From helping build one of New Zealand’s pioneering technology companies to creating an internationally recognised premium water brand, Jesse Ball (Williams 1995–1997) has built a career by pursuing problems that interest him and backing himself to find solutions. “When you’re doing something you’re passionate about, it doesn’t feel like work,” Jesse says.

When Jesse left St Paul’s Collegiate School, many of his classmates headed to university. Instead, he joined his father’s manufacturing business, rotating through every department to learn how a company operated from the ground up. “My dad didn’t just give me a job,” Jesse says. “He put me through every part of the business. I worked in the office, on the factory floor, in design and manufacturing. Looking back, he was teaching me how businesses actually work.”

While those early lessons proved invaluable, Jesse’s real passion had already taken hold. “I’ve loved computers since I was five or six years old,” he says. “My parents made sacrifices to give me access to technology, and that curiosity never left.” That passion led him to PC Direct, where he spent his days repairing computers and his weekends selling them. “Every day felt like I was walking into my own sandbox,” he says. “I wasn’t going to work, I was getting to play with the newest technology in the world.”

Jesse quickly realised he loved both the technical and commercial sides of the industry. His ability to solve problems and explain technology opened the door to Telecom’s internet business, Xtra, where he joined during the formative years of the internet in New Zealand. “It was an incredible place to work,” he says. “Everyone around me was exceptional. When you’re surrounded by people who are that talented, your own standards rise.”

At just 19, Jesse became one of Telecom’s youngest employees, helping to build New Zealand’s internet infrastructure. “I made a conscious decision not to go to university,” he says. “Technology was moving so quickly that I felt I’d rather be learning by doing than studying something that would be out of date by the time I graduated.”

His work took him around the world, including roles with Electronic Data Systems and major email and data migration projects. It was during this period that a conversation with a colleague would shape the next chapter of his career. “We’d talked for years about starting a company together,” Jesse says. “One day we sat down by the water and decided we weren’t leaving until we’d worked out what we were going to build.” The result was SMX. Initially focused on secure email, the company soon pivoted to solving what had become one of the internet’s biggest challenges – spam. “Nobody wanted secure email,” Jesse laughs. “What everybody wanted was a way to stop spam.”

The technology Jesse and his team developed dramatically reduced unwanted email traffic and transformed how organisations managed email security. As spam became a global problem, SMX expanded beyond New Zealand, opening offices in Australia, India and Japan. The company attracted significant investment and grew into one of New Zealand’s early technology success stories. “It was an amazing time,” Jesse says. “We were travelling the world solving problems that organisations everywhere were facing.”

The pace of growth, however, came at a personal cost. “There were periods where we’d work for 50 hours straight,” he says. “Looking back, it wasn’t sustainable.” Years of relentless work eventually forced Jesse to step away from the company he had helped build. “My body simply shut down,” he says. “It taught me that no amount of success is worth sacrificing your health.”

After taking time to recover, Jesse found himself looking for a completely different challenge. He purchased Waiheke Water, entering an industry that could not have been more different from software. “Software is easy to export,” he says. “Water isn’t. Everything about the business was different, and I had to learn all over again.”

The transition wasn’t easy, but under Jesse’s leadership, Waiheke Water earned international recognition, being ranked among the world’s leading premium bottled waters. Never one to stop at a single project, Jesse also established a craft distillery, creating Imperial Gin, which received industry recognition for its quality. Looking back, Jesse believes each venture has been driven by the same motivation. “I’ve realised I love building things,” he says. “The innovation, the problem-solving, that’s what excites me. Once something is established, I’m usually ready for the next challenge.”

Today, Jesse’s focus has once again turned to emerging technology. Drawing on generations of family involvement in thoroughbred racing, he is combining artificial intelligence, genetics and data to develop new technologies for the equine industry.

While the industries have changed dramatically – from manufacturing and telecommunications to cybersecurity, premium water, spirits and artificial intelligence – the thread connecting each chapter has remained remarkably consistent: Jesse’s desire to build, innovate and solve problems.

Reflecting on his years at St Paul’s, Jesse says the school gave him opportunities that have stayed with him throughout his life. As a student who attended on a scholarship, he also learned valuable lessons from opportunities he felt he had failed to make the most of. “I learned that opportunities don’t always come back,” he says. “That lesson has stayed with me ever since.” 

Today, Jesse regularly speaks with young people about entrepreneurship and encourages them to find their own path rather than simply following convention. “Find something you’re genuinely passionate about. Be curious, work hard and keep learning. If you do that, opportunities have a way of finding you.”

For Jesse, the next challenge is always just around the corner – and that is exactly how he likes it. Jesse is married to Sonia, and they share three children, aged seven, nine, and 11.

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