Telstra partner Calibre One names first new CEO in 20 years

Australian Telstra partner and three-time CRN Fast50 finalist Calibre One has named Darren Gore as its first new chief executive in its 20 years of operations.

From July, Gore will assume the role that has been held by Steve Wemyss since the company was formed as GSoft in 1998 in Wemyss humble garage in Adelaide.

Gore, 32, takes on the chief executive title after serving for more than four years as the company’s chief financial officer. He officially joined Calibre One in 2016 when it merged with NexusTel, the telco he had joined as a business technology consultant a year prior.

The transition will see Wemyss become chairman of the C1 board, where he will continue to support the company.

"I've really enjoyed the challenges of building our company and trying to balance all the moving parts and sometimes diverging interests,” Wemyss said.

“I'm pleased to be able to continue having input into the future of Calibre One in my role as chairman of the Calibre One board. Looking forward, I'm excited to have a bit more free time and also to be using my experience to assist other companies with advice in relation to ICT management and security."

Gore started his telco career at the age of 16, founding a Telstra dealership called Telefirm which he sold in 2007. He later started a cloud consulting IT firm called Nimbus. After selling Nimbus in 2013, Gore worked within Telstra Business before joining NexusTel in 2015.

Throughout the course of Gore's tenure with Calibre One, the company has enjoyed positive growth and expansion. Its 2016 merger of NexusTel saw its office footprint span Adelaide to Darwin, and the company now holds ground in far north Queensland.

Calibre One was also named a CRN Fast50 Finalist in 2016, in 2017 (when it ranked 7th) and 2018.

As he comes into the role of chief executive, Gore said he would be focused on continuing the company’s growth story.

“Calibre One has seen tremendous growth over the past six years, growing from $1M to $10M in revenues and growth from 2 to 55 staff. I look forward to taking my first year to settle into the new role, and then bringing back a growth agenda to the table with expansion into new markets,” he said.

As he prepares to pass the torch to Gore, Wemyss praised the incoming CEO’s commitment to the company.

"Darren has been integral to the work done by Calibre One in the delivery of many customer solutions. He has delivered significant sales for both Calibre One and Telstra and driven many great customer outcomes. I think Calibre One will be in great hands with Darren at the helm,” Wemyss said.

Other leadership team changes as Gore takes on the CEO role from July, include Wendy Westcott taking on the role of chief financial officer, Wade Wilson taking on the role of South Australian state manager full time, and Carley Romeo assuming the role of 2IC to the chief executive.