The rise of Sydney-based software consultants Software@Scale has been as rapid as it has been impressive. In just over two years since inception, the company has grown to more than 100 people, been named the Rising Star in Deloitte’s Tech Fast 50 and grown its revenues at a rate that has outpaced many long-established consultancies.

This success has also resulted in Co-Founder and CEO Louis Droguett landing a position as finalist in the Professional Services category at The CEO Magazine’s 2025 Executive of the Year Awards.

But these achievements are not what Droguett is most proud of. He is most satisfied that he is putting into practice the values his father installed in him.

“What matters most is the way we’ve grown,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “That comes back to lessons I learned from my father. He placed a lot of importance in teaching me the value of knowledge and the opportunities it creates.

“I’ve carried this lesson through my career and it’s shaped Software@Scale from day one. Every step forward for us should open a path for someone else. That’s why we invest in Women in Technology, create Indigenous pathways into cybersecurity through our partnership with Kirra Services, sponsor youth sports and mentor the next generation of technologists.

“We see growth beyond financials and strive to bring others with us on the journey.”

AI innovators

Droguett lists three powerful forces that are reshaping technology consulting: the rise of AI, the growing complexity of cyber threats and the need for resilient cloud infrastructure.

“For our clients, particularly in financial services and government, these aren’t abstract ideas. They’re questions of customer trust, regulatory risk and even national resilience,” he points out.

“One of the biggest shifts is the recognition that perimeter security is no longer enough. Recent attacks on Australia’s largest and well-established enterprises weren’t about firewalls failing, they were about compromised credentials. It’s a blind spot the industry has ignored for too long, and I’ve been proud to call for better dark web monitoring and collaborative threat intelligence.

“I also see our role as continuing to be a voice for the industry. That’s why I’ve spoken out in the media about cyber resilience in super and banking – because trust in those systems is part of our national fabric. I see our responsibility as both solving the hardest problems and pushing the industry to be bolder, faster and more inclusive in how it innovates.”

With the company looking destined for further growth, you could excuse Droguett for being self-satisfied. But instead, he’s staying focused on what he sees as the most important element of success.

“Looking to the next financial year, we’re on track to nearly double again. But growth is only meaningful if it strengthens expertise, deepens impact and broadens opportunity,” he says.

“That’s a principle I learned at home: growth without values isn’t success.”

Excellence and belonging

With such clarity around values coming from the very top of the company, it’s no surprise that Software@Scale’s culture is breeding both high performance and an impressive impact.

“Our culture is built on a simple but powerful idea: TOFU – Take Ownership and Follow Up. It means every engineer is trusted to see their work through from concept to delivery,” Droguett reveals.

“That accountability attracts high-caliber people who want to do meaningful work, and it creates an environment where loyalty and retention are strong.

“The impact is clear. Many of our best hires have come through referrals from existing staff. People don’t recommend their peers unless they believe the culture is worth joining. For me, that’s the strongest endorsement we can have.”

In response, Software@Scale has developed innovative AI-powered tools that are making an impressive impact for its clients.

“We’ve focused our response on the intersection of scale and security. Our proprietary AI-powered engineering toolkit gives clients real-time visibility into productivity, code quality and security posture,” Droguett says.

“What once took months to uncover, we can now surface in days, backed by hard data. At one tier-one bank, this helped lift delivery velocity by more than 30 percent. We measure everything in outcomes: fewer errors, faster deployments, stronger resilience and happier customers. Innovation only matters if it improves lives.”

Going forward, Droguett wants Software@Scale and the wider industry to double down on AI-powered innovation, but in a way that has a positive impact on society.

“I hope to see our industry lean into innovation that is both bold and responsible. AI is already transforming financial services, government and retail. The question is no longer if it will transform us, but how we choose to apply it,” he explains.

“Trust, transparency and measurable outcomes will determine its success. At Software@Scale, we’re investing heavily in AI – expanding our Principal AI Engineering team and embedding AI into every engagement. We’re equally committed to educating our people so they’re confident working with emerging technologies.”

As well as targeting the status of industry leaders in innovation, Droguett also sees Software@Scale being a prominent voice for inspiring technological innovation across Australian society.

“Our aim is to set the benchmark for how AI and cloud can be applied in enterprise-ready ways: practical, secure, resilient and measurable,” he reveals.

“And we want to inspire others, too – by speaking at conferences, schools and universities to show the next generation that technology can be a path to opportunity.”

But for Droguett, high performance means little without inclusion.

“We’re deliberately creating pathways for women to move into engineering leadership roles and partnering with Kirra Services to open engineering careers to Indigenous technologists,” he says.

“We mentor through Women in Tech programs, sponsor Women Leading Tech Awards and support initiatives in schools to inspire girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“And we live what we preach. My Co-Founder and partner, Patricia Droguett, accepted our Deloitte Fast 50 award, and she is proof that diversity in leadership isn’t a slogan for us, it’s our reality. Having women at the highest levels of our company, and building more pathways for others to follow, is central to our success.

“That balance – excellence and belonging – reflects that true success is measured not just by what you achieve, but by who you bring with you.”

This focus on bringing with you valued and loyal colleagues reflects another cherished piece of advice Droguett received from his father.

“He told me, ‘You are who you surround yourself with,’” he recounts. “He surrounded himself with people who lifted him up, and he taught me that who you learn from matters as much as what you learn. I took that advice to heart early in my career and it’s shaped every decision since.”

He honors the team that has supported him every step of the way, acknowledging that although he may have co-founded the business, its success has been built collectively.

“When I built Software@Scale, I didn’t want employees – I wanted a leadership team I trusted, people who would challenge me, support me and share a passion for solving the hardest problems,” Droguett recalls.

“Our growth is proof that when you surround yourself with exceptional people, set a clear purpose and trust them to lead, you can achieve things that would otherwise be impossible alone.”