Sydney agenda
Sydney agenda
August 1 | Sydney
08:15 – 09:00
Morning refreshments
09:00 – 09:10
Chairperson’s opening remarks
Peter Deans is a former Chief Risk Officer and retired from executive life in 2019, after a finance career of over 32 years. Peter is today an industry leading risk management and strategy advisor through his firm, Notwithoutrisk Consulting. Peter is currently Chair and Non-Executive Director of NerdWallet Australia, and a Non-Executive Director of Trade for Good and The Regtech Association. Peter is also an advisory board member for several fintechs and start-up companies.
Peter is a regular contributor to a range of strategy, risk and finance publications including Company Director Magazine (Australia), Director Today (India), FINSIA (Australia) and The Asian Banker (Singapore).
Peter was awarded Australian Banking & Finance magazine’s Chief Risk Officer of the Year award in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
09:10 – 09:50
Keynote panel discussion
APRA’s CPS230 - a transformative step in managing disruptive risk
- Insights from APRA based on the recently concluded consultation papers
- Overview on how organization are preparing in relation to upcoming implementation of CPS 230
- Insights from an industry expert on sector trends and lessons learned from overseas
Kishore Raghavan is the Head of risk for White Label Partner Solutions (ex-Citi) at National Australia Bank. Kishore has more than 25 years of experience as a strategic executive globally across US, Latin America, Asia and Australia. Kishore has held product roles and is commercially focussed risk executive driving the best outcomes for the firm and its clients.
Recently, Kishore completed an Executive risk program with Harvard Business School which according to him was very transformative. Other than that he holds a MBA in Finance from California State University and an Engineering degree from University of Madras, India.
Other than work, Kishore loves spending time with his family, travelling, avid Cricket and NFL fan and passionate about raising funds for Cancer cure and treatment and volunteering at Hope Dinner with Salvos.
Alison Bliss is the General Manager, Operational Resilience within APRA’s Cross Industry Division. The Operational Resilience team provide risk expertise to prudential supervision and policy across operational risk, business continuity, supplier risk management, technology risk, compliance and data risk matters, as well as climate risk expertise in relation to financial services. In addition, the team is responsible for leading and executing strategic programs of work focused on uplifting cyber risk management across APRA’s regulated entities and driving a significant shift in how operational resilience is identified and managed by entities to ensure the financial system remains robust and that the Australian community is protected.
Alison currently serves as the Chair of the Council of Financial Regulators Cyber and Operational Resilience Working Group.Alison joined APRA in November 2017 and as General Manager, Data Analytics & Insights, she was instrumental in maturing APRA’s data and analytics capabilities and developing APRA’s forward looking data strategy. Alison has over 20 years broad risk management and operations leadership experience across banking, financial markets, and funds management. Prior to joining APRA she was Global Head of Commodity and Financial Markets Operations at Macquarie Group, where she had responsibility for end to end transaction lifecycle activities for commodities, equities and financial markets trading businesses. During her 15+ years at Macquarie, Alison also held leadership roles in finance, operational risk, funds management, private equity and investment banking and has spent over half her career based in international locations including Seoul, Beijing, Hong Kong and Houston.Alison holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and is a qualified member of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CA ANZ).
Justin Laughlin-Hyde is the Commercial Director for KY3P® in Asia Pacific based in Sydney having recently relocated back to Sydney Australia after 10 years in living and working in London UK.
During his time abroad, Justin was responsible for building and leading the global third-party risk management functions for both Wise and the Investec Group, covering banking, wealth, and asset management solutions, as well as developing risk frameworks and policies. He was also pivotal in the design and implementation of the architecture on 2 third-party risk management platforms, delivering end-to-end risk management. His experience also includes leading Procurement, Marketing Strategy, Market Data, and Corporate Library initiatives, as well operational risk, audit, and Board advisory.
Prior to his roles in London, Justin was head of the non-advised wealth operations for BT Financial Group in Australia and led QBE’s financial services intermediary operations.
Justin is married with twin girls, and is an active Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion leader with a personal focus on the LGBTQIA community.
Rani Mina is the Chief Risk & Compliance Officer for HSBC Australia and New Zealand. In this role, Rani leads and manages the Risk and Compliance function and is responsible for all risk, financial crime and regulatory compliance risk management disciplines. She is a member of HSBC Australia’s Executive Committee, chairs the Board Risk Management Sub-Committee and advises the Board and Executive Committee on all risk and compliance-related issues.
Previously Rani was the General Counsel for HSBC Australia where she led and managed the bank’s Legal function and advised the Board, Executive Committee and Risk Committee on legal and reputational issues.
Rani joined HSBC in 2015, prior to which she was a Partner of Mayer Brown International LLP in London. Before she returned to Australia, Rani was Co-Legal Head, Group Monitor Liaison Office for HSBC Group. In this role, she co-led a team of lawyers across London, Hong Kong and the US, advising HSBC senior leadership at a global and country level on compliance with the 2012 Deferred Prosecution Agreement and the implementation of global standards to manage financial crime risk across the organisation.
Rani has a First Class Honours (LLB) from Griffith University. She was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in Australia in 2000, and as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2004.
Vasyl Nair is group chief executive at Mine Super and has a background in law and corporate finance, having also held roles across operations, strategy, marketing and risk functions at some of Australia’s largest financial services institutions. He holds bachelor of laws, bachelor of commerce, graduate diploma of legal practice and executive master of business administration degrees. Nair is also a director of Recreo Financial, an Australian financial technology company, specialising in superannuation and investment administration.
Jo Tornatore-Gallo has over 20 years risk experience in financial services’ and is currently with the Royal Bank of Canada where she is Managing Director & Chief Risk Officer, Australia (based in Sydney). As CRO, Jo is responsible for providing independent oversight of Risk across business platforms in Australia.
Jo is currently a member of the RBC Diversity Council and has also actively participated in various employment led working groups such as RWomen, Women in Finance UTS program, Pride chair and Multicultural. Jo has participated as a mentor in the RBC mentoring program and is also an accredited Mental Health First Aid Office.
External to RBC, Jo loves spending time with her family, eating great food, trail running and volunteering at ParkRun.
09:50 – 10:15
Presentation by SAS
From crisis to opportunity: resilient and sustainable risk management in an age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Terisa Roberts is the global solution lead for risk modelling and decisioning at SAS, and has two decades of experience in quantitative risk management and advanced analytics. She has helped companies in financial services, telecommunications, government, energy and retail derive business value and make better decisions using risk analytics. Roberts has experience in regulatory compliance, IFRS 9, BCBS 239, model risk management and enterprise stress-testing. She advises banks and regulators on industry best practices in artificial intelligence (AI), automation and digitalisation related to risk modelling and decisioning, and in the responsible use of AI and machine learning. Roberts regularly speaks at international risk conferences on innovation in risk management.
10:15 – 10:45
Networking break
10:45 – 11:20
Development and sophistication of the derivatives market
- What are the latest offerings within the derivatives market?
- Does the derivatives market need to be rebalanced?
- What needs to change within the derivatives market?
- What are the current regulatory focuses for derivatives, and how are they affecting market development and sophistication?
Peter Deans is a former Chief Risk Officer and retired from executive life in 2019, after a finance career of over 32 years. Peter is today an industry leading risk management and strategy advisor through his firm, Notwithoutrisk Consulting. Peter is currently Chair and Non-Executive Director of NerdWallet Australia, and a Non-Executive Director of Trade for Good and The Regtech Association. Peter is also an advisory board member for several fintechs and start-up companies.
Peter is a regular contributor to a range of strategy, risk and finance publications including Company Director Magazine (Australia), Director Today (India), FINSIA (Australia) and The Asian Banker (Singapore).
Peter was awarded Australian Banking & Finance magazine’s Chief Risk Officer of the Year award in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
Catherine serves as a Portfolio Manager at Fortlake. She is a current PhD (Engineering) candidate and scholarship recipient at the University of Sydney (USYD), where she is leveraging artificial intelligence for fixed income portfolio optimisation. Catherine has been conducting research alongside Dr Christian Baylis and Dr Kylie-Anne Richards since 2023. She holds a Master of Data Science from USYD, where her thesis examined the role of Quantitative Easing and price bifurcations in the Australian Commonwealth Government Bond market.
Having worked previously at ANZ and Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), Catherine has experience in domestic and global fixed income markets. DFA is a global investment firm with over $1 trillion AUM, with a board that has featured numerous Nobel laureates and esteemed academics including Eugene Fama, Ken French, Merton Miller, Myron Scholes and Robert Merton. At DFA she worked in a trading and portfolio management capacity where she applied quantitative problem-solving and analytic skills to design fixed income strategies. Catherine was also responsible for overseeing the incorporation of sustainability principles into the investment process. In her time at ANZ, she produced market communications and facilitated trades in fixed income and derivative products.
Catherine's experience in finance is preceded by a career in economics and business studies education, where she served as a teacher for several years. Outside her time at Fortlake, she continues her work as an educator for postgraduate students in the Faculty of Computer Science at USYD.
Alex Orgaz-Barnier
Senior manager, market infrastructure
Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Alex is a Senior Manager in the Market Infrastructure team at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). He leads the unit responsible for overseeing the Australian futures markets and OTC trading and reporting infrastructure, including licensing and supervising Trade Repositories and administering the Australian Derivatives Transaction Reporting Rules.
Scott is Co-Head of Quantitative Services at Acadia where he manages complex projects and teams within quantitative finance. Scott is a risk and finance professional specializing in capital planning, stress testing, derivatives pricing, and model development at large US banks. He advises financial institutions on risk management and regulatory compliance matters, helping clients accelerate development timelines and achieve high-value institutional objectives. Scott has extensive experience meeting Dodd Frank deliverables, Uncleared Margin Rules and managing regulatory relationships with the Federal Reserve, OCC, FDIC, and others through prior roles at Citigroup and Santander US. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics with Honors from Williams College, as well as active Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF) qualifications.
11:20 – 12:00
Australia's economic paradox: forecasted interest rate declines clash with persistent inflation's grip
- How will 2026's funding and liquidity shifts affect MLH entities amidst changing interest rates and persistent inflation?
- What is the RBA's approach to achieving a 'soft landing' by managing unemployment and inflation?
- How are the health of the property markets and their interaction with interest rates and inflation influencing Australia's economic stability?
My joined AMP in 2021 within the AMP Investments team. My’s responsibilities include providing analyses on global and Australian economic data, constructing various proprietary economic indicators, producing forecasts for external agencies & internal departments, and contributing to the quantitative dynamic asset allocation process.
Previously, My was worked as a fixed income research analyst at Deutsche Bank in New York City with a focus on securitised products. My has a Master’s degree in Financial Mathematics from UNSW Sydney, and a Bachelor degree in Mathematics and Economics from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, United States
Paul Bloxham is HSBC’s Chief Economist for Australia, New Zealand and Global Commodities and is a Managing Director. He is chief spokesperson for HSBC on forecasts and trends for the Australian and New Zealand economies and their interaction with global financial markets and international economies and a key spokesperson on HSBC’s unique view on global commodity markets. Paul is a regular commentator on local and international business television and a frequent contributor of opinion editorials to the Australian newspapers. Paul’s team has won a number of forecasting awards, including the Consensus Economics award for best forecaster for the Australian economy in 2021, and Focus Economics awards for best forecaster for New Zealand in 2023 and both Australia and New Zealand in 2017. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University. Prior to joining HSBC in 2010, Paul spent 12 years as an economist with the Reserve Bank of Australia. Paul holds a Master's degree in public financial policy from the London School of Economics and Bachelor of Commerce in economics with honours from Curtin University.
Elliot has been with Westpac Economics for 13 years, having previously worked at the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Over his career, his focus has remained on Australia’s place in the global economy, having assessed economic and financial developments in Asia for the RBA. Clarke manages Westpac Economics’ global economic and financial market forecasts. He holds an honours degree in economics from the University of Sydney, a masters of applied finance from Macquarie University and is a CFA Charterholder.
Garth is the Chief Risk Officer for SMBC in Australia. This position is a regulatory requirement under APRA regulation. He is also registered as a Responsible Person with APRA and a Responsible Manager under the ASIC regime. Garth has been with SMBC in Sydney for approximately 16 years.
Prior to joining SMBC, Garth was a Partner in Grant Thornton, a global consulting firm, where he provided risk consulting services to banks. Before accepting that role, Garth headed up Credit Risk teams for NAB in large states across Australia and began his career as a graduate accountant at Deloitte. He has a unique blend of banking and consulting experience which has assisted SMBC in building a leading risk function as it has transformed from being a small foreign bank branch to one of the leading foreign bank branches in this market.
Garth holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Master of Business Administration, is a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds an Advanced Diploma in Financial Services.
12:00 – 12:40
Driving environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives in Australia
- Collaborative efforts among regulators, influential corporate entities and financial intermediaries to create replicable co-operation models across neighboring markets
- How innovative businesses are enhancing value propositions and pushing the boundaries of ESG practices
- Strategies to enable collaborative ESG development models in adjacent markets by regulators, influential corporations
- The impact of International Sustainability Standards Board standards on ESG perceptions in Australia
Maria is a financial services regulation specialist currently working with China Everbright Bank, Sydney branch as its Chief Compliance Officer and previously at HSBC, CBA and Morgan Stanley. Maria is a practising solicitor for the last 20 years and is a Certified Expert in Sustainable Finance.
Maria leads with an innovation mindset and recognises that all decision makers need to maintain an eye on the horizon in order to keep abreast of the ever evolving regulatory landscape.
Viisti is an Industry Expert at UTS, with both public and private sector including as a Senior Director in top tier consulting firms and in-house, across financial services, telecommunications, media, and education sectors. She focuses on helping organisations with their biggest challenges - including M&A, Diversity and Inclusion, Culture change, Risk, Innovation and ESG - often on high priority programs. Her focus on business transformation is commercial, strategic and pragmatic.
Viisti is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, jas a Masters of Law (USyd), Masters of International Relations (UQ & Sciences Po Paris), and a Bachelor of Business (QUT). She has lived and worked in France, UK, Chile and Vietnam.
Prerna Divecha
Global head of market development for ESG & climate credit risk
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Prerna is the Global Head of Market Development for ESG & Climate Credit Risk at S&P Global Market Intelligence. She joined the company in 2017 as Director - Pre-sales, Credit Risk Solutions. She possesses over 18 years of work experience across banking and financial services.
In her current role, she manages a broad range of responsibilities including market outreach, strategic client engagement, business strategy and product roadmap of S&P Global’s climate credit risk solutions. Prerna has worked extensively in the areas of climate scenario analysis, climate stress testing and climate related financial reporting with some of the largest financial institutions across the globe.
Prior to this, she worked with J.P. Morgan and Standard Chartered Bank in the fields of debt capital markets, investment banking and credit risk. Prerna is a Chartered Accountant from The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and is certified in Climate Stress Testing from Risk Learning, Singapore.
Jade Ibrahimovic is GMHBA’s Chief Risk Officer, commencing this role in October 2021. Jade is responsible for overseeing the governance and strategy for risk management and compliance, including relationships with key regulators and supervisory institutions. Her team provides independent oversight and guidance for managing risk and ensuring compliance, and leads efforts to build and sustain a strong risk culture in which all employees understand the importance of managing risk to deliver responsible growth and serve our members, patients communities. Jade has had more than 20 years of experience within the Private Health Insurance sector. She has served in a number of senior roles throughout the company, including positions within risk and compliance, operations, human resources and program management. Jade’s focus is to empower our people to manage risk and compliance, maintaining the trust placed in the company by our members, patients and community. Jade has a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Marketing and Economics from Deakin University. She was also a participant in the Committee for Geelong Leaders program and held a volunteer board position with the Geelong Food Relief Centre.
Dr Peter Simpson is currently the Global Head of Safety, Security & ESG for Standard Chartered bank., with a footprint in the highest risk regions of the world. Peter is a pilot by trade, and has BSc, MSc, MA, MBA and DBA. He is passionate about and leading organisations through customer-focussed change and simplification, and working with the next generation of young leaders. He is a Board member in a not-for-profit looking after the most vulnerable members of society.
12:40 – 14:00
Lunch break
Afternoon sessions
14:00 – 14:10
Chairperson’s opening remarks
Peter Deans is a former Chief Risk Officer and retired from executive life in 2019, after a finance career of over 32 years. Peter is today an industry leading risk management and strategy advisor through his firm, Notwithoutrisk Consulting. Peter is currently Chair and Non-Executive Director of NerdWallet Australia, and a Non-Executive Director of Trade for Good and The Regtech Association. Peter is also an advisory board member for several fintechs and start-up companies.
Peter is a regular contributor to a range of strategy, risk and finance publications including Company Director Magazine (Australia), Director Today (India), FINSIA (Australia) and The Asian Banker (Singapore).
Peter was awarded Australian Banking & Finance magazine’s Chief Risk Officer of the Year award in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
14:10 – 14:40
Navigating interest rate swaps, CDS and technological evolution
- How do the interest rate swap, swaption, and CDS swap and swaption markets function as significant derivative markets?
- How has the transition of liquidity from the Bond markets to the swap markets been influenced by post-GFC regulation?
- Considering these markets are over-the-counter (OTC), how have technological advancements impacted or are expected to impact these marketplaces?
Catherine serves as a Portfolio Manager at Fortlake. She is a current PhD (Engineering) candidate and scholarship recipient at the University of Sydney (USYD), where she is leveraging artificial intelligence for fixed income portfolio optimisation. Catherine has been conducting research alongside Dr Christian Baylis and Dr Kylie-Anne Richards since 2023. She holds a Master of Data Science from USYD, where her thesis examined the role of Quantitative Easing and price bifurcations in the Australian Commonwealth Government Bond market.
Having worked previously at ANZ and Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), Catherine has experience in domestic and global fixed income markets. DFA is a global investment firm with over $1 trillion AUM, with a board that has featured numerous Nobel laureates and esteemed academics including Eugene Fama, Ken French, Merton Miller, Myron Scholes and Robert Merton. At DFA she worked in a trading and portfolio management capacity where she applied quantitative problem-solving and analytic skills to design fixed income strategies. Catherine was also responsible for overseeing the incorporation of sustainability principles into the investment process. In her time at ANZ, she produced market communications and facilitated trades in fixed income and derivative products.
Catherine's experience in finance is preceded by a career in economics and business studies education, where she served as a teacher for several years. Outside her time at Fortlake, she continues her work as an educator for postgraduate students in the Faculty of Computer Science at USYD.
14:40 – 15:15
Advancing clearing and collateral management in Australia’s financial sector
- Navigating risks around counterparty relationships and liquidity
- Evaluating developments in clearing solutions for the long term for various products
- Optimizing collateral within the current market conditions
- New opportunities emerging from the regulatory environment and digitalisation
Mike joined the Treasury Corporation of Victoria (TCV) in 2012. As Executive Director Risk, he is responsible for financial risk management, Credit Risk, Risk Appetite, Risk Policy, Enterprise Risk Management, Operational Risk, Risk Technology, and Business Intelligence and New Product development. Risk operations management includes collateral management processes. Mike works closely with TCV’s Prudential Supervisor, the internal and external auditors and the Department of Treasury and Finance. He is Melbourne’s Director of the Global Association of Risk Professionals.
Before TCV, Mike held senior roles at ANZ in Melbourne for ten years as executive Balance Sheet and Capital Management for the Australia Division, Credit and Portfolio Modelling and Market Risk Management (VaR design). At Deloitte Consulting he worked for financial companies from the Amsterdam office across Europe, in the USA from their Chicago office in 2000, as well as Melbourne in Australia in 2001. Work included large scale data warehousing and business intelligence for ABN AMRO, Y2K implementation for GMAC Europe, cost reduction programs and strategy development for JP Morgan and regional US banks.
Mike was born in The Netherlands and moved to Australia in 2001.
Otto Vaeisaenen is Head of Clearance and Collateral Management at The Bank of New York Australia, covering both the Australia and New Zealand markets with the world’s largest Triparty platform.
In this role, Otto is responsible for helping clients manage and optimize the funding and financing of their portfolios internationally. In addition, he oversees the business development of BNY’s Markets business.
Prior to BNY, Otto worked for close to 20 years in Markets, Collateral and Custody across several regional leadership roles in Business Development in Europe, Africa and Middle East. He holds degrees in Business and Hospitality Management from the University of Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne.
15:15 – 15:45
Networking break
15:45 – 16:30
Peer-to-peer roundtable discussion
Derivatives deep-dive discussions
Accessing the derivatives market in emerging markets
Peter Deans is a former Chief Risk Officer and retired from executive life in 2019, after a finance career of over 32 years. Peter is today an industry leading risk management and strategy advisor through his firm, Notwithoutrisk Consulting. Peter is currently Chair and Non-Executive Director of NerdWallet Australia, and a Non-Executive Director of Trade for Good and The Regtech Association. Peter is also an advisory board member for several fintechs and start-up companies.
Peter is a regular contributor to a range of strategy, risk and finance publications including Company Director Magazine (Australia), Director Today (India), FINSIA (Australia) and The Asian Banker (Singapore).
Peter was awarded Australian Banking & Finance magazine’s Chief Risk Officer of the Year award in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
Henry Trinh is an Associate Portfolio Manager in the Income and Markets team at Aware Super, formally known as First State Super. His key responsibilities cover portfolio exposure management and execution across multiple asset classes involving listed and OTC instruments, alongside management of the Fund’s securities finance strategies. Henry joined Aware Super in April 2019 and in this time has worked on supporting the build out of the Fund’s direct investment capabilities and strategies for derivative overlays, portfolio rebalancing, cash management and securities finance. Prior to joining Aware Super, Henry was employed at JPMorgan for 7.5 years working across various businesses covering equity derivatives, securities finance, regional treasury and private banking across Sydney and Hong Kong. Henry holds a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Sydney and a Master of Applied Finance degree from Macquarie University.
16:30 – 16:45
Roundtable insights
A panel where roundtable facilitators will share key takeaways from the day's discussions.
Peter Deans is a former Chief Risk Officer and retired from executive life in 2019, after a finance career of over 32 years. Peter is today an industry leading risk management and strategy advisor through his firm, Notwithoutrisk Consulting. Peter is currently Chair and Non-Executive Director of NerdWallet Australia, and a Non-Executive Director of Trade for Good and The Regtech Association. Peter is also an advisory board member for several fintechs and start-up companies.
Peter is a regular contributor to a range of strategy, risk and finance publications including Company Director Magazine (Australia), Director Today (India), FINSIA (Australia) and The Asian Banker (Singapore).
Peter was awarded Australian Banking & Finance magazine’s Chief Risk Officer of the Year award in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
Henry Trinh is an Associate Portfolio Manager in the Income and Markets team at Aware Super, formally known as First State Super. His key responsibilities cover portfolio exposure management and execution across multiple asset classes involving listed and OTC instruments, alongside management of the Fund’s securities finance strategies. Henry joined Aware Super in April 2019 and in this time has worked on supporting the build out of the Fund’s direct investment capabilities and strategies for derivative overlays, portfolio rebalancing, cash management and securities finance. Prior to joining Aware Super, Henry was employed at JPMorgan for 7.5 years working across various businesses covering equity derivatives, securities finance, regional treasury and private banking across Sydney and Hong Kong. Henry holds a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Sydney and a Master of Applied Finance degree from Macquarie University.
16:45 – 16:45
Chairperson’s closing remarks
16:45 – 18:00
Networking drinks
14:00 – 14:10
Chairperson’s opening remarks
Niels Thelosen is a financial services risk management professional who specializes in operational risk management, with a focus on operational resilience, data, technology and cyber. In his most recent role, he was responsible for managing operational resilience prudential aspects across Macquarie's operating and support groups, including asset finance, banking, wealth management, trading, finance and risk.
14:10 – 14:40
Conduct risk control: shaping ethical business practices
- Priority in practice: ethical integrity versus sales drives
- How financial institutions can align internal cultures and control mechanisms
Simone Johnson is an enterprise risk management professional at Royal Bank of Canada. She previously held front office roles in securitisation at RBC, ANZ and Macquarie Bank which involved the structuring and execution of warehouse and capital markets transactions.
Simone holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Actuarial Studies) and Applied Finance and a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University.
Greg McKenna brings more than 37 years’ experience in the banking and finance industry to his role as CEO of Police Bank, where he was previously a board member and then Chair before stepping into the executive position.
For much of his career Greg spent time in markets where he was a trader, portfolio manager, currency and market strategist, holding long-term titles such as Treasurer of a large mutual bank during the GFC and senior currency strategist roles for two of the majors.
Greg has a Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance) from Monash University, Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University, and is accredited with the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Michael Skinner
Managing director, chief investment officer and partner
Blackwattle Investment Partners
Michael Skinner has 20 years of engineering and investment experience. Michael was previously responsible for over $1.7bn of investment across a range of Australian equity strategies.
He also lends his time to the University of NSW and the University of Adelaide as a senior academic and serves on a number of boards across the sectors of sport, charity, community and education.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Engineering, Graduate Diploma of Law, Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Law.
14:40 – 15:10
Elevating operational risk and resilience standards
- Comprehensive mapping and rigorous testing
- Defining impact thresholds for enhanced business continuity and preparedness
Campbell Nicoll is chief risk officer (CRO) at Regional Australia Bank, with 15 years' experience in credit and operational risk management. His previous roles in the financial sector include general manager positions at ASB Bank and a CRO role at the Bank South Pacific.
Mangala is a risk and governance specialist and self proclaimed data geek who currently works as a data steward at the National Australia Bank. Over the last 7 years, he has worked across all 3 lines of defence and worked at various consulting firms including PwC and ShineWing. He is currently pursuing his MBA at the Imperial College London, and previously graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce and Economics, specialising in Accounting, Actuarial Sciences and Econometrics from Monash University. Outside of work, Mangala volunteers his time for several causes - he currently sits on the board of directors for Beta Alpha Psi International and GovHack Australia and New Zealand. He is also actively involved in the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Youth Network and World Economic Forum Global Shapers' community. In his spare time, Mangala likes to travel, walk along the beach during sunset and play/watch various sports.
15:10 – 15:40
Redefining data risk in the financial services industry
- How do governance, risk and compliance systems help assess data maturity and determine areas for improvement in data risk management
- What role does CPS230 play in advancing data risk management and improving overall data practices in the industry?
Niels Thelosen is a financial services risk management professional who specializes in operational risk management, with a focus on operational resilience, data, technology and cyber. In his most recent role, he was responsible for managing operational resilience prudential aspects across Macquarie's operating and support groups, including asset finance, banking, wealth management, trading, finance and risk.
Winnie is a data risk specialist and certified data steward currently working at Westpac, and previously at Macquarie and CBA. Prior to specialising in data, she has worked in product development and management, business management and risk governance. This diverse experience has given her insights to the different aspects of banking, from front office to operations, compliance and legal, IT, finance and risk.
Winnie is a lifelong learner with a keen interest in exploring the intersection of data risk with other risk classes such as cyber, technology, privacy and AI in our increasingly complex and interconnected digital landscape. She holds a BSc and BCom (Hons) from UNSW and a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University. Outside of work, she is an origami designer specialising in origami tessellations, where a single sheet of paper is folded to create a repeat pattern.
Mangala is a risk and governance specialist and self proclaimed data geek who currently works as a data steward at the National Australia Bank. Over the last 7 years, he has worked across all 3 lines of defence and worked at various consulting firms including PwC and ShineWing. He is currently pursuing his MBA at the Imperial College London, and previously graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce and Economics, specialising in Accounting, Actuarial Sciences and Econometrics from Monash University. Outside of work, Mangala volunteers his time for several causes - he currently sits on the board of directors for Beta Alpha Psi International and GovHack Australia and New Zealand. He is also actively involved in the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Youth Network and World Economic Forum Global Shapers' community. In his spare time, Mangala likes to travel, walk along the beach during sunset and play/watch various sports.
15:40 – 16:10
Networking break
16:10 – 16:40
Peer-to-peer roundtable discussion
Risk management deep-dive discussions
Using generative AI in risk management
As a Manager-Technology Risk at Commonwealth Bank (CBA), Kyvi has over seven years experience in overseeing and advising on risks arising from operational changes, data breaches, and cloud migrations.
She holds the Certificate of the Business Continuity Institute (CBCI) and AWS cloud practitioner. Her mission is to enable safe, sound, and secure technology to build tomorrow's bank today for our customers and community.
Please let me know the next steps, and the time of the panel discussion, names of the presenters, topics and questions to be discussed.
Jenny is a Senior Manager Risk and Compliance at Australian Military Bank. She has over 25 years’ experience in the banking industry within risk, compliance and audit. After graduating from Macquarie University and working in Sydney for a few years in superannuation administration and audit, she moved to London where she spent most of her working career, 18 years, in a Japanese bank and was the Head of Internal Audit.
She returned to Sydney and has since worked in a mid-tier bank, startup bank and now at a mutual bank, Australian Military Bank. In the last 4 years she changed roles from working in the 3rd line to 2nd line in Risk and Compliance.
She appreciates the importance of automation in minimizing risks. She enjoys working through and being part of change management processes that improve or enhance compliance, operations, and controls.
Niels Thelosen is a financial services risk management professional who specializes in operational risk management, with a focus on operational resilience, data, technology and cyber. In his most recent role, he was responsible for managing operational resilience prudential aspects across Macquarie's operating and support groups, including asset finance, banking, wealth management, trading, finance and risk.
16:40 – 16:45
Roundtable insights
A panel where roundtable facilitators will share key takeaways from the day's discussions.
As a Manager-Technology Risk at Commonwealth Bank (CBA), Kyvi has over seven years experience in overseeing and advising on risks arising from operational changes, data breaches, and cloud migrations.
She holds the Certificate of the Business Continuity Institute (CBCI) and AWS cloud practitioner. Her mission is to enable safe, sound, and secure technology to build tomorrow's bank today for our customers and community.
Please let me know the next steps, and the time of the panel discussion, names of the presenters, topics and questions to be discussed.
Jenny is a Senior Manager Risk and Compliance at Australian Military Bank. She has over 25 years’ experience in the banking industry within risk, compliance and audit. After graduating from Macquarie University and working in Sydney for a few years in superannuation administration and audit, she moved to London where she spent most of her working career, 18 years, in a Japanese bank and was the Head of Internal Audit.
She returned to Sydney and has since worked in a mid-tier bank, startup bank and now at a mutual bank, Australian Military Bank. In the last 4 years she changed roles from working in the 3rd line to 2nd line in Risk and Compliance.
She appreciates the importance of automation in minimizing risks. She enjoys working through and being part of change management processes that improve or enhance compliance, operations, and controls.
Niels Thelosen is a financial services risk management professional who specializes in operational risk management, with a focus on operational resilience, data, technology and cyber. In his most recent role, he was responsible for managing operational resilience prudential aspects across Macquarie's operating and support groups, including asset finance, banking, wealth management, trading, finance and risk.
16:45 – 16:45
Chairperson’s closing remarks
16:45 – 18:00
Networking drinks
14:00 – 14:10
Chairperson’s opening remarks
14:10 – 14:50
The role of data in assessing trading risk
- Understanding the impact of predictive analytics in forecasting trading risks and informing strategic decisions
- Real-time monitoring: how real-time alerts facilitate quick responses to trading risk
Dr.Sahand Haji Ali Ahmad received his PhD in Electrical Engineering with focus on applications of stochastic control to resource allocation over wireless networks from University of Michigan in 2010. He worked on credit desk at Morgan Stanley, electronic FX trading desks at Barclays and BNP , and Systematic Asset Management division at Goldman Sachs. He also worked in electronic trading model validation at Deutsche Bank and Natwest banks. He is currently developing algorithmic and systematic trading strategies for a startup proprietary trading firm using AI, ML , Reinforcement Learning and Causal analysis of data in order to price, hedge, manage inventory risk, optimize execution, analyze transaction cost, analyze post/pre trade,... for the trading strategies he is developing with his cofounders at Barangaroo capital
14:50 – 15:30
Quality data as a key business asset
- Strategically tackling data challenges: crafting dynamic and robust strategies for data and technology innovation
- The importance of data governance through a unified data strategy
Henry is an esteemed IT visionary with over two decades of experience, specializing in digital transformation and innovation in the banking sector. His strategic focus on Risk Management has been instrumental in fostering growth while mitigating threats. Renowned for his results-driven approach, Henry excels in nurturing high-performance cultures and scaling businesses with remarkable efficiency. His leadership in developing strategic roadmaps and guiding cross-functional teams has been crucial in achieving key technology outcomes. Henry's dedication to excellence and staying ahead of industry trends positions the organizations he works with as pioneers in the dynamic digital world.
In addition to his impressive track record, Henry has held senior leadership roles in banks and leading non-bank financial companies, driving significant advancements. His entrepreneurial spirit also led him to run a successful Start-up, showcasing his versatility and ability to excel in various business environments. Henry's multifaceted experience and dynamic leadership continue to shape the future of technology in the financial industry.
Dr. Mav Kim has over 20 years’ experience in data, information systems, research and innovation in a number of industries, most recently in financial services.
Over the past six years, Mav has been instrumental in steering Westpac Group towards data governance excellence and strategic transformation in the data space. He is currently Westpac Group’s Head of Information Management and Data Platforms Operations, leading a team of high-performing data, operations and risk professionals overseeing the design, establishment and management of enterprise-wide data services, Responsible AI, regulatory engagement, operations, and data risk.
Prior to this, Mav was the Head of Digital and Analytics and Head of Advanced Analytics and AI, driving digital transformation and AI-driven innovations across Westpac’s Legal, Compliance and Secretariat division.
With a proven background in leading risk management practices and ensuring regulatory compliance, Scott has held diverse leadership roles within the financial sector, domestically in Australia and globally. In his current role, Scott leads a cross-functional team to define and implement robust data governance strategies that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the organisation across its footprint markets in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He plays a pivotal role in guiding his organisation on industry best practices, developing policies for compliance, and promoting a robust data governance culture.
His expertise in data governance spans across data privacy, records management, data quality assurance, and data stewardship, acting as a thought leader and overseeing the integrity and security of critical data assets. Scott is commitment to excellence in data and risk governance, driving impactful change whilst maintaining regulatory compliance and fostering a culture of data-centric decision-making within organizations. He is passionate about leveraging data as a strategic asset and helping organizations harness the full potential of their data resources to achieve their business objectives.
Scott enjoys spending time with his young family and keeping fit.
Will Liang is an Executive Director at MA Asset Management, where he is responsible for overseeing the company's data, technology, and AI initiatives. His extensive career includes a decade at Macquarie Group, fulfilling several key roles— notably, he served as the CIO for Macquarie Capital in ANZ and spearheaded the technology strategy for the innovative Moonshot initiative. Will's career path led him to Harvard to further enhance his expertise in data analytics and artificial intelligence. Upon returning to Australia, he joined KPMG in a pivotal role, becoming the National Leader of Regulatory Technology.
Besides his executive commitments, Will serves as a non-executive director and treasurer for the RegTech Association's board and participates as a member of the Financial Services Council technology expert group. Will is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council.
As of 2023, Will has earned recognition as a LinkedIn Top Voice in AI and has been distinguished as the most influential Asian Australian under 40 in the corporate category.
15:30 – 16:00
Networking break
16:00 – 16:40
Peer-to-peer roundtable discussion
Data and tech deep dive discussions
Operational resilience through the cloud and AI
Alice Tang is the Chief Operating Officer of MA Asset Management, an ASX listed diversified alternatives asset manager. MA’s Asset Under Management has grown from $3.5bn to $9.6bn during her 5 years tenure. Prior to MA Asset management, Alice was at the Macquarie Group for 16 years where she held senior leadership positions in investment, operations as well as credit and operational risk roles. Her career highlights include:
- Setting the governance and operating model for a scalable asset management business
- Driving the technology transformation for 1200 global investment bankers and 30 locations through a Salesforce implementation
- Driving value for global institutional investors in their investments in shopping centres in China.
Alice serves on the UNSW Advisory Alumni Board. She completed a BComm (Co-Op) at UNSW and she has also undertaken her MBA (Exec) with the AGSM. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants ANZ.
Peter Johnson is a versatile technologist leader with over two decades of experience in bridging the gap between technology and business. He is equally adept at developing strategies and business cases up to $300m as he is comfortable discussing technical details. As a passionate advocate for automation, artificial intelligence, and sustainability, he continuously explores how technology can deliver tangible benefits to organisations and society, including hands-on experience applying various machine learning technologies.
Formerly a Head of Technology at AMP, Peter has led several high-impact initiatives, including
- a transformative Employee Digital Experience strategy,
- establishment of governance foundations and IT controls for Microsoft cloud services, and
- the AMP transition to remote working during the early days of COVID.
In early 2023 he founded and chaired the AMP AI Working Group, and championed early access to pilot Microsoft Copilot.
Peter holds an MBA in Sustainable Leadership from MGSM, plus a Master of Commerce in Finance, and a Bachelor of Technology from Macquarie University. He has presented research on sustainable leadership at international conferences and has published in peer-reviewed journals.
16:40 – 16:45
Roundtable insights
A panel where roundtable facilitators will share key takeaways from the day's discussions.
Alice Tang is the Chief Operating Officer of MA Asset Management, an ASX listed diversified alternatives asset manager. MA’s Asset Under Management has grown from $3.5bn to $9.6bn during her 5 years tenure. Prior to MA Asset management, Alice was at the Macquarie Group for 16 years where she held senior leadership positions in investment, operations as well as credit and operational risk roles. Her career highlights include:
- Setting the governance and operating model for a scalable asset management business
- Driving the technology transformation for 1200 global investment bankers and 30 locations through a Salesforce implementation
- Driving value for global institutional investors in their investments in shopping centres in China.
Alice serves on the UNSW Advisory Alumni Board. She completed a BComm (Co-Op) at UNSW and she has also undertaken her MBA (Exec) with the AGSM. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants ANZ.
Peter Johnson is a versatile technologist leader with over two decades of experience in bridging the gap between technology and business. He is equally adept at developing strategies and business cases up to $300m as he is comfortable discussing technical details. As a passionate advocate for automation, artificial intelligence, and sustainability, he continuously explores how technology can deliver tangible benefits to organisations and society, including hands-on experience applying various machine learning technologies.
Formerly a Head of Technology at AMP, Peter has led several high-impact initiatives, including
- a transformative Employee Digital Experience strategy,
- establishment of governance foundations and IT controls for Microsoft cloud services, and
- the AMP transition to remote working during the early days of COVID.
In early 2023 he founded and chaired the AMP AI Working Group, and championed early access to pilot Microsoft Copilot.
Peter holds an MBA in Sustainable Leadership from MGSM, plus a Master of Commerce in Finance, and a Bachelor of Technology from Macquarie University. He has presented research on sustainable leadership at international conferences and has published in peer-reviewed journals.
16:45 – 16:45
Chairperson’s closing remarks
16:45 – 18:00