Interview: Viki Forrest
Viki Forrest is an Australian business leader with more than 40 years of international experience across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the United States, with a strong focus on the technology sector.
As CEO of ANZA Technology Network from 2006, she showcased over 200 Australian and New Zealand tech companies in Silicon Valley and helped around 70 Australian firms enter the U.S. market. Roughly 20% of her clients secured more than US$43 million in early-stage VC funding.
In 2019, Viki became Queensland's Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas, leading TIQ's North American operations. She has leveraged her deep U.S. tech and VC networks to support Queensland exporters and attract significant investment—over AU$1 billion across sectors such as emerging tech, biofuels, defense, aerospace, resources, and health innovation.
Throughout her career, Viki has been a connector between Australian tech ecosystems and Silicon Valley, advancing global expansion and strengthening Queensland's trade and investment links. She will retire at the end of 2025 to pursue more travel for pleasure, including her well-known international road trips and staying connected to entrepreneurs through her Venture Partner-role at Tribe Global Ventures.
The experience that stands out the most is meeting so many incredible entrepreneurs and getting a first look at their innovative technologies. Australia punches above its weight here, and it has been a privilege to have a front row seat.
My expertise is in how to move from a relatively small market such as Australia to a large market such as the U.S. Commercializing these innovative products in the U.S. is challenging - the framework you operate in in Australia's small market is very different from the U.S. For example, in the U.S. your messaging needs to be crisp, sharp, and short through multiple channels to market. If raising capital, your focus should be on growth in the beginning, whereas in Australia profit is often the driver due to the reliance on profit to fill the capital gap.
Whether you work with technology companies and entrepreneurs or not, there is only one answer: technology. It has changed the way we do everything. It has been necessary to keep pace with it to help the companies I've worked with stay relevant and competitive. Just look at AI and the impact it is having in every industry.
I have loved being a mentor to all types of entrepreneurs, Australian or not, across the age and gender spectrum. I have met some of the most creative and interesting people, and mentoring has been a great privilege.
One success story that stands out is a South Australian company I worked with as part of ANZA. The CEO brought her company and family to the U.S., worked very hard, raised capital and eventually exited successfully. I worked with them for over ten years. Around 20% of the companies I worked with raised venture capital here in the U.S., I'm very proud of that.
Stop being afraid to take risks! Study the market and your competitors to realize the type and amount of risk that needs to be taken to compete in this market and win. There is often resistance to this; it's understandable but in the end, you just need to take a leap of faith.
Another mistake I've seen is companies arriving late to a mature market without a strong differentiator. I have always been frank to these companies and suggested they develop their differentiators before entering this market.
Quite a few Australian entrepreneurs have disagreed with my advice about the degree of risk you have to take in the U.S., whether it is scaling up, pivoting or moving into a new market.
It is always about the people, and I have worked with a lot of people from different countries across Australasia and the Americas. It's been a privilege to work with all kinds of people across several cultures. I've learned something from every encounter. Consulting and mentoring jobs are always about the people and that's what I have always loved.
I will be spending time between San Francisco and Sydney with friends and family. I have always travelled a lot and I'm very much looking forward to travelling to other parts of the world where I haven't been.
I am a venture partner with Tribe Global Ventures, and I will continue to advise their portfolio companies that are looking to the U.S. market.
Thank you, Viki, for your leadership in Silicon Valley, with Trade and Investment Queensland. The whole Australian community and the Australian American Chamber of Commerce – San Francisco wish you all the best with your retirement.