Gerardo Barranquero, CEO of Avocado Consulting, leads with his sleeves rolled up. Over the past year, he ran GTIA's ANZ Media Working Group every week, volunteered for the GTIA mentorship programme and drove the creation of the GTIA Sydney Chapter, which drew 90 members to its meet-up. He also championed the value of GTIA membership at industry events across the region. The ANZ community he helps lead created GTIA's first global chapter and has held the largest chapter meeting to date.
That commitment is why Gerardo has been named the winner of the 2026 GTIA ANZ Community Leadership Award. The award recognises an individual GTIA member who has spent the past 12 months demonstrating exceptional commitment, passion and professionalism, and whose leadership and service have made a measurable, positive impact. It's a big year for Avocado Consulting overall, since the company also took home the 2026 ANZ IT Service Provider (ITSP) Award.
We asked Gerardo what sparked his year of community leadership, what the global channel can learn from ANZ and what advice he has for the next member ready to step up. Here's what he had to say.
What's the story behind the work that earned this award, and what did it take to get there?
The story is a funny one. I was at the year-end planning meeting in 2025 at a table with Matt Lee and Brook Lee. I saw how passionate and engaged they were with GTIA—they were all about getting things done! So, they lit a fire under me to bring that passion to the ANZ region.
Passion is great but it also needs hard work and consistency of engagement. This year I rolled up my sleeves to run the Media Working Group weekly to raise the GTIA profile in ANZ, I volunteered for the mentorship programme, I drove the creation of the GTIA Sydney Chapter (90 members attended our meet-up!) and I supported Industry events helping to spread the message about the value of my GTIA membership.
What makes the ANZ channel unique, and what could the rest of the global channel learn from it?
I'm always reminded that it's never the size of the dog in the fight rather the size of the fight in the dog. The ANZ Community might be far away and down under from North America and EMEA, but we are just as passionate. We created the first global chapter and have held the largest chapter to date. Our members are passionate about coming together to connect and grow. This year, our executive council and community manager achieved a 30% growth in membership. This didn't happen by luck; we strategised at the start of the year, created working groups and drove our agenda with passion and commitment. I think our success this year is something the global channel can look at to learn what works!
How has being part of the GTIA community shaped the way you or your business operates? Is there a specific connection, conversation or event that made a real difference?
I love being a GTIA member because it makes my life so much easier. When my team asks about AI, I point them at the GTIA and CompTIA training modules to uplift their knowledge and the mentorship programme to learn one on one. When they want confidence about a proposal, I point them at all the independent GTIA research data. When they want to break the ice with a new client, I point them at the generous GTIA grants program to start a conversation by giving instead of taking.
And there is no better forum in which to share all this than the GTIA Chapter meetings where attendees get to network with their peers and ask genuine questions and receive real world answers on topics close to their hearts.
What's something that didn't go to plan along the way, and what did it teach you?
No surprise that some things didn't go to plan. Our Melbourne meetup location burnt down the week before our planned meeting with 50+ attendees. Our community manager called an urgent meeting and our executive council rallied. Within two days we found a new venue, alerted attendees to the change in location and even had one of our members physically go to the location to check out the venue and the food! It made me very proud that when we needed help everyone pitched in to make it a success. The sense of community is something special that lives within GTIA and makes me very proud to be a member.
What advice would you give someone in the ANZ channel who hopes to be in your shoes next year?
Buy shirts without sleeves as you won't need them because they will be rolled up all year! And buy two pairs of shoes as you will wear one out attending GTIA events and meeting with community groups and members. But seriously, it is a lot of work, and this award is earned, not given. So, my advice is be prepared for a busy but very rewarding year ahead. And be ready to celebrate at the end of the year because there is nothing nicer than sharing the vibe with everyone that has helped you earn this award!