After initial stints as a rugby player, competitive sailor, surfer, lifeguard, rower and truck driver, the later while I tried to work out what I should study at University, I found my true calling as a systems engineer for an IBM reseller. This role was the first step in a journey that eventually led me to become the COO and VP of Sales for an innovative and plucky New Zealand tech start-up. Like many NZ start-ups, our company was eventually acquired by a US competitor, a testament to the innovative spirit that thrives in New Zealand.
In the early 2000s, I was approached by a couple of acquaintances with an idea for consumer engagement, using mobile phone SMS messages as the entry mechanism. This was a light bulb moment for me, as I realized that mobile phones would eventually live in people’s pockets as they became the powerful personal companions they are today and that this sea change would create an opportunity to allow consumers to interact with businesses in ways nobody had imagined possible.
I invented and patented SMS call-back, something that remains in use today and quickly adapted SMS messaging for ordering products. After reconnecting with an acquaintance who owned several Subway stores, we developed a system that enabled customers to order a SUB by SMS code, send the order to the correct store, and print it out in a format the in-store staff could use to build the sub. Waiting in line for prepared food was dead (jump the queue: Q-Jmp) and Order Ahead was born (2006). This quickly developed into apps, pre-iPhone, and web ordering (omni-channel), the development of the first iteration of the Q-Jmp digital commerce platform and expansion into Europe. We witnessed and participated in the birth of Smartphones and helped many large brands with entry into digital commerce world.
Reflecting on my journey, it’s amazing to think that my teenage years pumping gas and checking oil levels on the weekends at my family’s gas station would lead to this. Over the past two decades, we’ve seen tremendous uptake and evolution of order-ahead systems for QSR and, more recently, convenience. Altaine’s mission is to be at the forefront of that evolution, continuing to innovate and lead in this space and the opportunities driven by tech are becoming even more exciting.
