Events Speakers 6D AI Brisbane 26

Andrew Morrison, Chief Technology and Data Officer, Digital Transformation Agency

Andrew leads DTA’s technology initiatives that enhance government service delivery. His diverse career spans cadet journalism, multinational technology leadership in Asia, and public education as both teacher and leader. Andrew is passionate about harnessing AI and innovative digital solutions to improve citizen experiences and organisational efficiency. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Business, a Bachelor of Education (Computing), and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, combining communication, technology and leadership expertise to drive impactful digital transformation across the Australian public sector.

Nathan Bines, Executive Director - Data & AI, Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business, Queensland Government

As the head of Data and AI in Queensland Customer and Digital Group, I am dedicated to harnessing the power of data and AI technologies to deliver a more effective and efficient public service, for the benefit of the citizens of Queensland. I am passionate about building a genuinely positive and outcomes-based culture in the teams I lead, allowing people the safety to bring their ideas to life. Responsible for leading the Queensland Government’s Data and AI policy, strategy and innovation function, as well as delivering core data analytics and AI platforms services to foster innovation and uplift government capability.

Leigh Williams, Education and Digital Excellence Executive, Brisbane Catholic Education

Leigh oversees digital, technology and education services for more than 13,000 staff. A leader in Generative AI adoption, Leigh’s initiatives have earned international recognition for innovation and impact. Her career spans teaching, executive leadership and roles as CEO, CIO, Executive Director and COO across education and industry. A published researcher and sought-after speaker on digital transformation, Leigh has served on national advisory groups and holds multiple postgraduate qualifications in Education, IT, Leadership, Management and Business, as well as study with the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Nathan Pilgrim, Chief Information, Product & Strategy Officer, Gallagher Bassett

Nathan is an accomplished Executive Leader with a demonstrated ability to integrate business strategy with technology to transform businesses across a number of industries, including financial services, insurance, private education, legal, accounting, engineering and mining. Nathan is an innovator and implementer of change who maximises benefits and corporate ROI. He is a proven business leader with accountability for strategy, financial management and vendor management. He strives to achieve results through the inspirational leadership of high-performing teams. As Chief Information, Product and Strategy Officer, Nathan guides the GB leadership in IT capability and security, and is responsible for the management, implementation, innovation, reporting, automation and usability of GB information and technology. He also leads the enterprise PMO and business transition capability, along with strategy and product offerings.

Johnny Serrano, Chief Information Officer, CS Energy

Johnny joined CS Energy in July 2025 as CIO, shifting from senior ICT roles including Head of ICT and GM Cyber Security & IT at Thiess. He has a deep interest in digital transformation, customer centricity and inclusive talent development, underpinned by earlier experience as CIO/CDO of GroundProbe. Johnny was the award winner of the 2021 ACS President’s Award, has been featured on CIO Magazine’s Executive Council and named CIO50 in both 2021 and 2022.

Professor Cori Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, ARM HUB AI Adopt Centre

Professor Cori Stewart is a skilled and versatile science and technology commercialisation leader, who works in executive and advisor roles across industry, government, and the research sector. She is passionate about driving impact through university and industry collaboration and building strategic and trusted collaborations in Australia and across the globe. As the Founder and CEO of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub, Cori has built an Australian-first not-for-profit technology commercialisation company. ARM Hub has nurtured hundreds of businesses to validate, commercialise and modernise using cutting-edge technologies, design thinking, new IP and workforce development strategies in defence, energy, medical, resources, agriculture sectors and more. Cori is a member of the Australian Government’s Industry Innovation Science Australia Board and has graduated as one of Australia’s 2023 & 2024 ‘Superstars of STEM’ where she continues to lift the profile of women and science in our communities.

Mikhail Lopushanski, General Manager, Technology GRISC, Auto & General Australia

Mikhail is a globally recognized cybersecurity and risk management leader with over 20 years of experience in financial services, government, and shared services across Australia, the UK, and Canada. He is currently the General Manager of Technology Governance, Risk, Information Security, and Compliance at Auto&General. Prior to this, he served as CISO for People First Bank (formerly Heritage Bank) and spent a decade as Chief Security Officer for the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). A prominent voice in emerging technology and security, Mikhail currently co-chairs the Quantum Computing Working Group, building on his previous work co-chairing the AusCERT Cyber Leader Network AI Working Group. He also founded AU-ISAC, a financial sector cyber threat intelligence-sharing group, and serves as an Advisory Board Member at Secure Forte. Recognized as a Top Global CISO by Cyber Defense Magazine (2024 & 2025) and one of APAC’s Top 10 CISOs by Enterprise Security Magazine (2023), he holds various industry certifications and is a lifetime member of the Australian Information Security Association (AISA).

Luke Abercrombie, Chief Information Officer, Port of Brisbane

Luke is an industry leader and executive, leveraging over twenty years of expertise to drive business development, achieve digital transformation and operational efficiencies through technology, customer-focused success and revenue growth. He hold strong international experience across a vast array of environments including start-ups, top listed companies and not for profits in both centralised and geographically dispersed multi-site environments.

Ben Pattison, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Flight Centre Group

As Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Flight Centre Travel Group, Ben is building the foundations for a more predictive, personalised and globally connected travel experience. Ben brings deep cross-industry experience — spanning financial services, insurance, infrastructure, retail and hospitality — where he has led the uplift of analytics capability, data governance, and AI-driven insight to transform performance. Known for uniting data strategy with commercial outcomes, he creates environments where advanced analytics, automation and experimentation can scale with confidence. Ben’s vision centres on organisations using data and AI not just to optimise operations, but to reinvent how they serve customers in a world defined by intelligence, speed and continuous change.

Stephen Bennett, Group Chief Information Security Officer, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises

Stephen has over 30 years of experience in the security and technology space, working with large enterprise organisations in various market sectors, such as Gaming, Law Enforcement, Healthcare, and Retail, to build and enhance their cybersecurity capabilities. Currently working as the Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) he plays an instrumental role in securing and maintaining the integrity of Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited (DPE), the largest master franchisee of the Domino’s brand outside the US, encompassing 12 regions across Asia Pacific and Europe and supporting over 3,700 stores. In the last financial year, DPE served a staggering 180 million pizzas, amounting to over seven pizzas sold every second. With 80% of all orders placed through their digital platform, Stephen’s work in safeguarding customer data and ensuring a seamless user experience is particularly crucial.

Toni Peggrem, Chief Executive Officer, AI Consortium

Toni is CEO of the Queensland AI Hub (operating under the AI Consortium) and has over 30 years’ experience in strategic planning and organisational reform. She leads initiatives to build the AI ecosystem in Queensland, including workforce development, industry partnerships and enabling accessible AI.

Celeste Lowe, Chief Information & Security Officer, The Lottery Corporation

Celeste Lowe is a dynamic and highly skilled Chief Information Security Officer. With over 25 years of experience, Celeste has worked in a variety of cyber roles in industries ranging from financial services, outsourcing, consulting and aviation at the Royal New Zealand Airforce and Qantas and Nine Entertainment Group. Celeste has a proven track record of effectively protecting networks and assets from cyber threats. Her expertise in identifying and mitigating risk has made her a valuable asset. Throughout her career, Celeste has remained at the forefront of the industry, staying up-to-date with the latest advancements and trends in cyber security. Celeste leads a team of security experts and is responsible for implementing and maintaining the network’s security strategies and policies. She has successfully navigated numerous security incidents, demonstrating her ability to think quickly and respond effectively in high-pressure situations. Aside from her professional accomplishments, Celeste strives to recognise, nurture, educate and empower team members to deliver their best to achieve corporate strategic goals, along with balancing the needs of securing the business. Celeste is also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. She regularly speaks at industry events, encouraging women to pursue careers in technology and security.

Paul Murphy, Chief Information Officer, GHD

As an Executive Leader in the professional services enterprise GHD, Paul is driven by the possibilities technology creates to shape how people work, how projects are delivered, and the services available to clients. He began his career as an Army Officer, became a Civil Engineer, and then moved into private enterprise as a project director, security advisor, operational and technical leader – a purposeful path that has led him to Information Technology. With an eye firmly fixed on what’s around the corner, Paul appreciates the speed of technological developments and the challenges and incredible opportunities this creates. And with that, he can translate the future into what it means for us today.

Anna Clive, General Manager Data, Digital & Innovation, RACQ

Anna is General Manager of Data, Digital and Innovation at RACQ, Queensland’s largest member-owned organization serving 1.7 million members. Leading digital transformation in a non-tech-first environment, Anna focuses on practical AI implementation and enhancing member experiences at scale. With previous leadership roles as CIO at Aussie Broadband and COO at BTC Markets, she brings a pragmatic approach to balancing innovation with measured, risk-aware rollout in large organisations. Anna is passionate about making AI work in real-world enterprise contexts where technology adoption requires careful change management and stakeholder engagement.

David Hogarth, Chief Information Officer, Virgin Australia

David is leading Virgin Australia’s technology transformation, using data, automation and AI to create smarter, more connected experiences for customers and employees. He is focused on building resilient digital foundations that enable the airline to move faster and make better decisions. With a background spanning cloud, data and modern workplace strategy, David brings a practical approach to innovation and execution, strongly believing that technology should always serve people first — empowering teams, simplifying operations and driving real business value.

Sabina Janstrom, Chief Technology Officer, Lactalis Australia

Sabina is an experienced Technology Leader with a broad background across strategy development and implementation, project portfolio management and delivering technology environments that meet and exceed expectations. Sabina has held senior roles in the Consumer goods industry, mining sector and large technology companies. With over twenty years of experience working in senior technology industry roles, including more than a decade in pan-regional roles covering Australia, Asia Pacific and EMEA, Sabina embodies the mantra of think Global, act Local. Sabina specialises in communicating the value of technology to senior business stakeholders and combines her experience with a passion for the end user experience, making her a true business partner.

Moji Ghadimi, Head of AI & Quantum Algorithms, Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation

Moji Ghadimi joined QCIF in April 2025 as Head of AI and Quantum Algorithms, bringing over 15 years of experience across academia, government, and industry. Before joining QCIF, he held senior data science roles, including at Queensland Treasury, where he led emissions, energy, and economic modelling to support Net Zero policies. He also directed AI and MLOps teams in industry, deploying cloud-based AI solutions for healthcare, and led multi-disciplinary, national and international projects at UQ and Griffith University on cutting-edge quantum computing initiatives and data-driven health projects that shaped global health policies. Moji holds a PhD in Quantum Computing from Griffith University, where he developed methods to accelerate atom-based quantum computers in collaboration with Georgia Tech and Fraunhofer Institute, and a Master’s in Computational Physics. He is passionate about making advanced AI and quantum technologies accessible to researchers tackling complex challenges in diverse fields including health, bioinformatics, and traffic. His current work spans federated machine learning, quantum optimisation, and large-scale AI initiatives.

Jack Cross, Chief Information & Security Officer, Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Jack has a strong background in managing and mentoring multidisciplinary teams and has been involved in various strategic planning and technology upgrade programs. His expertise extends to overseeing highly secure information systems that support sensitive military operations and providing flexible ICT and Information Security support globally. Jack’s professional profile includes a strong focus on maintaining key relationships with stakeholders across multiple agencies and a deep understanding of electronic warfare, information systems, and cyber warfare.

Arun Singh, Chief Information & Security Officer, Tyro Payments

Arun has extensive experience in cybersecurity, focusing on securing real-time payments without slowing them down. Arun emphasises the importance of analytics, authentication, and industry cooperation in staying ahead of fraud. His work involves combining behavioral analytics with adaptive authentication to balance fraud prevention and customer experience. he has been CISO at Tyro Payments since 2024.

Tim Johnson, Head of Intelligent Solutions Delivery, Suncorp Group

Tim has been with Suncorp for over 19 years and led operational teams and large technology programs for most of that time including a short stint as the Insurance CFO. For the past 5 years has lead the Group Intelligent Solutions Delivery Team supporting business teams across the enterprise to automate and augment processes and decisions. Prior to Suncorp and a few years consulting Tim spent 14 years in the Australian Army as a Combat Engineering Officer.

Marek Kowalkiewicz, Professor & Chair the Digital Economy, QUT Business School

Marek is Professor and Chair in Digital Economy at QUT Business School, and one of Thinkers360’s Top 100 Global AI Thought Leaders. He is the author of The Economy of Algorithms: AI and the Rise of the Digital Minions, winner of the 2024 Australian Business Book Award (Technology). Marek has led global innovation teams in Silicon Valley, founded SAP’s Machine Learning Lab in Singapore, and held research roles at Microsoft Research Asia. His work focuses on helping leaders understand and navigate the business implications of AI and algorithmic systems.

Grant Slender, Chief Information & Security Officer, Queensland Investment Corporation

Grant is an accomplished technology, security, and risk leader with deep expertise across cybersecurity, enterprise information risk, architecture, organisational design, and people leadership. He brings extensive experience in system and application design, as well as web and mobile technology solutions aligned to business strategy. As Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Head of Technology at QIC, Grant leads the organisation’s cybersecurity strategy, technology operations, and resilience agenda. He is accountable for embedding security into enterprise risk frameworks and safeguarding sensitive financial and client information across QIC’s global operations. Grant champions a security-first culture, advising executives and stakeholders on technology risk while enabling QIC to innovate securely in an increasingly complex digital and threat environment.

Nathan Hillery, Head of Cyber Security & Risk, Goodstart Early Learning

Nathan is the Head of Cyber Security & Risk at Goodstart Early Learning, one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit early learning providers. With more than two decades of experience across technology, cybersecurity, and enterprise transformation, he leads the organisation’s cybersecurity strategy, risk management, and resilience programs.Nathan focuses on embedding security into business operations while enabling innovation in data, cloud, and emerging technologies such as AI. His work spans governance, threat management, and protecting sensitive information across a large national workforce and digital ecosystem. He is particularly interested in the intersection of cybersecurity, AI adoption, and enterprise risk, helping organisations implement new technologies safely while maintaining strong governance and trust.

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.

Ryan Lait, Regional Head, Security Solution Architecture – APAC, Splunk

Ryan leads a team charged with transforming how organisations detect, investigate and respond to cyber threats in an increasingly AI-driven world. Drawing on his experience as a former SOC analyst and Splunk customer in both the public and private sectors, he brings a unique, field-tested perspective to organisational security challenges.

Virginia Calegare, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Information & Security Officer, RightSec

Virginia is the CEO of RightSec, a Strategic Cyber Advisor and the only female founder of a Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Australia. With 27 years of experience, Virginia has held CISO and senior cyber leadership roles across nuclear and defence, aviation, transport and heavy vehicles, building and construction, education (early learning groups and independent schools), and large technology companies. Virginia is an IS18 and ASD Essential expert and advisor to the Queensland Whole-of-Government (WoG), with experience across National Critical Infrastructure (NCI) environments. In 2025, Virginia was recognised as Most Outstanding Women in IT Security Australia.

Gary Crosby, Founder & Lead Architect, Intelligent Pathways

Gary is a technology leader with over 25 years’ experience in IT design and development, including 7 years with multinational organisations across the UK, US, and India. He specialises in AI, integration, and large-scale solutions that help organisations navigate complex technology landscapes with clarity and purpose. Since founding Intelligent Pathways in 2003, Gary has delivered impactful solutions across aviation, environmental management, fleet, construction, health, emergency services, and education, streamlining operations and building resilience. A strategist and solution architect with deep expertise in integration and emerging technologies, he bridges business needs with technical execution, making complexity accessible and ensuring systems work seamlessly to deliver lasting impact.

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.

Reg Bible, Country Lead ANZ Security, World Wide Technology

Reg is the Country Lead for Security in Australia and New Zealand at World Wide Technology. She works with enterprise and government organisations to strengthen cyber resilience and adopt modern security architectures, helping customers translate global cybersecurity innovation into real-world outcomes across the region.

Mohamed Tanana, RVP, Solutions Engineering, APCJ, F5 Networks

Mohamed leads Solutions Engineering for Asia Pacific, China and Japan at F5, working with organisations to design secure, high-performance application and API architectures. With more than three decades of experience in networking and cybersecurity, he specialises in application delivery, cloud platforms, and modern security architectures that support large-scale digital services.