Events Speakers 6DAI Security Sydney 2026
Colin Renouf, Chief Information Security Officer, Healius
Colin is a senior cyber and cloud architecture leader with deep expertise across critical infrastructure, healthcare, defence, and government. With a background spanning CISO leadership, distributed cloud design, and advanced security architecture, he specialises in resilient cloud models, operational technology security, and AI-driven cyber threat intelligence. A published author and contributor to multiple industry texts, Colin is recognised for his work implementing AWS Outpost and Azure hybrid architectures, advising government and major enterprises on critical infrastructure resilience, and building threat intelligence capabilities that enable rapid, automated response.
Sam Mackay, Executive Director, Chief Information Security Officer, NSW Department of Customer Service
Sam is responsible for protecting the information and data of NSW’s 8.3 million citizens. He leads a dedicated team of about 100 professionals working around the clock to safeguard public trust in government services. Sam’s experience ranges from defending highly sensitive military systems in international war zones to mitigating cyber risks in corporate environments. He specializes in protecting information and data against cyber threats, adversaries, and malicious actors.
Elena Chan, General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer, Prezzee
Elena Chan is General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer at Prezzee, with more than 15 years’ experience in financial services across legal, risk and transformation leadership roles. Prior to joining Prezzee, she spent four years at Beforepay and nine years at Westpac, where she held senior positions including Head of the Group Transformation Office, Head of Data Transformation & Integration, and Head of Business Controls for Group Data. Earlier in her career, Elena worked across leading law firms and global organisations including Morgan Stanley, PwC and Simmons & Simmons, advising financial institutions on legal, risk and compliance matters across Australia and the United Kingdom.
James Ng, Chief Information Security Officer, Insignia Financial
With over 15 years of experience in technology and information security roles across several prominent organizations, including Telstra, Belong, Tabcorp, and Deloitte, James brings a wealth of expertise to his new role. Most recently, he served as the General Manager of Security Operations at AARNet (Australia Academic and Research Network), where he led teams in establishing cyber governance and managed a security operations centre dedicated to protecting the education and research sector, particularly Australian universities.
John Ellis, Global Head of Security Trust & Influence, QBE Insurance
John is a global security leader who reframes cyber security as a matter of trust, clarity and resilience under pressure. In a landscape shaped by geopolitics, human behaviour and rapid technological change, he focuses on ensuring security informs the decisions that matter most. As Global Head of Security Trust and Influence at QBE Insurance, John leads a function spanning cyber strategy, threat intelligence, human risk and attack simulation. He connects technical exposure with executive decision making, translating cyber risk into clear insights that shape risk appetite, capital allocation and accountability at the highest levels. With more than 30 years of experience across banking, insurance and financial services, including 14 years in Asia Pacific, John has held CISO and senior global roles in highly regulated environments.
Arun Singh, Chief Information Security Officer, Tyro Payments
CISO at Tyro, Arun is a cybersecurity leader specialising in securing real-time payments while maintaining speed and efficiency. He leverages behavioral analytics, adaptive authentication, and real-time risk detection to build robust, trusted payment ecosystems. Singh is a strong advocate for digital identity and accountability, ensuring both security and customer confidence. His expertise spans designing and implementing cutting-edge cybersecurity controls and technologies that enable safe, seamless financial transactions.
Doug Hammond, Chief Information Security Officer, Uniting
Doug has been the Chief Information Security Officer at Uniting since arriving in Australia in 2019. Before that he headed Information Security functions at multiple organisations in New Zealand include Inland Revenue, ANZ Bank, Vodafone and Air New Zealand.
James Court, Chief Security Officer, Cleanaway
James Court is Chief Security Officer at Cleanaway Waste Management, where he leads the organisation’s security strategy across cyber, physical security and risk management. With extensive experience in enterprise security leadership, James focuses on strengthening organisational resilience, protecting critical infrastructure, and aligning security strategy with business transformation.
He brings deep expertise in cyber risk, threat management and security governance, helping organisations navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape while enabling safe and secure operations at scale.
Keith Howard, Executive General Manager, Cyber Security & Risk, (CISO) Suncorp
Keith Howard was appointed Executive General Manager, Cyber Security & Risk in February 2024, leading the Cyber Security and Risk team for the Group, and is responsible for keeping the Group and its customer information safe and secure. Prior to joining Suncorp, Keith held key senior roles at Commonwealth Bank, including Group CISO, CIO Product & Marketing, General Manager Customer Engagement Platform, where he led large cross-functional teams delivering transformational change, such as the successful SAP upgrade, and delivering powerful customer experiences using machine learning. Keith has also delivered technology transformation programmes and managed global teams across multiple industries including petroleum, transport, and software, having lived in both the UK and Asia prior to moving to Australia.
Gemma Kyle, Chief Risk Officer, Rest
Gemma has over 25 years’ experience in risk management and governance across multiple industries including government, engineering and financial services. She is known for her ability to drive organisational change and achieve business objectives in complex and dynamic environments. Prior to joining Rest, Gemma held senior positions at MLC Life Insurance, MLC Wealth, Parsons Brinkerhoff and Federal Treasury. She is a Director on the Board of the Fund Executives Association Limited. Gemma holds a Master of Arts from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Economics, Social Science (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Alex Taylor, Global Head of Emerging Technology, QBE Ventures
Alex is the Global Head of Emerging Technology of QBE Ventures, the venture investment and development arm of QBE Insurance. Alex and the team invest in, build alongside and partner with early-stage technology companies that have the potential to reshape the insurance industry. Alex is an innovation and disruption specialist and futurist, helping established companies to see where the threats lie, and how they can play in the same field and with the same tools as the disrupters – and has spoken before a wide range of audiences on the Horizon 1 to Horizon 3 innovation and disruption journey, and how to navigate the bridge between.
As the technology lead on a number of AI/ML investments in VC and CVC environments, Alex has lived the challenge of applying machine learning and related technologies in highly regulated environments – from visual and voice analytics, customer sentiment platforms and IoT to the challenges of vehicular automation. Before joining QBE, Alex was the Director of Emerging and Innovation Technology and also Entrepreneur in Residence at IAG.
Shannon Brown, Senior Manager, Fraud and Scams: Industry, Intelligence and Disruption, Commonwealth Bank
Simon Revelman, Chief Information Officer, Craveable Brands
Simon Revelman is Chief Information Officer at Craveable Brands, where he leads the organisation’s technology strategy, digital transformation and cybersecurity initiatives. With extensive experience across retail, communications and manufacturing sectors, Simon specialises in modernising IT environments, implementing enterprise platforms such as ERP and point-of-sale systems, and strengthening security and operational resilience. Simon holds a Master of Technology from Swinburne University of Technology and a Bachelor of Applied Science from University of Technology Sydney. He is passionate about leveraging technology to drive innovation, improve customer experiences and enable scalable growth in complex organisations.
Maria Paz, Chief Technology Officer, Epworth Healthcare
Maria Paz is a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience driving transformative business and technology initiatives across diverse sectors. Driven by values of integrity, excellence, and collaboration, Maria is passionate about leveraging emerging technologies and data to drive business transformation. She excels in aligning business and technology strategies to maximize value delivery and is particularly adept at managing change and innovation to enhance social and community outcomes. Maria’s accomplishments have earned her recognition, including being ranked in the top 25 of Australia’s CIO50 in 2022 and 2023. Her achievements include the development and deployment of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, delivering substantial cost savings, and driving significant improvements in governance, security, and data analytics capabilities. Maria’s leadership has also facilitated research partnerships to evaluate emerging technologies’ effectiveness in diverse care settings, securing substantial government funding in the process.
Andrew Hottes, Chief Digital Information Officer, Cranbrook School
Andrew brings 25 years of ICT experience driving digital transformation and cybersecurity excellence. He led the first Australian school to achieve ISO27001 certification, setting a gold standard for information security in education. Hottes also guided a rapid shift to cloud-based learning during COVID-19, enabling seamless online education within five days. Recognised for his strategic vision, he continues to strengthen digital capabilities and security posture, protecting sensitive data while fostering innovation and operational resilience.
Anna Aquilina, Chief Information Security Officer, University of Technology Sydney
Anna brings more than 25 years of experience spanning government, intelligence, law enforcement and cyber security. She began specialising in cyber security in 2011 within the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency Cyber Command, where she focused on cyber threat disruption, operational planning and capability development. Since joining University of Technology Sydney in 2021, Anna has led cyber security strategy and resilience initiatives across the higher education sector.
Sanjeev Gupta, Chief Information & Transformation Officer, HBF Health
Sanjeev leads HBF Health’s information and transformation divisions, driving digital strategies that elevate customer experience and operational performance. Known for streamlining processes and delivering impactful transformation outcomes, he combines strong commercial insight with a customer-first mindset. Alongside his corporate role, he is the Co-Founder of Potiki, an award-winning pet-insurance venture recognised for reshaping a key market gap through innovative, customer-centric design. His work across both organisations reflects a commitment to digital innovation, strategic clarity and building solutions that genuinely meet user needs.
Vishwanath Nair, General Manager Cyber & IT Risk, BaptistCare
Vishwanath is a seasoned cybersecurity and risk management leader with over 25 years of global experience. As Head of Cyber Risk & Compliance at BaptistCare, he drives agile, future-focused strategies to protect one of Australia’s most vulnerable communities. Previously, he was the inaugural CISO at the NSW Electoral Commission, establishing end-to-end cybersecurity services that safeguarded democratic integrity, earning the CSO30 Business Value Award 2024. Vish has also held leadership roles at Emirates Airlines, advancing IT and business continuity practices. A collaborative leader and multi-award winner, he actively contributes to ISACA, AISA, and BCI, mentoring future leaders and fostering high-performing teams.
Farina Riaz, Research Scientist, CSIRO
Farina is a scientist at CSIRO Data61 and a recipient of multiple awards recognising her outstanding contributions to Quantum Artificial Intelligence (AI). She leads research in cybersecurity for Quantum Generative AI and has developed advanced quantum generative models that outperform classical methods. She has also authored numerous peer-reviewed papers advancing Quantum Machine Learning. Farina initiated and now leads Australia’s first real-world use case of Quantum AI. Her research excellence has been recognised through awards including “Australia’s Most Outstanding in IT Security” (2025) and “Best in Quantum Cyber Champion” (2024). She also serves as Quantum Women Lead with Women in AI, championing diversity, inclusion and mentoring the next generation of women in STEM. Farina was recently named “Australia’s Most Outstanding in IT Security” at the Australian Women in Security Awards 2025.
Alex Clipper, Senior Engineering Manager - Foundational Network Services, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Alex is a Senior Engineering Manager at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, specializing in large-scale DNS, cloud networking, and automation. He leads critical initiatives including enterprise DNS transformation, GitOps-based automation pipelines, and platform-wide AWS networking solutions supporting large scale environments. With a background spanning hyperscalers, service providers, and defence communications, Alexander combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership. He has influenced vendor roadmaps, driven resilience improvements across critical infrastructure, and mentors high-performing engineering teams. Passionate about automation and reliability, he focuses on modernizing networking through software-driven approaches and advancing operational excellence in complex, high-stakes environments.
Mark Jones, Author Journalist & Entrepreneur
Mark Jones is a globally recognised strategist, author and former journalist who spent over 20 years shaping narratives as a journalist, editor and publisher across Australia and Silicon Valley –including as IT Editor at The Australian Financial Review and senior roles at IDG and Fairfax.
Graham Dixon, General Manager, Scam, Fraud & Identity, Quantium Telstra
Graham is a senior technology and data leader at Quantium Telstra with extensive experience helping organisations harness data, AI and advanced analytics to drive business transformation and customer outcomes at scale. Working at the intersection of AI, data strategy and enterprise innovation, Graham partners with organisations to translate emerging technologies into practical, measurable impact across operations, decision-making and customer experience. He is recognised for his ability to bridge commercial strategy with technical execution, particularly in areas spanning AI adoption, data-driven transformation and digital trust. Graham regularly works with executive teams on navigating the opportunities and governance challenges emerging from the rapid acceleration of AI and intelligent automation across the enterprise.
Ashley Diffey, Vice President ANZ, Ping Identity
Ashley is a passionate leader with over 20 years of experience in B2B Sales, Key Account Management and Business Development in both Finance and ICT/Telecommunications industries, specialising in security, data, communications, SaaS and hosted software. As VP of Australia and New Zealand for Ping Identity, Ashley is responsible for accelerating sales and bolstering customer support and services to continue driving the increasing demand for Ping Identity’s solutions in the region. He is working with organisations to achieve Zero Trust identity-defined security and more personalised, streamlined user experiences. Ash works closely with customers to provide flexible identity solutions that accelerate digital business initiatives, delight customers, and secure the enterprise through multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, access management, intelligent API security, directory, and data governance capabilities. Prior to joining Ping Identity, Ashley worked at leading ICT/Telecommunication companies such as F5 Networks, Commvault and Telstra. During his tenure at F5 Networks he oversaw the organisation’s southern regional channel, the Telstra partnership and was Director for Channel Sales Australia and New Zealand at Commvault.
Ryann Lofamia, Head of Cyber Security & Chief Information Security Officer, AC3
Ryann is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with two decades of experience in the information security industry, including over 12 years focused specifically on Managed Security Services. His expertise spans security engineering, solution architecture, and cyber operations, enabling him to support organisations in strengthening their security posture, managing risk, and aligning cyber initiatives with overall business goals. As the head of AC3’s Cyber Security Practice, Ryann leads the strategy and delivery of AC3’s 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC), Offensive Security services, and Cyber Security Consulting and managed services, ensuring clients benefit from both strategic insight and hands-on, outcome-oriented support.
Jayce Yeo, Senior Commercial Director, APAC, CSC
Jayce is the APAC senior commercial director of CSC with over 18 years of industry experience. She has spearheaded the APAC enterprise account management team in the Oceania since 2007, and has continued its regional expansion. Today, CSC Asia’s presence is represented by its established footprint in Australia, Greater China, Japan, and Singapore. Jayce is instrumental in consulting corporations in protecting digital assets across key channels and specializes in engaging senior stakeholders from cross-functional disciplines such as legal, security, IT, and marketing.
Kevin Tham, Chief Information Security Officer, RDC.AI
Boasting over two decades of deep expertise in information security, Kevin stands out as a distinguished leader in the Australian Digital Banking and Fintech sector. His career is marked by a series of significant achievements, notably his capacity to craft and implement innovative information security strategies within highly regulated environments.His adeptness in stakeholder management and executive communication has enabled him to effectively liaise with Boards and lucidly convey intricate cybersecurity principles. His deep engagement in regulated sectors has refined his skills in regulatory compliance, making him a pivotal figure in aligning organisational practices with the latest regulatory demands, setting a high bar for cybersecurity excellence and leadership.
Neville Pinto, Strategic Security Advisor, ANZ, Splunk
Neville is a senior transformation and technology leader with extensive experience delivering complex public sector programmes across Australia and New Zealand. His background spans executive leadership roles in healthcare, infrastructure and large government environments, where he has led digital, operational and security initiatives under significant regulatory and public accountability. Neville has held CIO, CISO and COO responsibilities and has been accountable for national platforms and critical services supporting large, citizen-facing organisations. His work has focused on modernising legacy environments, strengthening cyber resilience and introducing AI and automation in ways that preserve service continuity, trust and public confidence.
Anthony Rees, Solutions Engineer, APAC, Airia
Anthony is a seasoned Solutions Engineer at Airia Enterprise AI where he brings a wealth of experience to the forefront of artificial intelligence implementation in enterprise environments. Anthony’s background spans cloud security, DevSecOps, infrastructure automation and AI digital transformation. His commitment to innovation and thought leadership in the AI / ML sector enables him to help companies seeking to leverage cutting-edge technologies to stay competitive in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.
Toby Allen, Senior Solutions Engineer, Okta
Toby Allen is a Senior Solutions Engineer at Okta focussed on enabling simple secure access to technology everywhere powered by Identity. While working in the communications space for 15 years he developed a keen interest in security, particularly in his 5 years working with communications APIs at Twilio and is a CISSP and CCSP. In 2022 he transitioned into the security space at Okta with Identity as the core enabler of Zero trust and secure access. Holding both an MBA and multiple technical certifications he is able to bridge the gap between executives and technical teams to deliver value to his customers.”
Cameron Martin, Regional Lead, Engineering APJ, Chainguard
Cameron is an Executive for APJ at Chainguard, focused on securing the modern software supply chain. He works with enterprise and regulated organisations to address one of today’s fastest-growing risks, the reliance on open-source and third-party code, helping teams build and deploy software with greater integrity, visibility and control.
Jason Atkins, Solutions Engineer, Netskope
Jason is an accomplished IT professional with more than 30 years of experience across multiple IT domains including cybersecurity, LAN/WAN technologies, and telecommunications. Jason’s current role with Netskope enables him to follow his passion for educating the Netskope partner community about the many aspects of digital transformation and security modernization.