[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Three months after a surprise resignation from his position as former head of the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE), Dr Paul Twomey has established his own e-business consultancy, Argo Pacific.
Twomey yesterday officially launched the international advisory and investment company with the announcement that he would be partnered by Ira Magaziner, former Domestic Policy Adviser to the U.S. President, Bill Clinton.
The business has been set up with the intention of assisting companies to build global Internet and technology businesses. At the launch, Twomey said Argo Pacific would work with clients to establish operating businesses and provide a spectrum of advisory services for both start-up and well established companies.
Additionally, the business will work with established companies seeking to incorporate a “clicks and mortar” dimension to their traditional “bricks and mortar” business models to provide greater productivity and future business development.
“Our key benefit for clients is our focus on sustainability from economic, regulatory and global stand points,” said Dr Twomey. “After the tech-stock correction in April, it’s quite clear that sustainability of business models is the key to long term success in establishing business and developing business in the Internet and e-commerce arena.”
Twomey said the high-level and global level of support Argo planned to offer Australian businesses was unprecedented in the local marketplace, and would allow local businesses to operate on a local to global basis.
“Many Australian companies, particularly IT-based organisations, are undervalued due to a perceived lack of global links and opportunities for their businesses,” Twomey said. “Argo Pacific will remove this barrier for these companies, providing the opportunity to develop strong Asia Pacific and global strategies from an Australian base.”
Since Twomey’s departure from NOIE, the government’s peak IT advisory body, its role and responsibilities have been boosted by an integration with the Office of Government Online (OGO), which will no longer operate as a separate entity.
Under the recent restructure, OGO has been incorporated into NOIE, which in turn, has become an executive agency within the Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA).
Executive agencies are established with the intention of creating and maintaining a degree of independence from departmental management. The head of an executive agency is appointed by, and directly accountable to, the minister responsible for the agency, Richard Alston, who is currently acting as the CEO of NOIE until a replacement is found for the role vacated by Twomey’s departure.
