Tony Sambell.
Founder & Managing Director.

Having spent his entire childhood on a 200-acre fish farm outside Bundaberg, Queensland, Tony Sambell had always been fascinated about the world beyond his own. This fascination reached its pinnacle when Tony’s family was one of the first in their country town to not only have a computer but also have access to the Internet. That was the moment the world opened up to him. Driven by a wonder to discover and to create, Tony used his family’s computer to spark a passion that would eventually set him on a path to establishing Spicy Web.

As an entrepreneur from a young age, Tony utilised his talent and passion for building websites not only to earn him some extra pocket money in high school, but also to actually pay his own way through university. When he graduated from CQ University with a Bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Studies, however, he found himself struggling to find a job as a result of the global financial crisis. This marked the moment that he decided to tap into his entrepreneurial spirit and use his talent, creativity and passion to create a job of his own; thus Spicy Web was born.

Getting by with a little help from his friends, namely the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme, Tony started Spicy Web in a spare room with next to nothing. From there, he laid the foundations to building an elite team of dedicated digital natives, each specialising in their particular areas but driven by one sole purpose; to make a difference in someone else’s life through digital.

Understanding the ever-changing nature of his industry, Tony makes it a point for the Spicy Web team to not only keep up with the latest trends and best practice, but to also keep ahead of the curve. This tenacity was exemplified when Spicy Web was selected by Google to partake in the Trial Google Partner Program and eventually became one of only 80 selected for the program’s prelaunch.

With such impressive and extensive professional achievements, it is easy to think that Tony is married to his career. Yet at Tony’s core, he is a true family man. A good work-life balance is challenging, but Tony manages it with ease, making Spicy Web his son’s hangout every Thursday and making it a priority to always be home in time for dinner. It remains undisputed that Tony’s family is his utmost pride and joy, followed closely of course, by Spicy Web.