Governance

PRESIDENT

Yohan is an experienced executive with a strong track record of successful achievement of business outcomes leading high-performing teams in public, private and not-for-profit sectors for over fifteen years. Yohan is an Australian Public Service (APS) employee from Canberra. In 2017 Yohan was in San Francisco Bay Area as the Innovation Manager International Operations for Austrade. Previously he was the Head of Governance at IP Australia and National Manager of Assurance Services at Ecowise Environmental, Australia’s largest provider of integrated environmental consulting services at the time. Yohan is the President of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and the Secretary General of SEARCC – the Asia Pacific Forum for Information Communication Technology (ICT). Yohan is also an international Cricket umpire. A graduate of University of Canberra, with ICT, accounting and finance qualifications, he is also the recipient of the prestigious University of Canberra gold leadership award at the 2005 Blues & Leadership awards for his sporting achievements. He is currently authoring a children’s story book in his spare time.

VICE PRESIDENT - COMMUNITY BOARDS

Craig was appointed to the ACS Management Committee in January 2018 and assumed the role of National Vice President with responsibility for Community Boards. He became a member of the National Congress and is assisted by the Membership Advisory Board (Committee). Craig was the Chairman of the Victorian branch of the ACS from January 2015 to December 2016 and is currently its Immediate Past Chairman. Craig has more than 25 years’ experience in senior management and consultancy roles in information technology in Australia, including computer science and management information systems. Craig has more than 15 years’ experience as a company director including in the not-for-profit sector. His community involvement includes public speaking at technology events, volunteering for emergency services, and charity work. He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science as well as a Master of Business Administration.

VICE PRESIDENT - MEMBERSHIP BOARDS

Nick Tate is a CEO and Company Director and has considerable experience at the level of CIO in two London banks and at the University of Queensland (UQ). He is co-author of “A Director’s Guide to Governing Information Technology and Cybersecurity”, a book published by the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and has 20 years’ experience as a Company Director in 16 Australian and 2 US companies. He is Chair of the Council of ICT Associations (CICTA) and chaired the World Computer Congress in 2010. He was the National President of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) in 2012/2013. Nick is also an adjunct professor in IT and electrical engineering at (UQ) and has written and presented widely on cybersecurity, cloud computing and big data. He worked on the development of antimissile systems and real-time air traffic control systems before spending 20 years working for investment banks in both London and Australia. He is National Vice-President (Membership), Immediate Past Chair of the Queensland branch and the President of SEARCC. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, a Master’s degree in computer science, and a PhD in Cybersecurity. He is both a Fellow and Honorary Life Member of the ACS.

VICE PRESIDENT - ACADEMIC BOARDS

Ian has over 20 years’ experience in the ICT sector and, has led organizations with more than 300 people, delivering products and outcomes that have impacted hundreds of millions of people globally. He has held senior management roles in Europe and Australia as Director for Radio Access Performance at Nokia, Global Head of Sales Partnering (network software) at Nokia Siemens Networks, and then Divisional Chief and Flagship Director at CSIRO. Ian is considered a thought leader in the area of the Digital Economy and is a regular speaker on “Big Data”, broadband enabled services and the impact of technology on society. He has contributed to 6 books and co-authored more than 120 papers which have been cited more than 3500 times. Ian has an MBA from the University of London and a Doctor of Philosophy in Mobile Telecommunications from Sydney University.

NATIONAL TREASURER

Arnold has enjoyed a long and successful professional career in the ever-evolving ICT services industry for over 30 years. He has developed extensive strategic leadership, governance, general management, customer service and business development skills in diverse industries, including technology, education, healthcare, and resources in public and private sectors across Australia, Asia, Europe and Americas. A Fellow of ACS, he serves as National Treasurer on the ACS Management Committee and is a member of the Branch Executive Committee in Western Australia. Currently in the role of Information Services Manager at Pilbara Ports Authority and Arnold also served as a member of the WA Government CIO Council and chaired the Conference Logistic Committee for the World Wide Web (WWW) 2017 Conference. As a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Arnold continues to actively lead and serve in a number of not-for-profit organisations and boards.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Anthony is the Principal of a multidisciplinary law and consulting firm, AGW Lawyers & Consultants specialising in IT and the Digital Economy. He held senior management positions in multinational corporations and government, including as CIO of the Australian Tourist Commission during the Sydney 2000 Olympics and led the development of digital publishing for Thomson (now Thomson Reuters) in the Asia Pacific.

DIRECTOR - MEMBERSHIP ADVISORY BOARD

I have 25 years’ experience in the ICT services industry with continual dedication to making a difference through technology and passion for leading people through change to achieve improved business outcomes. I know how hard it is to break in to and remain connected in our industry given the rapid rate of technology changes occurring. I feel strongly that as Australia’s Professional Association for the ICT sector, we need to be more focused on enabling diverse opportunities through industry employment, government programs and education experiences to attract, develop and retain talent to ICT career pathways both now and for our future. I am actively engaged with various ACS committee as well as other industry initiatives. My LinkedIn profile provides a summary overview of my industry experience and voluntary activities. As a passionate and committed advocate, I believe ACS can enable greater opportunities by working more in the industry with our partners and engaging closely with business leaders and education to enable new technology and talent initiatives and deliver improved benefits to attract and retain our members. I am actively engaged with various ACS committee as well as other industry initiatives. My LinkedIn profile provides a summary overview of my industry experience and voluntary activities. As a passionate and committed advocate, I believe ACS can enable greater opportunities by working more in the industry with our partners and engaging closely with business leaders and education to enable new technology and talent initiatives and deliver improved benefits to attract and retain our members.

DIRECTOR - PROFESSION ADVISORY BOARD

Michael Johnson has been Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Macquarie University since 2002. He is also a Director of the Macquarie-DEC ICT Innovations Centre and a Director and Deputy Treasurer of Dunmore Lang College. Formerly he was the Head of the Department of Computing (1997-2000) and he served as Vice-President and Chair of the University's Academic Senate (2006-2008). In 1997 he was runner up for the inaugural Australian Award for University Teaching in all Science disciplines and he has held continuous ARC large/discovery grant funding for over 20 years.

DIRECTOR - TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD

Michael is currently the Head of School, Software in the Faculty of Engineering & IT at UTS. He comes from Griffith University in Queensland where he has accumulated over a decade of experience in leadership roles including portfolio Dean (Research) of the Sciences Group and Head of the School of ICT. Michael has been ACS Gold Coast Chapter Convener and a Board Member of the Queensland Branch Executive Committee and has served on the Australian Research Council's (ARC) College of Experts on the Engineering, Mathematics and Informatics (EMI) panel. In 2009, Professor Blumenstein was named as one of Australia’s Top 10 Emerging Leaders in Innovation in the Australian’s Top 100 Emerging Leaders Series supported by Microsoft.

NSW CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Andrew has broad experience in all aspects of strategy, operations, process improvement, risk, compliance, accounting, IT and commercial management. Direct experience with Post graduate lecturing, professional training, strategic consulting, project management. Industry experience in health, emergency services, education, banking, wealth management, insurance, business improvement consulting and M&A. An experienced non-executive director and mentor supporting students, talent, Startups and the Not for Profit sector.

NSW CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Conni Marais is an IT professional with extensive experience in solution delivery and analysis, both in Australia and Africa. Her experience spans a wide range of private businesses and public administration bodies including Financial Services, Government, Utilities (Energy), Education, Manufacturing, Regulatory and FMCG sectors. Experienced in the delivery of ICT transformation programs, with responsibilities ranging from strategic analysis to business change management and service delivery operations. A long standing and active member of the ACS in NSW, as Vice Chair of the BEC and NSW Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair.

CANBERRA CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

An IT professional with several years of experience, Kevin's focus is on Business Analysis, System Design, Change and Quality Management as well as Project and Program Management with a very strong emphasis on Stakeholder Management, Analysis and Government. He is currently a Senior Manager in ACT Health managing their Critical Systems and Infrastructure Hub. Prior to that, he was a Senior Consultant with Infosys and primarily worked on the DHS Account. Before Infosys, Kevin was part of KPMG Australia's Technology Advisory practice with a primary focus on the Defence and Intelligence sector. Prior to KPMG, he worked at the Department of Human Services (Centrelink) as a Business Analyst and Change Manager concentrating on web-based projects, portals and middleware technology. Kevin is a keen volunteer in the Canberra Branch of the ACS, and has been involved with the society for over 10 years in various roles such as Young IT Representative, Honorary Branch Secretary, Conference Project Manager (2011 and 2012), Conference Chair (2012), Branch Treasurer and now - Vice Chair.

CANBERRA CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

NT CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Peter is the Vice Chair of the NT Branch Executive Committee, a member of the national ACS Management Committee and Vice Chair of the national Business Assurance Committee. He has had over 30 years career within the ICT industry across corporate, government and education sectors. During that time he has honed his experience in management, consultancy and operational roles as well as running his own ICT business. He has been a Business Owner, Developer, System/Business Analyst, IT Manager/Director, Operations Manager, Project Manager to name but a few.

NT CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Benjamin has maintained an avid interest in technology since a very young age, with this translating to being an active member of the IT Industry for the past 20 years in both South Australia and the Northern Territory. He currently manages an IT Consulting firm, has held technical and leadership roles in both Government and Defence in addition to has also developing award winning IT solutions during previous a previous role with a multinational organisation. In Adelaide, whilst working for the Australian Submarine Corporation, Benjamin was responsible for project outcomes to deliver ICT requirements to the new Air Warfare Destroyer Shipyard in Osborne – this resulted in a state-of-the-art ICT environment being delivered to a Greenfields site ahead of occupation by staff, for the nation’s biggest ever defence project to date. Since moving to Darwin in 2011, Benjamin has been the Project Sponsor for multiple projects delivered between 2014 – 18 which have received national awards from the AIPM, AIIA and ACS. Benjamin also instigated the creation of the NT Digital Excellence Awards in 2017 to recognise exemplary achievements in the IT sector, with the view that this local platform will lend itself to allow Territorians to be represented at a national level via the ACS Digital Disruptor Awards.

QLD CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Currently the Director, Technology Solutions for the Public Safety Business Agency providing ICT (and other corporate) services to the front line operations of Queensland Police, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and providing IT services to Queensland Ambulance Services. Mike is a fellow of the ACS, has chaired the National Audit and Risk Committee and remains on that committee as a member. Mike has also been a member of the Queensland Branch of ACS for over 6 years in roles of Vice Chair, Honorary Secretary and general committee member.

QLD CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Paul has been an owner of technology companies spanning information technology, software development and information architecture since 1984. Paul is the Principal of Cogentia, a consultancy providing strategic direction in ‘digital disruption’, digital economy transition, IT procurement and project design & initiation. Paul is a Director of Outback Touring, a company developing geospatial apps for Grey Nomads. Paul was also the Executive Officer of the industry body that on behalf of Queensland IT associations advised the Queensland Government on governance, procurement and industry development policy.

SA CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Jo has over 25 years’ experience in the IT field some of which were spent as CIO in the Utilities space, and 18 in the Information Security arena. She underpins her information technology and security background with her qualifications in education and management. Jo specialises in consulting in information security issues with a particular emphasis on governance in both the commercial and operational areas of businesses. Jo provides strategic advice to organisations across a number of industry sectors including banking and finance, utilities, automotive manufacturing, tertiary education, retail and government. Jo is actively involved with the Australian Computer Society, at state and national level, and she is currently serving as an Elected Director on ISACA’s international Board of Directors and is Chair of its global women’s leadership initiative.

SA CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Chris has over 40 years Information Management and Technology experience working collaboratively and innovatively across the Private, Public and Non-for-profit (Welfare) sectors. Current role since 2009 as the Associate Director of SA NT DataLink, a nationally leading collaborative partnership across the University Research and Government sectors, operating an authorised facility for South Australia and the Northern Territory to safely share de-identified data for approved use and unit record level analysis. Chris specialises in collaborative partnerships to unlock the public's value from data, supporting innovative research, planning, monitoring, evaluation and analysis, enabling greater value and accountability from organisations and government resources. Chris has professional qualifications in information security, and deep experience in data governance and privacy protection protocols.

TAS CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Ray has significant experience in senior management—from industrial, multinational companies to the genesis of the technology driven economy in Tasmania. Prior to joining the ACS, he managed Netspace Online Systems Tasmanian services for 10 years, where he was involved in change management and the construction of the DSL and fibre networks for Tasmania. Ray has significant involvement in start-ups as a founding associate of Tasmania’s largest Telecommunications and Data Hosting Company. Rays knowledge gives him a unique perspective into technology driven economies; he is a trained facilitator with expertise in brokering relationships across all sectors of the economy. Ray is currently Vice Chair of the Tasmanian Branch Executive and Tasmanian Chair of the Pearcey Foundation. As ACS member and CP Ray recognises the challenges and opportunities to unlocking the economic and social benefits of the technological transformation, he is actively involved with government, business, education, research and development, and the wider community.

TAS CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Experienced in developing strategic planning, managing change, leading multidisciplinary efforts and mentoring staff. Extraordinary interpersonal and communication skills. Internationally recognised and awarded researcher and research manager in fields of ICT, scientific instrumentation, solid state physics, and applied mathematics with twenty years of experience in industry and research organisations; more than 200 peer-review publications, three patents and five books published; committed to excellence in research, and with successful track record in BD&C of research products. Have held senior positions in Government agencies, Universities, Consultancy and industry. Extensive hands-on experience managing large teams, complex operations and large-scale projects. Deep expertise in research, development, innovation and business development gained by leading challenging initiatives and academic pursuits. Passionate about translating science into meaningful outcomes for government, business and the community.

VIC CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

I started my IT career in 1987 in the banking industry working on mainframes, then as a Novell IT manager for a tax accounting firm until 1993 when I started my IT consulting business: ITR Australia (formerly iT Ricosys). Over 20 years working with some of the largest organisations, but my greatest achievement is my continued involvement with the SMB (5-100) market where the personal touch matters more. We continue to focus in this market as we offer best-practices services often only found in the enterprise market.

VIC CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Maria Markman is the Chair of Australian Computer Society (ACS) in Victoria and also a member of the national ACS Management Committee. In the ICT industry, Maria is a connector and is known for bringing people, ideas and technological solutions together across the industry. She has domain expertise across disruptive technology trends as well as software implementations in various industries. Her involvement includes working on large projects undertaken by ASX300 corporations. Maria is a passionate advocate for increased representation of women in IT as well as broadening the general diversity of backgrounds for professionals working in the ICT industry.

WA CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Michelle has 20 years experience working in Tech for global companies that include IBM and Microsoft. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is now the Chairman of the ACS in WA. Michelle sits on various advisory boards and speaks at international conferences. She is an advocate for the games industry, for diversity, accessibility and inclusion and is regularly invited to speak to the next generation in tech at University STEM Events and Careers days.

WA CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

George is a passionate advocate for the ICT Profession. Dedicated to the ACS he has volunteered since 2012 and is currently Vice Chair of the WA Branch Executive Committee. Passionate about both technology and it's use in society, he works as an educator to develop the potential of future ICT Professionals. He is determined to see ICT grow into an inclusive and diverse profession, and will guide the ACS towards this end.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Andrew has extensive senior management experience servicing both the higher education and vocational education and training sectors, including membership based professional associations. His career has seen him work in a diverse range of markets across the Asia Pacific region and includes developing accreditation and certification frameworks. In his time at the ACS he has delivered significant growth results in the workforce planning and development, SFIA and education markets, all while improving member engagement, particularly among professional partners. Mr Johnson holds a Master of Arts in Technology Policy and Management. He is an ACS Certified Professional and an accredited SFIA Consultant.