The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
A Capital Investment: Salesforce in Canberra
SALESFORCE OFFICE OPENING
CANBERRA
MONDAY, 25 AUGUST 2025
It’s a pleasure to be here on Ngunnawal land for the opening of Salesforce’s new Canberra office. Thank you to Sassoon Grigorian and your Salesforce colleagues for hosting me today.
As the Assistant Minister for Treasury, I’m more accustomed to tax cutting than ribbon cutting – but today I’m happy to swap spreadsheets for scissors.
Salesforce began in 1999 in a San Francisco apartment with a simple, disruptive idea: deliver enterprise software over the internet, eliminating the need for on-site installations and licences. Back then it was called “the end of software.” It turned out to be the start of cloud computing.
Twenty-five years later, that idea has grown into a company headquartered in San Francisco –12,000 kilometres from here – with a new presence in Canberra to support Australian and ACT governments, as well as local customers.
From its earliest days, Salesforce coupled technology with civic spirit. The 1-1-1 model – dedicating 1% of equity, 1% of product and 1% of employee time to public good – was unusual in the dot-com boom. At a time when many firms were focused only on quarterly earnings, Salesforce was also thinking about community impact. It was a pleasure to join you almost exactly a year ago today at the opening of Salesforce’s ‘Ohana Floors in Sydney, a space available to community organisations for their events.
Opening a Canberra office is a practical step. With its previous base near the Burbury Hotel, Salesforce has already been working with Commonwealth and ACT agencies, and this new office strengthens that capability. It’s good to see a technology company that recognises the benefits of proximity. Sometimes it really does help to be just down the road – especially in Canberra, where most of the roads lead to a department.
In my own portfolio, the Productivity Commission is inquiring into how data and digital technology can lift productivity. The potential is significant, but it won’t realise itself. It depends on careful use of technology, smart regulation, and effective partnerships. A Canberra office positions Salesforce to be part of that conversation.
Community engagement matters just as much. Here in Canberra, Salesforce has supported Hands Across Canberra, local charities, and even sponsored the Canberra Times Fun Run. Now, I can’t promise you that cloud computing will make you run any faster – but I do know that support like this helps our community go the distance.
So today isn’t just about new desks and a fresh lease. It’s about a company choosing to deepen its involvement in the economic and civic life of the nation’s capital. Salesforce has come a long way since its start in a San Francisco apartment. The next part of its story in Australia will unfold right here in the bush capital.
As Assistant Minister for Productivity, I’ll be looking to see how technology lifts productivity. As Minister for Charities, I’ll be looking to see how business strengthens community. And as someone who knows Canberra well, I’ll be watching to see how quickly you learn that in this city, the best networking happens over coffee.
Congratulations on the new office – may it stand as a hub of innovation, collaboration and public purpose
ENDS