About · History
Our history
From a $0 standing start in 2015 to a renewed focus on the Interim and Fractional Technology Executive.
2015 → Covid
‘Fast out of the gates’
I launched Lumika Search in 2015 as a Technology & Digital specialist Contingent Workforce Recruitment agency, from a shared Sydney CBD apartment whilst on gardening leave (skipped the gardening) after a two-year stint with a global recruitment firm.
My strategy at the time was to connect with every mid-to-large enterprise Sydney-based CIO/CTO I could find on LinkedIn, record their mobile number into an Excel spreadsheet if it was displayed, ask them for their mobile number if it wasn’t, and further add those who responded to the spreadsheet. By the time gardening leave was over, the spreadsheet had over 300 names with mobiles in it.
When gardening leave was complete, I proceeded to cold call every single line on the spreadsheet — and this was the foundation of what sent Lumika Search from a $0 standing start to multiple millions in revenue over those years.
We were engaged (and re-engaged) by multiple high-profile clients, including:
- Multinational office services company
- Multinational infrastructure & industrial services company
- Global pharmaceutical
- National telco
- National not-for-profit
- National private healthcare provider
- Global data management company (through a consultancy)
- National lifting & project services company
- Multinational public transport company
- National dairy company
- Local managed service providers
…and more! It pleases me that the majority of the Lumika Search Advisory Board is made up of clients we serviced during this phase
Covid → 2026
‘The recalibration years’
Coming out of the Covid lockdowns, we entered what I now like to refer to as ‘the recalibration years’.
We experimented, studied, tinkered, pivoted, brought in new revenue streams (permanent recruitment and consulting engagements), chased some passion projects and developed — and whilst things were all going OK, we ultimately never re-captured the fast momentum we experienced during our ‘out of the gates’ years, until…
2026 → beyond
‘Renewed focus, renewed energy’
The Lumika Search renewed focus, renewed energy phase is about two things.
1 — Getting back to our bread and butter
That is contingent workforce recruitment. I am a contract recruiter: this is where I cut my teeth, this is where I have an edge, this is where I have expertise, this is where I have a network, this is my nature, and this is where we’ve experienced the most success.
We only take on searches related to the Interim and Fractional Technology Executive. We deliver first class on what we take on.
2 — The bet that I’m making
I started servicing the CIO in 2013 and since then have noticed a few evolutions in the role.
- 01
Cost centre
The CIO was widely regarded as operating a cost centre (an expensive one), and usually reported to the CFO.
- 02
Strategic partner
Technology was providing an ROI. The CIO had a legitimate seat at the C-suite table and reported to the CEO.
- 03
CIO to CEO
Some CIOs and CTOs started making the leap to CEO — a transition once reserved for the CFO and COO.
- 04
Into the boardroom
More technology representation (rightfully so) started to infiltrate boards.
- 05
The AI era
The explosion of AI demands leadership, management, governance, security and strategic nous.
There has always been a place for the Interim Technology C-suite executive, but it has historically been for niche situations — such as smaller organisations or earlier-stage companies who aren’t yet able to afford or commit to their ‘forever’ CIO.
The bet that I’m making is that the next evolution will be rampant demand for the Interim Tech Exec in addition to an organisation’s existing full-time CIO. This is due to the explosion of Artificial Intelligence’s capabilities, and the leadership, management, governance, security and strategic nous that is going to be required around it.
Not only is there going to be a home for the Interim and Fractional CIO where there always has been, but mid-to-larger enterprises are going to soon realise that a sole full-time Chief Technology executive is not going to be enough — resulting in aggressive interim and fractional CIO/CTO demand.
I calculate this as a +EV bet, and the chips are going into the middle.
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