Appointment of Jo Masters as Managing Director

Baidam announces the appointment of Jo Masters to new MD role

BRISBANE, QLD, 5 May 2025 – After an extensive nationwide search, Jack Reis and Phillip (Pip) Jenkinson, co-founders and owners of Baidam, Australia’s leading Indigenous cybersecurity company, have announced the appointment of Jo Masters to the newly created role of Managing Director.

Masters is a proud Ngiyampaa woman who was born and grew up on Mparntwe land. She’s acknowledged as an inspirational leader with a proven track record in the IT industry for creating high-performance teams and cultures, and is passionate about customer satisfaction, employee well-being and social initiatives.

Masters fills the management gap left by Reis and Jenkinson’s move into Executive Director roles. Both Reis and Jenkinson say Masters emerged as a clear successor due to her technical expertise, leadership capability, commercial acumen, and alignment with Baidam’s values and vision.

“Jo was a standout candidate throughout an intensive, competitive recruitment process,” says Reis. “She brings over 25 years of global experience and grounded leadership, has successfully grown businesses abroad, managed international and national businesses in challenging environments, and led national operations. She bridges the gap between commercial strategy and cyber capability. Critically, her leadership style aligns perfectly with Baidam’s ethos - purpose-driven, calm under pressure, and motivating.”

“Baidam is built on a foundation of profit-for-purpose,” says Jenkinson. “We reinvest over 50% of our annual profits in creating new pathways into employment in the IT sector for Indigenous and First Nations People. Jo’s skills will strengthen our ability to scale that vision. At the same time, she’ll be focused on solidifying our role as a key player in Australia’s cybersecurity landscape - leading with capability, customer service, and a clear purpose that sets us apart.”

Masters has an impressive track record in the IT industry, with roles including Senior VP and GM, Hospitality for SoftBrands, CEO of Tquila, VP of Partners and International Sales for Sertifi, Non-Executive Director of Yirigaa, and Telstra Partner Advisory Board Member and Co-Chair. She’s also won or been named a finalist in numerous key industry awards.

Masters says she watched and admired Baidam’s journey and the integrity of the Co-Founders for many years. “You only have to spend thirty minutes with Jack and Pip to understand how much they truly care about their social initiatives and how much they contribute to First Nations People. I’ll be putting my heart and soul into leading Baidam and our team.”

“Working for an Australian-owned, multi-award-winning Supply Nation Certified Indigenous IT security partner that provides true social outcomes ticks so many boxes for me personally and professionally,” says Masters. “It’s a genuine opportunity to apply everything I’ve learned and applied over my career to serve - and give back to our Indigenous communities.”

Although the MD role is new, Baidam’s company ownership structure remains unchanged. Jenkinson says he and Reis will continue working on national security business, creating innovative and diverse offerings for the local and international markets, and actively championing Baidam’s social impact initiatives at an executive level.

Masters will be based at Baidam’s Sydney office, which is on Gadigal Country.

About Baidam

Formed in 2018 by Jack Reis and Phillip (Pip) Jenkinson, Baidam is Australia's premier Indigenous ICT security services and solutions provider. Customers include national ASX 200 companies and local, state, and federal government departments.

Since its inception, Baidam has accumulated an impressive record of industry awards and milestones in recognition of both the excellence of its cybersecurity services and its commitment to profit with purpose. The business’s uncompromising vision for operational excellence, technical equity, and social inclusion has seen Baidam listed twice in the Deloitte Technology Fast50 businesses in Australia and the Australian Financial Review’s Fast 100 companies.

Baidam also works with Indigenous and not-for-profit organisations such as Wesley Mission Queensland (WMQ) and Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services in Far North Queensland.

Baidam aims to help its clients reduce cyber risk via licensing, recruitment, digital infrastructure, and cloud consulting. It offers comprehensive professional and advisory services, managed security services through its co-designed Security Operations Centre (SOC), and market-leading technologies.

As a profit-with-purpose business, Baidam is committed to making a measurable change within the resource-poor ITC security sector and driving more proportionate Indigenous involvement in the national technology community. Baidam has recently secured certification to Social Traders, a network of Australian organisations committed to using their purchasing power for good, and is a member of Supply Nation.

Baidam’s most recent awards include:

2025 Indigenous Cyber Security Business of the Year – Winner

2025 Indigenous Cyber Security Leader of the Year – Winner (Jack Reis)