Gig Guide: Peter Jennings joins US cyber firm’s advisory board


Brandon How
Reporter

Former Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings has been appointed to the Public Sector Advisory Council of NASDAQ-listed cybersecurity solutions provider Fortinet. Mr Jennings left the think tank last month after 10 years.

Mr Jennings has held several senior public servant roles including deputy secretary for Strategy in the Department of Defence from 2009-12, chief of staff to the minister of Defence from 1996-98, and senior adviser for strategic policy to the Prime Minister from 2002-03. He was also the co-director of the East Timor Policy Unit in 1999, which oversaw Australia’s policy approach to peacekeeping in the country.

Peter Jennings

Joining Mr Jennings on the advisory council are former United States public servants Gary Locke, Rachelle Chong, James Clapper, and Suzanne Spaulding as well as former British General Sir Richard Shirreff Fortinet founder and chief executive Ken Xie said that the council would provide insight to help public and private organisations counter growing cybersecurity threats.

“Fortinet has a long-standing commitment to partnership and collective insight that facilitates smart policy and collaboration efforts in response to the evolving threat landscape. As a trusted partner to the public sector and private industry, the establishment of the Advisory Council furthers these efforts in the United States as well as worldwide,” Mr Xie said.

Morag Bond is the new executive manager for legal, marketing, communications, and research at the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. She departs her joint general manager role at the Digital Platforms Branch of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission after a total of almost 12 years at the regulator. She also spent two years as the joint general manager of the Digital Platforms Inquiry. Between 2000-2010 Ms Bond worked as a lawyer in private practice.

The new chief information officer of defence, space and communications business Electro Optic Systems (EOS) is Shane Geisler. Mr Geisler joined EOS in 2020 and moves from the Head of Global ICT role. Overall, he has 15 years of ICT experience with previous roles at Telstra and several IT consultancy firms. Mr Geisler is also currently studying for a Juris Doctor at Flinders University.

Five members of CSIRO’s Data61 Transport Analytics team will join global consultancy EY. This includes the leader of the Transport Analytics group Chen Cai, engineering team leader Benjamin Itzstein, research team leader Khoa Nguyen, and senior software engineer Chao Li, and AI and machine learning research scientist Dilusha Weeraddana. The new EY employees will work on digital twinning.

CSIRO has appointed a new director at the Health and Biosecurity Business Unit as well as at the Agriculture and Food Business Unit. Heading up the former is Michelle Edge, who begins on July 4, while Dr Michael Robertson will oversee the latter from August 1.

(Left to Right) Dr Michael Robertson and Michelle Edge

Ms Edge has more than 20 years of experience in biosecurity and spent the last two years as the head of the South Australian Department of Primary Indusrties and Regions. Prior to that, Ms Edge was the chief executive of the industry-government partnership organisation Operational Solutions for Primary Industries New Zealand.

Dr Robertson moves takes the directorship of the Agriculture and Food Business Unit after 29 years at CSIRO. He has previously been the deputy director of Agriculture and Food, and acting director of health and biosecurity.

The new global executive vice-president and chief executive of Verizon Business is Sowmyanarayan Sampath. Mr Sampath has previously held roles at Boston Consulting Group and consultancy ADVENTIS Corporation, and KPMG. He has been at Verizon since 2014 and is being promoted from the role of chief revenue officer.

Business and policy think tank Asia Society Australia, has appointed Indonesia expert Professor Greg Barton as its newest Scholar-in-residence. Professor Barton has been a Research Professor and Chair of Global Islamic Politics at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation Asia Society Australia is part of the larger Asia Society Policy Institute led by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Brisbane-based digital business and tech consultancy Business Aspect has appointed Bruce Irwin as principal consultant for cybersecurity and risk. Mr Irwin moves from tech consultancy MOQdigital, where he was the general manager for cybersecurity.

The new circular economy leader at design, engineering, and advisory company Aurecon is Jodie Bricout. Ms Bricout is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide. She is also a member of the NSW Circular Economy Innovation Network board and the Circular Economy Innovation Advisory Committee at the Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre.

Jodie Bricout Image: LinkedIn

Air New Zealand has created the chief sustainability officer role and recruited Kiri Hannifin to fill it. Ms Hannifin is currently the director of corporate affairs, quality, health and safety, and sustainability at supermarket brand Countdown, part of Woolworths New Zealand. Ms Hannifin will start the role on December 5.

The first chief operating officer of psychedelic-assisted therapies advocacy organisation Mind Medicine Australia is Ronnie Figdor. As a Rabbi, Mr Figdor has spent the last 10 years as the chief executive of the St. Kilda Shule Hebrew Congregation. He has previously undertook medical research for his Masters of Science program at the University of Melbourne and has spent a further 12 years at other Jewish organisations.

AGL’s head of technology, channels, and operations has moved to children’s education group Camp Australia as its chief information officer.

Internet of things specialist Constellation Technologies has appointed Raymond Malone as its non-executive chairman. He was previously chairman of automotive aftercare and accessories company AMA Group from 2015-2019, and chief executive until 2018.

New Assistant Secretary for Defence Industry at the Department of Defence is Kylie Wright. Ms Wright moves from her role at the Department of Health.

Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.

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