Get to Know Team Alii - Daryll

Name: Daryll Holland

Role: Head of Technology and Information Security

About Daryll

I've been married to Sue for nearly 25 years, and I'm a proud Dad of four (2 x teenagers and 2 x Weimaraner dogs). My career has largely been in technology, however about 10 years ago I became obsessed with all thing's privacy and security. That led me to getting a number of certifications and running a GDPR implementation project at one of the largest school groups in the UK.

I've worked in EdTech the last 7 years and have made some amazing contacts over that time. When I had the chance to work at Alii, I couldn't refuse the opportunity. I feel blessed to be working with some familiar faces, but also some amazing new acquaintances. Together, we are going to make Alii the most trusted AP platform on the market!

How long have you been in the industry?

25 years this year

If you could write your own job title that best describes what you do at Alii, what would it be?

What I do centres mainly around the presence of risk and opportunity. It may sound boring, but you need someone like me in every organisation, I reckon!

What's one financial challenge you see schools struggle with the most?

Easy - Fraud prevention. They are a prime target for threat actors, and Alii is just one of a number of mechanisms a school can have in place to prevent a fraudulent invoice from being paid. I once worked at a company where the CFO paid a fraudulent invoice of $150,000. That kind of incident could have a devastating effect on a school's budget – not to mention the mental health of Finance staff.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to a school considering AP automation?

‍It's not a case of if but when. In cybersecurity, we use the term' defence in depth', which simply means layering your controls so that you have multiple shields against the bad guys. Put simply, you cannot rely solely on staff training to prevent fraud. You need a mixture of human and technical controls. That's where platforms like Alii come in.

What's your favourite way to start the workday?

Feeding the dogs at about 06:15 then back into bed with a cup of tea for 20 minutes whilst I think about what I need to achieve that day.

What's your go-to coffee (or tea) order?

Large skinny mocha with extra chocolate.

What are your hobbies?

I play the guitar, bass and drums, and my office at home doubles up as my 'playroom'. My latest custom-built guitar from a luthier I know in New England should be with me in June. I'm also a super-keen amateur pizza chef. I bought a pizza oven last year and have almost perfected the Neapolitan pizza. In recent times, I've had the urge to write a book – so I did. 'Practical Information Security for Schools' is now available on Amazon, Apple Books and Google Books, and all proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation Australia. The more copies we sell, the more children will be granted their wish, so please do pick up a copy!

What volunteering or passion projects do you do outside of work?

I volunteer my cybersecurity services to a charity which is dedicated to researching Prada-Willi syndrome in Australia. I'm also a coach at Hamersley Rovers Junior Football Club (soccer) here in WA. My team is the U16A team, who have been incredibly successful over the last few years due to an amazing core-group of players who have been at the club since they were 8 years old. Being of a certain vintage and having dodgy knees on account of a few football injuries, I'm living vicariously through the boys!