2018 Young Alumni Award
Global CEO, WithYouWithMe
Bachelor of Commerce, 2010
Showing a wealth of determination and drive, Tom Moore drew on his own struggle transitioning to civilian life to build a successful business creating rewarding careers for other military veterans, both here and abroad.
Tom is Co-Founder and Global Chief Executive Officer of WithYouWithMe (WYWM), a training and employment organisation created to develop and upskill talented military professionals to transition successfully into industry. The company’s innovative Pathway and Mentoring Model matches mentees to the most appropriate job pathway to translate their military position and experience into industry skills, and is offered completely free of charge to veterans. From here, mentees are allocated an individual upskilling program, receive guidance from an industry mentor and engage in work experience.
The focus is on long-term career growth. WYWM challenges traditional veteran placement systems and services used to minimise unemployment and underemployment post-service. Veterans are educated in the practices, culture and skills required to work effectively in private enterprise, while civilian businesses learn the value and transferability of military career experiences and skills.
Under Tom’s leadership, within 12 months of launch, the company had expanded across Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. It has since scaled aggressively and globally, and is now valued in excess of $100 million. WYWM has grown to more than 80 staff across the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with a London office set to open in January next year. It counts more than 150 partner organisations, including leading global and national companies, among its clients, and sales hit more than $19.2 million in the first two months of the current financial year alone.
WYWM has helped thousands of veterans find satisfying new careers on discharge from the military. Today, WYWM’s focus has shifted to solving underemployment more broadly by helping companies navigate the future of work and training the underemployed for careers. This has spawned innovative projects including training and employing students in cybersecurity, public and private sector workforce redesign initiatives, upskilling injured workers for tech careers and supporting the development of Indigenous staff for the Commonwealth Bank. Parents returning to work and professional athletes are also part of their widened scope.
The company was awarded Commonwealth funding to increase cyber resilience in Fiji and the Indo-Pacific, with the aim of enhancing bilateral relations and national cybersecurity.
WYWM is rapidly transitioning from a technology-enabled business into a Software as a Service (SAAS) platform that helps high volumes of underemployed connect to Australian companies as deployable talent. The inventive business won both the Excellence in Supporting Veteran Employment and Outstanding Contribution by an Organisation to Veteran Employment categories at the Prime Minister’s 2018 Veteran Employment Awards, and was recently named a Top 20 Westpac Business of Tomorrow.
Tom had no commercial experience in human resources, recruitment or outplacement prior to starting up WYWM with fellow UOW alumnus Luke Rix. After graduating from UOW in 2010 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Public Relations), he spent seven years in the Australian Army as an infantry soldier and infantry officer, including eight months leading a 60-person combat team in Afghanistan. He has shown himself to be of a strong character and as a leader with vision, commitment and fortitude.
Tom freely volunteers his own time to coach, counsel and train ex-military personnel, supports UOW digital marketing interns with a 12-week upskill program and mentors through MentorConnect.
Chancellor, thanks to Tom Moore’s vision and commitment, many with uncertain career futures have been able to find new paths and realise their true potential. His efforts are helping to solve the significant social issue of veteran transition to civilian life, changing attitudes among employers and communities and opening up positive futures for people who can continue to make a real contribution to our economy and society.
I am delighted to present Tom Moore for the Young Alumni Award.