Canberra tech consultancy Digital61 changes hands after management buy-out
Canberra-based technology consultancy Digital61 has been bought out by its own CEO Marty Holden in a deal worth $2.5 million, with the view of expanding beyond the government sector.
Holden joined Digital61 as chief operating officer in 2022 after close to a decade at Atturra, latterly as CIO & head of emerging business, before which he spent time at Cordelta among a number of other IT roles dating back for more than three decades.
He was then appointed CEO in early 2024 and awarded a small stake in the company. Now, after a $2.5 million management buy-out, Holden is the sole owner of Digital61, citing the quality of his team as a major motivating factor along with a broader vision.
“When you find a team with this level of belief, care, commitment and shared purpose, you do not stand back and hope it continues,” Holden said in a post to LinkedIn. “You step forward, back them, protect what makes it special, and help create the conditions for it to grow. I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of this team, and even more fortunate to help lead its next chapter.”
Part of that next chapter will be looking to expand the business into new markets. Digital61 was founded in 2017 by Brian Fenwick, Andy McInnes, and Bill Ratcliff (the former pair who had worked alongside Holden at Atturra acquisition Veritec), with a focus on providing advisory, cloud, networking, cybersecurity, and managed services for government and public sector clients.
Now, while continuing to serve federal clients, Holden wants to capitalise on Digital61’s ‘sovereign’ status and foundations by extending its offering to the commercial realm, especially as to regulated industries such as defence, healthcare, and human services which require the high level of assurance, compliance, and security the firm can provide beyond traditional IT and cyber support.
“These are typically organisations managing sensitive data, operating under regulatory pressure, and looking for stronger security and better governance,” Holden told techpartner.news. “That means helping customers reduce incidents, improve security posture and compliance maturity, and optimise costs over time. We aim to continuously strengthen their environment, not just support it.”
Backed by industry veterans
The refreshed venture is backed by its new owner’s three-plus decades of IT industry experience. Holden joined Veritec in 2014 after two and a half years at Cordelta. From there he rode FTS Group’s acquisition wave and later rebranding and IPO as chief information officer alongside a variety of other roles, including as general manager for delivery and head of emerging business.
“I joined Digital61 three years ago believing it had the potential to become something truly special. The foundations were there; talented people, meaningful work, and the opportunity to build a business with real impact,” Holden concluded. “But like many organisations, potential alone is not enough. Digital61’s next chapter is about exactly that; building something that lasts.”
