What does it really take to build, scale, and exit an IT services business across multiple continents?

In this episode of IT Mastermind Talks, host Ian Markram, founder of LoadingGrowth and former Deloitte UK and Axon UK consultant, sits down with W Daniel Cox III, a seasoned IT and data entrepreneur with a journey that spans farming, professional sports, enterprise data, and multiple successful exits.

Daniel shares how early lessons in grit, accountability, and problem solving shaped his leadership style, and how those principles helped him scale data and IT consulting firms to hundreds of consultants across ANZ, Europe, and Asia. They dive into real world lessons on IT business growth, leadership, team culture, and navigating pivots as technology markets evolve.

You will also hear behind the scenes insights into mergers and acquisitions, building trusted leadership teams, and what founders must know before exiting an IT services business.

If you are an IT consultant, founder, or services leader looking to scale with clarity and resilience, this episode delivers practical, experience driven guidance.

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 🔗 Connect with Ian

Website | https://ianmarkram.com/
Website | https://www.itmastermindtalks.com
Twitter | https://twitter.com/IanMarkram
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/ianmarkram2
LinkedIn | https://linkedin.com/in/coach-it-services
ITVA | https://theitva.com
IMA | https://itmarketingautomation.com

🔗 Connect with LoadingGrowth

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/loadinggrowth/
Twitter | https://x.com/growthloading
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/loadgrowth
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/loadinggrowth
Website | https://loadinggrowth.com
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@loading.growth?_t=ZS-8yzlPKITdvc&_r=1

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🔗 Connect with W Daniel Cox III

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-parrot-pty-ltd/
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/wdanielcoxiii/?originalSubdomain=au
Website | https://wdanielcoxiii.com/
Website | https://www.greenparrot.io/
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@WDanielCoxIII

⏰Timestamps:

(01:59) Daniel’s early life growing up on a farm
(03:29) Entrepreneurial lessons from childhood
(04:56) Mindset shift focusing on pathways not obstacles
(06:58) University, baseball career, and career pivot
(08:30) First fraud investigation and auditing career
(09:30) Managing hydroelectric dams and early data systems
(12:31) KPIs, data accountability, and environmental impact
(14:33) Moving from finance into data and analytics
(15:58) Joining Cognos and scaling consulting delivery
(19:34) Move to Australia and major mining project delivery
(23:42) Starting first consulting business in Australia
(26:49) Pivoting services as BI became commoditized
(28:19) Scaling Ascension and enterprise government work
(29:57) Recognition by Gartner and global growth
(32:37) Exiting the business and lessons learned
(33:50) Leadership philosophy and building trusted teams
(36:49) Expanding teams across ANZ and Southeast Asia
(37:52) Post exit recovery and personal reset
(39:52) Origins of Green Parrot
(44:53) Sustainability, data transparency, and consumer trust
(49:00) SaaS model and platform architecture
(56:28) Funding strategy and Malta expansion
(59:51) Growth plans and market rollout
(01:02:38) Fintech venture and property lending platform
(01:06:32) AI agency and roll up strategy
(01:10:28) Final leadership advice and closing thoughts

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