ACS Leadership Series: People, processes, and partnerships.

AC Kylie Rendina
Assistant Commissioner, Operational Coordination and Planning,
Australian Border Force

Substantively, Kylie Rendina is Assistant Commissioner of Operational Coordination and Planning Command (OCP). OCP is responsible for international operations and operational capability across the ABF.

Kylie manages the Australian Border Operations Centre (ABOC), 24x7 centre with multi-agency and whole of ABF representation charged with situational awareness and reporting on threats and events that affect the integrity of the Australian border and managing the framework for the ABF’s major crisis and incident response. Kylie also leads ABF’s national targeting capability, focused on disruption efforts across the border continuum, targeting illicit movement of people and goods upstream through the international network and at the border.

Within Kylie’s remit is also the ABF’s operational planning and preparedness functions, which includes annual operational planning and prioritisation and complex and multi-agency planning to contribute to whole of government planning and readiness. Kylie also has responsibility for tactical capabilities in support of the ABF mission, including the ABF Detector Dog program, surveillance, national monitoring centre and digital forensics.
Kylie is an experienced leader in innovation, capability management and operations with years spent across private and public sectors in the fields of law enforcement and technology.

Before the ABF, Kylie was a senior leader in a technology organisation, leading on service innovation and improvement and prior to that as a Federal Agent within the Australian Federal Police, leading complex multi-jurisdictional and counter terrorism matters as well as major law reform. Kylie holds a Master of Business Administration Executive, a Diploma of Policing, Bachelor Law / Arts (Justice), and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice.

Mark Sawade 
First Assistant Secretary and Chief Information Officer
Digital Services Division
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Mark is a passionate, committed, and respected technology leader in government with more than 20 years of experience leading policy, strategy, data, digital and technology delivery functions across government.  

In his current role as Chief Information Officer at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mark provides leadership and strategic direction on the adoption of innovative technology to support the department’s operations and ensures the delivery of technology services supporting staff across multiple government agencies.

Prior to his current role, Mark was the First Assistant Secretary of School Funding and Data Collection at the Department of Education, preceded by previous ICT senior leadership roles at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, ComSuper, and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

Mr Mathew Smorhun
Chief Information Officer
Information Management and Technology Division 

Mr Smorhun joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in January 2021.   

As DFAT’s Chief Information Officer, Mr Smorhun heads up the Information Management and Technology Division (IMD), and is responsible for modernising DFAT’s ICT services to ensure a fit-for-purpose, customer-focused and cyber-secure ICT services, IMD supports DFAT’s IT needs in Australia and across more than 100 overseas posts.

IMD’s core functions include Passports ICT Branch (AIB), Business Solutions Branch (BSB), Client Services Branch (CTB), Cyber Security and Networks Branch (CRB) and the ICT Strategy, Planning and Governance Branch (IPB).

Prior joining DFAT as CIO, Mr Smorhun served as Senior Assistant Secretary, Major Capability Division in the Department of Home Affairs (2019-2021) and before that spent a significant part of his career at Defence leading major ICT transformation, commercial initiatives and ICT strategy. In 2017 Mr Smorhun worked in the United Kingdom with consulting firm Deloitte leading projects for the Ministry of Defence and Home Office on ICT Strategy. Matt started is career at the Australian Taxation Office leading ICT reform and commercial management.

Mr Smorhun has a Bachelor of Applied Economics and a Bachelor of Business, Management and Accounting.

Lynn White
Founder / Director of Mind You services

Lynn is a leadership coach, facilitator, consultant, and former senior executive in the Australian Public Service (APS). Where she spent 17 years across small to large agencies and departments, such as, Australian Electoral Commission, Home Affairs, Immigration and Border Protection, Employment, Education and Workplace Relations and Industry. Complementary to her APS career Lynn has private sector experience across small to medium enterprises. 

Lynn is no stranger to IT, policy, governance and logistics. As a former Chief Information Officer (CIO) and First Assistant Commissioner in the Australian federal government, her operational expertise is second to none. She was a leader domestically and internationally, overseeing Machinery of Government IT mergers for a large Government Department, led corporate technology in both small and large departments. Lynn was responsible for the delivery of the largest electoral reform and federal electoral services across Australia and abroad. Notably the largest peace time exercise in the southern hemisphere. 

Lynn is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Institute of Company Directors (AICD). She is an alum to the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM), Australia-New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG), and University of South Australia, where she completed Communications and Information Systems in Business. She has a Grad. Dip in Executive Leadership and her experience in multiple IT and project areas has made her a SCRUM, PRINCE2, ITIL and PMBOK native. She is a certified coach and HBDI Practitioner and holds a Trade Certificate.

With many years leading private and public enterprises, Lynn has amassed a unique set of skills and experiences that make her one of the top coaches, mentors, and facilitators in her field. 

Find her at https://www.mindyouservices.com.au/