James Ahwai

Accomplished Senior ICT Manager and Policy Advocate with over 25 years of public sector technology leadership. Demonstrated expertise in national digital transformation, cybersecurity governance, and enterprise infrastructure modernization. Proven track record in executive governance, having served as Acting CEO, leading international technical delegations, and advancing Pacific digital capability as Founding President of the Samoa Information Technology Association (SITA) and 2025 Internet Society Community Fellow.

ICT Manager (Acting CEO) - Unit Trust of Samoa (UTOS) - Samoa

(2016-01 - 2026-01)

• Contributed to board-level governance and provided executive leadership as Acting CEO, steering organizational strategy and high-level decision-making in the Chief Executive's absence.
• Managed high-level ICT operations and cross-functional teams to align technology strategies directly with corporate and government objectives.
• Engineered a robust multi-site replication strategy across three redundancy locations (Apia Head Office, SNBH Moto'otua, and secure cloud environment).
• Executed the enterprise-wide upgrade to Windows Server 2022 and reconfigured local-to-cloud replication protocols, guaranteeing high availability for mission-critical systems.
• Collaborated with executive management and Zest IT Ltd to lead the development and implementation of the new UTOS Online Unit Registry System.
• Spearheaded rapid deployment of online services during COVID-19 to maintain uninterrupted service delivery for UTOS clients.
• Authorized high-value unit withdrawals and deposits, ensuring strict adherence to UTOS regulatory frameworks and internal compliance protocols.

ICT Manager - Land Transport Authority - Samoa

(2009-01 - 2016-01)

• Provided expert technical and cost-benefit analysis to Senior Management to guide decision-making on IT infrastructure, budgeting, and digital strategy.
• Oversee the continuous development and maintenance of critical ICT infrastructure, including servers, databases, and network architectures (LAN/WAN).
• Managed end-to-end lifecycles of mission-critical systems, establishing proactive maintenance and disaster recovery protocols.
• Collaborated with the Legal Division Manager to facilitate legal vehicle title transfers and formal issuance of ownership certificates.
• Served on the Strategic Subcommittee drafting and finalizing Human Resources Manuals and Performance-Based Corporate Plans.

Principal IT Officer - Samoa Immigration Office (Ministry of the Prime Minister & Cabinet) - Samoa

(2004-01 - 2009-01)

• Exercised statutory authority in the final approval of Samoan Passports, Citizenship by Descent/Birth certifications, and Temporary Resident Permits.
• Spearheaded critical software upgrades for national security systems (Border Management, Passports, and Permits) with minimal developer oversight.
• Administered end-user support and training for 90+ personnel, including wireless antenna links across 7 satellite agencies.
• Deployed on urgent overseas assignment to Auckland to repair mission-critical passport production systems, successfully restoring secure national travel document issuance.

IT Support Officer - Ministry of Finance - Samoa

(1999-01 - 2001-01)

• Managed data integrity by performing regular system backups and executing disaster recovery protocols.
• Administered system-wide antivirus updates and security deployment across the ministry network.
• Developed technical solution frameworks and detailed reports to resolve operational bottlenecks and facilitate management transitions.

Chief Computer Hardware Officer - Smith Systems Computer Company - Samoa

(1997-01 - 1999-01)

• Supervised Hardware Unit operations in provisioning high-performance workstations and managing large-scale network infrastructure deployments.
• Managed structured cabling projects for major organizations and provided rapid network troubleshooting.

Master of Cyber Security - Cyber Security - Charles Sturt University (2020-01 - 2022-01)

Bachelor of Arts - Computing & Management (Double Major) - University of the South Pacific (2001-01 - 2003-01)