Nexwave appoints Stefan Buchman as Chief Technology Officer

Buchman was hired to elevate the partner’s technical capability.

Microsoft-based solution provider Nexwave has hired Stefan Buchman as its new CTO.

Buchman replaces former CTO, Andrew Cobb who has left the business.

He joins Nexwave with over 25 years of experience across organisations including Slalom, AWS, Avanade and Kloud bringing expertise in cloud architecture, security and enterprise-scale transformation within both Microsoft and broader hyperscaler ecosystems.

Buchman’s last role was the head of solutions at Slalom. He told CRN Australia that he said “yes” to this role for three reasons, “The founders. The thesis. The timing”.

“Matt Salmanzadeh and Lowenborg have built Nexwave with a clarity I respect,” he said.

“They've made a deliberate bet on AI-first Microsoft consulting, and they've backed it with the kind of operational discipline that's hard to find at this size. I wanted to work with people who already had a sharp point of view, not people I'd have to convince,” he explained.

He continued saying, “The thesis matched mine. We didn't need to align. We already were [aligned].

“And the timing is the real lever. The Microsoft AI surface is going through a structural shift right now, and there's a narrow window where a firm with the right combination of channel depth and platform thinking can take a meaningful position.

“I'd rather be inside that window than watching it close from the outside.”

Carl Lowenborg, co-founder and co-managing director at Nexwave told CRN Australia that the business needed a senior technology leader who had “done this before”.

"At this stage of Nexwave’s growth, it was critical to bring in someone who can elevate our technical capability, sharpen our engineering standards, and help us continue to differentiate in a fast-moving AI and cloud market,” he said.

Buchman said the first year as CTO is about “converting positioning into product”.

“Nexwave already has a real point of view on enterprise AI; my job is to give it engineering substance and scale it nationally,” he said.

“Three things specifically: an opinionated AI platform set of solutions our teams build to as a default, productised offerings across the Microsoft AI surface, and the engineering standards underneath that make all of it production-grade.

He added, “The fourth is the team itself, lifting capability, sharpening engineering practice, and building a delivery muscle that compounds as we grow.

“Done well, those add up to reusable delivery assets, faster client outcomes, and a sharper position in the Microsoft channel.”

Buchman said the local Microsoft AI moment is “real”.

“The combination of Microsoft's investment in the region, the partner program changes, and the maturity of the Australian AI adoption curve is creating a structural opportunity for firms with the right combination of technical depth and channel discipline.

“We intend to be one of them,” he stated.

Lowenborg added that Buchman’s role is about helping them “step-change” how they scale.

“We’re focused on lifting engineering quality and consistency across everything we deliver; building repeatable, AI-led solutions across the Microsoft ecosystem.

“Strengthening our partner position within the Microsoft channel; and accelerating our growth nationally by aligning delivery, architecture, and product strategy.

He ended, “Ultimately, this is about accelerating our ambition to be one of the most credible AI-first Microsoft consultancies in Australia.”