Simon Hackett

Simon at Base64 3Simon Hackett is an Australian business leader who combines entrepreneurial energy with technical expertise. After building Internode into Australia's largest privately-owned broadband company, Simon sold Internode to iiNet Ltd, Australia’s second-largest provider of DSL broadband services. After serving as a non-executive director on the iiNet board for 18 months, Simon resigned that role in November 2013 to become a non-executive director of NBN Co, the government-owned company building the National Broadband Network. Simon has also invested in a number of innovative Australian start-up technology companies.

For media assistance, call John Harris on +61 8 8431 4000 or email john@impress.com.au 

AvSoft CEO Bevan Anderson (left) with award and investor Simon HackettAvSoft Australia, developer of the internationally successful AvPlan EFB software, has won a major accolade at the National Aerospace Industry Innovation Awards in Melbourne.

AvSoft Australia received the Aerospace Australia Ltd Civil Industry National Innovation Award for 2015, recognising it as at the forefront of commercial aerospace innovation. First presented in 2013, the National Aerospace Industry Innovation Awards are organised by Aerospace Australia Ltd, the not-for-profit foundation that organises the biennial Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition at Avalon Airport in Victoria.

AvSoft Australia’s flagship product, AvPlan EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) is an iOS app that simplifies the process of preparing aircraft flight plans, letting pilots replace bulky documentation and messy maps with an iPad. An entry-level version of AvPlan EFB is also available for Android devices.

AvSoft Australia CEO Bevan Anderson said the award demonstrated the success AvPlan EFB had achieved during the past two years. “We’ve gone from one product in Australia to apps for iOS and Android used by thousands of pilots in Australia, New Zealand and the US, ” he said.

Simon HackettInternode founder and NBNco director Simon Hackett today joined the board of leading Australian battery pioneer RedFlow (ASX:RFX), as a non-executive director.

Simon assumed his new role at the Annual General Meeting of RedFlow (ASX:RFX) which was held in Brisbane. The highly regarded technology investor made an investment of $2.2 million into ASX-listed company RedFlow this May, adding to a portfolio of innovative Australian technology businesses, including AvSoft and UltraServe.

Simon said he was delighted to join the RedFlow board. “RedFlow offers a truly disruptive technology that can contribute strongly to the renewable energy revolution,” he said.

Simon Hackett with his 2014 Charles Todd MedalInternode founder and NBNCo board director Simon Hackett this week collected the Charles Todd Medal for his outstanding contributions to the Australian telecommunications industry.

The Charles Todd Medal is awarded annually by TelSoc (Telecommunications Association Inc.) to acknowledge individuals who have made truly outstanding contributions in different aspects of telecommunications.  Previous recipients including iiNet founder Michael Malone, inaugural NBNCo CEO Mike Quigley and serial telecoms entrepreneur Bevan Slattery.

The Charles Todd Medal is named after Sir Charles Todd (1826-1910), the British-born architect of this country’s national communications system in the 1850s who, in the 1870s, led the construction of the 3000km Overland Telegraph Service, which linked Adelaide and Darwin. This epic construction project provided one of the great advances in communications between England and Australia

This year, the seven-person Selection Panel was unanimous in recommending that the 2014 Charles Todd Medal should be awarded to Simon Hackett.