Angela Champion - MAICD, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Auditor, Founder & Co-Founder | Experienced Executive (CEO) | Principle Cyber Advisor | Board & Specialist Committees | AWSN & AISA Mentor | AISA QLD Chair
With over 25 years in telco, ICT, critical infrastructure and digital security, Angela has founded and co‑founded several small Australian businesses, including her latest cyber security venture, Cyber in Motion. She is actively involved across industry bodies and advisory groups, passionate about collaboration, focused on clearly establishing pathways into industry, mentoring/sponsoring rising stars and helping business to understand cyber security as a core business risk.
Dirk is a co-founder at Cognitio Digital, a company that specialises in AI powered digital twins and cybersecurity. He's been a part of cybersecurity and technology industry for many years, having worked in leadership roles in the Defence, Accenture and NTT for over two decades. Dirk has been an active AISA member for quite some time and has spoken at a number of AISA conferences, including the National CyberCon in Canberra in 2024, as well as BrisSEC in 2022 and 2023. Dirk loves cybersecurity because he enjoys helping people and organisations to protect their interests, and loves solving wicked problems in fast paced environments.
Brodie is an accomplished security professional and founder and director of Division 5, a local Brisbane based Cyber Security consultancy. With 15 years’ experience working within ICT and Cyber Security, he is an expert in both offensive and defensive security disciplines. His career has seen him work with and for multinational organisations across a variety of industries, including critical infrastructure, as well as those responsible for health and public safety.
He is passionate about information and network security, enthusiastic about new technologies and eager to share his vast knowledge and experience. This passion not only shows in his work, but is demonstrated through active participation in the local cyber security scene in Brisbane, his co-founding of the BSides Brisbane Cyber Security conference, and active participation as a committee member for the AISA Queensland chapter.
Nathan is a career security professional with over 20 years experience across research, audit, risk, operational and consulting roles, across Government, Internet, Finance and Critical Infrastructure organisations. He focuses on how businesses can best align their resources towards providing an 'appropriate' amount of security. He is a technologist and engineer at heart, and while he knows traditional and OT security across multiple sectors, he is also keenly invested with 'bleeding edge' cloud technology and the challenges of data governance and AI.
Leading the charge around how to 'do more with less' and align security to the business, he currently leads the 'Security Enablement' function within the BDO Cyber consulting team, helping organisations automate and leverage their Cyber investment better, and build out for the future
Driven by a passion for cybersecurity, Jinal migrated to Australia in 2019 to pursue higher education and earned a Master’s degree in Cyber Security from Griffith University. Her academic journey was marked by excellence, achieving two Academic Excellence Awards. This pivotal achievement laid the foundation for her professional journey.
Jinal began her career with an internship at Rio Tinto, which evolved into a role in their prestigious Graduate Program. During the program, she embraced diverse experiences across several key areas of cybersecurity:
This holistic exposure enriched Jinal's expertise and helped her discover a passion for Incident Response. In mid-2024, she transitioned into a full-time role within the Cyber Incident Response Team, where she now focuses on resolving complex cyber incidents and threat hunting to safeguard organizational assets.
Beyond her technical role, Jinal is deeply committed to fostering professional growth and collaboration. She co-established the Emerging Professionals Committee (EPC) within her organization to support and empower early-career professionals. Extending this vision to the broader industry, she is thrilled to contribute to AISA, advocating for the growth and development of the Cyber Security community.
In addition to her work, Jinal actively participates in industry events and conferences, staying informed about the latest trends and developments in cybersecurity.
Paul is new to Australia having come from the UK in early 2024, but brings 8 years of experience recruiting solely in cyber security across the UK, the USA, EMEA and now Australia. He built a reputation for giving back to the community overseas by creating a free online community to help people upskill and break into cyber on Discord, now numbering in the tens of thousands. Providing free CV guidance, interview roleplays and the ability to network with senior leaders. He has recently created an Aussie spin-off of that success story and is starting to host events like live CV roasting and salary negotiation workshops. Before he turned to cyber, Paul started out as an Electronics Engineer. After a long period of not finding fulfilling and meaningful work, he changed careers and ended up recruiting for the UK government, mostly for the Ministry of Defence. Because of that, and because his family is mostly veterans, he has a particular soft spot for people who have served in the armed forces and likes to help them out when they are demobilising. In his current role, Paul works for the Decipher Bureau as a Recruitment Consultant covering all areas of cyber security, both contract and permanent in the state of Queensland. Helping organisations and companies find talent fast throughout the entire process, from helping write the PDs to advise on the interview process and offer period. You can often find him at most of the local events in and around Brisbane, so don’t hesitate to come and say hi!
Kat McCrabb is based in Brisbane, Australia, with over 15 years of experience in government, education, and not-for-profit sectors. She is the founder and director of Flame Tree Cyber, specialising in governance, risk, compliance, and uplift programs. Kat is a certified IRAP assessor and ISO 27001:2022 Lead Auditor and is known for her pragmatic approach to cyber security and aligning solutions with business goals. She has served as CISO and Risk Manager and regularly shares her expertise at industry events and on podcasts. Outside of work Kat can be found walking along the Brisbane river, playing her guitar, or indulging in her passion for food and wine.
Tom is a Cyber Security & ICT Specialist at Cognitio Digital in Brisbane. After starting his career in the construction industry, Tom made a purposeful transition into cyber security to pursue a more impactful path to contribute to the community. Over the past three years, he has held multiple roles including Technical Consultant, Security Architect, and Security Specialist, gaining experience across Network Security, Cloud Security, GRC, Security Architecture, Business Development, Presales, and Consulting. Tom is passionate about giving back to the industry through education, networking events, and volunteering, and is excited to continue this work within the AISA community. Outside of work, Tom enjoys snowboarding, CrossFit, travelling, music, fitness, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Chelsey is a Cyber Security Recruiter with over a decade of experience, having successfully placed 100+ cyber professionals across Queensland. She partners with a wide range of organisations -from ASX-listed companies to Australia's most critical infrastructure - helping them build strong, capable cyber teams. Chelsey is always looking for ways to connect, empower, and inspire people positively. She previously served as an AWSN Chapter Lead for 2+ years and is now focused on supporting the wider Information Security industry. Optimistic to the core, Chelsey believes in the goodness of people and the potential in every connection. Outside of work, Chelsey is a mother of two beautiful children, who inspire her daily to grow, lead, and be her best self. Before her recruitment career, she studied Psychology at University, driven by a fascination with people and behaviour.