In this edition of our Meet the Team series, we sit down with Donna Broadley, General Manager, APAC. Donna shares what drew her to Xperate, her objectives for Australia, how innovation plays out across the region, and her approach to building meaningful partnerships. She also talks about the challenges of establishing a growing presence in a new market and the ways she switches off outside work.
Tell us a bit about yourself, your role at Xperate, and what made you want to join the team.
I joined Xperate at the start of September, and (as of this interview) I am in week six.
I have spent my entire career in the legal and legal tech space. Originally, I wanted to be a lawyer and started out as a trainee at a Sydney law firm. I learned a great deal, but I quickly realised the day-to-day life of a law firm was not for me. I spent a good amount of time at this firm, and there was a lot to enjoy, but I wanted something broader and more dynamic.
After a year working in the UK, I returned to Australia and moved into legal tech with LEAP. I stayed there for more than twenty years in a wide range of roles, deliberately building the experience I would need to lead at the highest level. My background in legal practice was invaluable as I moved deeper into technology. Over time, I set my sights on the chief executive role, gained the right exposure across the business, and ultimately stepped into that position. I left LEAP in October 2024 and took a short break to consider my next step. I knew I wanted to remain in legal tech because my experience, network and reputation are rooted in this industry.
When the opportunity at Xperate came up, it felt like the right fit. I have a strong services background and was drawn to Xperate’s vendor-agnostic approach and the chance to help build something in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific market. Development-as-a-Service is a model that can really benefit this market, and I am excited to bring that to clients here. Just as importantly, the people and culture at Xperate stood out immediately. I have loved meeting the team, and I am energised by the way that everybody works together.
What are your goals and objectives for Xperate in Australia?
Progress in Australia is looking very promising. I have spent my first weeks in lots of exciting client meetings, and we are already seeing projects kick off. I am working closely with the Australian team, and it helps that I have previously worked with Danielle Dazkiw and Melanie Symes-Turner. That familiarity means we can move quickly and focus on delivery from day one.
My immediate priority is brand awareness. I attended the ALPMA Summit in my first week, and it was clear that Xperate is still in its early days in Australia. We need to make sure people know who we are, what we do, and how Development-as-a-Service can support firms and legal tech providers across the region.
Successful partnerships will be a key part of how we scale operations. I plan to build a number of meaningful collaborations with trusted partners, because collaboration is the fastest way to get in front of the right audiences and prove our value. Xperate is not yet widely known in Australia, which actually creates a lot of opportunity. We can introduce a fresh, vendor-agnostic services model, show early results, and grow momentum through partners and satisfied clients.
How do firms in the Asia-Pacific market differ in their approach to innovation compared with other regions?
In my experience, firms in Australia and the UK are more alike than you may think. The day-to-day running of a practice feels very similar, although the accounting frameworks and some regulatory requirements do seem to differ. One of the main differences is scale. Australia has a larger proportion of single-office firms and sole practitioners, whereas the UK has more multi-office practices. It’s actually New Zealand that looks and feels closer to the UK.
Attitudes to technology and innovation track closely across both regions. Cloud adoption was a major talking point in both markets, and now Australia is deep into the growth of AI, exploring how to use it well and how to integrate it safely into everyday workflows. A standout local focus right now is anti-money laundering (AML) and how those obligations are being rolled out. Many Australian firms are being asked to achieve more with the same headcount, so the next year will test how smaller practices manage the extra compliance load alongside client work.
What is your approach to building partnerships in the Asia-Pacific market?
My approach is built on relationships and adding value - both ways. After many years at LEAP, I have a strong network across the region, and I have spent my first weeks at Xperate mapping things out and identifying the right people to speak with. I am very much a people person. I like to sit down with firms, understand what they are trying to achieve, and work out where we can genuinely help.
Great partnerships grow from regular communication and working closely together. In Australia, there are several organisations we can partner with so that we each bring something complementary. Sometimes that is co-delivery on a project, sometimes it is a referral model, and sometimes it is a small connection that proves the concept before we scale. The common thread is trust, open feedback, and a shared focus on delivering outcomes for clients!
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities you face in your role?
It is still early days for me in the role, and a key test will be how the market responds to Development-as-a-Service delivered by our offshore team. Australia has a strong tradition of using local talent or keeping development in-house. My job is to show that our Pune developers are world-class, highly collaborative, and comfortable working across a wide range of technologies. They love a challenge, and they integrate well with client teams. Helping firms experience that first-hand is the quickest way to overcome hesitation.
Regulatory change brings both challenge and opportunity. AML and broader compliance requirements are creating new demands on firms without adding headcount. That is exactly where our model can help. We can support product vendors and law firms with additional development capacity, faster delivery, and better use of existing platforms.
Partnerships remain a major opportunity. I am focused on building the right relationships in Australia so we can really show our expertise to others. The biggest challenge is telling the story at scale and ensuring people really understand the strength of Xperate’s offshore capability. That links back to brand awareness. I am being deliberate about which events we attend, which partners we prioritise, and who we meet, so we build momentum in a strategic way rather than trying to be everywhere at once.
How do you unwind outside of work?
Outside of work, life is always busy. I have two young children, Logan (11) and Amelia (3) - she is the boss! Most of my downtime revolves around family, and weekends are a mix of soccer, swimming, parties and playdates, plus plenty of time with our wider family.
My husband is a builder, which means there’s usually a ‘next project’ on the go. I love getting stuck into the planning and interior design side of things, and, as a result, we’ve moved house more than I ever expected.
We’re big on simple moments, lots of BBQs, visiting parents, lots of time together as a family, and I’m very focused on creating the kind of memories the kids will keep with them.
Connect with Donna on LinkedIn here.
donna.broadley@xperate.com