Scott Farquhar, co-founder and co-CEO of global software company, Atlassian, speaks at the National Maritime Museum in Sydney, April 10, 2018.
Chris Hobbins | Australian Financial Review | Getty Images
As co-CEO of collaborative software manufacturer Atlassian, Scott Farquhar has had a difficult year with many of his industry peers. The company’s stock price lost half its value in 2022 as inflationary fears collided with rising interest rates to hit the high-growth technology sector.
But one of his most stressful moments of the year has nothing to do with software or the overall economy.
In April, while in Las Vegas for a company conference, Farquhar went out with a friend for an evening of good food and entertainment. He had just traveled from Sydney, Australia, where he helped start Atlassian 20 years ago.
That night he saved a man’s life.
CNBC learned about Farquhar’s experience after publishing a separate story on Atlassian and speaking to someone with knowledge of the incident. Farquhar later confirmed the novel and agreed to be interviewed.
Farquhar was in Las Vegas for the 22nd team, which Atlassian Describe On its website as the “Best Teamwork Experience and Atlassian’s Leading Conference.” Employees, customers and partners will appear to hear how the company’s programs are being published and hear from a range of speakers, including Farquhar and former Disney CEO Bob Iger.
The event was scheduled to begin on April 5. Three nights ago, Farquhar was abroad with a friend who had moved to the US from Australia.
The two men dined together, then found a table by the dance floor at the Omnia nightclub at Caesars Palace in the Las Vegas strip. The cabaret was packed, but it was thinning as the night progressed.
In the early hours of the morning, Farquhar crossed the dance floor on her way to the bathroom. That’s when he noticed a man still lying on his back. To Farquhar, the man seemed dead. Having taken several first aid classes over a decade as a scout in Australia, Farquhar received some training on what to do in such a scenario.
He got down on the floor next to the man and touched his cheek to see if he was breathing. Not so. There were no visible movements in the chest either.
Under the strong lights and loud music, Farquhar began performing CPR until the guards at the club approached and told him to stop.
“Well, you do it then,” Farquhar recalls the response.
They told him to go ahead. A representative for Tao Group Hospitality, Omnia’s mother, said the club does not comment on “incidents involving our guests”.
Arrival of medical help
Farquhar performed chest compressions and CPR breathing. He trained many times but only on dummies, not with someone else.
Participants came to watch. The music stopped. Farquhar put his head down next to the man and heard gurgling sounds. Some people were screaming at Farquhar. Others were trying to help. He remembers it was overwhelming.
A man arrived wearing plastic gloves and a T-shirt with a medical insignia. The medical worker descended on the dance floor. He began to take the tools out of his bag.
Then the man woke up on the ground. He stood on his feet. But Farquhar said there was no color in his face and his breathing was rough. Medical staff put the man in a wheelchair and took him away.
“He was the deadliest person in my life,” Farquhar said.
Farquhar got up, trying to process what had just happened.
“Hey man, you just saved that man’s life,” the guard said to him.
Another guard walked over and asked who Farquhar was. He handed his passport to the guard, who drove Farquhar to the dark loading dock outside the club and returned the document.
“Okay, huh,” said the guard.
Later, Farquhar called Las Vegas hospitals to see if any of them had admitted someone who fit his description of the man into the club. Did not find a match. CNBC was unable to identify the man.
Farquhar eventually heard that the man survived after suffering a heart attack.
“You did the right thing,” Farquhar said. 22% The stake in Atlassian is worth more than $10 billion.
When he met again with his friend outside the club, Farquhar said he believed he had saved someone’s life. His friend, who had trained to be a doctor, had no idea what had just happened.
“Yes, we do that all the time in hospitals,” replied Burt on his arm.
Farquhar remembers his friend asking if he would like another drink. to reject.
On Friday, Farquhar, who already manages Atlassian’s finance, human resources, legal, marketing and sales functions, takes on the additional interim chief financial officer role. The company is looking for a full-time replacement for James Beer, who has held this position since 2018.
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