
Sydney CISO Community
Executive Summit
2 November 2023 | Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
2 November 2023
Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Sydney'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:
Amplifying Value Through Digital Ecosystems
Strengthening Cyber Risk's Role as a Driver for Enterprise Decision Making
Accelerating Growth with Agility & Innovation
Sydney 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

Nishanth Chandran
Suncorp Group
Head Of Technology Strategy and Transformation

Lea Cornelius
Compass Group Australia
CIO

Susie Costa
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
SVP, Head of Security Management

Christian Daugbjerg
Demant
Vice President IT, Asia Pacific

Ben Doyle
Thales Australia
CISO Asia Pacific

Daniela Fernandez
PayPal Australia
Head of Information Security Australia

Paul Murphy
GHD
Chief Information Officer
What to Expect
Agenda
08:15 - 09:00 Registration & Breakfast
09:00 - 09:45 Keynote
Against a Common Enemy: The Power of Cyber Collaboration
Hosted by AppOmni

Richard Johnson
Chief Information Security Officer
Westpac
The landscape of cyber threats we encounter today has transformed dramatically over the last decade – with a growing diversity of attacks, and an alarming surge in frequency. In the realm of defending against cyber attacks, no organisation can hope to go it alone in building situational intelligence or acquiring capability. Against this shared challenge, the cyber security community recognises collaboration as a powerful strategy to cultivate resilience, seize opportunities and defend against a common enemy.
Join this session while Richard Johnson, Group Chief Information Security Officer at Westpac shares his insights on:
- Strengthening the cyber security ecosystem by sharing threat discovery and protection strategies
- Driving improvements and innovation in cyber security
- Communicating across organisations, government, and industry bodies
09:45 - 10:00 Break
10:00 - 10:45 Breakout Session
Communicating and Bringing a Business Perspective to Cyber Risks

Daniela Fernandez
Head of Information Security Australia
PayPal Australia
While cyber security may fall within the purview of IT, there is no doubt it is a collective responsibility for the entire organisation. To create a security-conscious environment, it is vital to establish clear lines of communication on cyber risks, understand what conversations to have with the board, identify meaningful metrics and engage stakeholders at all levels both internally and externally.
Join this session to hear from Daniela Fernandez, Head of Information Security Australia, PayPal Australia, as she unfolds:
- The power of communication to help execute a successful cyber security strategy.
- The benefits of raising cyber security awareness among employee and end customers
- Understanding your audience and getting your message across
10:00 - 10:45 Breakout Session
The Art of Negotiation – Defeating Ransomware
Hosted by Sygnia

Lauro Burkart
Vice President, Client Leadership APJ
Sygnia

Daniel Zatz
Director Cyber Security Services
Sygnia
Ransomware attacks continue to evolve and recent geopolitical tensions have given rise to a new wave of Ransomware splinter groups. Successfully handling a ransomware attack requires skillful orchestration between multiple elements, including strategic negotiations.
During this session, we’ll take you behind the scenes of real-world negotiations, sharing recent examples of interactions with various (or even infamous) threat actor groups, to provide an intimate understanding of how they think and operate.
Join this session to discover:
- A real-world case study of a heavyweight ransomware attack
- The importance of integrating strategic negotiation into your overall response effort
- Key insights from helping hundreds of organizations defeat ransomware attacks through effective response and preparedness
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
How is Third Party Risk Evolving?
Hosted by RiskRecon, a Mastercard Company

Huzefa Goawala
Director, Specialist Sales
RiskRecon - A MasterCard Company

Wendy Bryant
Chief Digital and Information Officer
NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet

Santanu Lodh
Chief Information Security Officer
OFX
Third-Party Risk remains a key priority for CISOs globally, as dependence on third-party services continues to escalate. In today's age of perpetual digital transformation, organisations are heavily reliant on third-party services. However, given the escalating frequency of breaches among third parties, it is crucial to evaluate how this risk is evolving and for CISOs to stay ahead of the threat curve.
Join this session to discuss:
- Assessing how the Third Party Risk landscape is developing
- Discussing methods for CISOs better collaborate on how vetting suppliers
- Debating who should be on the hook for a breach, where should the responsibility fall
10:45 - 11:45 Networking Break
10:55 - 11:40 Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a 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.
11:45 - 12:30 Breakout Session
Connecting Data and Analytics with Business Outcomes

Omer Yezdani
Chief Data Officer
University of the Sunshine Coast
Data and analytics are powerful tools that add significant capabilities and efficiencies to make informed decisions in a complex business landscape. However, many IT leaders are facing the challenges of making the most of their data sets and demonstrating the impact data has on business outcomes. What strategies can you use to leverage analytics to achieve key objectives with the right governance?
Join this session to hear from Dr Omer Yezdani, Chief Data Officer, University of the Sunshine Coast , as he unfolds:
- Using Data to identify business priorities and support business objectives
- Make impactful data-driven decisions
- Supporting innovation and driving positive change in complex organisations
11:45 - 12:30 Breakout Session
Navigating the Latest Shifts & Innovation Breakthroughs in our Role as CIOs
Hosted by Cisco

Julie Canepa
Director of Digital Transformation & CIO Advisory, Customer Experience Asia Pacific, Japan & China
Cisco Australia and New Zealand
Join us as we unveil some of the latest breakthroughs and transformative shifts to the CIO role – cybersecurity, the surge of AI, the rise of the smart building and the ongoing challenge of the big talent shortage.
With over 25 years’ IT leadership experience, Julie Canepa, Director of Digital Transformation & CIO Advisory, Customer Experience, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan and China will delve into:
- The biggest shifts impacting CIOs
- New strategies to build resilience and achieve greater success in this era of rapid change
- Cutting-edge innovations that can equip your organisation to respond and adapt to these developments
11:45 - 12:30 Executive Boardroom
Enabling Business with a Borderless Data Strategy
Hosted by Protegrity

Anthony Cammarano
Global VP Security, Privacy & Strategy
Protegrity

Stoyan Assenov
Director Information Security
Fiserv

Bradley Busch
CISO
AUB Group
Borders come in many forms, from geopolitical to legal to lines of business to third parties and to cloud platforms. To protect citizens’ privacy and national interests, regulators around the world have enacted disparate data privacy legislation. This has resulted in a rapidly evolving and highly fragmented data privacy regulatory landscape. In effect, the cost of business is escalating as they try to navigate local, state and country-level privacy laws, all while trying to effectively serve customers, innovate and grow business.
Join this interactive session to discuss:
- Establishing seamless cross-border data flows
- Leveraging cross-border and third-party data sharing for advanced AI
- Navigating and driving compliance to diverse data protection laws to maximise business opportunities
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Sydney CISO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Sofitel Sydney WentworthCommunity Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.