Archives: Speakers

I am an experienced IT leader who has enjoyed a career spanning 30 years across multiple industries, including Banking and Finance, Retail, Online Media, Telecommunications and Not For Profit.

My experience spans numerous areas within Technology Including:
Infrastructure Delivery and Support
Application Delivery and Support
Cyber Security
Operational Risk Management
Compliance
Service Management
Mergers and Acquisitions
Strategic Transformation Programme Delivery

My passion lies in creating positive change to deliver value to clients and customers.

I am a passionate people leader who ensures the way outcomes are achieved is as important as the outcomes themselves.

Being an effective and well-rounded leader is a passion and area of continual focus. I dedicate significant time to mentoring and coaching others.

James is the Assistant Director‐General for Standards, Technical Advice, and Research, at the Australian Signals
Directorate’s (ASD) Australian Cyber Security Centre.
This role is responsible for ASD’s proactive cyber‐security advice available on cyber.gov.au, and research of critical and emerging technologies.

Prior to his current appointment, James wasthe Chief of Staff to the Director‐General of ASD.
James has a broad national security background, having started his public service career in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). While at DFAT, James posted to the Philippines where he directly supported the Philippines Armed Forces in the Marawi Siege; and Afghanistan where he was attached to NATO and the Australian Defence Force, working on countering violent extremism policies and operational planning for drawdown efforts.

James is currently studying a Masters of Business, and holds a Bachelor of International Studies, and a Bachelor of Arts.

Shane Pratley is a seasoned IT Operations and Service Management leader with over 25 years of experience spanning industries such as chartered accounting, manufacturing, transport, shared services, and banking and finance. Known for his strategic mindset and value-driven leadership, Shane excels at delivering transformation through the alignment of people, process, and technology. His passion lies in IT operations, service delivery, and driving continuous improvement across complex enterprise environments.

Throughout his career, Shane has led successful service management transformations grounded in ITIL best practices, built high-performing teams, and delivered measurable outcomes—such as consistent year-on-year cost reductions and enhanced service performance. With a strong track record in stakeholder engagement, supplier governance, and financial oversight, Shane is committed to building trusted relationships and delivering sustainable business value through operational excellence.

Experienced and astute Technology, Transformation and People Leader with a track record of delivering corporate profitability, productivity and sustainable competitive performance. May has 20 years of increasingly accountable leadership roles in Banking and Financial Services, Management Consulting, Technology Products and Services industries. May has unique combination of experience as a CIO, CCO and a finance leader who drives strategic transformation to deliver purposeful outcomes and sustainable value to clients, people and society.

Leron is a forward-thinking technology executive specialising in cyber strategy, management and delivery. He has led large scale, global, high value digital and security transformation programs to improve cost performance and support business strategy.

Leron has extensive knowledge and practical experience in solving information security, privacy and architectural issues across private and public sectors. His business acumen, technology insight, leadership and facilitation skills allow him to enable businesses to thrive while managing cyber security risks.

Leron is also a book author, award-winning speaker and advisor to startups helping them grow and innovate while protecting them against cyber threats.

Recognised as one of the Top 10 Cybersecurity Leaders in Australia (CSO30).

CISO | Chief Security Officer | Cyber Security Leader | Director of Security | Interim CISO | Fractional CISO | vCISO | VP of Security

I am a cyber security and IT leader with over 20 years of experience across government, healthcare, academia, and telecommunications. I have a proven track record in leading large-scale cyber security initiatives, enhancing governance frameworks, and managing multi-million-dollar budgets. My expertise lies in implementing advanced security measures to safeguard critical infrastructure and ensuring compliance with state, federal, and international standards.

I have extensive experience in risk management, security architecture, and stakeholder engagement, and I work closely with C-suite executives and legal counsel to align cyber security strategies with broader business objectives. With a strong technical background, I’m skilled at translating complex security concepts for both technical and non-technical audiences, and I actively promote cross-jurisdictional partnerships to strengthen cyber security resilience.

I’m passionate about advancing the field of cyber security through academic leadership, consultancy, and collaboration. I’ve launched new programs and secured competitive grants, including developing industry recognised certifications and postgraduate degrees. As a recognised thought leader, I continuously strive to drive innovation and excellence in cyber security and privacy.

An experienced and successful senior executive with broad and deep knowledge of the domestic and international dimensions of cyber security, transformational technology, risk and governance.

A respected industry leader & advocate for women in Cybersecurity, Tech and Business, River is driven by inclusion, innovation, process improvement & strategic advisory. Focusing on execution and delivery of optimised strategic solutions in the banking, entertainment, Web 3.0, hospital & healthcare industries.

An accomplished academic with a double bachelor’s degree in Commerce & Economics and triple major in Applied Agricultural Economics, Finance and Econometrics from Sydney University and a Masters in Information Technology majoring in Programming and Security Engineering from the University of New South Wales. River has recently commenced the CISSP certification with a target completion date of 2023.

I am an accomplished ‘Cyber Security Leader’ & Security Speaker with overall IT Security experience of more than 13 years including specialising in leading, analysing and implementing Cyber Security based initiatives along with Security Consultation with respect to design and implementation of complex projects and Security Compliance, Risk, Governance based on industry established standards.

Manasseh Paradesi is an experienced CISO and executive advisor, known for delivering pragmatic, risk-based cybersecurity leadership across top-tier organizations. With a strong focus on aligning security with business and regulatory objectives, Manasseh specializes in maturing security postures, optimizing SIEM operations, and implementing compliance programs guided by global standards such as ISO, NIST, PCI-DSS, and GDPR. His collaborative, customer-focused approach turns cybersecurity challenges into strategic business value.