Paul can be found on his LinkedIn page.

Paul can be contacted through LinkedIn or at paul @ paulparisi.com.au

For a quick summary of Paul’s career history see some of the highlights listed below:

  • Designed and implemented Artificial Intelligence based systems used for Defence and Aerospace Industries (e.g. NASA)
  • Founding a start up company that developed a real world working agent based workflow engine before workflow was a common term.
  • Designed and lead the implementation of the core underwriting platform used by CGU Insurance
  • Integrated the first Business Rules Management System in Australia into a commercial software system
  • Worked with Zurich Insurance to designed the new phoenix platform for underwriting
  • Worked with Westpac to design a replacement system for their core retail banking system
  • Worked with DHS to rectify major performance problems with our governments core CMS system.  The solution became the blueprint for not only DHS but was also used as a case study for other departments in a similar situation.
  • Worked with McMillan Shakespeare Group to pull together an adaptable Enterprise Architecture that will allow them to grow and scale their business
  • Lead teams of architects at NAB and managed a portfolio of $1 billion in Solution Architecture.

More information can be found on LinkedIn.  In summary Paul is passionate about Business, Architecture and solving problems in a way that maximizes value.

A word on Architecture

In Architecture it is critical to understand the business problem, the available options and how to challenge the status quo to determine how to move the organisation forward. Architecture is about problem solving, lateral thinking and understanding people and business.  Technology is always an important but secondary concern in most cases to the human and cultural aspects of any real world problem.

There is no point designing the most perfect technical solution if the organisation isn’t ready for such a solution. I see the biggest mistake Architects make is to forget that they are dealing with people with priorities that have nothing to do with technology.  On the flip side the biggest mistake business people make is assuming technology and architecture is a blocker rather than an enabler.

A good architect is first a good adaptable business person.   The goal of an Enterprise Architect is to truly understand their customers needs before uttering a single world about technology.  At the same time they also need to be fully across the entire spectrum of technology options so that they can advise their clients on the right solution once that point has been reached in the project.

This challenge is what makes Architecture the best and most rewarding expert field in the software industry. If the job is done well the positive impact can be massive and therefore the job is extremely rewarding.

Note that since writing this introduction the industry has seen further shifting in the roles and acceptance of Architecture.   Today its more difficult than ever to practice Enterprise Architecture without being limited by the stereotypes that have formed over the last decade so new terms such as Business Architecture have become much more prominent to highlight the need for Architecture in Business.