Tim Gauci

Founder & Director at Design and Diplomacy

Speaker

Tim Gauci is the Founder and Director of Design and Diplomacy, a Melbourne-based architectural and interior design practice recognised for its innovative approach to residential, commercial and adaptive reuse projects.

Prior to establishing Design and Diplomacy, Tim enjoyed a distinguished international career with the Australian Government and Telstra. He served as Australia's Consul General and Senior Trade Commissioner in both Hanoiand Milan, where he led Australian trade, investment and commercial engagement across Vietnam and the broader Southeast Asian region, and later across Italy and Western Europe. Earlier in his career, Tim was Country Manager Vietnam - Telstra International, responsible for operations in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, helping to expand the company's presence throughout the region.

Drawing on this combination of international commercial leadership and entrepreneurial experience, Tim has spent the past two years leading the integration of artificial intelligence throughout Design and Diplomacy's operations. AI is now embedded across design development, documentation, project management, business systems and client communications, enabling the practice to deliver higher quality outcomes more efficiently.

Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for creativity, Tim sees it as a powerful business tool that allows small and medium-sized enterprises to compete more effectively without requiring enterprise-scale budgets. His work has been featured by NAB as a practical example of successful AI adoption within an Australian SME.

Tim is passionate about helping other business owners understand how AI can be implemented in a practical, commercially focused way to improve productivity, decision-making and client outcomes while empowering—not replacing—the people behind the business.