Vish Devarajan

I get AI to the point where a board can say yes.

Technology leader in Auckland with 15 years across banking, health, energy and government. I take AI from proof of value to production, with the governance a board needs to approve it.

Try the board test

01 / Career

Fifteen years,
five countries.

Sectors where systems have to stay up, regulators are watching, and the public expects you to get it right. Keep scrolling.

2009–15

Software engineer

London and Singapore

Started at Euro RSCG in the UK, then five years building banking software in Singapore.

2015–18

Engineer and consultant

Kuwait and New Zealand

Public health systems for Kuwait's Ministry of Health, then full stack and mobile work for BNZ, Aviat Networks and others.

2018–19

Lead Architect, Innovation and Emerging Technology

ASB Bank

Set the emerging technology strategy, guided venture investments and architected Kauri ID, a self-sovereign digital identity built with 15+ NZ organisations.

2019–23

Technology Innovation Lead

EY New Zealand

Built and led the emerging technology practice to a team of 30, across financial services, utilities, retail and government.

2023–24

Systems and Digital Innovation Lead

Austin Health

Ran systems, cloud and innovation for the North Eastern Public Health Unit, with ISO 27001-aligned, privacy-by-design governance.

2024

Solution Architect, Digital Solutions Lead

Jemena

Delivered the Centralised Data Hub on Databricks and AWS, with machine learning for fault prediction and outage response.

2025

Senior IT/OT Solution Designer

WEL Networks

Real-time operational data architecture, and a hosting-capacity engine that replaced manual spreadsheets.

Now

AP Labs Lead

Australia Post

Leading enterprise AI strategy and delivery, from proof of value to production, with executive and board reporting.

03 / Writing

From the blog

Notes on problems I've actually worked on: AI, data, energy and governance.

All posts

04 / The board test

Would your board sign this off?

An AI system that answers customer questions. Switch parts off and watch what the board says. Click a box, or use the buttons.

The board says

Yes.

Challenge: get the system rejected, then win the board back.

How ready is your organisation for AI?

Eight questions for executives and boards. Your profile draws itself as you answer, and you get the two moves that would make the biggest difference. Answers stay in your browser.

Take the readiness check

06 / Podcast

Listen

Where AI performance, regulation and money meet: LLM benchmarking, the EU AI Act, cyber insurance, and what it takes to build agentic systems that hold up.

Listen onSpotifyYouTubeApple PodcastsAmazon Music

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Agentic AI Security and Media Empires cover art
Agentic AI Security and Media EmpiresPodcast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music

Outside the day job

Blackwall

A technical book on AI security architecture: how to design AI systems that stay safe when someone is trying to misuse them.

In the works.

The podcast

Conversations on AI security, regulation and the money behind it.

Listen

Yarra Tech Clinic

Free, independent technology advice for community groups in Aotearoa. I run it in my own time, and it's named after my daughter.

yarra.org.nz

07 / Contact

Let's talk.

Executive and board roles, advisory work, speaking, or a question about something I've written. Based in Auckland, working across New Zealand and Australia.

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