2024 Vic Award
The 2024 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award was presented to Chris Piastri, co-founder and CTO of HP Tuners. The award was presented at a special dinner in Melbourne by Professor Eduard Hovy, Executive Director of Melbourne Connect, University of Melbourne.
Victorian Pearcey Chair, Jordan Green, summarised:
Once again the Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award recognises the creation of a global success story, from right here in Melbourne.
Chris, his co-founder and their team, are using computing technology to supercharge the driving experience for elite motorsports drivers and for everyday enthusiasts. They are celebrating 20 years since the founding of the company, now a global industry leader in engine tuning for all sorts of vehicles on wheels, hulls and skids.
A classic Australian quiet achiever, Chris' journey continues, his impact is growing, and I am confident that he will continue to inspire others in ways that make the world a better place."
Photos
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Chris Piastri
Chris graduated from the University of Melbourne, writing a thesis on long distance, optical Soliton communications. (Solitons are solitary waves that maintain their shape and speed while propagating with constant velocity.) He joined Siemens Telecommunications where he worked on broadband infrastructure, designing and implementing new network capabilities for domestic and international telcos. He developed and led the technical team for Telecom NZ that implemented the National Backplane ATM network over there.
Soon after, networks moved from ATM to IP-based infrastructure.
Next, he worked with Cisco Systems IP networking technologies applied to broadband, optical and core routing systems. He was part of the team that migrated the Telstra network from legacy systems to IP and optical infrastructure. Infrastructure upon which we continue to rely today.
During this time, applying and developing his engineering and computing science skills to diverse technical challenges, he was also growing a family, encouraging his four kids to be active in sports, as he was as a kid.
Chris' interest in cars and his joy in solving technical challenges combined in a hobby project for after-market tuning of engine and transmission controllers in cars. With his hobby partner in the USA, they found that there were no commercial solutions for what they were doing. In 2003, they co-founded the company – quite appropriately, in a garage!
Headquarters are in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, on the outskirts of Chicago. As CTO, he leads engineering, product development and R&D from here in Melbourne.
He led the reverse engineering effort, deciphering the operation algorithms, calibration techniques and variables in the engine control units and transmission control units. This required low level ICT expertise, disassembling binary flash memory, and advanced software capabilities to embody a solution in a laptop application.
Early successes delivered laptop-based software suites, initially focused on GM vehicles, later including Ford and other brands. They then moved on to dedicated, specialised hardware and software providing cutting-edge tuning and diagnostics solutions for high-performance vehicles, bridging the gap between technology and automotive expertise. They have even extended their solutions to mobile phone apps that complement the heavy lifting of their core products, to provide users with a plethora of roadside and trackside data access and analytics for real-time monitoring.
The product suite continues to expand, offering a wide range of digital adjustments, live logging capabilities, diagnostics, and tuning options for both casual vehicle users and dedicated race car enthusiasts.
As each new technology appeared such as variable cams, new fuels, direct injection, turbochargers, more embedded electronics, intercoolers, variable cycle engines, and superchargers, he delivered solutions through strong direction, leadership and support.
Even as we moved into hybrid and electric vehicles, he matched EV and ICE traction control and transient performance, to develop and integrate the required control systems. Once again, providing global leadership.
However, it’s not just in the technology that he has innovated. His company offers its products and services using a novel system of in-app credits. This makes the same advanced products accessible to the DIY enthusiast in a home garage, as to the professional in a race support team. How they use the products determines how much they pay, while all getting access to all the features and benefits.
Both the technology and the pricing model were developed, and are continually evolved, in consultation with customers. Like most successful companies, this one listens carefully, and often, to its users, customers and channel partners.
Choosing the recipient for this award is guided by three principles. Has the individual taken a risk, is this individual making a difference and is this individual an inspiration to others. Chris Piastri has certainly taken risks throughout his career. He has shared his joy and his expertise to help others find their own way. He has followed his passion and worked collaboratively as a coach, entrepreneur, engineer, father and mentor to deliver top of market impact and influence in a global industry.
Taking a Risk
For this award, we focus on people who take a risk and inspire others. Chris started young, racing BMX bikes and playing country football, reaching local premierships, and was an avid water skier. Later, he became a drag racer. Each of these endeavours embodies the spirit of taking a risk and the way he pursued these efforts gave voice to how he would be making a difference and inspiring others later in life.
When Chris co-founded HP Tuners, the shift from his career in communications technologies and as an employee of large corporates, to professional consumer software and hardware as a bootstrapped entrepreneur, was a significant risk.
Making a Difference
Before he established the company, software mapping and control was largely an art form. He led the industry worldwide in turning this into a science with software that actually worked. He and his company are now the world leaders. His efforts changed the face of recreational, amateur and professional motorsports the world over.
His company is a prominent sponsor of drivers and events throughout the world. Beyond his own company, he supports grass roots, professional and community activities that help hundreds of thousands of people reach for their dreams. He is a willing and generous mentor, providing advice to both aspiring drivers, and to their fathers.
Being an Inspiration
He coached the basketball team for one of his daughters and was the mechanic for his son, Oscar, who started racing go-karts. Chris grew up in Shepparton and, from the age of 7, his professional mechanic father taught him all about cars. So, we can see where he got his early fascination with cars. A fascination he passed to his son, Oscar, through their shared hobby racing radio-controlled cars. From that hobby, their shared passion led Oscar to now be a top racing driver for the McLaren Formula 1 team and his Dad is very, very proud.
-wouldn’t you be?
The inspiration he provides and the difference he makes is not just outside the company. Chris especially enjoys mentoring and training engineers in real-time software, and particularly in reverse engineering techniques. He takes enormous satisfaction from their development and their successes, as engineers and as managers.
