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Meet the Optimation Leadership Team

Richard Wyke - Chief Executive Officer

Richard is a digital and technology leader with a strong record of delivering business outcomes in complex, regulated environments.

He has held senior executive roles across product, technology, and digital transformation. Leading the global scaling of digital platforms, building innovative fintech systems, and integrating AI to improve customer experience. He has also been repeatedly recognised among New Zealand’s top CIOs for innovation, data-driven strategy, and value creation.

Known for his transparent, collaborative style, Richard focuses on business-led, secure, and outcomes-driven use of AI and modern digital platforms.

Cherrie Wheeler - General Manager, Presto

With a solid background in the Tech space, Cherrie has a passion for IT and has over 20+ years experience in IT talent management and recruitment roles. She builds strong professional relationships and introduces the best talent and resourcing solutions to Presto clients.
 
She is always focused on bringing together the right people at the right time, and her proactive approach ensures a seamless experience for Presto clients and candidates.
 
Whether you are an organisation in need of resourcing expertise or a candidate looking for your next role, her goal is to ensure Presto delivers a thorough and professional experience.

Scarlett Maddock - Head of Digital Enablement

A passionate people leader with a customer-centric mindset, Scarlett’s 15 years + in the tech sector has taken her from London to New Zealand. Leading the digital analysis and design practice here at Optimation, Scarlett brings her knowledge of systems thinking, analysis and service design to connect people and technology to deliver Business outcomes.

Scarlett’s specialism is understanding and designing for complex eco-systems with legacy systems, creating simple and comprehensive customer journeys through a collaborative, facilitative practice of design leadership.

 

 

Sarah Codling - Head of Delivery

Sarah leads our delivery function, steering complex, high-stakes technology programmes from vision through to reality. She brings the same care to the people in the room as she does to the plan.

Over the last 8+ years, she has led new technology, replatforming, and migration programmes across finance, education, proptech, marketing, data analytics, and more. She has also guided organisations through major digital transformations, from embedding AI into everyday productivity to bringing agentic solutions to life.

Sarah takes pride in ensuring ambitious programmes land exactly as promised. Drawing on a background in product management and customer experience, her approach is innovative, collaborative, and firmly pragmatic - grounded in best practice, but always ready to adapt, balancing pace with precision while keeping the client at the heart of every decision.