Sydney CISO Community

Build your trusted circle of C-Level peers

Leadership can be isolating at the C-Level. No one else within your organization truly understands the complexities you face. Gartner C-Level Communities are designed to bridge that gap, bringing together executives who know firsthand the demands of your role.

In the Sydney CISO Community, you will connect with peers who are willing to share their experiences, discuss practical solutions and collaborate on emerging challenges. By joining your local community, you will gain fresh ideas and perspectives, a trusted network of peers and the support you need to lead confidently in a rapidly changing environment.

Join your local community for exclusive access to:

Peer Connections

Catch up with familiar faces and build new relationships with colleagues in your community
Strengthen your trusted professional network with peers who understand your challenges
Establish a circle of peers you can call on for real-time guidance and ongoing support

Peer Perspectives

Engage in candid, in‑depth discussions to address your most pressing priorities
Learn firsthand, practical approaches from peers navigating similar challenges
Validate your strategies through real-world peer experiences

Gartner Insights

Gain data-driven insights and field-tested best practices from Gartner analysts
Explore forward-looking strategies on critical issues affecting your role
Leverage Gartner insights and Executive Partner expertise to enrich peer conversations

Sydney CISO Governing Body

A regional Governing Body leads the Sydney CISO community, shaping the topics and agendas for your local programs and ensuring that all content is driven By CISOs, For CISOs®.

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Venkat Balakrishnan

Allianz
CISO, Australia

Susie Costa

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
SVP, Head Of Security Management

Matt Osborne

QBE Insurance Group Ltd
Group Head of Cyber Risk

Jihad Zein

Toll Group
Global Head of Governance, Risk & Assurance, Group IT

Governing Body Members

Santosh Adsul

TK Elevator
Head of IT, Australia & New Zealand

Victor Akkari

Cochlear Limited
VP, IT Assurance

Artak Amirbekyan

EBOS Group
Chief Data Officer

Vivek Attri

Genpact Australia
VP, Information Security

Richard Burke

Inghams Group
General Manager - Business Technology Services

Derek Chen

Team Global Express
Head of IT Governance & Information Security

Dave Cowan

First Sentier Group
Chief Information Security Officer

Dimitar Dimitrovski

Fair Work Ombudsman
Chief Information Officer

Risto Dukovski

Graincorp Limited
Chief Information Officer

Raghu Gandhy

Veolia Australia and New Zealand
Chief Information Security Officer

Tom Gao

City of Sydney
Chief Information Officer

Anthony Molinia

The University of Newcastle
Chief Digital & Information Officer

Jackie Montado

Wesfarmers
Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Wesfarmers Industrial and Safety

Chris Neal

Ramsay Health Care Limited
Group Chief Information Security Officer

Mohamed Omran

Coates Hire
Head of Cybersecurity and Risk

Katie Payten

Challenger Limited
CISO

Sridhar Pydipati

Sydney Water
Executive General Manager, Digital & Chief Information Officer

Colin Renouf

Healius
Chief Information Security Officer

Sebastian Schultes

Brookfield
SVP, Technology Services

Huw Sergeant

Mirvac
Group General Manager Cybersecurity and Digital Services

Tony Sestanovic

Toyota Financial Services
Head of Customer Originations

Saleshni Sharma

W. R. Berkley
CISO, Asia Pacific

Morgan Storey

Sonic Healthcare
Chief Information Security Officer

Nidhin Tamil

Boral Limited
Chief Information Security Officer

Emma Taylor

Virgin Australia
CTO - Airline Operations

Nick Vine

Australian Red Cross
Head of Information Security

Danny Walsh

George Weston Foods
Director, Business & Technology Services

Bianca Wirth

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
Chief Information Security Officer | General Manager

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

Accelerate Exposure Management To Defend At Machine Speed
Unify AI Risk Into Existing Cyber Governance Practices
Optimize Cybersecurity Portfolios Through Outcome-Driven Investment Strategies

Upcoming Programs

In-Person

18 November 2026 | 1 day

Sydney CISO Community Executive Summit

Hilton Sydney

Connect with CIO peers at this one-day event focused on practical solutions to top challenges.

Learn More

In-Person

March 2027 | an evening

Sydney CISO Community Inner Circle

Join fellow CIOs for dinner, discussion, and networking in a relaxed, collaborative environment.

Learn More

In-Person

August 2027 | an evening

Sydney CISO Community Inner Circle

Join fellow CIOs for dinner, discussion, and networking in a relaxed, collaborative environment.

Learn More

In-Person

November 2027 | 1 day

Sydney CISO Community Executive Summit

Connect with CIO peers at this one-day event focused on practical solutions to top challenges.

Learn More

Past Programs

Apply to join

Already a Member? Sign In

Each application is carefully vetted to ensure members meet established criteria, preserving the quality of the network and enabling meaningful, peer‑level discussions among leaders from the world’s leading organizations.

Once you submit your application, a Community Program Manager will schedule a conversation to understand your priorities and interests and complete onboarding, including access to year‑round community events.

Get Started

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Community Member Criteria

To maintain the highest standard of peer‑level connections and discussions, members must meet the following criteria:

• Enterprise-wide C-Level or

• Business unit or regional C-Level responsible for:

- Private sector: $500M+ in revenue

- Public sector: 1,000+ employees

I report to the…

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“Cybersecurity is a team sport, and the challenges we face are often more similar across industries than they are different. Gartner C-Level Communities provide a valuable forum for networking, sharing experiences, and learning from peers who are tackling many of the same issues.”

Mario Ferket, CISO
Dow Inc

"It's really about having that access to trusted peers, knowing that it's going to be a relevant conversation and then also having a voice in the community."

Deneen DeFiore, VP & CISO
United Airlines

“The real value is connection – getting in a room with peers who are dealing with the same pressures you are. It's a place to trade ideas, swap war stories, and be honest about what's happening in cybersecurity.”

Miro Zgavc, CISO
HomeEquity Bank

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Content from your CISO peers

Leadership Profile | August 28, 2026

Leading Transformation: Kavitha Mariappan on Building Resilience in the Age of AI

In the current AI landscape, Chief Transformation Officer Kavitha Mariappan of Rubrik says the stakes for organizations are “existential.” Here, she explains more about the shift from prevention-first thinking to resilience-first economics and why organizations should be focused on resilience gaps – her session topic at the upcoming Global CISO Community Executive Summit.

Read Article

Survey Report | August 21, 2026

Trends Report: C-Level Strategies and Challenges in Operationalizing AI

This report highlights five major trends driving enterprise AI adoption, drawing on insights from 750 C-Level executives in our recent community survey. These findings reveal an executive community that is increasingly focused on execution, scalability, and sustainable business impact – Read the report.

Read Article

Town Hall Insights | July 7, 2026

Frontier AI — The New Attack Landscape

Frontier AI models now identify and weaponize vulnerabilities in near-real-time, collapsing traditional defense timelines. How can IT and security leaders strengthen their defenses? CISOs and CIOs in our Vancouver, BC Community gathered for a Town Hall discussion that explored the security frameworks required to defend against machine-speed adversaries – here are the takeaways.

Read Article

View All CISO Content

Your Community Sponsors

Global Thought Leaders

CISO Thought Leader

Sydney CISO Community

Build your trusted circle of C-Level peers

Sydney CISO Governing Body

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Venkat Balakrishnan

Susie Costa

Matt Osborne

Jihad Zein

Governing Body Members

Santosh Adsul

Victor Akkari

Artak Amirbekyan

Vivek Attri

Richard Burke

Derek Chen

Dave Cowan

Dimitar Dimitrovski

Risto Dukovski

Raghu Gandhy

Tom Gao

Anthony Molinia

Jackie Montado

Chris Neal

Mohamed Omran

Katie Payten

Sridhar Pydipati

Colin Renouf

Sebastian Schultes

Huw Sergeant

Tony Sestanovic

Saleshni Sharma

Morgan Storey

Nidhin Tamil

Emma Taylor

Nick Vine

Danny Walsh

Bianca Wirth

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

Accelerate Exposure Management To Defend At Machine Speed

Unify AI Risk Into Existing Cyber Governance Practices

Optimize Cybersecurity Portfolios Through Outcome-Driven Investment Strategies

Upcoming Programs

18 November 2026 | 1 day

Sydney CISO Community Executive Summit

Learn More

March 2027 | an evening

Sydney CISO Community Inner Circle

Learn More

August 2027 | an evening

Sydney CISO Community Inner Circle

Learn More

November 2027 | 1 day

Sydney CISO Community Executive Summit

Learn More

Apply to join

Get Started

Community Member Criteria

My contact information is….

Form contains errors, please review the above

Thank you for your interest in the Gartner Community.

“Cybersecurity is a team sport, and the challenges we face are often more similar across industries than they are different. Gartner C-Level Communities provide a valuable forum for networking, sharing experiences, and learning from peers who are tackling many of the same issues.”

Mario Ferket, CISO Dow Inc

"It's really about having that access to trusted peers, knowing that it's going to be a relevant conversation and then also having a voice in the community."

Deneen DeFiore, VP & CISO United Airlines

“The real value is connection – getting in a room with peers who are dealing with the same pressures you are. It's a place to trade ideas, swap war stories, and be honest about what's happening in cybersecurity.”

Miro Zgavc, CISO HomeEquity Bank

Content from your CISO peers

Leadership Profile | August 28, 2026

Leadership Profile | August 28, 2026

Leading Transformation: Kavitha Mariappan on Building Resilience in the Age of AI

Survey Report | August 21, 2026

Survey Report | August 21, 2026

Trends Report: C-Level Strategies and Challenges in Operationalizing AI

Town Hall Insights | July 7, 2026

Town Hall Insights | July 7, 2026

Frontier AI — The New Attack Landscape

Your Community Sponsors

Mario Ferket, CISO
Dow Inc

Deneen DeFiore, VP & CISO
United Airlines

Miro Zgavc, CISO
HomeEquity Bank