After settling into life in Melbourne, Reuben Manning, Managing Consultant, returns with the next episode of his Down under Diaries. From overcoming the challenges of establishing business operations to embracing the Australian lifestyle, his journey continues to unfold.
In this episode, Reuben reflects on his recent experiences in Australia. He offers insights into the realities of managing work across multiple time zones, building new professional connections, and, of course, encountering some of Australia's renowned wildlife.
Join us as Reuben navigates another exciting chapter of his life down under.
How are you finding life in Australia?
We’re thoroughly enjoying our time in Australia, immersing ourselves in local events and exploring the many incredible attractions that Melbourne and Victoria have to offer. Each day, we feel more at home, navigating the suburbs with ease, often without needing the Satnav. Even the kids are starting to recognise familiar landmarks and gauge how close we are to home.
Melbourne’s summer has been unusually warm, as many of our new friends have pointed out, making our move even more enjoyable. That said, we’re expecting the temperatures to dip slightly as we move into autumn.
Of course, no Australian experience would be complete without encounters with local wildlife. We’ve had our first home invasion, courtesy of ants, crickets, and spiders, each requiring its own strategy for removal, with varying degrees of success!
Adjusting to the time-zone difference and stepping away from my previous role in the UK has been another challenge. With deep ties to products and processes back in the UK, I often find myself juggling responsibilities between both the UK and Australia. It’s a learning curve, but also an exciting part of navigating a truly global presence - one we’re embracing as we settle into this new chapter.
How have you settled in with your family?What are Xperate busy with in Australia?
We’ve been actively strengthening our relationships with partners, educating localised sales teams about our implementation and development services, and sharing our experience in delivering projects across businesses of all sizes, from small firms to those in the mid-to-large market. This has opened doors to new connections with consultancy firms, legal technology providers, and law firms, an expansion we’re eager to continue.
Resourcing is a key factor in our success, and we’re focused on investing in and bringing onboard local consultants, trainers, and other experts to establish a strong Australian Xperate team.
We’ve also completed the development enhancements needed to localise our XSDM tool, enabling clients to maintain detailed historical records of ledger, time, and document data. Whether migrating to a new platform or retiring a legacy system while retaining read-only access, this solution ensures seamless data preservation. We already have several deals in place and are ready to begin implementations in this region.
How does the Australian legal market differ from the UK’s?
The transition from on-prem to cloud platforms is following a similar trajectory here, with firms facing many of the same questions and challenges we’ve encountered in the UK. Common concerns include untangling complex legacy integrations, adapting to new platform toolkits and APIs, ensuring M365 compatibility, and navigating data transfers in an environment where onboarding is faster, but backend data access is more restricted for platform security.
AI remains a major focus, driving efficiency and enhancing data retrieval. Many products are rapidly expanding their AI capabilities, further accelerating innovation in this space.
Have you been to any business/client meetings?What has been the biggest challenge so far?
Navigating the process of launching and managing a business in Australia, from form-filling and obtaining local IDs to understanding government systems, tax obligations, and opening bank accounts, comes with its challenges. Each step can introduce delays, impacting day-to-day operations.
Are you missing anything from the UK?
I miss the support network of family and friends we had in the UK. Raising a one- and four-year-old without that foundation can feel isolating, especially as our one-year-old reaches new milestones that our family can only witness from afar. That said, Melbourne and its suburbs have been a wonderful place to call home.
Have you been up to any interesting activities outside of the office?
I recently competed in the Victoria Open Pickleball Tournament with a partner I met here, and we took home Gold in the 35+ age group, going undefeated!
We also spent a day at Ricketts Point, exploring its rock pools filled with crustaceans, fish, and other marine life. The kids had a blast spotting sea creatures and playing on the beach.
With Christmas and our trip back to the UK in February, we mostly stayed local. But now that we’re back, we have a few trips planned, including visits to Phillip Island, the Great Ocean Road, and a getaway to the Gold Coast later this year.
Have you and your family discovered any new favourite foods?
There’s a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant near our home that serves amazing food - we’ll definitely be going back!
At most events, you’ll find a classic Aussie Sausage Sizzle, where you can grab a budget-friendly “snag” (a barbecued sausage in a slice of bread). They’re always a crowd favourite!
Stay tuned as we provide further updates on Reuben's experience down under!