Governance

Mustafa Kadir is the founder of Visgrow, a business specialising in career coaching, internships, and skills workshops. He is deeply passionate about helping students and graduates enter the competitive Australian job market and build successful, fulfilling careers. With over 15 years of experience across a range of industries—including IT, manufacturing, FMCG, services, and education—Mustafa has held diverse leadership and technical roles such as IT Engineer, Industry Consultant, General Manager, Vice-President, and Managing Director. This breadth of experience has given him a strong understanding of industry expectations and workforce trends. Throughout his career, Mustafa has built an extensive network of industry connections and has mentored hundreds of graduates, supporting them to succeed in the job market. He is known for helping individuals harness the power of personal branding, optimise their resumes, develop strong LinkedIn profiles, prepare effectively for interviews, and navigate the hidden dynamics of competitive recruitment processes. In addition to his work at Visgrow, Mustafa serves as an the SA Branch Executive Committee Chair and sits on its national Memberships Advisory Board, contributing to the growth and development of Australia’s professional technology community.

Annie recognised leader of transformational and digital change, with over 25 years’ experience in leading change, and a strong record of delivery. Over 25 years’ experience in finance, governance, & risk, leading key aspects of the Commonwealth financial framework, ERP implementation, and leading the development of the Budget & Financial Statements for several key agencies. She is passionate about leading strategic HR initiatives, including disability inclusion and other diversity initiatives. Experienced in managing complex internal and external stakeholders, with a strong record of negotiating sensitive and complex issues with a range of senior stakeholders to achieve a positive outcome.

Cindy Chung is a seasoned IT professional with expertise in service management, systems architecture, and data management. She is the 2024 Chair of the ACS NSW Branch Executive Committee, having previously served as Vice Chair in 2023 and Director of the ACS Membership Advisory Board (2021–2022). Cindy has also contributed as Treasurer and member of the ACS NSW BEC, and as part of the ACS NSW Women’s Committee, championing diversity and excellence in the ICT sector.

Damien Charles is the Regional Manager for NEC Australia in the Northern Territory, with over 25 years of experience delivering ICT services. Having started in the Industry on the NTG’s Service Desk in the mid 90’s, Damien has progressed his career through all levels and multiple roles, and is now responsible for delivering service to NTG across a number of managed services contracts. NEC is the largest non-government ICT employer in the Northern Territory and under Damien’s local leadership has been named as the NT’s Employer of the Year for 2018 and 2019. As a long term Territorian with a keen interest in helping others to achieve success in the ICT industry, and also to develop the industry in the North of Australia, he has invested considerable time and effort in supporting the local university and students and is an active member of a number of the local associations and ICT Committee’s. He is a passionate advocate for the ACS and its role in providing guidance and support.

Sarah-Jane Peterschlingmann is an award-winning tech leader, entrepreneur, and mentor. As the Managing Director of ATech, she grew the company from its foundation to multi-million dollar revenues. Her innovative mindset and commitment to excellence have earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Queensland Pearcey Award. In addition to her role at ATech, Sarah-Jane is a Non-Executive Director and Advisory Board Member for several organisations including Autism Queensland and local universities. She also serves as Chair of the Australian Computer Society (Queensland Branch}. Sarah-Jane is a strong advocate for diversity, flexibility and empathy in the workplace. Her focus on prioritising people over profits has inspired many to rethink what’s possible in business. She is also an international best-selling author of the book ‘Wholehearted Leadership Revolution’ where she shares her personal experiences and leadership insights. A dedicated single parent of two children, she is also an avid dancer and sports car enthusiast. With degrees in business, economics and information technology, she brings a wealth of experience to her work. Her commitment to fostering innovation and driving positive change ensures that Sarah-Jane will continue to make a lasting impact.

A seasoned professional with a passion for building sustainable business structures, Joel Harris excels at delivering strategic outcomes by aligning strategy, people, processes, and technology. With a strong foundation in strategic planning and execution, he is committed to creating environments where teams are empowered, operations are optimised, and technology drives transformative change. Joel brings a holistic, integrated approach to problem-solving, recognising that true business success comes from harmonising all elements of an organisation. Their work consistently focuses on developing practical, sustainable strategies that balance innovation with long-term resilience. With a deep interest in partnering with forward-thinking organisations, Joel seeks out opportunities to support companies that are committed to making a positive impact in their industries. By promoting sustainable business practices and strategic alignment, Joel helps organisations thrive in complex and evolving business landscapes.

Dolly Brtan is a multi-disciplined IT consultant and financial advisor who has been in the FinTech industry for over 30 years. She studied the Bachelor of Business in Information Technology at Victoria University and soon started her career in 1993 working in the IT industry for large corporates and federal government agencies. Her broad spectrum of projects includes software development, network design and deployment for international hotel brands and car manufacturers. Her career highlight was involved in the IT infrastructure architecture for Anzac Class frigate ship called HMNZS Te Mana for the Australian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy. Her entrepreneurial flair and experience parlayed in 2000, when she founded her business into the finance world with an emphasis in technology. Most recently she studied blockchain at RMIT University, on how to develop a strategy and design a solution using blockchain technology. Her keen interests led to become a convenor of the Blockchain Community of Interest group at the Australian Computer Society, with a mission to collaborate, engage, and educate the members of the association on all things blockchain. She is currently also working on developing a lending platform that will adopt blockchain technology.

Brian is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Law, School of Management, Information Systems Discipline, at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia (WA). He is interested in data science and network analysis in the context of learning analytics and ICT education, and the development of professional skills like leadership, teamwork, and project management. He is recognised as a Certified Professional by the Australian Computer Society (ACS). Additionally, Brian was elected a Fellow of the ACS in recognition of his contribution to computing and software engineering education. He was elected to serve the ICT profession in Western Australia as a member of the ACS WA Branch Executive Committee commencing in July 2018. From 2012 to 2016, Brian was the Chair of the ACS Accreditation Committee. Until 2011, he was a member of the ACS Professional Standards Board (PSB) where he took a leadership role in defining the ACS Core Body of Knowledge. Previously, he has served as the Head of Department for CBS Flexible Learning, and as the Course Coordinator for Curtin University degree programs in Software Engineering in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. He has extensive experience in the ICT industry that includes nine years as an employee of Hewlett-Packard. Delivering cultural and organisational change as part of any transformation is critical to its success. Utilising skills associated with listening, understanding, empathy, team and customer obsession, have enabled me to be successful within my previous organisations. Leading from the back, coaching and mentoring, while being the “leader you wished you’d had” are all key motivating factors for me. Success in the people I interact with are my true measure of value.

Jerome embarked on his career in the healthcare sector in 2004, as the IT manager for a pharmacy group. In 2010, Jerome founded his own IT company, specialising in supporting primary care and allied health providers, ensuring their IT enables compliance with health regulations, standards, and policies. Jerome was Vice Chair of ACS WA Branch and was later elected as Chair. He works hard to connect members with each other, with the help of the Branch Executive Committee. Jerome also contributes to the community as a management committee member at Cura In-Home Care, an approved not for profit Aged Care Services Provider. Additionally, he dedicates time to mentoring high school students through EdConnect and guiding emerging IT professionals within the ACS.