For Josh Martin, a Principal Consultant at Mantel, the journey from managing POS terminals at a small payments company to leading large-scale cloud transformations hasn’t just been about mastering the latest tech stack. It’s been about a relentless curiosity to “dissect everything” and a sharp focus on what actually moves the needle for a business, including the cultivation of critical thinking.
Enhancing critical thinking is essential for effective decision-making and innovation. We sat down with Josh to discuss his rapid progression, the importance of bringing customers along for the journey, and why sometimes, the best way to learn is to simply start building.
From “Trial by Fire” to Principal Consultant
Josh’s career began in the world of payment systems, where being part of a small team meant there was nowhere to hide. “Every fire, every issue that was going on, I was involved in it. It gave me really good critical thinking skills; ways to identify issues fast and then talk at a business level about what was happening.”
This ability to translate technical “fires” into business impact became the foundation of his consulting career. After a stint building vision models to detect cars for major fast-food chains (if you’ve seen those blue screens at a drive-thru, Josh might have had a hand in them), he joined Mantel.
His progression to Principal was swift, driven by a realisation that technical excellence is only half the battle. “It becomes one of those things where you need to focus on business sense. Something might be bleeding edge, but if the business can’t run it efficiently by themselves, it may not be the best solution.”
Bringing the Customer Along for the Journey
A defining moment in Josh’s transition to leadership was shifting the focus from delivering a solution to partnering on one. He highlights a common pitfall in digital transformation: leaving the client behind.
“I was identifying for managed services customers that they wanted to go serverless, but they hadn't done it before. What are the key stepping stones for them to come along that journey, instead of just getting a result at the end they don't understand?”
Josh MartinPrincipal Consultant | Mantel
By implementing short feedback loops—currently a staple in his work with clients like Bankwest—Josh ensures clients feel ownership of the solution. “They feel involved. We get those quick easy wins and build confidence because they know exactly what we’re achieving.”
Navigating the Map: Defined Paths to Growth
While Joshua’s journey seems like a whirlwind, it was supported by Mantel’s commitment to clear career architecture. Moving away from the rigid, hierarchy-heavy environments of the past, Mantel offers a structure designed for mobility. With detailed career paths mapping out roles and the learning journeys between them, team members are encouraged to explore different technologies. If a consultant discovers a passion for a new area just as Joshua did with AI there can be a transition into that new specialty.
“I’ve been in organisations where structure blocked innovation. At Mantel, the visibility is there. You talk to the right people, follow the learning path, and you can build a business case for the tech you’re passionate about.”
For Joshua, this environment turned a personal interest in AI into a professional edge. “It’s curiosity. If you have an idea, just have a play around. I built my own AI agents and then just showed them to the business. It snowballs – you talk to the Head of AI, you see where the business is going with that technology, and you use those internal pathways to build that skill into a specialty.”
Josh’s Advice for Aspiring Principals
For those looking to make the leap to senior leadership roles, Josh emphasises three core pillars:
- Articulate Your Value: “Make sure you articulate your skills correctly in your resume and cover letters. Focus on the results the business wants to drive, not just your own skill set.”
- Ask the “Silly” Questions: In his mentoring, Josh encourages juniors to find their voice. “I tell them, ‘I asked the same question when I was in the office.’ Asking questions gets the curiosity and problem-solving flowing.”
- Dissect Everything: Joshua advocates for a “dissect and understand” approach—whether that’s diving deep into a codebase or researching external documentation until the logic is clear. This level of technical confidence is what gives a consultant the edge when demonstrating new solutions to a client.
“I’ve been in organisations where structure blocked innovation. At Mantel, the visibility is there. You talk to the right people, follow the learning path, and you can build a business case for the tech you’re passionate about.”
Josh MartinPrincipal Consultant | Mantel
