Interactive appoints Alfred Flokstra as Account Director

Interactive has appointed Alfred Flokstra as Account Director for Financial Services, adding to its financial services team in Australia.

Flokstra joins the IT services provider with more than 20 years of experience working with financial services customers across cyber security, transformation, operations and infrastructure. He has previously held roles at Kyndryl, Avanade, DXC and EY.

In the role, he will focus on growth across a customer base that includes banks, insurers and superannuation funds. He will work with clients on issues spanning cyber security, hybrid cloud, digital infrastructure, data and AI, alongside rising regulatory requirements.

The appointment comes as technology suppliers seek deeper ties with financial institutions under pressure to update core systems while meeting stricter oversight. Australian Prudential Regulation Authority-regulated organisations, in particular, face growing demands around security, resilience and governance.

Founded in 1988, Interactive serves more than 2,000 customers across a range of sectors and employs more than 600 people. Its managed and professional services span cloud, cyber security, data centres, business continuity, network services, systems maintenance, serviced office and digital workplace.

Sector focus

Financial services remains a significant market for technology providers because of the scale of legacy infrastructure, compliance obligations and the need to maintain uninterrupted services. For domestic IT partners, this has created an opening to position local delivery and sovereign service models as a point of difference with essential institutions.

Dean Milhouse, General Manager for Sales - New Business, linked the appointment to that trend and to demand from regulated customers for suppliers with sector knowledge. He said the business was seeing a need for partners that can work across both compliance and technology change.

"Financial services organisations are under pressure to modernise critical technology environments while maintaining strong security, governance and operational resilience. They need partners who understand both the realities of regulation and the practical challenges of transformation," said Dean Milhouse, General Manager for Sales - New Business, Interactive.

Milhouse added that Flokstra's background was a factor in the decision to bring him into the team.

"Alfred brings deep FSI experience and a strong track record of building trusted relationships with banking and insurance customers, understanding their priorities and helping them navigate complex transformation. We're happy to welcome Alfred to the Interactive team and look forward to the impact he will have on our financial services portfolio," said Milhouse.

Regulatory pressure

Flokstra said financial institutions were balancing modernisation plans with the demands of security and regulation. He pointed in particular to the challenges for firms under APRA supervision, where standards for security and resilience continue to tighten.

"Across banking, insurance and superannuation, organisations are looking to modernise, strengthen resilience and unlock value from emerging technologies such as AI, all while meeting regulatory obligations," said Alfred Flokstra, Account Director, Interactive.

"If you are APRA-regulated, you know the bar for security alone is getting higher and higher. While this is ultimately a good thing, it's my job to ensure you're supported and using resources effectively to make the necessary transformations," said Flokstra.

The role places Flokstra at the intersection of several priorities shaping spending in the sector. Banks, insurers and retirement savings providers are dealing with older platforms, higher customer expectations, cyber risk and greater scrutiny of operational resilience.

At the same time, companies across the sector are weighing where data and AI projects fit within broader transformation efforts. That creates demand not only for technology advice but also for support in sequencing projects around security, compliance and business continuity.

Flokstra said those priorities vary widely between institutions, despite common strategic themes across the industry.

"Many financial services organisations have clear strategic priorities, but every organisation is at a different point in its journey. I'm looking forward to working closely with our customers, understanding where they need to go next and bringing together Interactive's capabilities to help them improve resilience, accelerate transformation and deliver better outcomes for their customers and members," said Flokstra.