Fujitsu launches Uvance Wayfinders consulting in Oceania
Tue, 11th Aug 2026 (Today)
Fujitsu has launched its Uvance Wayfinders consulting practice in Australia and New Zealand, marking a push into a regional market long dominated by traditional advisory firms.
The business will be led by Mat Franklin, appointed Head of Oceania and Managing Partner for Uvance Wayfinders. The practice is designed to link strategic advice more closely with technology delivery, drawing on Fujitsu's existing work in AI, cyber security, cloud, data and enterprise systems.
The launch comes as large organisations across Australia and New Zealand face pressure to prove digital transformation spending delivers measurable results, while meeting rising scrutiny from boards, regulators and customers. Fujitsu is positioning the model as an alternative to consultants that focus on advice but do not build or run the technology behind change programs.
Peter Grassi, Chief Executive Officer of Fujitsu in Oceania, made that case directly. "For too long, the consulting industry has been seen as a transactional business. Uvance Wayfinders is not another consulting bolt-on. It combines our deep local knowledge with Fujitsu's global innovation and technology leadership. This gives our customers access to advanced technologies including trusted AI and high-performance computing, all backed by our AU$1 billion annual investment in research and development globally. We're continuing to build a world-class consulting team to help customers unlock transformative growth and navigate the complexities of the digital age, forging long-term partnerships with businesses and government organisations across Oceania," Grassi said.
Franklin joined Fujitsu through the acquisition of his consulting firm, MF & Associates. Before that, he held senior executive roles at the Department of Defence and the National Disability Insurance Agency, giving the new practice a strong public sector influence at launch.
"Organisations in Australia and New Zealand are facing a more demanding environment - one where transformation must deliver results but also stand up to greater scrutiny from boards, regulators, customers and the community. Uvance Wayfinders will combine Fujitsu's expertise in AI, cyber security and digital innovation to co-create and deliver with our customers. Our focus is on helping leaders achieve outcomes that are technically feasible, secure and sustainable, while grounded in strong governance, clear values and the trust needed to create lasting impact," Franklin said.
Senior hires
To support the launch, Fujitsu has made nine partner appointments across Australia, many recruited from major consulting firms including PwC, Deloitte, EY and Accenture. The hires span Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, reflecting a focus on both state-based industry work and federal government business.
In Perth, Alyson Pavlinovich will lead the public safety offering, covering police, fire, emergency and justice agencies. Also based in Perth, Jodie Hatch brings experience across resources, health and the public sector. In Sydney, Laura Entwistle will focus on asset-heavy sectors including energy, utilities, resources and transport.
Canberra features strongly in the build-out. Laura O'Neill will lead cyber security work for government and commercial clients, Leonie Costello brings a defence and public sector background, and Nada Stankovic will focus on investments linked to AI, quantum computing and high-performance computing.
In Melbourne, Ashok Govindaraju and Mitch Tomazic add expertise in AI, cloud, automation, data and analytics, with experience across enterprise, financial services, government, retail and energy. In Sydney, Liza Allen has joined to work on organisational transformation, digital innovation and AI-led service improvement in the public sector and retail.
Sector focus
The team's composition suggests Fujitsu sees public sector transformation, regulated industries and infrastructure-heavy businesses as the most immediate opportunities for the new practice. Those sectors often have large legacy technology estates, complex procurement structures and rising cyber security obligations - areas where systems integration and advisory work frequently overlap.
The consultants will draw on Fujitsu's broader research and engineering base in AI, quantum computing and sustainability-related technology. The company highlighted government service modernisation, predictive maintenance, cyber security planning and precision agriculture as examples of where the practice could work with clients.
Fujitsu has long been a technology supplier to governments and large enterprises in the region, and the consulting launch expands that role. Rather than only bidding for implementation work after strategy has been set, the company is seeking a place earlier in the decision-making process.
The move also reflects a broader market shift, with technology providers, cloud groups and specialist services firms all trying to capture more advisory work as clients demand closer links between planning, delivery and operational accountability. By hiring senior figures from established consulting networks, Fujitsu appears to be betting that sector relationships and credibility will matter as much as technical depth.
Regional leadership is framing the launch as a long-term investment in Oceania, backed by Fujitsu's global research and development spend of AU$1 billion a year.