Agenda

Wednesday, 8 October 2025

“Control the Chaos: Defend Today & Secure Tomorrow”

Please note that 1:1 meetings will be running throughout the day.

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07:45 - 08:30

Registration & Check-In

Jim Berry

CEO & Founder at ADAPT

About

Jim is known for exceeding expectations in execution.

His entire career has been spent connecting the right people at the right time in roles across Europe and Asia Pac. ​

He founded ADAPT to deliver quality outcomes with integrity – with a vision to help Australia thrive commercially, now and for the future.

To enable that, Jim leads ADAPT’s mission to connect, inform and equip our local business and tech leaders. ​

At the centre of agenda creation and strategic partner management for two decades, Jim is uniquely experienced to be the voice of the end-user, the customer and the vendor. ​

He satisfies C-suite attendees with all agendas across ADAPT EDGE events. He also regularly presents “Know your Customer” webinars and guides the world’s largest vendors with their g-t-m and content strategies.​

Through entrepreneurial product development and a servant leader mentality with his team and clients, ADAPT grows annually with clearly differentiated value for all stakeholders.

08:30 - 08:50

Welcome to the 11th Security Edge: Lead the Defence

Jim Berry - CEO & Founder at ADAPT Read More

Australia’s cyber-security market is on a double-digit growth path as boards rush to meet stricter regimes – APRA’s CPS 230 operational-resilience standard and the new Cyber Security Act 2024 – while a chronic skills shortage pushes organisations toward managed and cloud-delivered controls.

Recent breaches, including credential-stuffing losses at major super funds, and Australia’s world-first mandate to disclose any ransomware payments underscore stubborn exposure to extortion, supply-chain and identity attacks that must be contained even as plans for quantum-safe cryptography take shape.

Join your peers at ADAPT Security Edge to connect, learn, and lead through the challenges of our rapidly shifting security landscape.

Gabby Fredkin

Head of Analytics & Insights at ADAPT

About

Gabby’s primary role is managing ADAPT’s overall strategy for Data Analytics. He has extensive experience in using data to identify trends in technology that help shape Australian organisations. Utilising modern Data Science techniques, he provides ADAPT and their customers with confidence in the accuracy and validity of the information used for ADAPT’s Research, Advisory, and Events.​

With a passion for creating stories with data, Gabby is consistently rated as one of the top speakers at ADAPT Events. In round table discussions, he specialises in using statistics to initiate thought-provoking discussions. Gabby is effective in translating information into insights, enabling ADAPT’s customers to become more data-driven.​

Gabby’s primary areas of expertise are: ​

  • Advanced AI and ML practices, including AI ethics.​
  • Building models to benchmark and predict IT performance.​
  • End-user behaviour and human-centred design.​
  • Cross-functional team design and value, such as DevSecOps.​
08:50 - 09:10

ADAPT Research: Control the Chaos, Defend Today & Secure Tomorrow

Gabby Fredkin - Head of Analytics & Insights at ADAPT Read More

ADAPT’s Research and Advisory team reveal the latest data-driven insights from over 1000 local surveys from regional Heads of IT, digital and finance enabling companies responsible for over 60% of Australia’s GDP.

Compare their resource allocation, investment priorities, barriers and the unique challenges of Australian IT Security and the Business leaders you serve.

Helping you to benchmark and validate your priorities and thinking, Gabby will reveal the core findings distilled from your aggregated pre-event surveys and examine which Security, AI and data protection strategies are creating the best outcomes.

Tenar Larsen

Head of People & Performance, Executive Programs

About

Tenar has spent the last 18 years working in sales, running her own company consulting to corporate Australia around Workplace Wellness / Employee Experience and now she finds herself back over on the dark side as an employee, part of a well oiled machine – and loving it! As a Senior Manager of the ADAPT Advisory team, Tenar runs the team that fulfils over 60 private advisory events each year across Asia Pacific. Tenar build genuine relationships quickly and easily, loves connecting people, finding out how to solve a problem and then delivering.

09:10 - 09:15

Get an Edge: Making the Most of Your Day

Tenar Larsen - Head of People & Performance, Executive Programs Read More

Daryl Pereira

APJ Head Office of the CISO at Google Cloud

About

Steering Google Cloud’s ‘Office of the CISO’ in the Asia Pacific, Daryl works with CISOs, CIOs, CROs, regulators and government officials to elevate cybersecurity maturity at both a national and global level. The ‘Office of the CISO’ is art of Google’s internal security team & COO function, and is comprised of former CISOs/CIOs tasked with advocating for better cybersecurity, AI risk and digital trust outcomes.

Daryl has 30 years of technology experience including an initial 8 years in the Australian Public sector in Canberra, followed by 9 years in Banking in Sydney and Singapore, and 11 years as a senior Partner at KPMG Management Consulting. While at KPMG Singapore, Daryl founded and led the Cyber Consulting practice, growing the team to over 120 cyber consultants and leading 5 Partners (owner-operators).

At Deutsche Bank, Daryl’s last role was as global head of Program Management Office for the Global Banking IT division, overseeing governance for a €500M portfolio and 150 project managers based in Singapore, Frankfurt, London and New York.

Daryl began his career working in the Australian Federal Government in Canberra as an outsourced technology contractor at the Australian Customs Service, followed by positions with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Home Affairs/Immigration and Department of Veterans Affairs.

Nurturing the next generation of Cybersecurity and Governance leaders is Daryl’s passion, leading him to volunteer at ISACA Singapore where he was the President of the Board of Directors, the American Chamber of Commerce, and the Institute of Internal Auditors where he is currently a Board member.

Daryl is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Singapore Management University – Singapore Institute of Directors, where he leads the Cybersecurity module for “SID’s Directorship Programme”. This program certifies Company Directors as Boardroom-ready for their organisations. He is also a Guest Lecturer at the University of Canberra (Australia) on the topic of Cyber Strategy.

Daryl was awarded a B.Commerce (double major in Accounting & Information Systems) and M.InfoTech from the University of Canberra, and a MBA from Manchester Business School. He is also a certified CPA (Australia), CISA, CISM, CRISC.

David Gee

Former CIO & CISO

About

David has just retired in July 2024 and is building out his portfolio. He is an Advisor with Bain Advisory Network and also an Advisor to JS Careers (Cyber Recruitment) and Emertel (Software Commercialization).

He is a seasoned technology executive with significant experience and has over 25 years’ experience in CIO and CISO roles across different industries and countries. At Macquarie Group David served as Global Head Technology, Cyber and Data Risk.

Previously was CISO for HSBC Asia Pacific. His career as a CIO spans across multiple industries and geographies including – Metlife, Eli Lilly and Credit Union Australia. He was winner CIO of the Year 2014, at CUA where he successfully completed a significant Transformation of Core Banking, Online and Mobile Banking systems.

David is past Chairman for the FS-ISAC Strategy Committee and awarded Global Leaders Award in 2023 for his contributions to the cybersecurity industry. A regular conference keynote speaker and 150+ published articles for CIO Australia, Computerworld, ITNews and CSO (Cyber Security), David now writes for Foundry CIO.com and AICD.

His most recent book – the Aspiring CIO & CISO was published in June 2024 and David is writing his second – A Day in the Life of a CISO with a number of CISOs from around the world for 2025.

09:15 - 09:55

A Day in the Life of a CISO: Leadership and Resilience in the Face of Complexity

Daryl Pereira - APJ Head Office of the CISO at Google Cloud David Gee - Former CIO & CISO Read More

Two world class CISOs share real stories and real lessons. With former CISO HSBC and Macquarie Group’s Global Head Technology, Cyber and Data Risk, David Gee interviewing Google’s Daryl Pereira on ‘How to rebuild after a major incident’.

In an era where cyber threats evolve daily and the role of the CISO has become more critical than ever, “A Day in the Life of a CISO” offers an unprecedented collection of real-world wisdom, practical strategies, and hard-earned lessons from cybersecurity’s most experienced practitioners.

This isn’t your typical cybersecurity presentation – we’ll reveal the highlights of David’s new book, which has 24+ CISOs sharing lessons for current CISOs and the next generation of leaders.

Debating how to advance cybersecurity leadership and build more resilient organisations in an increasingly complex threat landscape:
• Leadership Development
• Strategic Thinking
• Crisis Management
• Career Resilience
• Global Perspectives

Mitch Ryan

Senior Solutions Engineer at Wiz

About

Mitch Ryan is an Enterprise Solution Engineer at Wiz, specializing in cloud security, threat detection, and compliance. With over 17 years in IT and cybersecurity, he has worked across enterprise, government, and vendor environments, helping organizations strengthen their security posture.

Before Wiz, Mitch was a Senior Security Solution Architect at Splunk, where he designed complex security solutions, drove revenue growth, and spoke at industry events. He also held key roles at Varonis, VMware, and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, focusing on data security, automation, and infrastructure architecture. 

A member of the PreSales Collective, Mitch is passionate about security innovation, attack simulation, and Al-driven threat detection, frequently sharing insights through workshops and conferences. 

James Ng

CISO at Insignia Financial

About

James is a leader with a range of experience across various cyber security, technology risk and audit domains, bringing a global lens across a diverse background in financial services, telecommunications, entertainment, consulting and FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). 

James is currently the General Manager Cyber Security & CISO at Insignia Financial and most recently was at AARNet (Australia’s Academic and Research Network) where he oversaw a managed Security Operations Centre (SOC) capability for a number of Australian universities. Prior to this James held a number of roles at Telstra including leading the information security function at Belong and in parallel, the Telstra cyber governance and risk team.

09:55 - 10:25

Mitigating Risk within Multi-Cloud Environments

Mitch Ryan - Senior Solutions Engineer at Wiz James Ng - CISO at Insignia Financial Read More

In this session, Insignia Financial will share their journey of modernising data architecture and securing complex multi-cloud environments. James Ng, CISO at Insignia will share the strategies undertaken to re-imagine cloud infrastructure, implement continuous compliance, and gain unified visibility across cloud platforms using tools like Wiz. This session will explore real-world use cases in cloud risk prioritisation, secure cloud adoption, and embedding security throughout the development lifecycle. Walk away with actionable insights to drive both operational efficiency and risk mitigation in your own cloud journey.

10:25 - 10:45

Morning Break

Refreshments, Snacks & Connections

Andrew Dell

GM Customer Security Management Office at Microsoft

About

Andrew has had an extensive career in information and cyber security, spanning over 30 years.  Initially, Andrew managed security risk for complex military deployments, which paved the way to leading cyber policy and operational planning for defence initiatives both domestically and internationally. Andrew has worked across Australia and Europe, overseeing high-security projects for governments, telecommunications companies, and law enforcement agencies. In 2010 Andrew moved the finance sector, where he held various cyber security leadership positions at National Australia Bank (NAB) before being appointed NAB’s Chief Information Security Officer in 2016. In 2018 Andrew joined QBE Insurance as Group Chief Security Officer leading resilience and cyber security for the Group; accountable for keeping QBE safe throughout their operations worldwide (32 countries).  Most recently, In 2025 Andrew moved to Microsoft where he leads the communication and partnership between Microsoft’s internal security capability (Office of the CISO) and Strategic customer CISOs across APAC.

10:45 - 11:15

From Boardroom to Cloud: Security Leadership in an AI-First World

Andrew Dell - GM Customer Security Management Office at Microsoft Read More

Join Matt Boon, Director of Strategic Research at ADAPT, in a candid fireside conversation with Andrew Dell, former Group Chief Security Officer of QBE Insurance, and CISO of NAB – now the GM Customer Security Management Office at Microsoft.

Together, they’ll unpack how global security challenges are reshaping enterprise strategy, the evolving role of the CISO, and what leaders must prioritise in a cloud- and AI-driven future.

  • Lessons learned from leading security at scale in financial services
  • The shifting expectations of security leaders in boardrooms and across industries
  • Practical insights for building resilience and trust in an AI-enabled enterprise

Daniel Sutherland

Regional Vice President at DigiCert

About

Daniel Sutherland is the Regional Vice President, ANZ for DigiCert, a leading provider of digital trust solutions. With over 10 years of experience in Cyber Security, Daniel is a highly respected industry professional known for his expertise and insights.

In his role, Daniel drives DigiCert’s profile across the ANZ region and contributes his insights into the cyber-security industry. Prior to DigiCert, he held various positions at Symantec, working with organizations across Asia Pacific and Europe.

Daniel holds an MBA from the University of Birmingham and a BA (Hons) in Politics from the University of East Anglia. With his extensive educational background and deep industry knowledge, he effectively combines technical and strategic aspects of Cyber Security.

As the Regional Vice President, ANZ at DigiCert, Daniel Sutherland brings a wealth of experience, industry knowledge, and strategic insights to the table. His contributions continue to shape and strengthen organizations’ security practices across the ANZ region.

11:15 - 11:35

Agility, Compliance, Resilience: Rethinking Cryptography in the Age of Digital Trust

Daniel Sutherland - Regional Vice President at DigiCert Read More

In an age defined by accelerating digital transformation, tightening regulatory expectations, and the looming impact of quantum computing, cryptography is at a crossroads. Traditional approaches to securing data and communications are no longer sufficient as organizations face mounting pressure to remain agile while meeting compliance mandates and strengthening resilience against emerging threats.

This fireside chat will explore how forward-looking Australian organizations are rethinking cryptography to stay ahead of adversaries and regulators alike. We’ll unpack the relationship between innovation and risk, examine the role of modern cryptographic frameworks in building trust, and highlight strategies for future-proofing security architectures. Attendees will gain insight into how agility, compliance, and resilience intersect—and why reimagining cryptography is becoming an urgent business and security imperative.

Garrett O’Hara

Senior Director, Sales Engineering, Mimecast APAC

About

Field CTO combining a strong technical background with two decades of real-world sales acumen. Seasoned leader of technical sales teams in the Asia Pacific region with experience of growing new-to-country businesses. Media experience across conference speaking, keynotes, podcasts and TV.

11:35 - 11:55

High Risk Users & Where to Find Them

Garrett O’Hara - Senior Director, Sales Engineering, Mimecast APAC Read More

68% of cyber incidents are attributed to human error however risk isn’t evenly distributed with recent statistics revealing that 80% of security incidents are caused by just 8% of employees, underscoring the critical importance of identifying high-risk users within an organisation.

This session will explore the factors contributing to user vulnerabilities that lead to certain individuals being classed as high-risk. Participants will gain insights into measuring user risk effectively and implementing tailored strategies to enhance cybersecurity across their organisations. This session will also highlight how a personalised and adaptive security approach can provide customised security measures for each user. By focusing on these high-risk individuals, organisations can safeguard their workforce while maintaining operational productivity.

12:00 - 13:00

ADAPT Executive Insight Roundtables - Share with Confidence Under the Chatham House Rule

Attend your preselected roundtable to participate in a peer discussion moderated by ADAPT analysts with subject matter experts.

Roundtable 1

From Blind Spots to Business Strength: How to Build a Modern Data Security Strategy in the Age of AI

with Cyera Read More

Data is the fastest-growing and most valuable business asset – yet 80- 90% of it is considered “dark,” leaving organisations blind to what they hold, where it lives, and how sensitive it is. As data volume & sprawl accelerates (set to hit 181 zettabytes by 2025), CISOs face the mounting challenge of protecting this unknown data across complex environments, while keeping pace with regulatory pressure and AI-driven threats.

Legacy approaches simply can’t keep up.

Join Cyera at this interactive roundtable to explore how forward-thinking security leaders are rethinking data security from the ground up – turning to AI-powered frameworks that bring visibility, context, and control to the forefront. Discover why modern data security is now the cornerstone of a resilient cybersecurity strategy, and how it can help shift your organisation from reactive defence to proactive advantage.

Key takeaways will include:
• The core pillars of a modern data security journey
• Why legacy tools fail in today’s AI-accelerated world
• How to embed data protection into your broader security fabric
• Ways to unlock the full potential of your business data while strengthening cyber resilience

Roundtable 2

Securing a Future-Ready Enterprise: Navigating Threats, AI Risks, and Regulatory Complexity

with Microsoft Read More

Explore the growing challenges of cybersecurity and digital transformation. The discussion will focus on the rapid deployment of AI technologies, the tension between innovation and security, and the need for robust governance frameworks, zero-trust architectures, and improved AI risk management strategies.

Roundtable 3

How to get Board-ready with the New Cyber Threats of 2025 (DBIR 2025)

with Verizon Read More

Join Verizon risk consulting and insights experts, backed by the Verizon Threat Research Advisory Centre (VTRAC), to learn about 2025’s new cyber risk threats and what to do about it. VTRAC is renowned for its deep analysis of cyber breach and incident trends. It publishes the annual global Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), now in its 18th year, which reflects the evolving landscape that today’s CISOs must navigate especially with Boards. As ‘Risky Business’, the preeminent cyber Australian publication stated in April this year, there’s “a handful of seminal reports in the cybersecurity industry and the Verizon DBIR is one of them”. All attendees receive a physical printed Executive Summary copy of the DBIR 2025 (including links to industry specific reports for Financial Services, Healthcare and Public Sector) and a Report on How to get your Board Cyber Ready.

Daniel Sutherland

Regional Vice President at DigiCert

About

Daniel Sutherland is the Regional Vice President, ANZ for DigiCert, a leading provider of digital trust solutions. With over 10 years of experience in Cyber Security, Daniel is a highly respected industry professional known for his expertise and insights.

In his role, Daniel drives DigiCert’s profile across the ANZ region and contributes his insights into the cyber-security industry. Prior to DigiCert, he held various positions at Symantec, working with organizations across Asia Pacific and Europe.

Daniel holds an MBA from the University of Birmingham and a BA (Hons) in Politics from the University of East Anglia. With his extensive educational background and deep industry knowledge, he effectively combines technical and strategic aspects of Cyber Security.

As the Regional Vice President, ANZ at DigiCert, Daniel Sutherland brings a wealth of experience, industry knowledge, and strategic insights to the table. His contributions continue to shape and strengthen organizations’ security practices across the ANZ region.

Roundtable 4

The PKI Resurgence – Building Digital Trust

Daniel Sutherland - Regional Vice President at DigiCert Read More

Digital trust is becoming the backbone of enterprise resilience in Australia. With certificate lifetimes shrinking, outages from expired certificates making headlines, and regulatory demands accelerating, cybersecurity leaders face growing pressure to secure identities, workloads, and data across every environment.

At the same time, boards are beginning to ask how well prepared their organisation is for the post-quantum era. NIST has released new cryptographic standards, and organisations may only have three years to transition — half the time it took to move from SHA-1 to SHA-2.

This discussion will explore three critical themes for Australian enterprises:
• Outages and Operational Resilience: eliminating blind spots in certificate and PKI management.
• Compliance Pressures: navigating global standards alongside Australia’s own tightening regulations on critical infrastructure and data protection.
• Quantum Readiness: preparing now for a seamless transition, starting with visibility and automation.

Enjoy a lively discussion with your peers and ask questions from experts in the field.

13:00 - 14:00

Peer Networking Seated Lunch

David Coleman

Director, Sales Engineering, APJ at Rapid7

About

David Coleman is a security industry professional with more than 20 years’ experience leading, contributing and delivering IT, cybersecurity and compliance solutions. With 6 years at Rapid7, David is passionate about building scalable solutions that assist operational teams implement and mature cyber security programs that support broader organisational goals and objectives.

Before joining Rapid7, David worked as the lead security solutions architect for Managed Security Services Products in Australia’s largest telecommunications provider, Telstra, and Senior Security Solutions Architect and SME at a global systems integrator; Dimension Data (now NTT). Prior to this, David managed the delivery of IT programs at a prominent Victoria council. This broad experience helps to underscore David’s unique ability to translate technical aspects of cybersecurity to business outcomes.

Adrian Cockcroft

VP Cloud Architecture Strategy at Amazon Web Services

About

Adrian Cockcroft has had a long career working at the leading edge of technology, and is fascinated by what happens next. In his role at AWS, Cockcroft is focused on the needs of cloud native and “all-in” customers, and leads the AWS open source community development team. Prior to AWS, Cockcroft started out as a developer in the UK, joined Sun Microsystems and then moved to the United States in 1993, ending up as a Distinguished Engineer. Cockcroft left Sun in 2004, was a founding member of eBay research labs, and started at Netflix in 2007. He initially directed a team working on personalisation algorithms and then became cloud architect, helping teams scale and migrate to AWS. As Netflix shared its architecture publicly, Cockcroft became a regular speaker at conferences and executive summits, and he created and led the Netflix open source program. In 2014, he joined VC firm Battery Ventures, promoting new ideas around DevOps, microservices, cloud and containers, and moved into his current role at AWS in October 2016.

13:00-13:55

Lunch Roundtable 5: From Noise to Outcomes: Modernising the SOC in 2025

David Coleman - Director, Sales Engineering, APJ at Rapid7 Adrian Cockcroft - VP Cloud Architecture Strategy at Amazon Web Services Read More

SOC teams are under pressure to do more with less — facing rising detections, static headcount, and increasingly complex environments. This roundtable explores what “good” looks like in 2025 across people, process, and platform, with a focus on practical strategies to reduce noise, demonstrate impact, and apply automation/AI without added complexity.

Key Takeaways:

• How to reduce alert fatigue without compromising coverage
• Metrics that matter: proving the effectiveness of SecOps
• Rethinking roles and workflows to improve agility and response time
• What “good” looks like in 2025 across people, process, and platform
• Where automation and AI truly save effort — and how to avoid complexity or over-promising
• Prioritising threats that matter using risk and context, not just signatures and volume

Mitra Minai

Global Cyber Health Managing Director at Accenture

About

Mitra Minai is a seasoned cybersecurity and technology transformation executive with over 20 years of experience across health, financial, and professional services. She has led strategic cyber initiatives globally, including defining and operationalising cybersecurity strategies for major organisations. Mitra has served as a CISO and holds multiple advisory roles across academia and government. Her leadership empowers organisations to navigate digital transformation securely, with a focus on governance, resilience, and trusted innovation.

Juliana Bächtold

ANZ Microsoft Business Group Security Lead at Avanade

About

Juliana Bächtold is the ANZ Security Lead for the Accenture Microsoft Business Group. She has extensive experience leading architects and engineers to secure, govern, and operate resilient digital environments across regulated industries.

Juliana is deeply committed to advancing cyber resilience and digital trust, helping organisations navigate complex security challenges while enabling innovation and business growth.

13:00 - 14:55

Lunch Roundtable 6: Securing Intelligence: Navigating Agentic AI’s Risks and Rewards

Mitra Minai - Global Cyber Health Managing Director at Accenture Juliana Bächtold - ANZ Microsoft Business Group Security Lead at Avanade Read More

The threat landscape is more volatile, sophisticated, and accelerated than ever – and AI is now essential to help defenders keep pace.
As Agentic AI systems begin to autonomously perceive, reason, and act across enterprise environments, CISOs are weighing the opportunities and risks of Copilots and autonomous agents.

Join your peers for this 2-hour closed door session over lunch – expertly moderated under the Chatham House Rule by ADAPT’s Matt Boon with senior executives from Accenture’s Microsoft business unit. The group will explore:

– High-impact, real-world use cases that lift defender productivity
– Clarifying when a guided Copilot is appropriate versus when to employ autonomous agents
– How orchestration, guardrails, and continuous training underpin secure, successful deployments

14:00 - 15:00

ADAPT Executive Insight Roundtables - share with confidence under the Chatham House Rule

Attend your preselected roundtable to participate in a peer discussion moderated by ADAPT analysts with subject matter experts.

Katheresh Jayaprakash

Solutions Engineer at Okta

About

Chamandeep Singh

Senior Security Partner Solutions Architect at AWS

About
Roundtable 7

Securing the Future of AI on AWS: Leveraging Okta's Identity Security Fabric

Katheresh Jayaprakash - Solutions Engineer at Okta Chamandeep Singh - Senior Security Partner Solutions Architect at AWS Read More

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms the enterprise landscape, it introduces novel and complex identity security challenges, particularly concerning AI agents and sensitive data in cloud environments like AWS. As over 80% of breaches* involve compromised credentials, ensuring robust security for your AI initiatives is paramount.

This roundtable will delve into how the Okta Identity Security Fabric, in collaboration with AWS, provides the essential identity layer to safeguard your AI deployments. We will explore practical strategies for:

• Protecting AI agents and GenAI tools: Learn how to manage and protect identities for AI agents – ensuring they operate within defined permissions and confidently enabling organisations to adopt and scale AI.
• Strengthening your overall cloud security posture: Discover how Okta extends its identity security capabilities across your AWS infrastructure, applications, and APIs, ensuring secure access and robust governance for both human and machine identities
• Ensuring frictionless and secure AI operations: Understand how to implement robust authentication and access controls across various tools and platforms, leveraging orchestration capabilities to enable seamless AI operations while protecting sensitive data with strong identity controls.

Join us to learn how to confidently adopt AI, mitigate critical risks, and unlock the full potential of your initiatives.

Chris Russell

Area Vice President ANZ at Silverfort

About

With over a 15 year career in disruptive and innovative technology, I have enjoyed working with some of the most talented humans across some of the most amazing companies on the planet.

From startups to well established multi-billion dollar software enterprises, my sweet spot has been with the unicorns shifting into hyper scale-up where their processes and Go-to-market is at an intersection. That’s where I thrive.

I am an adept and passionate people leader and have spent my career taking new capabilities to market that solve some of the biggest organisational challenges across cyber security, digital & data, IT Infrastructure and I am now leading the efforts at Silverfort for the Australia/New Zealand region usher in the best-in-class approach to securing identities in the enterprise.

Highly customer centric and passionate about solving problems and generating true customer value.

Roundtable 8

Identity as the New Perimeter: Closing Blind Spots Across Hybrid Environments

Chris Russell - Area Vice President ANZ at Silverfort Read More

The traditional network perimeter hasn’t vanished. It has simply lost its power. In today’s hybrid world, the real perimeter has shifted to identity. Yet defences have struggled to keep pace. The headlines tell the story: attackers no longer need to smash their way in; they simply log in; using stolen credentials, abusing overlooked non-human accounts, and moving laterally across Active Directory, cloud, and SaaS environments undetected. For CISOs and boards, identity blind spots across on-prem AD, cloud, and SaaS can no longer be ignored, as each represents a material business risk, not just a technical flaw.

This roundtable will cut through the noise and focus on what matters most in building an identity-first defence:

• How attackers use lateral movement to escalate privileges
• How to strengthen MFA and cover the gaps attackers exploit
• How non-human (service) accounts fuel undetected breaches and the steps to close this backdoor
• Closing identity gaps across legacy, on-prem, cloud, and SaaS systems

Value for Attendees:
Leaders will gain clarity into the most pressing identity risks shaping Australia’s threat landscape today, with insights into why these challenges persist and how peers are addressing them in complex hybrid environments. This session will surface proven, real-world approaches that go beyond theory, giving leaders the opportunity to exchange strategies, share experiences, and leave with actionable steps to unify identity control, reduce exposure, and strengthen organisational resilience against identity-based attacks.

David Reeves

Major Account Manager - Regulated Industries

About

I connect the dots between cybersecurity, compliance, and critical infrastructure. Helping organisations protect what matters most while aligning security with real business outcomes. Whether it’s navigating SoCI, deploying OT visibility platforms, or crafting executive ready reporting, I bring clarity, structure, and strategic thinking to every engagement.

With a foundation in the Australian Army, I work well under pressure, think strategically, and drive outcomes. Skills that carry directly into the evolving cyber and regulatory landscape.

Outside of work I’m deeply involved in the equestrian world, backing young riders (and their four-legged teammates) to perform at their best. And when I’m not ringside, you’ll find me chasing golf balls or sheep, both keep me humble and grounded. It’s all about focus, discipline, and a little grit – values that translate to the boardroom.

Choo-Kai Kang

Senior Security Engineer at Tenable

About

In the last 20 over years, I have gained extensive experience in cybersecurity, network, system engineering and pre-sales architect experience. I’m an experienced, reliable, highly motivated, outcome driven team player to drive positive results for customers’ complex business challenges. I’m extremely focused in empowering my customers in their Cloud Security Transformation journey.

Tenable is the exposure management company. Tenable exists to expose and close priority security gaps that put businesses at risk. Our industry-leading exposure management platform radically unifies security visibility, insight and action across the attack surface, equipping modern organizations to protect against attacks, from IT infrastructure to the cloud to OT and everywhere in between. By protecting digital and critical infrastructure from exposures, Tenable reduces business risk for more than 44,000 customers around the globe.

Outside the office, I enjoyed spending time with family and friends in the professional circles who are always the source of inspirations and motivations to me.

Roundtable 9

Why Reactive Security Is Failing: The Case for Exposure Management

David Reeves - Major Account Manager - Regulated Industries Choo-Kai Kang - Senior Security Engineer at Tenable Read More

Reactive vulnerability management is a losing battle, overwhelming security teams and failing to address the most critical risks. To truly fortify defences, security leaders must embrace a fundamental shift to exposure management.

This modern, proactive paradigm moves beyond simply patching known flaws. Exposure management holistically maps potential attack paths and prioritizes remediation based on actual business impact. It involves understanding and protecting your key business assets by strategically implementing controls to break the chain of interconnected weaknesses.

Learn how to:

• Move from reactive to proactive: Stop chasing endless vulnerabilities and start managing real exposures that matter.
• Prioritise by business impact: Focus resources on the risks that truly threaten your critical assets.
• Close real-world gaps continuously: Shift from point-in-time patching to ongoing exposure management.
• See the whole attack surface: Gain visibility across Cloud, Identity, OT, and emerging AI exposures.
• Build resilience, not just compliance: Strengthen security posture while enabling business confidence and agility.

15:00 - 15:10

Afternoon Break

Refreshments, Snacks & Connections

Jason Murrell

Renowned Cyber Security Advocate and Consultant

About

With over 20 years of experience in start-ups and the broader technology industry, I am a renowned advocate for cyber security in Australia. My journey has been marked by fostering collaboration and propelling the growth of Australia’s cyber security industry.

Key Achievements:

  • Developed strategic initiatives and partnerships that fuel innovation in collaboration with start-ups, industry leaders, government agencies and academia.
  • Recognised thought leader, sharing insights on entrepreneurship, cyber security and public-private sector collaboration.
  • Featured in reputable media outlets, amplifying the significance of cyber security in today’s digital landscape.

I am committed to driving innovation and resilience in the field, leveraging my expertise to align strategies with industry needs and address evolving cyber threats. My role at AustCyber involved close collaboration with various stakeholders to develop strategic initiatives and forge partnerships that fuel innovation.

Emily Mailes

Chief eHealth Strategy Officer at VIC Department of Health

About

As the Chief eHealth Strategy Officer at the Department of Health in Victoria, my role encompasses two core areas: driving digital strategy for the future of healthcare and ensuring the cybersecurity and operational integrity of critical health systems.

On the digital strategy side, I am responsible for setting an ambitious agenda that shapes the future of the Victorian health system through innovation and transformation. By collaborating with policymakers, funders, and healthcare leaders, I work to align strategic initiatives and emerging technologies that drive improvements across the system and enhance the health and wellbeing of Victorians.

In parallel, I oversee a 24/7 cybersecurity operation dedicated to protecting Victorians’ health data and securing the critical systems that keep our healthcare services running. My leadership in cybersecurity is focused on ensuring robust protections against emerging threats while maintaining operational excellence in the face of evolving challenges.

My dual role allows me to balance high-level strategic vision with the practical, day-to-day oversight of security operations, ensuring both the future and the present of the health system are secure, resilient, and forward-thinking.

Samrat Seal

Head of Transformation and Governance at Kmart Group

About

A technology strategy thought leader with a legacy of shaping and delivering high-stakes digital transformations, Samrat is known for leading from the front—where innovation, security, and business value converge. With a sharp strategic lens and deep domain expertise, he has successfully built and managed complex portfolios across cross-section of business, while delivering enterprise-wide transformation initiatives, with end-to-end P&L ownership and NorthStar commercial acumen.

Samrat brings an unique combination of strategic clarity, technical depth, and business-first mindset to every engagement—driving change at scale, mitigating risk, and unlocking long-term value for stakeholders. He is adept at navigating ambiguity and aligning technology investments with business outcomes, while ensuring agility, regulatory compliance, and secure-by-design principles remain at the core of delivery.

A proven people leader, Samrat has built and led high-performing, cross-functional teams across geographies—fostering collaboration, ownership, and continuous innovation. His leadership approach empowers talent, nurtures future leaders, and builds a culture of excellence, accountability, and resilience.

With a strong foundation across cybersecurity, AI, cloud computing, API ecosystems, and over-arching digital transformation, Samrat is committed to advancing enterprise capabilities through secure, scalable, and future-ready platforms. He is passionate about shaping the next frontier of technology, translating vision into execution, and delivering measurable business impact in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Peter Wolski

General Manager - Reliability and Security at MYOB

About

Peter Wolski is the General Manager Reliability and Security at MYOB. With a career spanning over two decades in the technology and finance industry, Peter has established himself as a strategic leader with a knack for driving operational efficiency and implementing innovative solutions.

Peter joined MYOB in 2020, bringing with him a wealth of experience from his previous roles in various multinational corporations. At MYOB, he has been instrumental in leading the company’s digital transformation efforts, streamlining processes, and enhancing customer experience.

Tara Dharnikota

CISO at Victoria University

About

Tara is the Chief Information Security Officer at Victoria University, responsible for cyber and physical security, risk and assurance and business resilience.

With a foundation in network engineering and extensive experience across security, she has worked across diverse sectors including financial services, telecommunications, e-conveyancing and higher education, leading high-performing teams across threat intelligence, offensive security, strategy, risk and governance and security culture. Her career spans senior leadership roles in highly regulated industries, notably at PEXA and Telstra.

Tara also contributes as an advisor to national security forums and higher education institutions and serves on the Victorian Committee for the Australian Information Security Association (AISA).

She is passionate about empowering people, fostering inclusive and secure environments and embedding resilience at the heart of organisational strategy.

15:10 - 15:45

CISO Panel: No-Spin Reality Check - 6 Cyber Risks to tackle before 2026

Jason Murrell - Renowned Cyber Security Advocate and Consultant Emily Mailes - Chief eHealth Strategy Officer at VIC Department of Health Samrat Seal - Head of Transformation and Governance at Kmart Group Peter Wolski - General Manager - Reliability and Security at MYOB Tara Dharnikota - CISO at Victoria University Read More

In the run-up to 2026, Australian security leaders face a tight set of concrete risks – not wish-list futures. This panel focuses on what’s hitting budgets, board agendas and incident queues right now. Senior practitioners will trade straight talk on where controls really break, where regulators are tightening screws and which fixes move the risk needle fastest.

• Ransomware as a profit engine – exfiltration-plus-extortion still wins when backups and segmentation fail.
• Credential-stuffing drain – reused passwords, slow MFA uptake and direct fraud losses.
• Third-party & SaaS exposure – one weak supplier or shadow tenant can unravel your whole stack; SBOMs and live vendor scores are now board questions.
• Generative-AI sprawl – prompt-injection, data leakage and “shadow-AI” tools opening fresh attack paths.
• Post-quantum crypto clock – ASD guidance says inventory and crypto-agility must start before NIST standards drop.
• Regulatory heat – tougher privacy fines, APRA CPS 230, and SOCI Act extensions raise the bar on reporting and resilience.

Darren Argyle

Former Group Chief Information Security Risk Officer & Board Advisor at Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore)

About

Darren is an accomplished executive with close to 20 years of international cyber risk/security experience and served as the Group Chief Information Security Risk Officer at Standard Chartered bank. He was recently appointed as Ambassador for the Global Cyber Alliance in recognition of his collaborative work advising small businesses in a voluntary capacity and is the Co-Founder/ Chairman of Cyber Leadership Institute.

Darren has a wealth of real-world hands-on leadership experience to impart; he was the former Group Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Qantas Airlines and, before coming to live in Australia, the former Chief Information Security Officer at IHS Markit, a global FinTech headquartered in the UK, and also held various senior international cyber security leadership roles at Symantec and IBM.

In 2016, Darren was featured on the front cover of SC Magazine (an award-winning cybersecurity media publication) then, in 2017 and 2022, was named in the top 100 Chief Information Security Officers globally, and, in 2018, was listed in the top 100 IT security influencers globally. Darren is adept at using real-world stories to demonstrate the critical importance of striving for cyber resilience.

15:45 - 16:25

Winning the Boardroom: Helping Businesses Lead, Not Just Comply

Darren Argyle - Former Group Chief Information Security Risk Officer & Board Advisor at Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Read More

In an era of mounting regulatory pressure and rising cyber threats, many organisations struggle to balance compliance with true leadership. Boards and regulators want assurance, clarity, and confidence—but too often, cyber and risk leaders fail to bridge the gap between technical jargon and actionable business impact. This keynote offers a roadmap for attendees to gain influence, avoid fines, and transform their organisations into the go-to examples of excellence in cyber resilience and delivering business value.

This workshop session will give you:

• Practical Tools: leave with a clear framework for engaging stakeholders, simplifying complex risks, and demonstrating business value.
• Real Outcomes: Darren shares how he helped go from regulatory scrutiny to trusted leadership by building confidence with the regulators.
• Relatable Lessons: Through storytelling, he’ll bring to life the challenges and triumphs of working with boards, regulators, and resistant stakeholders.

Key Takeaways:

1. How to Get Off the Naughty List: Proven strategies to regain regulators’ confidence and avoid costly fines or oversight.
2. Building Boardroom Influence: Practical steps to become a trusted advisor and align cybersecurity with business goals.
3. From Compliance to Leadership: Lessons on how to shift from simply “meeting standards” to setting them, becoming the example others follow.

Darren Argyle is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with executive roles spanning Standard Chartered Bank, Qantas Airlines, iCare and S&P Global.

Recognised for his contributions to the industry, in 2023 Darren secured a CSO30 award for the third consecutive year, along with the inaugural CSO30 Leadership Award. He was named a Top 100 CISO in 2022 + 2017, awarded “Innovator of the Year” by SANS (2022), “Outstanding Cybersecurity Professional” by the Cyber OSPAs (2022) and listed among the top 100 IT security influencers in 2018. Author of best seller “The Cyber Leadership Imperative”

16:25 - 16:30

Summary & Closing Comments

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16:30 - 17:30

Security Edge Peer Networking Drinks

An opportunity to stay, mingle and meet other attendees over drinks and food and discuss the day.

Register your interest

Security Edge Melbourne