Former Xero CEO, corporate director and tech investor Chris Ridd has returned to the startup coalface as the chief executive of Brisbane venture EventsAir.

Ridd, who has chaired the company’s board of directors since early 2022, announced via LinkedIn that he’s excited to be back in the C-suite.

“Looking back on my 30-year career, I’ve been involved in events of all sizes from the start. These include overseeing TechEd and many other major marketing events at Microsoft in the 2000s,” he said.

“As CEO of Xero in Australia, in 2011, I helped design the Xero roadshow series and the first-ever Australian Xerocon, now one of the most iconic technology events in the Southern Hemisphere. The events industry has been through a lot of turmoil in the past 2 years and faced a lot of challenges, but it is recovering.”

Although EventsAir has been around since the 1990s, the company has turned towards event tech over the past decade, expanding those capabilities to provide virtual events during the pandemic. It is based in Brisbane with more than 120 employees and a global customer base in APAC, EMEA and the US.

“EventsAir has established itself as a leader through flexible advanced technology,” said Ridd.

“With more than 350,000 events worldwide, EventsAir is a leader in the events industry, serving leading global customers in associations, professional event organizers, business, government and education.”

The company recently received a private equity capital injection from Riverside Partners.

“As the industry is rapidly switching back to in-person events, this feels like the ideal time for me to jump into the CEO role,” said Ridd.

“I believe the combination of our longevity and track record of innovation means that EventsAir is well positioned to capitalize on the huge opportunities in the event technology market in the coming years.”

Ridd will continue to live in Melbourne while he excavates in Brisbane, adding that as part of the position he will spend a lot of time abroad selling EventsAir to the world.

And for those looking for tech jobs, EventsAir currently has 20 job openings in Queensland.