IN-PERSON

Melbourne CISO Executive Summit

21 November 2024 | Crown Conference Centre

21 November 2024
Crown Conference Centre

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Melbourne's top CISOs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.

Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CISOs today:

Delivering Digital Innovation to Drive Value Across the Enterprise

Maximising Existing Resources to Optimise Emerging Costs

Securing the Organisation Through Advanced Technology Adoption

Melbourne CISO Governing Body


The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven by CISOs, for CISOs.

Governing Body Co-Chairs

John Ellis

QBE Insurance Group Ltd
Global Head of Security Trust & Influence

What to Expect

Interactive Sessions

Hear from CISO practitioners and thought leaders on how they're solving critical challenges impacting your role today in Keynote sessions, and join smaller, interactive discussions with your peers in Breakout and Boardroom sessions.

Community Networking

Make new connections and catch up with old friends in casual conversations during dedicated time for networking designed to better acquaint you with your Melbourne CISO community.

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Evanta's Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

Agenda


20 November 2024

21 November 2024

18:00 - 21:00  Governing Body Reception

Governing Body Welcome Reception

This reception is exclusive to Governing Body members and special guests and offers a relaxed environment to connect with peers prior to Executive Summit. This is not a typical sit down dinner so expect delicious passed bites and food stations, to allow for an evening of great food, drinks, and lively networking

08:00 - 09:00  Registration & Breakfast

09:00 - 09:45  Keynote

Leading the Digital Revolution — Unleashing Efficiency and Elevating Customer Experience

John Cox headshot

John Cox

CTO

Coles Group

In an era where digital transformation is not just an option but a necessity, businesses are racing to integrate advanced technologies to stay ahead of the curve. Recognising the increasing digital engagement of its customers, Coles has embarked on a remarkable journey of strategically embracing digital acceleration as a core pillar to revolutionise its operations and customer experience. 

Join this session while John Cox, Chief Technology Officer at Coles, shares his insights on:

  • Using digital platforms and AI-driven solutions to streamline processes and offer personalised services
  • Cultivating a culture of digital innovation and organisational productivity through the use of smart automation and data-driven insights
  • Meeting customers’ increasing digital usage with a seamless and engaging experience

09:45 - 10:15  Break

10:15 - 11:00  Breakout Session

Empowering IT Transformation to Fuel the Future

Jason McNamara headshot

Jason McNamara

GM Retail Technology, Digital & Transformation

Viva Energy

Following the acquisition of Coles Express and the OTR Group, Viva Energy is revolutionising the Australian convenience retail market with a comprehensive IT transformation strategy designed to enhance operational efficiency, drive sustainable growth and change the customer experience.

Join this session to hear Jason McNamara, General Manager Retail Technology, Digital & Transformation, as he explains how the company is redefining what it means to be a convenience retailer in the digital age, driving progress and innovation every step of the way.

  • Accelerating the integration of IT systems and processes to streamline the retail experience
  • Laying the foundations for scalable, sustainable digital capabilities
  • Opportunities to enhance the customer journey and drive future growth

10:15 - 11:00  Discussion Topics

Roundtable: Generative AI — Where Are You Leveraging It and Where Are You Not?

Paul Cunningham headshot

Paul Cunningham

VP, Executive Partner

Gartner

Generative AI has captured the attention and imagination of many IT leaders. As we move past the stage of understanding AI, we're determining how and where to leverage it. 

Join your peers to learn and share: 

  • Realistic applications of Generative AI and success stories from various industries
  • Lessons learned and how to mitigate potential risks associated with the technology
  • Strategies for governing and managing AI to ensure ethical and responsible use

10:15 - 11:00  Executive Boardroom

Risk to the Nth-Party Degree

Huzefa Goawala headshot

Huzefa Goawala

Director, Specialist Sales

RiskRecon - A MasterCard Company

Damian Beltrami headshot

Damian Beltrami

CIO

Toll Group

Don McGowan headshot

Don McGowan

CIO

Linfox Armaguard Group

Third party relationships are closest and may prove to be the most tangible risks to your business, yet the whole supply chain of your business partners still pose a substantial threat. Most organisations’ vendor relationship extend to the 8th party. IT and Security leaders need to understand this web of connectedness in order to better manage and communicate enterprise risk.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Gaining visibility into risk across the whole supply chain
  • Strategies for effective risk management and monitoring business partners
  • Overcoming resource challenges to prioritise third party risk

11:00 - 11:30  Networking Break

11:05 - 11:25  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

11:30 - 12:15  Breakout Session

Cybersecurity Governance and Risk Control through Holistic Management

Kurt Hansen headshot

Kurt Hansen

CEO

Tesserent

Josh Kam headshot

Josh Kam

CISO

Tabcorp

Dovid Clarke headshot

Dovid Clarke

CISO & Executive Director Data & Digital Resilience

Department of Government Services Victoria

At no time in history has the threat of cyber risk been greater for modern business and the need for holistic and encompassing governance, technical and architectural control is fundamental to the mitigation of cyber security threats and the continuity of operations.  IT and security leaders must navigate a complex landscape of evolving threats and regulatory requirements to protect assets, information, reputation, while paving the way for organic business growth in a competitive environment that now demands careful consideration of the adoption or rejection of LLM and Generative AI.  

Join this session to explore:

  • Building a risk focused security governance and control platform to manage emerging threats and regulatory requirements
  • Using risk as a driving assessment factor for enhancing security posture
  • Building a security culture and demonstrating the value of security protection strategies to senior leadership and the board

11:30 - 12:15  Executive Boardroom

Strengthening Business Continuity through Rapid Digital Recovery from Technology Outages

Andrew Foot headshot

Andrew Foot

VP of ANZ

Dynatrace

Arul Arogyanathan headshot

Arul Arogyanathan

Group CIO

Village Roadshow Limited

Mark Burns headshot

Mark Burns

Director of Cyber Security

Alfred Health

Martha O'Sullivan headshot

Martha O'Sullivan

CIO

VMCH

Recovering quickly from technology outages is crucial for business resilience and the bottom line. Recent incidents have further highlighted the need for robust recovery strategies. CIOs and CISOs can leverage best practices and advanced technologies to maintain stability during crises.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Implementing a robust monitoring and observability strategy for immediate situational awareness
  • Building resilient IT infrastructure in hybrid and multicloud environments to withstand future challenges
  • Using AI-powered insights and automation to enhance decision-making

11:30 - 12:15  Executive Boardroom

Vision to Value — Harnessing the Latest Process Orchestration, Automation and AI Technologies

Malcolm Ross headshot

Malcolm Ross

Senior Vice President, Product Strategy

Appian

Firuzé Petruk headshot

Firuzé Petruk

Director, I&T Infrastructure APAC

CSL

Serge Ambrose headshot

Serge Ambrose

APAC Digital Technology Head

MMG Limited

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, leaders are under increasing pressure to transform visionary goals into tangible outcomes. The integration of process orchestration, automation, and AI technologies offers unprecedented opportunities to optimise operations, enhance decision-making, and deliver significant business value. However, the challenge lies in harnessing these technologies to create and deliver real results.

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Strategies for aligning process orchestration and AI with business objectives to maximize ROI
  • Overcoming barriers to adoption and integration of automation technologies across enterprise systems
  • Driving continuous improvement and innovation through the intelligent application of automation and AI

12:15 - 13:00  Lunch Service

13:00 - 13:40  Keynote

How Zero Trust & AI are Transforming Innovative Companies

Lee Dolsen headshot

Lee Dolsen

Director, Solution Architecture, APJ

Zscaler

Dave Worthington headshot

Dave Worthington

CISO

Jemena

The modern CIO & CISO must navigate the complex balance between technological advancement and the need to simplify and secure IT environments. This requires overhauling legacy IT architectures to be VPN and firewall-free, responding to shifting threats with AI-enabled defenses, overcoming financial constraints, and accommodating cloud-first businesses with distributed workforces. Leaders must lay a secure foundation using zero trust principles – for users, devices, and workloads – to consistently stay one step ahead of the attackers.

Join this session to learn:

  • How to articulate the organisation's cyber risk posture, controls, and risk reduction strategies to internal stakeholders, including the board of directors
  • How a zero trust approach to IT can help secure organisations’ resources – from end users to branches and factories – reliably and cost-effectively
  • AI’s role in enabling both organisations and their adversaries, with an emphasis on staying a step ahead of cybercriminals

13:40 - 14:00  Break

14:00 - 14:45  Breakout Session

Responding to Cyber Attacks with Effective Crisis Management Strategies

Bo Falk headshot

Bo Falk

Global Head of Business Information Security

ISS Australia

As cyber threats become more sophisticated and frequent, companies of all sizes must be prepared to respond effectively with cyber defense programs. In 2020, ISS World experienced a significant ransomware attack that encrypted IT systems, locked users out, and demanded a ransom, bringing the company's operations to a standstill. The company implemented immediate response efforts and long-term strategies to ensure business continuity and resilience.

Join this session to hear from Bo Falk, Regional Head of Information Security (APAC), ISS World Services on:

  • Crisis Response and an effective incident response plan
  • Long-term recovery and adaptation following a crisis
  • Psychological and emotional impact on incident response team

14:00 - 14:45  Executive Boardroom

The Evolving Role of the CIO and CISO

Mohan Aiyaswami headshot

Mohan Aiyaswami

CIO

Tennis Australia

Indika Wimalasiri headshot

Indika Wimalasiri

Head of IT Risk & Security

Praemium Group

Today’s rapidly changing digital landscape has transformed the role of the CIO and CISO at an unprecedented pace. As organisations face challenges from artificial intelligence integration to cybersecurity threats, the responsibilities of these key leadership positions are expanding beyond traditional boundaries. How can CIOs and CISOs adapt to these evolving demands, drive innovation, and secure their organisations against emerging threats?

Join this integrative session to discuss:

  • Demonstrating the business value of IT and technology investments
  • Making effective control decisions to protect organisations from security threats
  • Collaborative approaches to unlock opportunities from a business lens

14:00 - 14:45  Executive Boardroom

Optimising Cost and Resources through Operational Efficiency

Daniel Gash-Jones headshot

Daniel Gash-Jones

Regional Sales Manager, APAC

Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc

Tracey Evans headshot

Tracey Evans

CTO

Virtus Health

Jeremy Bree headshot

Jeremy Bree

CIO

Carlisle Homes

In today's competitive business environment, CIOs and CISOs are constantly seeking ways to optimise costs and resources while maintaining robust security measures. One of the effective strategies to achieve these goals is through enhancing operational efficiency and improving processes. By streamlining workflows, automating routine tasks, and implementing best practices, organisations can reduce waste, lower operational costs, and improve overall productivity.

Join this interactive session to discuss:

  • Identifying and addressing potential inefficiencies in current operational processes
  • Safeguarding sensitive information while enhancing operational efficiency
  • Leveraging technology and best practices to drive continuous improvement in your organisation

14:45 - 15:15  Networking Break

14:50 - 15:10  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

15:15 - 16:00  Workshop

Designing a Specific AI/ML Digital Architecture

Serge Ambrose headshot

Serge Ambrose

APAC Digital Technology Head

MMG Limited

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) has become a cornerstone for innovation and operational efficiency across industries. As organisations strive to maintain a competitive edge, the development of a robust, scalable AI/ML digital architecture is crucial. 

Join this interactive session to discuss:

  • Enhancing efficiency and innovation through an AI/ML digital framework
  • Address technical, regulatory, and data governance hurdles for successful deployment
  • Foster partnerships with internal stakeholders for strategic success

15:15 - 16:00  Executive Boardroom

Empowering Growth with Data Management and Insights

Venkata Valluri headshot

Venkata Valluri

General Manager Data and Analytics

Aussie Broadband

Mayur Gajera headshot

Mayur Gajera

GM Data and Analytics

Healthscope Limited

Business leaders are facing the challenge of developing a data & analytics strategy that not only ensure robust data governance but also expands business value for data-driven insights. As organisations navigate increasing data volumes and evolving technologies, the need for an effective data governance program has never been more critical to streamline operations and unlock new growth opportunities. 

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Gaining buy-in on your data strategy to drive a culture of data-informed decision-making
  • Streamlining data management processes in an age of fast-evolving technologies
  • Leveraging data & analytics value chain to unlock new growth opportunities

16:00 - 16:20  Break

16:20 - 17:00  Keynote

Neuroscience Brain Hacks — Mastering Productive Learning and Leading Transformation

Lila Landowski headshot

Lila Landowski

Neuroscientist, TEDx Speaker, Senior Lecturer

Guest Speaker

In the rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to continuously learn and make effective decisions is more crucial than ever as CIOs and CISOs face the constant challenge of navigating uncertainty while driving transformative initiatives. Dr. Lila Landowski will take you on a journey through the brain, examining existing research on neuroscience to uncover the secrets behind productive learning, effective decision-making, and leading transformation. 

Join this session with Dr. Landowski to gain practical tools and strategies on:

  • Unlocking the secrets to productive learning
  • Enhancing decision-making capabilities during challenging times in work and life
  • Leading transformation with a growth mindset to embrace and drive change

17:00 - 17:30  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

20 November 2024

21 November 2024

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming in-person gathering


Evanta cares about the health and safety of our community. Please review the following recommendations prior to attending the gathering.

Location


MORE INFORMATION

Accommodation

Crown Promenade

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Crown Promenade at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling (03) 9292 8888.

Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $280 AUD (plus tax) is 11 November 2024.

Your Community Partners


Global Thought Leader
CISO Thought Leader
Program Partners

Community Program Manager


For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.

Denzil Fernandez

Senior Community Program Manager

(04) 727 41540

denzil.fernandez@gartner.com