Avocado Consulting appoints Steven Zacharidis to drive IT change

Avocado Consulting has appointed Steven Zacharidis as Managing Client Partner, strengthening the company's capability in delivering transformation projects for enterprise and government clients.

Zacharidis, who brings more than 25 years of experience in technology leadership, will oversee Avocado's portfolio of complex transformation programmes. The appointment is intended to support a growing number of projects across government and corporate sectors, amid an increasing demand for partners able to navigate legacy IT and modern delivery challenges.

Transformation focus

Avocado Consulting's latest hire underlines a broadening strategy to address persistent obstacles faced by organisations managing legacy systems and fragmented delivery practices. Enterprises in tightly regulated environments continue to seek secure and sustainable ways to modernise, often constrained by cumbersome IT environments and manual processes.

Zacharidis' recent positions included senior roles at CPT Global and DXC Technology, where he led strategic partnerships and major transformation programmes, particularly in sectors governed by strict compliance standards.

Gerardo Barranquero, CEO of Avocado Consulting, emphasised the strategic rationale behind the appointment.

"We're excited to welcome Steven to the team at a time when government and corporate clients are seeking IT partners that can deliver with certainty across complex, highly visible projects," says Gerardo Barranquero, CEO of Avocado Consulting. "His leadership strengthens our ability to engage senior stakeholders, expand into larger transformation programs, and convert high-value opportunities. With our pipeline of legacy modernisation and observability initiatives growing rapidly, Steven brings the experience and credibility needed to scale our impact across key markets."

Barranquero also commented that, "Steven's appointment reflects Avocado's ability to attract top talent based on its growing reputation for dependable delivery at scale. Avocado's solutions blend executional excellence with innovation across project delivery, cyber security, observability, and its growing AI-powered solutions."

Market demand and strategy

The appointment comes during a period in which organisations are prioritising the modernisation of legacy systems and adopting artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to keep pace with evolving regulatory and operational requirements. Avocado Consulting is positioning itself to guide clients through this transition, focusing on projects where stability and compliance cannot be compromised.

Zacharidis will be responsible for working directly with senior stakeholders and advancing Avocado's offer in the delivery of impactful transformation programmes, drawing on a combination of emerging AI-enabled tools and established delivery practices.

Describing his arrival at Avocado, Zacharidis said:

"What drew me to Avocado was its future-focused mindset; this is a team that doesn't stand still. They've built a reputation for delivering real value, and they're moving fast to meet demand for smart, AI-informed solutions that bridge legacy systems with emerging technologies. Additionally, Avocado's fierce client-focused approach appeals to how I perceive success in the marketplace - clients always come first. I'm excited to help extend that value across an even broader client base within a progressive IT consulting company," says Steven Zacharidis.

Expanded capabilities

Zacharidis' addition to the leadership team follows recent investments in Avocado's delivery, observability, and cyber security capabilities. The company's leadership includes Chief Operating Officer Jane Robinson and Test Automation Practise Lead Abitha Arunachalam, who provides expertise in hyperautomation and large language models (LLMs) to help clients move beyond testing pilots.

Avocado is planning further announcements as it aims to strengthen its presence nationally and support larger-scale transformation efforts. Zacharidis outlined his view on Avocado's direction as the organisation broadens its technical and strategic partner ecosystem:

"With ongoing investment in project delivery, observability, cyber security and an expanding AI partner ecosystem, Avocado is well positioned to meet the complex needs of modern enterprises. Avocado's focus remains on helping clients move with confidence from project initiation through to secure, sustainable outcomes," says Steven Zacharidis.

Industry challenges

Organisations face ongoing challenges from regulatory pressures, cybersecurity threats, and the complexity arising from multiple overlapping platforms, which can hinder visibility and slow operational delivery. Legacy systems are a recurring source of risk and inefficiency, leading to increased interest in managed transformation services.

Avocado Consulting provides offerings to address these obstacles, including delivery of large programmes for enterprise and government, embedding automation and modern testing in DevSecOps pipelines, migration to AI-awareness and cloud-ready environments, governance and compliance frameworks, and performance monitoring support through technology partners.

Assurance and delivery

Since its establishment in 2004, Avocado Consulting has delivered technology programmes for Australian clients in sectors requiring resilience, assurance, and regulatory compliance. Zacharidis' appointment comes at a time when those qualities are considered central to successful IT strategy.

Barranquero concluded, "Quality and assurance are no longer isolated functions - they're central to delivery, resilience, and innovation. Steven's leadership will help us scale our services, support more complex client environments, and accelerate the shift to smarter, more secure ways of working."