Matthew Kovacs
Selected Experience

Work across
complexity.

A selection of work that reflects how I lead, align people and deliver in complex infrastructure environments.

Secure power and communications facility at dusk
Operations centre supporting complex telecommunications delivery
01 / Team leadership

Building a high-performing national design team

Over several years on one of Australia’s largest telecommunications infrastructure programs, I led the Victorian and Tasmanian design function through significant growth while maintaining strong delivery performance, quality and team stability.

The team grew by approximately 90% over four years to around 25 direct reports, delivering more than 150 work orders each month while maintaining approximately 95% annual staff retention. Program performance remained above 95% for 18 consecutive months, with the team recognised as the highest-performing design function nationally between 2020 and 2022. Design quality also reached 98% first-submission acceptance, while annual designed revenue grew to $15.5 million.

The result I am most proud of was proving that growth and performance did not need to come at the expense of culture. By investing in people, creating clear expectations and building trust within the team, we were able to increase capacity while retaining experience and continuing to improve outcomes.

~25 direct reports150+ work orders / month~95% retention
High-voltage electricity transmission towers
02 / Transmission

Delivering critical communications across Victoria’s transmission network

Working within the Major Projects function of a Victorian electricity transmission network owner, I led telecommunications capital projects supporting the reliability, resilience and operation of critical transmission infrastructure.

The portfolio included the migration of legacy communications technology to a modern MPLS-TP platform across more than 40 transmission sites, representing approximately $60 million in capital works. Other initiatives included replacing vulnerable aerial fibre with underground infrastructure and the investigation and remediation of heritage-listed telecommunications assets.

These projects required close collaboration with engineering specialists, operational teams and senior stakeholders while balancing safety, regulatory, technical and delivery requirements. The experience strengthened my ability to operate across disciplines and translate complexity into practical decisions — particularly in environments where reliability matters and the consequences of failure are significant.

40+ transmission sites~$60m CAPEXCritical communications
Canberra and Lake Burley Griffin
03 / Mobilisation

Mobilising a $280 million telecommunications contract

Following the award of a major telecommunications contract, I led the mobilisation of the program into the ACT, helping translate a contract commitment into an operating delivery environment.

The mobilisation included establishment of property and facilities, workforce onboarding, financial controls and systems integration — bringing together multiple corporate and delivery functions to achieve operational readiness.

What made the assignment particularly interesting was its breadth. Mobilisation is rarely one project stream; it is the coordination of many interdependent activities that all need to reach maturity at roughly the same time. My role was to maintain sight of the overall outcome, identify dependencies early and help different teams move toward a common operational deadline.

It reinforced my preference for work where leadership is less about managing an isolated project plan and more about creating the conditions that allow an entire operation to function successfully.

$280m contractOperational readinessCross-functional mobilisation
Modern communications and data infrastructure racks
04 / Capability

Building national utility communications capability

Within a major Australian infrastructure services business, I helped develop and deliver telecommunications capability supporting electricity transmission, utilities and renewable-energy environments across Australia.

The role combined project delivery, client engagement, solution development and work-winning activity. I contributed to a national pipeline exceeding $150 million, providing input into solution shaping, scope definition and delivery strategy through the transition from tender development into execution.

The work involved major Australian transmission network operators and complex communications solutions including fibre, wireless and private networks, secure operational communications and systems integration within live infrastructure environments.

Alongside the commercial and delivery focus, I also invested in team capability through coaching and mentoring graduate and early-career engineers. The role brought together several aspects of my career that I particularly enjoy: developing people, working with clients, shaping solutions and helping turn emerging opportunities into something that can actually be delivered.

$150m+ pipelineUtilities & renewablesSolution to delivery
Leadership Beyond Work

Leadership without hierarchy.

Toastmasters speaker addressing a club audience
South Yarra Toastmasters

President

After initially serving as Treasurer, I became President of a Melbourne Toastmasters club in 2026, working with the executive committee to provide strategic direction, strengthen governance and support member engagement, development and club growth.

The role combines leadership, communication and community building. Members arrive with very different levels of confidence, experience and personal ambition, so creating the right environment matters: people need to feel welcome enough to participate, supported enough to take risks and challenged enough to continue developing.

For me, it is another practical example of leadership through influence rather than hierarchy — and an opportunity to help build a community where people can become more confident communicators and leaders.

Freediver descending beside a vertical line in open water
Melbourne Freedivers Club

President · 2015–2021

From 2015 to 2021, I served as President of a Melbourne-based freediving organisation with more than 60 members, providing leadership across governance, compliance, strategic direction, culture and growth.

Volunteer organisations provide a very different leadership environment from the workplace. Positional authority has limited value when everyone is participating by choice. Engagement depends much more heavily on trust, credibility, communication and creating an organisation that people genuinely want to contribute to.

Leadership is earned through trust, not granted by title.