Agenda

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.

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.​

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.

A seasoned cybersecurity leader with extensive expertise in establishing and overseeing cybersecurity teams. A published author in the field of cybersecurity, notably with the book ‘Ransomware: Enhancing Threat-Centric Cyber Defense’. Demonstrates strong leadership skills, fostering the growth of individuals within the industry.

Bringing a wealth of experience as an IT executive, adept at customizing security strategies according to specific industry sectors and threat landscapes. Proficiently manages security budgets spanning from $5 million to $160 million. Successfully established both in-house onshore and offshore security operations centers, collaborating with partner organizations to achieve robust security outcomes.

Possesses a rich background working with major global financial institutions such as American Express, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ Bank, as well as prominent players in the technology sector like IBM, and within the manufacturing vertical.

I am an advocate for technology leadership, people development and cross-industry partnerships. Steering Google Cloud’s ‘Office of the CISO’ in the Asia Pacific, my leadership extends to shaping cybersecurity principles and cyber governance frameworks, enhancing digital trust across various industries. The role demands a strategic fusion of security expertise, thought leadership, executive sponsorship and partnership with CISOs, CIOs, regulators and government bodies to elevate cybersecurity measures at both a national and global level.

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.

I am an advocate for technology leadership, people development and cross-industry partnerships. Steering Google Cloud’s ‘Office of the CISO’ in the Asia Pacific, my leadership extends to shaping cybersecurity principles and cyber governance frameworks, enhancing digital trust across various industries. The role demands a strategic fusion of security expertise, thought leadership, executive sponsorship and partnership with CISOs, CIOs, regulators and government bodies to elevate cybersecurity measures at both a national and global level.

Alexey, a Director at Accenture, brings over 15 years of expertise in cybersecurity strategy, risk management, quantum risk, and cryptography. He currently holds the position of APAC Quantum Security Lead and A/NZ Cyber Strategy Delivery Lead.

Prior to Accenture, Alexey honed his expertise at EY, contributing to the Global Innovation Quantum Technology Lab and leading Global Quantum Security efforts. In parallel with advancing quantum security, he successfully delivered over a dozen cyber strategy projects for clients across the A/NZ region. Before EY, Alexey served as a County Information Security Officer at Deutsche Bank’s Moscow Branch. His focus was protecting business interests and infrastructure from cyber threats and balancing headquarters objectives with local branch needs.

Alexey is a vocal advocate for best practices and proactive risk management in cyber strategy and quantum security. His thought leadership includes authoring articles, contributing to international reports, producing educational videos, and speaking at industry conferences.

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. 

A leader with a range of experience across various cyber security, technology risk and audit domains. Motivated to create and maintain high performing cultures in order to drive business focused outcomes collaboratively with stakeholders.

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.