Russell Ashdown - ICT Professional, Principal Consultant, Project Manager, Mentor
Russell Ashdown has over 55 years of experience in communications, including telecommunications, digital communications, network design, project management and related disciplines and has been involved in many successful, unusual and exciting ICT projects in Australia and internationally throughout his career. While he is now retired from the ICT industry, he maintains a keen interest. Although retired, he will on occasion involve himself in selected projects that interest him and may agree to act in a mentoring role.
With a unique background spanning the disciplines of telecommunications, data communications and computer systems, Russell is an experienced ICT professional with considerable knowledge in telecommunications, data communications, voice & data integration and integrated networking; hardware and software development; design and support.
Initially trained by the then P.M.G's department and by the P.M.G's successor, Telecom Australia, Russell's grounding in telecommunications, initially comes from being schooled at the P.M.G's and then Telecom Australia's dedicated technical schools. The technical training he received was supplimented by training he undertook after leaving Telecom Australia and joining T.R. Services (who also ran internal technical training schools). Russell pursued further formal studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (R.M.I.T.) and at Monash University's Chisholm Institute. He emerged from his studies and was eagerly sought after by leading Australian technical companies who deployed his knowledge in the design and deployment of many challenging projects which had a communications component.
With a particular emphasis on the needs of his clients, he displays considerable drive and self discipline and is certainly a dedicated professional. In particular, he enjoys 'tackling' new and complex problems and is particularly suited to designing, specifying and managing the installation of complex communications networks and; solving high level interfacing requirements. He is just as comfortable diagnosing complicated data communications and interfacing problems in existing networks.
Russell has a proven track record in Communications Consulting, the development of systems, voice and data communications networks and in responsible Project Management. Throughout his career, he has often been consulted on communications issues by major technical companies and he takes a personal interest and responsibility for each and every major project in which he is involved.
His years of experience in the ICT industry allows Russell to understand how the underlying hardware interacts with the software and has enabled him to design and implement some of the most innovative communications projects in Australia today. His experience in all facets of the communications and DP industries enables him to appraise current communications requirements and to select the most appropriate technologies to suit each individual situation.
Russell is a member of the IEEE and involves himself in keeping abreast of any new communications issues as they arise.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
With more than 55 years experience in the communications and data processing industries, he has held senior positions in several of Australia's major ICT companies including NEC, Raytheon, STC (now Alcatel), HiSoft Computers (ASD Division) Datapoint Corporation, Electric Signals (Wormald).
As one of three founding directors, he helped to establish Ausnetinfo Pty Ltd before moving to Queensland and opening his own consulting company: Ashdown Communications Management Pty Ltd, which had success in the areas of consulting, project managment, installation of advanced network infrastructure and supply and provisioning of high-end Linux based servers for some of Australia's major corporates.
During his career Russell has provided consultancy, design, project management and technical support for many major Australian and overseas organisations, including, but not limited to:
ACI Glass Packaging (Australia)
ACI Glass Packaging (New Zealand)
Aerospace Technologies of Australia (ASTA)
Ansett Airlines
Arthur Andersen
AusDoc
Australian Open
Boral Elevators
Boeing
Brambles Transport
BTB Pacific
Clayton Utz
Coles Myer
Costigan Royal Commission
Crown Casino
Daiwa Securities Australia Limited
Datapoint Corporation
Deacons Graham James
General Electric Co (GEC)
GRE Insurance
HiSoft Computers
JD MacDonald
JMJ Fleet Management
MacDonald Johnston Engineering
Maroondah Council
Mitsui & Co
Mornington Peninsula Broadcasters (3MP)
National Tennis Centre (Melbourne Park)
NEC Australia
Nippondenso Australia
Otis Elevators
Owens Illinois
Plessey Communications
QANTAS
QUF (Queensland United Foods)
Rockwell
Repco Central Stores
Raine and Horne
Standard Telephones and Cables (STC)
Telstra DISNET
Tennis Australia
Tieman Tankers
Uniting Church in Australia
Vermeer Australia
Victoria Police
Victorian Government, Department of the Premier
Victorian Producers Co-Operative
Warwick Fabrics
PROFESSIONAL DETAILS:
QUALIFICATIONS:
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Russell has been awarded certificates in:
Electronics
Integrated Electronic
Logic Techniques
Microprocessors (8085)
Colour Video Display
Systems
GRADUATED:
Chisholm Institute / Monash University
Russell has been awarded:
Graduate Diploma in Digital
Communications
ORGANISATIONAL MEMBERSHIP:
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc (IEEE)
AREAS OF SPECIALIST EXPERTISE:
AS/400 System Administration
AS/400 Control Language
ATM
C programming language
Cabling Systems
Clipper
Cobol
Connectivity and Communications for IBM and nonÂIBM Host environments
