Matthew Flatt joins Inde to lead its data practice

New Zealand technology firm Inde has strengthened its data practice with a senior appointment. Industry reports published in late April said Inde had named Matthew Flatt as Technical Director of Data, Intelligence and Architecture, a role based in Christchurch.

Flatt joins from rural services company PGG Wrightson. According to the announcement, he progressed there from Business Intelligence Analyst into roles leading data teams and shaping enterprise data strategy. His background is described as spanning business intelligence, data platform architecture and analytics strategy, with experience translating technical data work into business decisions for both technical and non-technical audiences.

In his new role he will lead Inde’s Data, Intelligence and Architecture practice and work with clients on data platforms, governance and analytics. Reports noted he will also work alongside Inde’s AI, Automation and Integration team, reflecting a wider market focus on preparing organisations to make better use of their data as they move toward AI adoption.

Flatt pointed to the shape of the role and the reason for the move. “What stood out to me was Inde’s commitment to solving real business problems, not just delivering point solutions,” he said in the announcement. He described the position as “a rare opportunity to combine people leadership, client engagement, and technical strategy in one role.”

He also framed a shift he is seeing in how organisations use their information. “We’re seeing a move from a reporting culture to an ask questions culture, where businesses expect to interact with data more dynamically,” he said. That view sits comfortably with a market where leaders want faster answers from their data rather than static monthly reports.

Inde chief executive and co-founder Dave Veronese welcomed the hire. “Matthew brings a powerful combination of experience, technical depth, and leadership capability,” he said. “As our clients look to better leverage their data and prepare for AI, having strong expertise in data foundations, governance, and architecture is critical.”

The appointment fits Inde’s broader direction. The company is an employee-owned New Zealand technology provider that describes itself as fast-growing across New Zealand and Australia, with more than 90 people and offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Its work spans consulting, solution design, implementation and managed services, with practice areas that include cloud, security, networking, workspace, and AI, automation and integration alongside data. Veronese, who has around 25 years in IT, co-founded the business and has led it from a home-office start-up to work with larger corporate clients.

For a services firm, senior data leadership matters because good AI outcomes depend on well-governed data underneath them. The emphasis on data foundations, governance and architecture in both the company’s and Flatt’s comments points to that groundwork rather than to AI as a headline feature.

Flatt’s move also reflects a familiar pattern in the New Zealand market, where data and analytics talent built inside large in-house teams increasingly moves into services firms that carry those skills across many clients. His years at PGG Wrightson give him exposure to the practical demands of a large operational business, which should translate to the client-facing work ahead.

Inde and Flatt now have the task of turning that experience into results for the company’s customers.