Zachary Reeder | Founder

Building precision instruments in code.

Fifteen years across technology, finance, and startups. Started in IT support at 19, spent a decade in banking, built a fintech startup, ran a pizzeria, launched a mortgage brokerage, pivoted a failed venture into a profitable consultancy, and now builds software companies.

Currently studying Applied AI at Charles Sturt University while running two businesses and contracting as a Senior Business Analyst to Queensland Government and ASX-listed institutions.

Contact MeLinkedIn

Ventures

OtterBlock Pty Ltd

Founder & Director | Sep 2016 - Present

ABN 91 614 672 794

otterblock.com.au

Started as a fintech startup to digitise bill management operations, then pivoted into an IT services and business management consultancy serving Brisbane SMEs.

  • -OtterBlock Technology: web hosting, domains, SSL, M365, automation, digital transformation
  • -OtterBlock Finance (trading as Chorus Finance): mortgage broking and financial consulting
  • -Key clients include CAABA, Hashtag Dentist, and SMEs across construction, hospitality, healthcare, and professional services

Chorus Finance

Principal Broker & Director | Oct 2020 - Present

AFG-accredited mortgage brokerage

chorusfinance.com.au

Built the brokerage from zero with compliant lending processes, referral-led growth, and positioning for business-owner borrowers.

  • -Hired and managed two brokers within the first year
  • -Reached $2,000,000 in lending two months ahead of schedule
  • -Built brand, marketing, and offshore support operations

Advisor

Business Advisor | Current

Growth, systems, and operations advisory

singularityintegrations.com.au

Advising founders and operators on business structure, process design, and practical delivery across technology and finance.

  • -Business model, workflow, and delivery optimization
  • -Bridges strategy, systems, and execution

SciSoft

Advisor | Current

Technology and growth advisory

scisoft.com.au

Providing practical advisory support across delivery, systems, and business execution for the SciSoft team.

  • -Advisor to scisoft.com.au
  • -Support on growth, process, and execution priorities

Peanut and Whisky Pty Ltd

Director | Current

Hospitality venue management

Managing hospitality venues with a focus on operations, service quality, and venue performance, including Prova Pizzeria.

  • -Venue management and operational leadership
  • -Hands-on delivery across staffing, systems, and customer experience

Backlinked Websites

www.otterblock.com.auwww.singularityintegrations.com.auwww.centenaryaccountants.com.auwww.chorusfinance.com.auscisoft.com.au

Professional Experience

BDO

Jun 2025 - Oct 2025

Senior Business Analyst (Integration Specialist)

D365 and Workday integration programme with requirements workshops, build-ready artefacts, data flow mapping, user stories, and acceptance criteria.

Dept. of Justice & Attorney-General (QLD)

Dec 2024 - Feb 2025

Senior Business Analyst (D365)

D365 CRM implementation for the Harms division with stakeholder alignment, current-state process documentation, and future-state definition.

Queensland Police Service

Feb 2024 - Dec 2024

Senior Business Analyst (Cyber Security)

Cyber security maturity uplift aligned to ASD recommendations and ISM controls, including PAM requirements, IAM policy modernization, and Essential Eight compliance support.

Australian Retirement Trust

Oct 2022 - Feb 2024

Senior Business Analyst (Product & Infrastructure)

Led post-merger M365 migration across 1,000+ SharePoint sites and mailboxes, delivered ~$300,000/month licence savings, and authored BRD for external Financial Adviser Portal.

Ashurst

Dec 2021 - Nov 2022

Senior Business Analyst (Product & IAM)

Built federated IAM portal patterns with secure API integration, SSO, RBAC, and workflow automation while supporting global delivery.

Ernst & Young

Jul 2021 - Dec 2021

Senior Consultant, Data & Analytics

Delivered data entity mapping and source-to-target mapping for commercial lending metrics with SQL profiling and APRA-ready traceability.

UnitingCare QLD

Mar 2021 - Jul 2021

Technical Business Analyst

Contributed to Citrix modernisation for 15,000+ users and provided crisis response support during the April 2021 REvil ransomware incident.

Great Southern Bank (formerly Credit Union Australia)

Sep 2011 - Oct 2020

Data Analyst, Insights & Analytics and IT Service Delivery Roles

Progressed through five roles across IT, data, and delivery at one of Australia's largest member-owned banking institutions.

  • -Regulatory reporting for ASIC, APRA, and AUSTRAC using SQL and SAS
  • -Statements conversion project for 160,000+ members with $500,000 annual savings
  • -ServiceNow implementation and business continuity planning
  • -Tech delivery lead for print fleet refresh and follow-me-print rollout

Technical Capabilities

Business Analysis

  • ›Requirements elicitation (BRD/FRD)
  • ›User stories
  • ›Process mapping (BPMN)
  • ›Gap analysis
  • ›Solution evaluation
  • ›UAT coordination
  • ›RAIDS management

Cyber Security

  • ›ISM controls
  • ›Essential Eight
  • ›ASD alignment
  • ›PAM/IAM
  • ›SIEM
  • ›Azure AD/Entra ID

Data & Analytics

  • ›SQL
  • ›SAS
  • ›Power BI
  • ›Data profiling
  • ›Source-to-target mapping
  • ›Regulatory reporting (APRA, ASIC, AUSTRAC)

Platforms

  • ›Azure DevOps
  • ›JIRA
  • ›Confluence
  • ›ServiceNow
  • ›D365
  • ›M365
  • ›SharePoint

Development

  • ›Python
  • ›Next.js
  • ›Supabase
  • ›Tailwind CSS
  • ›AI/ML fundamentals
  • ›OCR/document AI

Methodologies

  • ›Agile/Scrum
  • ›ITIL v3
  • ›Waterfall
  • ›SDLC

Industries

GovernmentSuperannuationBankingProfessional ServicesHealthcareHospitalityFinancial ServicesTechnology

Education & Credentials

Graduate Certificate in Applied AI (current - final subject Apr-Aug 2026)

2024-2026

Charles Sturt University

MBA (Major in Finance)

2023

Australian Institute of Business

Main research area: financial institutions, with focus on the role of banks in and on the economy.

Graduate Diploma in Management

2023

Australian Institute of Business

Diploma of Mortgage Broking Management

2023

Kaplan Professional

PMP Preparation Course

2025

University of Maryland

Commercial Law for Tax Agents (FNSSS00005)

In progress

National Business Institute

Expected completion: June 2026.

Tax Law for Tax Agents (FNSSS00008)

In progress

National Business Institute

Expected completion: June 2026.

Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Broking

2020

Kaplan Professional

Certificate III in Information Technology (Support)

2010

Brisbane Learning Centre

Applied AI Coursework Highlights

  • -ITC576 Artificial Intelligence - High Distinction (7/7)
  • -ITC558 Programming Principles - Distinction (6/7)
  • -ITC516 Data Mining and Visualisation - Credit (5/7)

Certifications & Training

  • AML / Credit Fraud / Australian Privacy Act

    MFAA - 2020

  • Agile PM Practitioner

    Agile KRC - 2023

    In-person training, no exam.

  • ITIL Foundation in IT Service Management

    DDLS / AXELOS - 2017

  • CompTIA A+

    CompTIA - 2010

Hospitality & Community

Hands-On Business Experience

General Manager

Big Belly Hospitality | Oct 2020 - Dec 2020

Restructuring consultant for an overleveraged hospitality chain; implemented centralized POS/security systems, operating policies, cost controls, and delivery partnerships.

Frontline Operations

Punjab Curry Club | 2018 - 2019

Worked front-of-house, delivery, dish-hand, and kitchen to learn daily hospitality operations from the ground up.

Business Advisor

CAABA (Accounting) Pty Ltd | Oct 2018 - Present

Advisory and delivery support across IT systems management, cyber security uplift, office management, general consulting, and accounting operations support.

Community & Leadership

BJCC Ambassador - Advocacy Team

Brisbane Junior Chamber of Commerce | Feb 2023 - Dec 2023

Organized and hosted 'AI Beyond Limits: Shaping Careers and Industries' on 26 October 2023 in Fortitude Valley with expert speakers and networking.

State Youth Leadership Program

Queensland PCYC | 2010 - 2011

Selected for the QPS/PCYC leadership programme focused on future community leaders.

Writing

Simple notes on systems, operators, and execution.

Short posts, stored as Markdown, using the same visual language as the rest of the site.

View all posts
9 March 2026/9 min read

Your Meetings Aren't the Problem, Your Teams Are

Oversized teams create a coordination tax that AI has made dramatically more expensive, making smaller high-trust teams the real operating advantage.

Read article
5 March 2026/1 min read

Building with Constraints

Constraints force clearer decisions, tighter systems, and better operating habits than open-ended ambition ever will.

Read article

The Thread

Every role, every venture, every pivot connects to the same instinct:
"Find the inefficiency, build the system, automate the process."

Whether that's a $300K/month licence optimisation at a super fund, a bill-scanning fintech startup, or a mortgage brokerage built on referral automation - the pattern is the same.

That's the portfolio. Not a linear career - a compounding one.