In Episode 16 of the Rewired Consulting Podcast we speak to Dave Payne.

Dave is a leadership practitioner with over 25 years in the workforce, and he’s spent the last 15 of those in senior leadership roles. Currently, he serves as a Director at Datacom, New Zealand’s largest and longest-standing technology and professional services provider. But his leadership journey doesn’t stop there.

Before stepping into the tech sector, Dave was Chief Operating Officer at New Zealand Football, where he played a key role in guiding the operations of the country’s largest participation sport. Under his leadership, the game—particularly Futsal—saw exponential growth and deep community engagement.

In this episode, we’re diving into Dave’s leadership journey—from the early days of his career and what brought him to New Zealand, to building national sports programs, and now helping lead innovation in the tech industry.

We’ll also look ahead to the future of technology in Aotearoa—what’s changing, where the opportunities lie, and how AI and emerging tools are shaping the next chapter of productivity and leadership.