Sydney CISO Community
Inner Circle
27 August 2026 | The Gallery, Events by Alpha
27 August 2026
The Gallery, Events by Alpha
Collaborate with your peers
Join Sydney's top CISOs for an intimate networking dinner and facilitated discussion on key business challenges. Enjoy a relaxed evening of dinner and drinks with your peers to share best practices, make new connections and build professional relationships.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CISOs today:
Strategic Alignment and Prioritisation of Critical Initiatives
Strengthening Foundational Capabilities
Tailoring Change Management Approaches
Sydney CISO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the discussion topics and agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CISOs, For CISOs®.
Governing Body Co-Chairs
Stoyan Assenov
Fiserv
Director, Information Security
Venkat Balakrishnan
Allianz
CISO, Australia
Susie Costa
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
SVP, Head Of Security Management
Matt Osborne
QBE Insurance Group Ltd
Group Head of Cyber Risk
Agenda
27 August 2026
16:30 - 17:30 Executive Networking Reception
17:30 - 18:30 Discussion Topics
Navigating the Spectrum of Change — Aligning Strategy, Execution and Team Focus
As organisations plan for the future, executive leaders are challenged to balance strategic initiatives with operational fundamentals. The pace and nature of change can vary widely, and Gartner research shows that tailoring change strategies to the specific context significantly improves alignment and outcomes. Diagnosing and navigating organisational change effectively is now essential for driving business success.
By sharing insights on setting strategic priorities, preparing IT and security teams for evolving demands, and ensuring foundational capabilities are robust and aligned with enterprise objectives, CIOs and CISOs can more effectively translate strategy into action. This positions their organizations for sustained progress in a dynamic environment.
Discussion Questions:
- What are your top two priorities for the upcoming quarter, and how are you aligning the organisation to deliver on them?
- Which foundational capabilities are most critical for your teams to focus on amid ongoing change?
- How are you diagnosing the nature of change in your organisation and tailoring your approach for greater success?
- What practical strategies have you found effective for maintaining momentum and resilience during periods of transition (e.g., embedding joint CIO-CISO forums, formalising outcome mapping, building internal talent pipelines)?
18:30 - 19:00 Networking Break
19:00 - 20:15 Summary Discussion & Dinner
20:15 - 21:15 Social Hour
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Sydney CISO Community Inner Circle.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Your Community Sponsors
CISO Thought Leader
Program Sponsor
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.
