Darian Smith

Executive summary

Darian Smith is a Director in BDO’s Consulting team, based in Brisbane. With more than 16 years of experience, Darian helps organisations shape and deliver digital strategies, transformation programs and technology investments.

Darian works with executive, technology and delivery leaders to understand their existing technology landscape, define a clear digital direction and translate strategic priorities into practical investment and delivery roadmaps. His experience spans CIO advisory, digital strategy and planning, business case development, digital procurement, technology reviews and portfolio, program and project advisory.

He combines commercial, strategic and delivery experience to help clients strengthen governance, manage delivery risk and make informed investment decisions. Darian supports organisations throughout the digital investment lifecycle, from early strategy and business case development through procurement, implementation and independent assurance.

Expertise

• Portfolio, program and project governance, delivery confidence and assurance for complex digital and transformation initiatives
• Digital strategy and technology roadmaps for government, infrastructure and complex organisations
• CIO advisory, technology leadership and digital investment planning
• Business case development, digital procurement and technology solution evaluation
• Independent program assurance, technology reviews and solution validation
• Project controls, portfolio reporting and low-code digital innovation
• Ongoing portfolio assurance, project controls, executive reporting and PMO capability improvement

Experience

Digital and program assurance

• Critical communications program: Strengthened governance, reporting and delivery controls across a complex program and coordinated responses to independent Gateway health checks, including quantitative risk assessment, executive briefings and actions to address assurance findings.
• Major energy infrastructure portfolio: Delivered program and targeted assurance reviews covering governance, integrated planning, resource management, project controls and work management, providing clear delivery confidence positions and prioritised actions for executives.
• Large digital transformation programs: Established and delivered assurance approaches incorporating evidence review, stakeholder interviews, governance and control testing, schedule assessment, delivery health checks, readiness assessment and executive reporting.
• Local government and enterprise technology initiatives: Conducted independent reviews of enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, low-code platforms and technology transformation proposals, assessing solution suitability, deliverability, governance, implementation readiness and organisational readiness.

Digital strategy and investment planning

• State government telecommunications organisation: Led the refresh of a mobile broadband strategy, bringing together engineering, network operations, product and data stakeholders to align future network investment with evolving service requirements.
• Major energy infrastructure organisation: Developed a project-controls digital roadmap and future-state architecture to modernise portfolio, program and project delivery capabilities.
• Scientific research organisation: Assessed a legacy application and data environment and developed a risk-based modernisation roadmap and target architecture.
• Global retailer: Developed the digital strategy and transition roadmap supporting the consolidation of distribution operations into a large, highly automated facility

CIO advisory and digital transformation

• Professional services organisation: Provided executive technology leadership and advice on technology strategy, investment priorities, service performance and operating-model decisions.
• Government telecommunications organisation: Advised senior technology and business leaders on emerging telecommunications trends, market developments and digital investment priorities.

Business cases and digital procurement

• National manufacturing and distribution business: Developed an enterprise transformation business case and roadmap addressing technology, reporting and process improvement opportunities.
• Public safety communications organisation: Supported the development of strategic and final business cases for major communications infrastructure investments.
• Large health organisations: Designed and supported procurement processes for enterprise risk management and learning management solutions, including requirements definition, evaluation criteria and solution assessment

Portfolio, program and project advisory

• State government departments and agencies: Designed governance frameworks, project-controls roadmaps and reporting capabilities to support more consistent oversight of capital and technology investments.
• Major university: Assessed portfolio, program and project management capability and developed a practical roadmap for improved governance, prioritisation and delivery practices.
• Health infrastructure program: Established an integrated program-level risk framework to improve the consistency and quality of risk assessment, escalation and reporting.

Qualifications and affiliations

• Advanced Diploma of Project Management
• P3O Foundation and Practitioner
• Management of Portfolios Foundation and Practitioner
• PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner
• Agile Scrum Master Certified
• Microsoft Power BI: Data Analysis and Visualisation
• SAP SuccessFactors Certified Application Associate
• OGC Gateway Team Member