Building a connected network

The University of Wollongong (UOW) is renowned for teaching real-world skills to create job-ready graduates, with over 87 per cent of alumni gaining full-time employment within four months of graduation (above the national average of 86.3).  

Wollongong-based startup Auxilis embodies the quality of a UOW education, with 15 UOW graduates among its 27 staff.  

Housed in UOW’s business incubator iAccelerate, Auxilis is an award-winning software development startup servicing finance, energy and government sectors worldwide.  

We caught up with the staff at Auxilis to hear about their time at UOW and how they bring that experience into the workplace.  

Philip Oakman, CEO and founder  

Graduating UOW in 1987 with degrees in mathematics and computer science, Philip’s illustrious career in the systems development industry spans 35 years.  

Having worked as a systems engineer, systems analyst and project manager, Philip’s work has taken him around Australia including roles in Sydney, Perth, and Canberra before returning to Wollongong, where he founded Auxilis in 2016. 

“Wollongong is a great place to live and iAccelerate has been a great benefit to getting our business off the ground,” he explains.  

“It’s great [working with fellow alumni]. They are nice people, good at their work and we know they have a great education.” 

Daniel Zhu, Chief Technology Officer 

Since graduating from a Master of Commerce, Business Information Systems in 2000, Daniel has “worked in pretty much every role in the IT sector” before co-founding Auxilis, where he has been Chief Technology Officer since 2019.  

“The knowledge and experiences gained from my master’s helped me to build my career in information technology. I quickly found a suitable IT job locally in Wollongong before graduation,” he explains.  

“Studying at UOW was inspiring and challenging at the same time. I learned a range of skills in programming, business system designs and software development methodologies. It was also great to study together with many interesting and intelligent students, some of which became lifetime friends and partners in my future careers.” 

“Working with UOW alumni, we share common experiences and spirits, which helps us to build great team culture and work experiences.” 

Carl James, Chief Information Officer 

Carl studied a Bachelor of Mathematics (Computer Science) at UOW while completing a computer science traineeship at BHP.  

Since graduating in 1994, Carl has worked in a range of IT roles for banking giants including ANZ, Suncorp and Westpac before joining Auxilis in 2023. 

“Having worked in Sydney for approximately 20 years, to move back to Wollongong closer to home has been great. With Auxilis at the growing stage, it’s been the right time to be able to help put the right framework in place to handle growth - it has been an enjoyable, challenging exercise,” says Carl.  

In his role as CIO, Carl is tasked with hiring the best new talent to help Auxilis thrive, which he says is made easier by the quality of UOW’s graduates. 

“UOW is known for the high-quality courses, with the end result producing quality graduates.  Auxilis has highly skilled technical people ourselves, thus using their experience can help identify and get the right candidates out of UOW for Auxilis,” he says. 

Felix Husen, Senior Software Engineer 

Now a senior software engineer, Felix graduated from UOW Liverpool in 2020 and credits his experience at the tightknit campus for his success at Auxilis.  

“The skills I gained during my study prepared me for a seamless transition into the IT industry, particularly through collaborative efforts in group projects, where I worked closely with fellow students,” says Felix. 

 “For me personally, I knew some of my colleagues from studying at the same UOW campus in southwestern Sydney. Having known and collaborated during our studies, working together is more seamless for us. The established bond and prior experience contribute to a smoother and more effective collaboration in our workplace.” 

John Toma, Machine Learning and Software Engineer  

Graduating from a Bachelor of Computer Science in 2021, John reflects on his time at UOW with fondness.  

“A major highlight was the practical learning approach, where I gained hands-on experience in real-world applications, which greatly enhanced my problem-solving skills. The collaborative environment and the opportunity to work on group projects also stood out, allowing me to build a strong professional network,” he says.  

Like Felix, John studied at UOW Liverpool and is grateful for his relocation to Wollongong working alongside his former classmates. 

“UOW graduates, most of which were in some of the same classes as I was, has made transitioning into the workplace a lot smoother. We often collaborate at work just as we did at uni,” he says.  

William Breeze, Marketing and Communications Officer 

William was introduced to Auxilis as an intern during his Bachelor of Commerce where he majored in marketing and minored in management.  

“My degree at UOW was very hands on and industry relevant. I studied the key areas of marketing that I use every day like digital marketing, marketing strategy, and marketing psychology,” says William.  

“The tie in with real world experience and skills as well as fundamentals of marketing allowed me to land a role straight out of university where I still am now.” 

Although William’s degree was interrupted by COVID-19 lockdowns, he says he still feels connected working with other alumni.  

“Working alongside my fellow UOW graduates fosters a sense of community which helps in team cohesion.”