Early Life and Education
Michael Cannon-Brookes was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on November 17, 1979. His family moved to Australia, and he attended Cranbrook School in Sydney. He graduated from the University of New South Wales with a degree in information systems.
Rise to Success
In 2002, Cannon-Brookes co-founded Atlassian with Scott Farquhar. The company began with a $10,000 credit card debt, but it quickly grew into a global leader in collaboration software. Atlassian went public on the NASDAQ in 2015, a move that solidified Cannon-Brookes's and Farquhar's status as tech billionaires.
Key Business Strategies
Atlassian's success is rooted in its focus on developing software for software developers and project managers. The company is known for its Jira and Confluence products. Cannon-Brookes is also recognized for championing remote work, open communication, and flat hierarchy. Furthermore, Atlassian has been committed to sustainability, setting ambitious goals to reduce its environmental impact.
Philanthropy
Cannon-Brookes and his then-wife, Annie, committed $1.5 billion toward climate change projects by 2030. Atlassian's foundation also donates 1% of equity, product, profit, and employee time to charitable causes. He is a board member of Room to Read, a non-profit committed to improving literacy and gender equality in education in the developing world.