NCS Group has appointed Tom Loozen as Chief Executive for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), signaling a significant push to scale its operations in a region the company now views as a strategic growth frontier. Loozen, a veteran of the telecommunications sector, will relocate to Australia to lead the regional team even as simultaneously assuming the role of Global Communications Industry Lead for the organization.
The move comes as part of a broader organizational shift under the leadership of NCS CEO Sam Liew, who is tasked with “rewiring” the technology services provider to better integrate scaled artificial intelligence capabilities and a client-first operational culture. By placing a seasoned industry specialist at the helm of the ANZ market, the NCS Group expansion in Australia and New Zealand is designed to bridge the gap between deep technical expertise and specific industry needs.
Loozen brings more than 35 years of experience in the communications sector to the role. His dual appointment suggests that NCS intends to use its telecommunications strength as a blueprint for growth across other highly regulated sectors, including government, healthcare, and financial services. The company aims to leverage its pan-APAC scale to deliver AI-powered solutions that can be adapted to the unique regulatory and economic landscapes of the Australian and New Zealand markets.
A Strategic Pivot Toward AI and Industry Expertise
Under the vision of CEO Sam Liew, NCS is moving away from a generalist IT approach toward a model defined by deeper industry specialization. This strategy focuses on increasing the speed of delivery and maximizing impact through “scaled AI capabilities,” moving beyond experimental pilots to integrated, enterprise-wide deployments.
The ANZ region is central to this evolution. With established roots in the Australian market, NCS is looking to combine its local presence with the broader resources of its Asia-Pacific network. This hybrid approach is intended to provide clients with the agility of a local partner and the technical depth of a global powerhouse.
Loozen’s mandate extends beyond mere management; he is expected to foster a “can-do culture” that emphasizes collaboration and speed. This shift is particularly critical for the company’s target sectors, where digital transformation is no longer optional but a requirement for operational survival.
Targeted Sectors for Regional Growth
The expansion strategy is not uniform across all industries. NCS has identified specific pillars where its AI-driven tech services can provide the most immediate value. The focus is primarily on sectors that handle massive data sets and require high levels of security and reliability.
| Sector | Strategic Priority |
|---|---|
| Communications | Telco modernization and AI-driven network optimization |
| Government | Digital citizen services and administrative efficiency |
| Financial Services | Secure, scalable fintech integration and AI compliance |
| Healthcare | Data-driven patient outcomes and system interoperability |
The Role of Global Communications Leadership
While the ANZ role is geographically focused, Loozen’s appointment as Global Communications Industry Lead underscores the importance of the telco sector to the company’s overall health. The communications industry often serves as the foundational infrastructure for all other digital services, making it a primary entry point for NCS’s broader suite of technology services.
Loozen has spent the past year working closely with various telecommunications clients to drive business impact, a track record that the company intends to replicate on a global scale. By aligning global communications strategy with regional execution in ANZ, NCS hopes to create a feedback loop where innovations in one market can be rapidly deployed across the Singtel-backed ecosystem.
This alignment is expected to accelerate the deployment of “Next Horizon” initiatives—projects that move beyond traditional IT outsourcing toward the creation of new, AI-centric business models for clients.
Implications for the APAC Tech Landscape
The appointment of Loozen reflects a wider trend among Asia-Pacific technology firms to decentralize leadership and place industry-specific experts in key regional roles. As the demand for AI-powered digital transformation grows, the ability to speak the specific language of a sector—whether it be the nuances of Australian healthcare regulations or the complexities of New Zealand’s financial framework—becomes a competitive advantage.
For clients in the ANZ region, this shift likely means a move toward more consultative partnerships. Rather than providing off-the-shelf software, the “rewired” NCS is positioning itself as a co-creator of solutions, utilizing AI to solve specific industry pain points.
Industry observers note that the success of this expansion will depend on how effectively NCS can integrate its pan-APAC scale without losing the local nuance required to navigate the Australian and New Zealand business environments. Loozen’s relocation to the region is a tangible step toward ensuring that leadership is present and attuned to these local dynamics.
The next phase of this transition will involve the full integration of Loozen into the ANZ operations and the rollout of the new AI-centric service catalog. Further updates on the company’s regional growth milestones are expected as the new leadership structure takes full effect in the coming months.
We invite readers to share their perspectives on the role of AI in regional tech expansion in the comments below.
