Nadene Serman, the Global Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of InfoTrack, thrives on both challenge and change.
"No two days are ever the same," she explained to TechDay, during a recent interview. "I absolutely relish the diversity that brings."
InfoTrack is a pioneer of legal technology and a champion of industry-wide digital transformation across Australia, New Zealand, the US, the UK, and Canada.
With a strong customer focus, Serman explained that her role spans global strategy, platform, integrations, global products, quality, architecture, AI, data, security, and DevSecOps.
"We're absolutely committed to excellence," she said. "Our customer-first innovation strategy drives everything we do."
Cultivating a Supportive Culture
Serman places great emphasis on InfoTrack's collaborative and supportive team culture. "Everyone leans in," she said. "It's always a matter of 'How can I help?' and 'How can we improve?'"
She believes the culture of openness stems from strong leadership and prides herself on fostering an environment where employees are encouraged to contribute.
"It's never a case of urging people to try harder - it's quite the opposite," she added. "Our people are incredibly driven."
Constant Innovation and Customer Engagement
Serman described InfoTrack as being in a constant state of innovation. "We're always looking at new ways to help our customers," she said. "That's our razor-sharp focus."
InfoTrack maintains close ties with customers through constant communication, feedback loops, conferences, webinars, seminars, newsletters and face-to-face meetings.
"We try to have as many constructive customer-focused touchpoints as possible," Serman explained. "It's all about ensuring we're listening and using customer feedback to drive continuous improvement."
Her current focus is ensuring that InfoTrack maintains high performance, secure, scalable platforms to facilitate continuous innovation. "Our aim is to deliver products that empower customers throughout their journey," she said.
AI as a Key Focus
Unsurprisingly, AI plays a significant role in InfoTrack's development strategy. "AI is a serious contender in our journey," Serman said. "While guardrails are critical to ensure security and ethics, the benefits for our customers and employees are extensive."
InfoTrack has dedicated innovation roles within the organisation to ensure they remain at the forefront of AI developments. "Whether you think AI is overhyped or still emerging, it's changing everything," she said. "From how we live and work to how we think and learn. You have to be in it."
Creating a Positive Impact
Serman's passion for positive change is rooted in her upbringing in South Africa, where she witnessed social inequality firsthand. "I grew up resolute in my conviction to treat people equally," she said. "That belief has been key to building many high-performing teams over the years."
She credits this inclusive mindset for her team's stability despite industry-wide staff churn. "I strive to foster an environment of mutual respect where people feel safe to think, share and act," she said.
Award Recognition and Industry Impact
Serman's commitment to innovation and leadership has been widely recognised. She was nominated for the Cyber Daily Female Cyber Security Leader of the Year 2024 and has just been named a finalist for the 2025 Australian Cyber Awards Cyber Security Champion of the Year.
"I'm incredibly humbled," she said. "It has opened valuable pathways for InfoTrack, fostering new collaborations with cybersecurity professionals."
A Journey from Law to Technology
Serman originally pursued law but pivoted to IT prior to relocating to Australia, She says "Switching to IT turned out to be one of the best career decisions I ever made."
Despite being one of only three women in her IT honours class, she persisted. "That experience taught me resilience," she said. "I never initially saw myself as an 'IT person', but mentorship helped me realise my potential."
Empowering Women in Tech
Serman actively mentors aspiring female leaders, driven by her own experience of navigating a male-dominated industry. "Most of my mentors were men," she explained. "They were fantastic, but I often lacked female guidance."
Determined to provide that support, Serman encourages young women to pursue tech careers. "I tell my daughter, 'There's nothing more potent than girl power,'" she said.
"Women in STEM are the catalysts we need to make change happen."
Driving Inclusion and Innovation
Promoting inclusion is central to Serman's leadership style.
"I always check myself to ensure I'm coming from a place of kindness," she said. "I remind myself that my team members have their own lives outside work."
Reflecting on her return to work after having children, she said, "That experience shaped me. It taught me the importance of psychological safety and inclusion."
Serman also draws inspiration from Maya Angelou's quote: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel."
"That quote has always stayed with me," she said.
"It reminds me to lead with kindness."
What makes Nadene Serman a Titan of Tech?
Serman is passionate about empowering her teams to work smarter and innovate faster.
"The enemy of creativity is lack of space and time to think," she said. "Creating that space is key."
On International Women's Day, her message to women is simple yet powerful: "Be kind to yourself. Trust the strength that is you and know you are capable of things far beyond your wildest imagination."
"Dream big, be brave, and stand bold."
