Gig Guide: ADHA CISO locked in after a year


Brandon How
Reporter

The Australian Digital Health Agency has confirmed Danielle Pentony as its permanent chief information security officer after a year-long acting arrangement.

Ms Pentony began acting as CISO in May 2023, when incumbent John Borchi moved to the role of acting chief technology officer. Mr Borchi became the permanent chief technology officer in February.

The acting arrangements were put in place following the resignation of then-chief technology officer Dr Malcolm Thatcher amid reports the ADHA was being restructured.

Ms Pentony first joined the ADHA in March 2022 as director of cybersecurity operations. Prior to ADHA, Ms Pentony worked at Queensland Health where she worked her way to becoming director for cybersecurity.

She is also on the steering committee for the Cyber Security Certification Australia.

At the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the new assistant secretary of the office of impact analysis is Joanna Abhayaratna, who moves from Treasury. Meanwhile, Tiffany Deamer has been made assistant secretary of the economic policy branch, also moving from Treasury.

As reported by InnovationAus.com, the federal government has appointed seven members to its Industry Growth Program Committee, which will decide on the applicants that receive grants. The members includes Startmate chief executive Michale Batko and former principal at Main Sequence, Dr Amandeep Hansra.

The new chief executive of representative body Science and Technology Australia Ryan Winn formally began in the role on Wednesday. He was appointed in March, moving from his role as head of the Australian College of Learned Academies.

The Australian Academy of Science has appointed 24 new fellows, including Professor Glenn King, who won last year’s iteration of the Prime Minister’s prize for innovation, and Professor Georgina Long, who was jointly named Australian of the Year 2024. A full list of 2024 fellows can be found here.

Home Affairs’ chief operating officer Charlotte Tressler began in the role in February 2024, moving from the chief operating officer role at the Australian Federal Police. Prior to that, she served as Head of the Coronavirus Business Liaison Unit in Treasury.

Australian Energy Regulator chair Clare Savage has been reappointed for a second three-year term. Ms Savage has been in the role since 2019, when she moved from her role as deputy chair of the Energy Security Board.

Ms Savage will be joined by Justin Oliver, who has joined the AER as deputy chair. Mr Oliver has been on the board of the AER since February 2020. He will replace incumbent deputy chair James Cox whose term expires in June. Mr Oliver is a former partner of law firm Minter Ellison and previously led the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s regulatory law practice.

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