Meet Marcus! He leads the PreSales and Technical Team at CXANZ, a specialised business unit proudly launched by Dicker Data early this year. CXANZ is Citrix’s strategic partner across Australia and New Zealand, designed to bring everything Citrix under one roof. Unlike many in the industry who stumbled into IT, Marcus knew from the start that tech was his calling. His passion for technology has driven his journey every step of the way.
“I've always been fascinated by computers! It started back in high school with my first Commodore 64. That passion for technology never left me. Interestingly, I began my career in retail through a traineeship with a major supermarket, far from IT. But eventually, I found my way into an IT help desk role, where I spent over 20 years learning the ins and outs of systems and building the foundation of my career."
So how did Marcus get out of the supermarket world and into the IT channel?
“It’s not always what you know, it’s who you know,” Marcus says with a grin. While working at a major supermarket, he happened to cross paths with a Citrix account manager who had moved to Dicker Data. One day, out of the blue, Marcus got a call: “Hey mate, got a job. You keen to move?” At first, he wasn’t. “It took three tries and someone else to finally convince me to leave, but that’s how it goes - relationships matter in this industry.”
Marcus admits he was hesitant to make the leap to Dicker Data, but four and a half years later, he’s never looked back.
“For me, culture is everything and one of the first things I noticed at Dicker Data was how strong the culture is, it’s a real ‘family first’ environment. That makes a huge difference, especially with the flat management structure. It was absolutely the right move.”
Marcus’ connection with Citrix goes way back, 17 years, in fact. He knows the tech inside out and has a clear message for partners:
“CXANZ represents Citrix across Australia and New Zealand. If you’re working with Citrix or even thinking about moving away from it, reach out to us. We’re here to help you get the most out of your investment and show you what the technology can really do.”
Marcus has a great one-liner he tells himself when it comes to career advice.
“I love the phrase, 'keep it simple, stupid’ and another piece of advice I can offer is to never burn a bridge, especially in our region where the industry is so small. Relationships matter and you never know when you’ll cross paths with someone again.”
From tech to taps, Marcus found a sweet escape in beekeeping.
“I’m a beekeeper, I’ve got four hives. Just before COVID, I wanted something outside of IT to help me unwind, so I started exploring beekeeping. What really drew me in was the Flow Hive. It’s a clever bit of tech where you just turn the tap and the honey flows out. I followed it from its early Kickstarter days and was fascinated by how it evolved. That innovation is what got me into it.”
And when he’s not leading teams, tending bees, or talking tech, you might just find Marcus lineside.
“I’m also what they call a ‘gunzel’ a trainspotter. Fun fact: that word was officially added to the dictionary this year! I’ve always had a fascination with trains, especially diesel. My dad worked on the Victorian Railways, so I grew up around them. I even learned to drive using four-wheel vehicles on the rails.”
Marcus is proof that tech minds don’t always follow a straight track. Whether he’s helping partners unlock the full potential of Citrix or watching honey flow from a tap, he’s all about making systems work smarter. And if you ever need IT advice with a side of bees or locomotives, Marcus is your guy.
Meet the rest of our CXANZ team here.