Adam Spencer, Drawcard MC
A math genius, radio and television presenter, author and TEDx speaker whose talk attracted over two million views, Adam has interviewed bestselling authors, astronauts, CEOs, and CIOs of some of the world’s largest companies, winners of Nobel Prizes, and every Prime Minister on-stage since Gough Whitlam, among others.
Adam Spencer has been a breakfast radio announcer on Triple J and ABC Sydney, TV personality on everything from comedies Good News Week and The Glasshouse to weekly sports wrap The Back Page, and is a member of the Sleek Geeks Science Team with Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.
Brendan Dowling, Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology
Mr Dowling will have a key role in the development of Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy for 2023-2030, which will enhance our role as a trusted and influential global cyber leader. The strategy recognises that a whole-of-nation approach to cyber is required and that cyber affairs are an integral element of Australia’s foreign and strategic policy.
Mr Dowling has had a distinguished career in cyber affairs, most recently serving as First Assistant Secretary, Cyber and Critical Technology Coordination Centre within the Department of Home Affairs. Mr Dowling has also served in a senior role in Australia’s Embassy in the United States.
Alison Stretch, General Manager, Information Security & Risk (CISO), Coles
Alison Stretch is an experienced Information Security leader. Alison is certified and highly skilled, with particular specialisation in Information/Cyber Security, Risk Management, Compliance, Business Process Improvement, IT Strategy, and People Management. Known for her strong communication skills, she is dedicated to collaborating with teams to elevate security standards and drive improvements in the ever-evolving landscape of Information Security.
Suzanne Hall, Chief Information Officer, Baptcare | CIO50 2022, 2017
Suzanne has worked as an IT leader in the government, not-for-profit and corporate sectors. She has twice (2022, 2017) been named in the CIO50 list recognising Australia’s top technology leaders. Suzanne is passionate about working in values-based organisations, leading diverse teams to make long-term customer-centric improvements.
Goran Stefkovski, Chief Technology Officer, Kogan.com
Goran started with Kogan.com in 2010. Before joining Kogan.com, Goran worked at companies such as Rio Tinto, Coffey International, and as a solicitor at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers. His valuable years of experience in technology and e-commerce has secured him seats at ZDNet’s TechBuzz series in 2013, Keynote speaker at Rackspace Solve (2015), SydStart (2015), AWS ReInvent (2016), Dropbox Melbourne Business event (2016) as well as numerous other panellist and speaker roles.
A firm believer of personalisation and data analysis to improve shoppers’ experience, Goran ensured technological excellence and innovation in Kogan across all business lines and received the coveted CIO of the Year award for the Kogan tech team’s achievements in 2017.
Darren Kane, Chief Security Officer at NBN
Darren Kane has been the Chief Security Officer at nbn™ since 2015. Under his leadership, the nbn Security Group has become a converged centre of physical and cyber security enabling Australia’s biggest critical infrastructure owner to better protect its people and assets against evolving threats. Prior to nbn™, Darren served in Federal Government Law Enforcement Agencies for over 19 years in the Australian Federal Police and financial markets regulator the Australian Securities & Investment Commission, and 11 years at Telstra Corporation in varied security management roles culminating in 5 years as the Director, Corporate Security & Investigations. Darren was appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Information Technology, Faculty of Science, at Deakin University in 2020. In 2020 Darren was awarded Male Champion of Change at the AWSNA (Australian Women’s Security Network Awards).
Nigel Hedges, Group Cyber Security, Chemist Warehouse
Nigel provides CISO-level leadership in an enterprise setting and enjoys strategy, program development, operations and building & developing an engaged, capable and resilient team.
Nigel has held his current role as Group Head of Cyber Security for Kmart and Target since January 2022, prior to this he was the Head of Information Security at CPA Australia.
Nigel is a Fellow of The Australian Information Security Association (FAISA) and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD).
Saeed Tasbihsazan, CTO Enterprise & Government, Telstra
Saeed is a technology executive with over two decades of experience in spearheading multi-year strategies and establishing frameworks in innovation, security, architecture, and engineering at some of Australia’s biggest organizations. He boasts a diverse range of expertise, including IT operations, workplace, networks, security, regulatory compliance, risk management, cloud, data, and artificial intelligence.
As a trailblazer in his field, Saeed has introduced new products before the market trend, improved customer experience, and founded the highly successful Telstra Cloud Guild with over 3,000 members. He is also a champion of diversity, earning a nomination for the 2020 and 2021 AWSN Women in Security Awards in the Male Champion of Change category.
Luke Halliday, Executive Director, Technology & Digital Platforms, Digital Transformation, Department of Government Services Victoria
With a career spanning two decades, Luke understands the importance and value of technology underpinning business value delivery. He has spent his career operating at the intersection between technology and business, guiding people and organisations through complex transformation to create better outcomes. Luke has had a diverse career across multiple industries and domains; he co-founded a successful managed IT provider, mercury IT, and has also spent time in consultant and senior executive roles within the private sector. His passion for leveraging technology to drive improved outcomes led him to his role as the Chief Technology Officer for Digital Victoria, where he is collaborating with our states technology leaders to support the Victorian Government’s digital agenda.
Shannon Jurkovic, CISO, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank | CSO30 Awards 2023 [Foundry]
Shannon Jurkovic is Chief Information Security Officer and Practice Lead for the Information Security Practice of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. Shannon joined the Bank in 2019 after 15 years in senior technology risk, cyber security and business resilience management consulting roles. She is a strong advocate for taking a holistic approach to cyber-resilience, one that encompasses culture, people, process, governance and culture, as well as technology.
Scott Lee, Assistant Commissioner, Cyber Command, Australian Federal Police
AC Lee, a 38-year veteran of the AFP, specialises in diverse investigations, focusing on counter-terrorism, espionage, and transnational organized crime. In 2020, Scott became Assistant Commissioner Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Command (CTSI), leading efforts to protect Australians and national interests. His extensive counter-terrorism background includes commanding domestic operations from 2007 to 2011 and serving as Forward Commander during the 2002 Bali attack. Leading the Protection Command and later the International Command, Scott has played key roles in overseeing the AFP’s global operations, disrupting terrorism, serious and organised crime, child exploitation, and people smuggling. He has been instrumental in maintaining regional security and stability. In February 2023, Scott assumed the role of Assistant Commissioner for the AFP’s Cyber Command, and is the AFP’s national lead for Cybercrime. In this role Scott continues to lead the enhancement, innovation, and growth of the AFP’s Cyber Command given the growing impact of cybercrime on the Australian community, and ensure AFP responses to Cybercrime meet the expectations of the international community, private sector and Government.
Rachel Dixon, Victoria’s Privacy and Data Protection Deputy Commissioner
Rachel Dixon was appointed as the Privacy and Data Protection Deputy Commissioner on 28 November 2017 and was reappointed for a further five year term in November 2022.
Rachel has served in senior roles in Government and the private sector and has a wealth of experience in IT, telecommunications, big data, and biometrics.
Charles Gillman, CISO, SuperChoice | CSO30 Awards 2023 [Foundry]
With 20 years of experience in Information Security, Charles is a seasoned expert in security consulting, ethical hacking, cybercrime research, security architecture, security operations, and security leadership. His proven track record in building and leading Information Security teams at two of Australia’s major banks, along with his experience in CISO roles in the Financial Services, Cloud & Managed Services space, provides him with a comprehensive understanding of the current security landscape and the ability to implement practical solutions to address those threats.
Sascha Thiel, Executive Tribe Lead, Head of Business Platform Services & Authentication, ANZ Bank
Sascha, a highly accomplished digital and technology executive in the financial services sector, currently serves as Executive, Head of Business Platform Services. Leading a team of 300, her focus is on ensuring operational efficiency and delivering secure digital solutions. Sascha excels in strategic business planning, technology strategy, and adeptly navigating digital transformations within regulated environments. In her previous role, Sascha played a pivotal role in reshaping customer authentication strategies. With a robust background in senior management at ANZ, she led technology teams across corporate and commercial banking to global digital. Her achievements include initiating and delivering end-to-end technology services, crafting digital strategies, and successfully executing enterprise mobility solutions. Beyond her technical proficiency, Sascha is a passionate advocate for fostering growth and cultivating high-performing teams, making her a standout leader in the realm of access and identity within the financial services industry.
Jorge Silveira Chief Digital Health Officer, Virtus Health
Jorge Silveira was named CIO/CDO of the Year 2023 for both the APAC and A/NZ regions | Top50 CIO in 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020, and is a true believer that technology and people are key enablers to assist us re-inventing ourselves and improve ways we work. He has supported the implementation of various digital technology projects in Australia and overseas, including the first e-Business portal for the automobile industry in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East for General Motors; the implementation of the Victorian-first digital electrocardiogram (ECG) in regional Victoria and also introduced cutting-edge information security technology in Australia, leading to the update of the Australian Federal Government Information Security Manual (ISM). He was also the chair of the Victorian Health Sector CIO Cybersecurity Working Group within the DHHS and the deputy chair for its ICT Operations and Assurance Working Group, defining standards and programs to improve technology and cybersecurity maturity for the health sector. As a qualified auditor, he has conducted a number of ICT governance, operations and security reviews for various health services throughout his career.
Dr. Rebecca Wynn [USA], Top CISO to Watch 2023; Threat Watch Show Host
Dr. Rebecca Wynn is among the world’s top CSOs and Risk and Compliance practitioners and visionaries. Rebecca has been recently awarded Top CISO to Watch in 2023 [Cyber Express], Top Inspirational Cybersecurity Leader 2021 [Cyber Magazine], Who’s Who in Cybersecurity 2021 [Cyber News], and Top 100 Tech Women 2021 [Technology Magazine]. She is lauded as a game-changer who is ahead of the curve when developing and enforcing cybersecurity and privacy best practices and policies for Fortune 100 companies. Ranking within the top 1% views on LinkedIn, she is renowned for being a gifted polymath, having deep understanding of current cyber security challenges and privacy issues. She has a proven track record of taking companies to the next level of excellence in across many industries in both public and private sector. An accomplished author, Dr Wynn is also the recipient of notable awards including SC Magazine’s List of “Women in IT Security – Top Influencers for 2018, 2018 Top 10 Women in Cybersecurity (Cyber Research Data Bank), Women in Technology Business Role Model of the Year and more than 10 United States Department of Defense certificates of achievement. She also owns 4 copyrights and 70-plus professional articles and presentations on cybersecurity, cyber ethics, technology governance, security programs, privacy, risk mitigation, and healthcare security, among other topics.