Meet the Team: Dan Heyenga, Technical Manager
24 November 2025
By Jenna Polson | Uncategorized | No Comments
When others are looking for quick wins, Danial Heyenga demonstrates progress comes from steady effort – at work, in leadership, and in life. Fourteen years after joining Bigfish as a junior technician, his impact has compounded meaningfully.
Built from the ground up
Dan’s future in IT was clear from a young age. What started with a love for video games grew to a curiosity for real-world technical problems. After school, he moved straight into full-time IT work, with early experiences spanning IT infrastructure, data and web management, before joining Bigfish in 2011.
Beginning as a Junior Technician, he quickly helped shape our quality standard as he progressed through the technical team. As the primary technician for many long-standing partners over the years, business leaders depend on Dan’s consistent delivery.
Dan has been a key pillar in the Bigfish story. He said, “The growth from a single room in Blackburn with 8 techs, to our beautiful office now with capacity for 50+ people, has been incredible to see and be a part of.”
Today, Dan is our Technical Manager, leading 23 techs across 5 locations.
Clear and Calm
Dan is a systems-thinker with an uncompromising commitment to doing things right. He’s a formidable problem-solver, a highly-organised project manager, and a dependable communicator.
Technical Director Chris Polson has worked with Dan from the start, and says he personifies the Bigfish value ‘Clear and Calm’.
“What really sets Dan apart is his communication skills. Whether he’s leading a project or a team, he’ll always be incredibly clear, thorough and professional. And that’s key to ensuring great experiences with Bigfish.”
Dan describes a good workday as any time he delivers a great outcome for a business.
“Whether it’s fixing a printer or delivering a server rollout, there’s nothing better than a seamless piece of work and great partner feedback.”
As a people leader, Dan also loves seeing team members build skills and confidence.
Levelling up
Alongside his professional growth, Dan’s been levelling up personally too.
“I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes shortly after COVID. Since then, I’ve been constantly focused on being healthier… getting a good routine in place around exercise (mainly stationary bike and walking) as well as making changes to what I eat.”
Thanks to his consistent efforts (“mostly – Christmas break is a killer!”) Dan is 25kg lighter, and recently completed the 35km Bloody Long Walk with Bigfish teammates, raising funds for Australians living with mitochondrial disease.
Just for fun
Dan’s the first to admit his interests can quickly become obsessions. One of those is pro wrestling: “I’ve been a massive fan since I was a kid and never grew up! Many hours per week are spent watching matches, reading news and talking about what’s going on in the wrestling space.”
Personal passions spread quickly at Bigfish, so he’s often joined by teammates at a local match.
Dan’s also an avid reader (22 books in 2025), and loves movies, sports and music. Taking his eldest child to an Iron Maiden concert this year was a particularly special milestone.
Connect with Dan on LinkedIn – he’d love to chat about sport, prog-rock and IT solutions.
