Agenda Day 1
8:50 am - 9:00 am
Chair's Opening Remarks
9:00 am - 9:30 am
Panel Discussion: The Federal Digital Identity Landscape: What Every Leader Needs to Know
John Shepherd -
First Assistant Secretary, Digital Id and Data Policy Division,
Australian Government Department of Finance
John Shepherd - First Assistant Secretary, Digital Id and Data Policy Division, Australian Government Department of Finance
Ian Opperman - Commissioner, Accc
Lindsay Deguara - Digital ID Policy and Regulation, ACCC
Jonathon Thorpe - Chief Operating Officer, Services Australia
Key Takeaways:
Updates from voices across the federal Digital Identity landscape
What government and enterprise leaders must prioritise across authentication, access governance and trust
John Shepherd
First Assistant Secretary, Digital Id and Data Policy DivisionAustralian Government Department of Finance
John Shepherd
First Assistant Secretary, Digital Id and Data Policy DivisionAustralian Government Department of Finance
9:30 am - 9:55 am
Panel Discussion: NSW Government's Digital Identity Strategy in Action
Laura Christie -
Government Chief Information and Digital Officer, Deputy Secretary,
NSW Department of Customer Service
Elizabeth Mildwater - Secretary, NSW Department of Customer Service
Greg Wells - Chief Executive Officer, Service NSW
Key Takeaways
- Updates from NSW Government regarding Digital Identity
- Navigating how digital identity policy translates into service delivery for citizens
- The role of community trust and public communication in digital identity adoption
- Where NSW sits in the national Digital Identity roadmap and what comes after 2026
Laura Christie
Government Chief Information and Digital Officer, Deputy SecretaryNSW Department of Customer Service
9:55 am - 10:25 am
Biometric & Identity Verification Technology
Reserved for Partner
10:25 am - 10:40 am
Speed Networking
A fast-paced, structured session designed to maximise the number of meaningful connections you make.
10:40 am - 11:10 am
Panel Discussion: Governing Identity Across Enterprise
Vanessa Gale -
Head of Identity and Access Management,
Latitude Financial
Reema Roche - Assistant Director - Customer Identity and Access Management, --
Neil Howell - Senior Systems Administrator (Identity Access Management), University of Sydney
Girish Darda - Head of Security, Littlepay
Who owns identity risk? How to align cyber, privacy, fraud and digital transformation under one accountable framework
How to identify gaps before they become crises, and what recovery looks like when it does
How to implement upgrades to existing systems in a streamlined manner
11:10 am - 11:40 am
Case Study: How ACIC Is Embedding Digital ID Into Police Checking Services
Jeremy Johnson -
Executive Director Policing Information and Checking Services,
ACIC
Key Takeaways:
- ACIC’s implementation of Digital ID within Police Checking Systems
- Updates to their contracts for services who can carry out checking systems
- How high-assurance identity verification is transforming the accuracy and speed of police checks
11:40 am - 12:10 pm
Morning Recharge in the Expo
Interactive Discussion Groups
How far should automation go in identity decisioning before governance pushes back?
How organisations are modernising IAM to manage identities, roles, and access across distributed environments, hybrid workforces, and evolving threat surfaces.
1:40 pm - 2:40 pm
Lunch Break & VIP Hosted Lunches
2:40 pm - 3:10 pm
Case Study: Centralised, Decentralised or Federated? The Architecture Decisions That Actually Matter
Aidan Turner -
Head of Cyber Security Engineering,
Downer EDI Ltd
Key Takeaways
- Not a theoretical debate. Real trade-offs between control, agility and assurance in 2026.
- How to evaluate which architecture model fits your organisation's risk profile and regulatory obligations
- Common failure points when organisations migrate between identity architectures mid-programme
- What high-performing organisations are getting right that others are still missing
3:10 pm - 3:30 pm
Case Study: Modernising IAM Without Breaking Production
Gopal Arun -
Senior Manager - Identity and Access,
NSW Department of Education
Key Takeaways
- Incremental upgrade paths for legacy-heavy environments, avoiding the multi-year rewrite trap.
- How to sequence modernisation work so critical services remain available throughout the transition
- Governance structures that keep stakeholders aligned when timelines and budgets are under pressure
- Real examples of phased IAM transformation
3:30 pm - 3:50 pm
Enterprise Identity & Access Management Platforms
Reserved for Partner
3:50 pm - 4:20 pm
Afternoon Recharge in the Expo
Reserved for Partner
4:20 pm - 4:50 pm
Panel Discussion: The Digital Identity & Authentication Arms Race
Arun Singh -
Chief Information Security Officer,
Tyro
Girish Darda - Head of Security, Littlepay
Joe Varkey - Principal Security Architect, AIA Australia
Key Takeaways:
- Why getting your identity foundations right early creates a competitive advantage.
- How cross-functional alignment between Digital, Security and FinCrime accelerates outcomes.
- What it takes to stay ahead in an endless arms race with sophisticated fraudsters.
- The role of threat intelligence sharing across sectors in keeping pace with evolving attack vectors
4:50 pm - 5:20 pm
Fireside Chat: Enabling the Conditions for Digital Identity Adoption
Rick Iversen -
Head of ConnectID,
AP+
Key Takeaways:
