Early Life and Education
Michael Cannon-Brookes was born in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, on November 17, 1979. His family relocated to Taiwan and Hong Kong before settling in Sydney, Australia. He attended Cranbrook School in Sydney and later graduated from the University of New South Wales with a bachelor's degree in information systems.
Rise to Success
In 2002, Cannon-Brookes co-founded Atlassian with Scott Farquhar. They bootstrapped the company, initially funding it with a credit card. Atlassian developed collaboration tools like Jira and Confluence, becoming essential for software development and project management. The company went public on NASDAQ in 2015, and has experienced significant growth since then. Cannon-Brookes serves as the CEO of Atlassian.
Key Business Strategies
Atlassian's success is rooted in its focus on product innovation, customer satisfaction, and a distinctive company culture. Cannon-Brookes champions open communication, remote work, and a flat hierarchy. These strategies have facilitated Atlassian's expansion and its ability to attract and retain top talent. Key decisions include acquiring Loom and Rewatch to integrate video messaging and meeting recording technologies into its offerings.
Philanthropy
Cannon-Brookes is actively involved in philanthropic efforts, particularly in climate change initiatives. He and his wife, Annie, pledged to invest $1.5 billion by 2030 in climate projects. He also formed a climate fund called Boundless Earth in 2022.
