One of Australia’s most experienced computer science and cybersecurity leaders Dr Maria Milosavljevic has announced her retirement from full-time work.
Dr Milosavljevic, currently ANZ’s chief information security officer, began her distinguished career as a research fellow at the precursor to CSIRO’s digital arm Data61 in 1993, going on to work across the private and public sectors.
Amongst her many executive roles, Dr Milosavljevic was the inaugural chief data integration officer at Defence, and the NSW government’s first-ever CSIO and chief data officer at the then Department of Human Services.
She was also chief information officer and CISO at both the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).
Posting to LinkedIn, Dr Milosavljevic said studying AI during her undergraduate years at the University of Tasmania had sealed her interest in tech innovation.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to have created so many world first and enterprise solutions using AI and to work alongside some of the most brilliant people on the planet to apply it in solving important challenges,” she said.
Dr Milosavljevic said she would continue to work part-time after a “decent break to recharge”. She remains a consulting panel member of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
ANZ has made no announcement as yet about Dr Milosavljevic’s successor.
Former chair of Afterpay and Reserve Bank of Australia governance board member Elana Rubin has been appointed independent chair of the Australian board of global fintech giant Airwallex.
Ms Rubin’s executive career spans three decades in which she has chaired boards at Australian Super, the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority and tech-based social services not-for-profit Infoxchange.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Sir Bill English, who was appointed chair of the Airwallex New Zealand board last week, will also join its Australian board as a non-executive director.
Airwallex co-founder Jack Zhang in a statement announcing the appointments said, “strengthening our Australian leadership with two highly-credentialed leaders reflects Airwallex’s long-term commitment to Australia and the company’s determination to deliver the world’s best financial infrastructure to support innovation, competition and global growth”.
Airwallex is currently being investigated by AUSTRAC over allegations it failed to stop proceeds of child sexual abuse material from going through its payments platform.
Adelaide’s Flinders University has lured Michael Blumenstein south to be its new vice president and executive dean of the College of Science and Engineering.
Professor Blumenstein has been a senior academic at the University of Technology Sydney for more than 10 years, first joining as head of its school of software in 2015, and serving most recently as pro-vice chancellor of business creation and major facilities.
During that time, he secured partnerships between UTS and companies like Cisco, Hitachi and Space Machines Company. He also spearheaded the launch of the UTS Tech Lab.
“I am so proud of the growth in research (quality and quantity) and thus rise in university rankings that were directly attributable to the [UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT’s] success over the past decade,” Professor Blumenstein said.
He succeeds Emeritus Professor Alistair Rendell as lead of the science and engineering faculty at Flinders. Professor Rendell departed the role last December after seven years.
Macquarie University’s Professor Samuel Muller has been locked in as Executive Dean of its Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Professor Muller has been in the position for the past year, succeeding Professor Lucy Marshall, who departed for deputy vice chancellor role at the University of Sydney in February 2025.
The federal competition and consumer rights regulator is recruiting an inaugural chief information, data and digital officer.
The position description says the new CIDDO role will be responsible for “strategic stewardship of the ACCC’s data, digital and technology capabilities”, and the integration of its ICT infrastructure.
The ACCC has undergone a rapid tech transformation over the past decade, souping up its own digital infrastructure as it moved to keep pace with new regulatory powers to keep tech companies in check.
Applications for the CIDDO role close April 19.
Melbourne-headquartered digital bank Up has appointed Sharma Heylen-Silvia as its new head of brand and Seamus Liddy as its first head of product.
Ms Heylen-Silvia has been with the digital offshoot of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank since 2022 as a senior brand designer, and succeeds Pete Johnson, who is also Up’s creative director.
Mr Liddy joined Up in 2024 as senior product manager and has previously headed product divisions at Xero and fintech company Netwealth.
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