Leading WA technology company DUG has appointed former WA Chief Justice Wayne Martin as chairman as it embarks on a new growth phase and seeks diversified clients for its supercomputing muscle.

Wayne Martin to chair DUG

Mr Martin, one of the nation’s top jurists who was Chief Justice from 2006 to 2018 and sits on a range of legal and research boards and community organisations, has been appointed as part of a wider DUG board restructure as the company looks for future growth opportunities.

DUG Founder and Managing Director Dr Matthew Lamont said Mr Martin would bring extensive leadership experience.

“We are honoured and excited to have someone with his expertise and capabilities leading our board,” Dr Lamont said.

“The appointment of Mr Martin is part of the broader board restructure and the start of what will be an extensive period of growth for DUG as sectors outside oil and gas start to understand the limitless application of our supercomputing technology.

“We already have signed contracts, following exciting results on early test projects, with academic institutions.”

Dr Lamont said the opportunities are extensive in areas such as radio astronomy, climate modelling, medical research and fire and smoke modelling – any sector that requires high-performance supercomputing power and expertise.

Mr Martin, a distinguished lawyer who was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1993, has taken up roles in arbitration and mediation since retiring as Chief Justice. He also serves as a judge on the Dubai International Financial Centre courts.

“I’m very pleased to be joining DUG for the next phase of its development,” Mr Martin said.

“It is such a great Australian story. Having started 16 years ago in a shed in Matt’s backyard, DUG now has four global offices and is using cutting-edge technology to compete internationally.

“It is exactly the sort of success Australia ought to be celebrating.”

The company last year launched DUG McCloud - the first global cloud, purpose-built for high performance computing - using the company’s global network of supercomputers including “Bruce” in Australia, the largest supercomputer in the southern hemisphere, “Bazza” in London, “Bodhi” in KL and the big boy “Bubba” in Houston. 

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