Virtual IT Group hires former Optus customer success MD as new CEO

Former CEO Christian Pacheco to step into new founding director role.

Virtual IT Group has hired Maurice McCarthy as its new CEO, while its founder Christian Pacheco steps into a new founding director role.

McCarthy was previously the managing director, customer success at Optus, he has also held several roles at Digicel.

Speaking to CRN Australia, Pacheco said he chose McCarthy as the new CEO as he has an “unwavering focus” on the customer.

"He truly lives and breathes customer centricity,” he said.

“It’s easy to say you care about the customer, but McCarthy has repeatedly proven he can deliver meaningful outcomes. He understands the mid‑market and has genuine empathy for our customers’ needs.

“As a founder, it’s rare to find leaders who are as passionate about the customer as you are, and that’s what stood out to me about McCarthy.”

Discussing his role, McCarthy said he is excited to spend more time with customers who trust them with their critical business systems.

“Their operating environment has never been more complex, they’re facing more increased cyber threats, growing regulatory pressure, and rapid AI‑driven change,” he said.

“What motivates me is understanding those challenges first hand and ensuring VITG continues to meet them with the right mix of client empathy, operational discipline, and modern technology capability.”

As the founding director, Pacheco said his focus is ensuring their customers have “access to best‑in‑class, fit‑for‑sector service innovation, IT, and cybersecurity”.

“We’ve grown Virtual IT Group into one of the largest MSPs in the region by continually improving and expanding our IT and security offering in line with our customers’ evolving needs. That remains my core focus,” he said.

McCarthy said his goal for 2026 is “simple”.

“Build on the extraordinary business that Pacheco and his team have scaled, and deliver even better outcomes for our clients,” he said.

“That means strengthening service reliability, embedding AI responsibly across our operations, and ensuring the business systems our clients rely on are secure, compliant, and future‑ready.

“In 2026, we want to keep our clients ahead of the curve so they can stay focused on their mission while we take care of the complexity underneath.”

For the year ahead, McCarthy said he looks forward to meeting more customers.

“As we move into the next phase of Virtual IT Group, we will continue to be guided by your evolving needs. Our commitment is simple: to be a long‑term partner delivering secure, reliable technology services that support your mission every day,” he noted.

Pacheco added, “With Maurice at the helm, I have no doubt that in 12 months we’ll see a Virtual IT Group that is even more united, and customers who are experiencing the very best version of us.”

Last July, the solution provider merged with NZ-based, The Instillery.