Mark Davidson · AI · APAC

I advise on AI strategy, and build the systems behind it.

Principal AI Solutions Engineering Lead, APAC at Atlassian.

I work with the region's largest enterprise accounts across strategy, architecture, and the engineering behind production AI systems.

Mark Davidson

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About

Most of my work is done alongside customer teams. I help them figure out what AI can usefully do in their environment, design the solution end-to-end, and build enough of it with them to make sure it actually works.

It's a role that sits somewhere between architect and engineer, close enough to the customer to understand the real problem, and close enough to the code to know whether the design will survive contact with production. I've found the work goes better when those two things aren't separated by a wall.

Core Competencies

Strategy

Enterprise AI Strategy

Working with leadership teams to figure out where AI actually fits in the business, and where it doesn't, then turning that into an adoption plan their teams can realistically deliver against.

Architecture

Production AI Architecture

Designing agentic and LLM systems across data and retrieval, evals, guardrails, and observability, that stay secure, governed, and stable once they're running under real production traffic.

Transformation

Org-wide AI Transformation

The change side of AI adoption: enablement, operating model, and ways-of-working, so the technology lands with the people who have to use it day-to-day, not just the teams who built it.

Current Work

Principal AI Solutions Engineering Lead (APAC) Atlassian

The Work

What I do

  • Technical lead on agentic AI and production LLM systems for strategic accounts.
  • Unblock C-level architecture, security, and governance questions before they stall deals.
  • Pair with field engineering to ship reference implementations customers can copy.

The Audience

Who I work with

  • CIOs, CTOs, and Chief AI Officers at the top 1% of enterprise accounts across APAC.
  • Internal product, security, and platform teams who own the AI primitives.
  • Industry analysts and conference audiences on the future of knowledge work.

The Focus

What I focus on

  • Translating AI capability into named, dollarised business outcomes.
  • Reference architectures for agents, retrieval, evals, and guardrails at enterprise scale.
  • Closing the gap between executive ambition and what production systems can deliver today.

The Shapes

What the engagements look like

  • Executive briefings and architecture deep-dives, often back-to-back in a single visit.
  • Multi-quarter transformation programs with named ROI targets and a steering cadence.
  • Customer keynotes and executive forums representing the Atlassian view.

Experience

A track record built across consulting, fintech, and enterprise AI.

  1. Atlassian

    Principal AI Solutions Engineering Lead, APAC

    Aug 2025 – Present

    Technical lead on agentic AI and production LLM systems for the top 1% of enterprise accounts across APAC. Called in on the region's largest AI opportunities to unblock C-level architecture, security, and governance concerns and translate them into named ROI outcomes. Represents Atlassian's view on the future of the software development lifecycle and knowledge work in customer keynotes and executive forums.

  2. Atlassian

    Senior Enterprise Solutions Engineer

    Jan 2022 – Aug 2025

    Technical lead on strategic and enterprise accounts, shaping architecture and driving complex transformation deals from discovery through closure.

  3. Data Action (Fintech)

    Senior Solutions Architect

    Jun 2021 – Jan 2022

    Technical lead for enterprise banking clients of a fintech processing $403M in transactions monthly.

  4. GLiNTECH

    Senior Solutions Architect

    Aug 2019 – Jun 2021

    Client-facing architect on cloud migrations, business process re-engineering, and end-to-end delivery for private and public sector clients.

  5. KPMG (Financial Services Consulting)

    Technology Operations Manager

    Feb 2018 – Aug 2019

    Led technical operations for a $60M big four financial remediation program with a risk-and-compliance focus.

Certifications

Grounded in formal training across strategy, delivery, and improvement.

  • Building an AI Strategy badge

    Building an AI Strategy

    AGSM at UNSW Sydney (Executive Short Course)

    Trained to build AI strategy at the executive level, from identifying where AI creates value to adopting it responsibly.

  • SAFe 6 Practitioner badge

    SAFe 6 Practitioner

    Issued 2024

    Equipped to align large, multi-team programs around shared objectives and a steady cadence of delivery using the Scaled Agile Framework.

  • Lean Six Sigma badge

    Lean Six Sigma

    Green Belt certification

    Skilled in analysing and re-engineering processes to cut waste, reduce cycle time, and deliver measurable efficiency gains.

Contact

For consulting, speaking, or a conversation drop a note.