Why the Australia-New Zealand head of $1 billion software giant Dropbox Charlie Wood has quit 

The managing director of Dropbox Australia and New Zealand is stepping down to launch his own business after nearly three years of leading the software giant, which recently hit $1.3 billion in annualised global revenue.

Charlie Wood has revealed on LinkedIn that he is now the co-founder and chief executive of CheckIn Safe, a Sydney-based venture he describes only as “a new company / product / category”.

Wood says he will reveal more details after he returns from Nepal, where he is currently travelling.

A spokesperson for Dropbox says Wood is a “force to be reckoned with globally” and thanked him for his “incredible contribution” to the company.

According to The Australian, Wood has secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding for his startup, which will help digitise paper-based workplaces.

“I never came in just thinking I’d stay for a couple of years, but I do prefer the build phase, hiring and recruiting and getting something moving,” Wood told The Australian. 

“Now we’ve got a critical mass it’s a great time to transition this business.”

In February this year, Wood talked to StartupSmart about the experience of bringing the $1 billion software giant to the Australia-New Zealand region.

Though “one in two Australians use Dropbox” now, Wood says it’s never that obvious whether a company will sink or soar when it starts out in a new market.

“The scariest challenge is in the planning phase because when you start you’ve got a blank sheet of paper,” he said previously.

Now Wood is embarking on the adventure again.

StartupSmart reached out to Wood but he was unavailable for comment as he is trekking in Nepal.

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