Our Past Speakers Include...

Sam is rethinking retail security for the “super-agent” era, sharing how she governs autonomous AI tools to enable rapid marketing sprints without compromising customer data.​

One of Australia’s top security leaders join a fireside chat on being “brilliant at the basics” and defending national-scale assets effectively when budgets are tight

In an exclusive in-person interview, William returns to share battle-hardened tactics for AI in SecOps and resilience lessons drawn from securing both the CIA against nation-states and Salesforce against global scale threats.

Working with many customers to ensure they have a strong security posture and ensure they get the best business returns for their investment.

Specialties: Technical Solutions for IT Security.

Darren Kane has been the Chief Security Officer at nbn™ since March 2015.  

In 2018, Darren was appointed to the Federal Government’s Industry Advisory Panel.   

In 2020 he remained for the implementation of the Cyber Security Industry Advisory Panel to help guide the nation’s 2025 Cyber Security Strategy and provide ongoing advice to address emerging cyber security challenges. 
 
Prior to nbn™, Darren served in Federal Government Law Enforcement Agencies for over 19 years in the Australian Federal Police, financial markets regulator the Australian Securities & Investment Commission, and 11 years at Telstra Corporation as Corporate Security Director where he was accountable for global protection of Telstra’s assets and engagement with national and international law enforcement and security agencies. Darren was Telstra’s inaugural Internet Trust and Safety Officer appointed in 2006.  
 
In 2024 he was recognised as the iTnews Telecommunications Security Leader of the year and named as the AISA Diversity and Inclusion Champion of the Year. In 2020 Darren was awarded Male Champion of Change at the AWSN (Australian Women’s Security Network). 

Dan is a senior security and identity specialist with extensive experience across cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise platforms. Currently a Senior Solutions Engineer at Wiz, he focuses on helping organisations strengthen their security posture across modern cloud environments.

He brings deep expertise in identity security, partner ecosystems, and go-to-market strategy, having led alliances and technical engagement across APJ. Dan is a recognised thought leader in identity and cybersecurity, regularly presenting to executive audiences and industry forums across the region.

With a background spanning consulting, architecture, and engineering, he has delivered complex solutions across AI, cloud platforms, and large-scale digital initiatives. Dan is known for bridging technical depth with business outcomes, helping organisations navigate evolving security challenges with clarity and confidence.

Adam Hartwig is an Account Executive at ThreatLocker, leveraging a strong background in the Medical Device sector. His work with clinicians and regulated healthcare organisations gives him a solid understanding of security, compliance, and operational risk. With experience supporting mission‑critical technologies, Adam offers practical insight into zero trust and endpoint protection. At ThreatLocker, he applies this expertise to help organisations strengthen security, protect sensitive data, and enhance operational resilience.

Glenn Mahney is VP of Sales APAC at Airlock Digital, where he leads regional sales strategy and drives growth across enterprise and government markets.

With over a decade of experience in cybersecurity and software sales, Glenn has a strong track record of building high-performing teams, expanding into new markets, and delivering consistent revenue growth. He specialises in helping organisations strengthen their security posture, with particular expertise in application control and vulnerability management.

Glenn is known for his pragmatic, customer-focused approach, working closely with partners and clients to deliver effective, scalable security outcomes in complex environments.

Candice Smith is a Solutions Engineer at DigiCert, where she works closely with customers to help them navigate the practical and strategic challenges of digital trust. With a background in Account Management before moving into Sales Engineering, Candice brings a strong understanding of how security decisions impact both technology teams and the wider business.Candice is passionate about translating complex concepts into clear, meaningful conversations, building trusted partnerships, and supporting customers through change. She is an active contributor to customer events, webinars, and cross-functional initiatives, and is particularly focused on creating inclusive, supportive environments where people can learn, connect, and grow together.

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.

Alex Harmer is a security-focused sales leader currently leading APJ Sales Development at Vanta, where he is building and scaling commercial and enterprise growth across the region.

With deep experience in cybersecurity go-to-market and team leadership, Alex has a proven track record of developing high-performing teams and driving pipeline growth at scale. He has led large regional teams across ANZ and APJ, consistently delivering strong results while mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity talent.

Alex is passionate about creating high-trust, high-performance environments where individuals can be authentic, grow their careers, and contribute to meaningful outcomes. His approach blends commercial execution with a strong focus on people, culture, and long-term capability building within the security industry.

Serkan is the Head of Solutions Engineering for Tenable Australia & New Zealand. Serkan has worked globally across various industries to help organisations in achieving their objectives to improve their overall security posture, reduce risk, achieve compliance and gain operational efficiencies. His experiences include designing, advising, and consulting on projects, frameworks, and architectures across multiple cybersecurity disciplines, including exposure management, identity security platforms, and security information & event management solutions.

Stefan is the Chief Information Security Officer at Reece Group, bringing over 25 years’ experience in Australia’s telecommunications and IT sectors. He specialises in securing large-scale enterprise environments and managing cyber risk across complex, evolving threat landscapes.

With deep expertise in security architecture, operations, and engineering, Stefan has led the design and delivery of robust security solutions across cloud, network, and enterprise platforms. He is known for his hands-on leadership style, building high-performing teams and embedding security into technology and business strategy.

Stefan works closely with executive stakeholders to drive informed, value-led security decisions, with a strong focus on resilience, governance, and protecting critical data and systems.

Alex Loizou is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with a proven track record of building and leading high-performing security teams. He has extensive experience as a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for major organisations such as Medibank, Flybuys, and Bupa. Notably, he served as the CISO at Medibank during their 2022 cyber incident, where he played a crucial role in leading the response and recovery efforts. Since departing Medibank in January 2025, Alex has founded Intrinsic Security, a boutique cybersecurity consultancy with the goal of improving security practices in Australian companies.

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. ​
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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. ​
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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. ​
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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.​
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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.​

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.