The Whitehorse history starts in 1975, when Whitehorse Chairman Ian Dennis, founded the computer software company Logical Computer Systems. Logical provided software services for mostly private sector clients. Major systems included Jetset Tours, Stafford-Ellinson, Budget reservations network, Chase-Manhattan Bank, RVIB, Gadsdens. Logical grew to operations in all states of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. During this period Ian founded the Australian Software Houses Association, and was elected the first ASHA chairman. He was also involved in the formation of the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO), arguably the first regional trade group in South East Asia in any industry that included Australia. In 1983 the Whitehorse name appears for the first time, with the formation of Whitehorse Information Systems. The company developed software products for export markets including Hospitals, Telecoms, and financial management. Consulting activities commenced with projects for Telecom, Federal Government, and private sector IT companies. Whitehorse staff were awarded one of the first Australian Design Awards for software in 1987.
The company then merged with Sydney based Scientia to form Scientia-Whitehorse Ltd and operations continued under the merged entity with the development of manufacturing and scheduling systems. Consulting projects mostly concerned with export and R&D collaboration came under the umbrella of the Software and Services Industry Federation (SSIFA).
In 1989 Ian Dennis was engaged by Ernst Whinney to restructure its IT services operation, and was retained post merger by Ernst & Young. During this period he consulted to government and the IT sectors. Major projects included the negotiation of a systems engineering exchange with the European Esprit project Eureka Software Factory for the Federal Government and a consortium led by CSIRO and the development of export strategies for Austrade for the IT and software services industries. With the merger of SSIFA and the Australian Information Industries Association completed , the remaining export facilitation consulting services of SSIFA were consolidated into Whitehorse Strategic Group Ltd.
Whitehorse were engaged in 1993 to assist Duesburys/Deloitte to improve consulting and other service marketing. Over the next two years a major position in outsourcing advisory services was achieved, with members of the team, led by Whitehorse Directors Dr Ed Lewis, David Goble and Ian Dennis, awarded the Australian Institute of Accountants/Microsoft Award for Excellence. Whitehorse also won and managed a number of major projects for clients including the Department of Defence, Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, and the Victorian Department of Justice.
By 1995 the relationship with Deloitte was limiting Whitehorse expansion, and was therefore ended. Almost immediately Whitehorse were engaged by the Victorian Government and the City of Ballarat to develop the strategy that later became called Ballarat IT 2010 and which has led to significant IT industry development in the Ballarat region of Victoria.
The Ballarat IT 2010 project brought together the talents of David Goble and David Peile within the Whitehorse family for the first time, and laid the groundwork for the multi-discipline group Whitehorse has become.
David Goble had previously served as management consulting Partner with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and Duesburys, with over twenty years experience in management consulting, information and telecommunications and education. He spent over five years with Telecom Australia working on software systems for telephony and data networks, and was also involved in the design and building of experimental communication systems within the Telecom research laboratories.
Prior to joining Whitehorse, David Peile had held senior positions for over twenty years in regional government, including six years as Chief Executive of the City of Ballarat.
In 2007 Whitehorse commenced the rejuvenation of the company through a succession plan that introduced Anastasia Govan and David Dennis to the Whitehorse Board, replacing the retiring David Peile and David Goble, and recruited additional junior and senior consultants to round out our service offering. We also established our Asia-Pac office in Darwin, both to service the growing NT market and to provide easy access to emerging opportunities in South East Asia.