Steve Ashby

We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of our colleague and friend, Steve Ashby.

As Head of Continuous Computing at Theta, Steve led our team of Operations and Cloud Engineering, Application Support, Service Delivery, Service Desk, and Licensing teams.

He was a calm and thoughtful leader, always ready to help resolve an issue, support his colleagues, or offer a considered perspective. He was widely known and deeply respected across New Zealand’s technology community.

Steve joined Theta more than 16 years ago and played an important part in the growth and development of our business. As our first Service Delivery Manager, he built enduring relationships with customers and remained personally connected with many of them throughout his career. He helped guide Theta through some of the industry’s most significant shifts, from traditional server and data-centre environments to cloud, automation, cybersecurity, hybrid work, and the emergence of AI.

Steve literally stood head and shoulders above us, but it is his gentle, calm, and humorous spirit that we will remember most.

The messages shared by his colleagues speak volumes about the person and leader he was: “an exceptional leader, a mentor, and an inspiration to many”, someone who “led with kindness, encouraged with patience, and believed in people”, and simply “a great leader and friend”.Steve made a lasting difference to Theta, to our people, to our customers, and to the wider technology community.

He will be greatly missed.Our thoughts are with Steve’s family and loved ones during this very difficult time.