Curiosity. Learning. Execution.
Anselm
Waterfield
30 years. Bootstrapped startups through to exits. Original IP, earned markets — on-premise, the web, SaaS. Each era disrupted what came before. I built into every one of them. AI-first is no different.
Building technology businesses that matter — from telco infrastructure to enterprise software, and the ventures still to come.
Engineer at heart,
entrepreneur by calling
My career began in the trenches of the telecommunications industry — working with British Telecom, Racal-Milgo, and Unisys before joining Optus in 1992 during its startup phase, where I played a significant role in shaping its banking sector strategy and pioneering managed services in Australia.
From that foundation I moved into building businesses from scratch: an ERP software distribution business, then the creation of what became the largest and most successful IP owner and supplier of enterprise software to the Australian and New Zealand domestic logistics market.
Today I'm active as a founder, mentor, and investor — particularly drawn to SME technology businesses where strategic focus and operational discipline can unlock outsized value. I'm based in Sydney, Australia.
A career built on
building things
Executive Chairman & Founder
contactSPACE · Sydney, Australia
Co-founded contactSPACE, an enterprise call centre and customer engagement software company. Responsible for strategic direction, capital allocation, and scaling the business across the Australian market and beyond with partners including Genesys, AWS, and Verizon.
CEO & Founder
Translogix Systems Pty Ltd · Australia / New Zealand
Founded and scaled Translogix into the largest IP owner, developer, and supplier of enterprise software to the Australian and NZ domestic logistics market. Led the acquisition of Transit Computer Systems in 2010 and won the NSW iAward for Transport & Distribution Solution. In 2012 Translogix was acquired by CargoWise.
Founder
ERP Software Distribution Business · Australia
Established a successful ERP software distribution business, developing deep expertise in enterprise software commercialisation and the go-to-market strategies that would underpin the Translogix years.
Senior Executive
Optus · Sydney, Australia
Joined Optus in its startup phase and was a significant contributor to its success in the banking industry and the introduction of managed services to the Australian market — a genuinely formative period in Australian telecommunications history.
Engineer
British Telecom · Racal-Milgo · Unisys
Began career as a telecommunications engineer, building the technical foundations and rigorous problem-solving mindset that would shape every subsequent venture.
Companies I've built
Current Venture
contactSPACE
An enterprise contact centre and customer engagement platform helping organisations deliver smarter, more efficient customer interactions. Built on deep integration partnerships with Genesys, AWS, and Verizon.
Enterprise SoftwareAcquired 2012 by CargoWise
Translogix Systems
Australia and New Zealand's largest provider of enterprise software to the domestic logistics market. Built from the ground up, culminating in acquisition by WiseTech Global's CargoWise division in July 2012.
Logistics Software · AcquiredAdvisory & Investment
Mentoring & SME Investment
Actively working with early-to-growth stage technology businesses as a mentor and investor. Focused on SME technology companies where strategic clarity and operational discipline can create significant value.
Technology · Strategy · M&AWhere I can add value
Strategy & Vision
Translating market insight into actionable strategic direction — from startup positioning through to mature business transformation.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Hands-on M&A experience on both sides of the table, including the successful acquisition of Translogix by CargoWise.
Innovation & R&D
Building product development processes that balance customer needs with technical ambition — creating software products that dominate their niches.
Sales & Commercialisation
Taking products from development to revenue — go-to-market strategy, channel development, and enterprise sales in competitive B2B markets.
Organisational Development
Building teams and cultures that scale — from the first hires through to multi-functional organisations spanning engineering, sales, and support.
Telecommunications
Deep roots in telco infrastructure and managed services, providing a technical foundation that informs every technology investment and product decision.
The other side
of the ledger
Entrepreneurship is a full-person pursuit — and I've always believed that the discipline and resilience you build outside of work feeds directly into what you're capable of inside it.
I'm an aspiring triathlete, which means I spend a reasonable amount of time convincing myself that the alarm going off at 5am is, in fact, a good idea. The swim-bike-run combination suits me: each discipline requires a different kind of focus, and stringing them together into something coherent feels surprisingly like building a company.
Photography is another constant — specifically black and white, and almost exclusively with a Leica. There's something about the constraints of monochrome that forces you to see differently: light, shadow, geometry, and the decisive moment matter far more than colour.
I'm also an active mentor — I genuinely enjoy spending time with founders who are earlier in their journeys, working through the messy, exciting, difficult decisions that define whether a business reaches its potential.
Wannabe Triathlete
Triathlon rewards systems thinking, incremental improvement, and the willingness to be a beginner again. Still working on the "wannabe" part.
Photography
Black and white. Leica. The discipline of seeing in monochrome — light, shadow, and the decisive moment. Follow along on Instagram.
Let's have
a conversation
I'm always open to conversations with founders, executives, and investors — whether you're looking for a mentor, exploring an acquisition, or just want to exchange ideas about where enterprise technology is heading.