Who we are

Built from 20 years of doing the work.

Strategy is easy to talk about. Delivery is where it counts.

The story

Harris Hutkin

I've spent my career at the intersection of technology, product, and people.

It started in Silicon Valley, building digital products for major entertainment and media companies when the internet was still figuring itself out. Those early roles taught me that technology only matters when it solves a real problem for a real person.

I brought that lesson to Australia, where I spent over a decade leading digital, data, marketing, and technology teams across media, subscription, and membership businesses. Along the way I redesigned digital product experiences, built loyalty programs, deployed AI and personalisation at scale, and led teams through multiple rounds of transformation.

But the real lesson from those years wasn't about the technology. It was about what happens when technology and people move together, and what happens when they don't.

That's why I started The Forge Digital. I'd seen too many transformation programs fail because they treated change as an afterthought, or because they built dependencies instead of capability. I wanted to work differently: hands-on, pragmatic, and always focused on building something that lasts.

Today I work with organisations across Australia and New Zealand, helping them build AI capability where technology and people advance together. From a single team to an entire organisation, the approach is the same: deliver value now, unlock what comes next, and always leave the organisation stronger than I found it.

Track record

The numbers tell part of the story

$25M to $80M

Digital revenue growth

17%

Engagement lift through personalisation

2.8M

Members in loyalty program

5%

Churn reduction with AI-driven models

I've sat in the seats my clients sit in. I've led the teams, managed the P&L, and presented to the board. That experience shapes everything about how I work.

The name

Why “The Forge”

Forging is shaping something that lasts through heat and effort. It's hands-on, it's deliberate, and the result is stronger than the raw material.

That's what good transformation looks like. Not a slide deck. Not a strategy document. Something built, tested, and made to endure.

Credentials

Education

  • The Corporate Entrepreneur: Driving Innovation and New Ventures, Stanford University
  • Bachelor of Science, Business Finance & Marketing, University of Richmond
  • International Business, University of London

Community

  • Guest Lecturer on Corporate Innovation, Sydney University and UTS (2014 to present)

Let's talk about what you're building.

No pitch decks. No pressure. Just a conversation about what you're trying to achieve.

Get in touch