Invicta Prospects Group

Leadership Team

Co-Founder and Chairman - Shane Acorn

Shane Acorn brings a unique blend of military expertise and tech innovation to his role at Invicta Prospects Group. With eight years of experience as a Clearance Diver in the Royal Australian Navy and Special Operations Command, Shane has a deep understanding of the operational challenges faced by large high performance organisations. His passion for driving innovation and excellence is matched by his extensive leadership experience in software startups. At Invicta Prospects Group, Shane leverages his defence insights and tech acumen to propel the company to the forefront of technology and innovation in Australia, continually pushing the boundaries to deliver cutting-edge solutions.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer - Daniel Pace

Daniel Pace, CEO of Invicta Prospects Group, brings a formidable blend of leadership and innovative thinking shaped in the high-stakes environment of Special Operations. Starting his career in the Australian Defence Force at 17, Daniel quickly distinguished himself, first as an Electronics Technician and later as an elite Clearance Diver. His experience in these pinnacle roles instilled a relentless pursuit of excellence and a drive for innovation, essential for success in demanding operations. Today, he applies these same principles to lead Invicta Prospects Group, driving forward solutions like the Buddy Suite to tackle complex challenges faced by large organisations. Committed to giving back, Daniel continues to support the veteran and local communities through his support with the Australian Navy Clearance Diving Trust and Vice Presidency of the Santa Sabina College P&F Association.

Chief Technology Officer - Paul Sorauer

Paul is a highly experienced technologist having led project teams across 30+ new and repeat corporate and government clients over a 20 year period. Adopting an Agile approach to project delivery, Paul focuses on solving the ‘business problem’ through active collaboration, employing deep technical knowledge and aligning resources to deliver the strategic vision of the organisation. Paul has successfully completed projects across a diverse range of industries including finance, education, media, health, trade services and retail industries.

Chief Information Officer - Geoff Benstead

Geoff has over 35 years’ experience in business transformation, IT service and solution delivery (Waterfall, Agile and ‘Wagile’) with start-ups and corporates across multiple industries. During that time, Geoff held C-suite roles including COO, Regional Manager (APAC) and Country Manager. Geoff recently held a role in IBM Shared Services, Asia Pacific and was responsible for a large portfolio of internal programs. His mission was to standardise, simplify and support IBM's business processes and tool alignment, keeping it relevant within evolving global and IT markets. Geoff brings high calibre management skills and displays superior personal and organisational credibility. Geoff see’s Buddy Suite’s potential beyond the military and law enforcement space.

Board Member - Gus McLachlan (AO)

After 37 years’ service, Major General Gus McLachlan retired from the Australian Army as Commander - Land Forces Command, where he was responsible for over 35,000 personnel. An experienced leader with a demonstrated history of strategic planning, Gus successfully managed cultural and organisational change during the Digitisation of the Army program. In 2009, Gus represented Australia when he was appointed to the Pentagon to work on the first Defense Review for the Obama Administration. Gus has formal education with an Advanced Management Program focused in Business Administration and Management from the Harvard Business School. Made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2018 and appointed a Professor of Practice by Monash University in 2019. In 2020, Gus joined the Invicta Prospects Group Board of Directors sharing the same passion and drive to improve ADF capability as the founders.

Board Member - Anna Pogson

Anna Pogson is a senior associate with Clifford Chance, one of the world’s pre-eminent law firms. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and class actions. Prior to joining the firm, Anna practised as a litigator in New York. She also previously worked as the associate to the Hon. Justice Stephen Gageler of the High Court of Australia. In 2016, Anna completed her Master of Law degree at Columbia Law School.

Board Member - Matthew Cramp

Matthew served 13 years as an Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, 8 of which were as an elite Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Officer, specialising in Reconnaissance and Mine Countermeasures. He has first-hand operational experience with the deficiencies addressed by Buddy Suite Analytics within the Royal Australian Navy, across the Australian Defence Force and in coalition militaries. In 2019, Matthew completed his Master of Business Administration at Macquarie Graduate School of Management. Matthew shares the same goals as the founders and provides strategic level guidance to the founding team.