Government Networking Forum: Directions for 2019

Chief Executive Officer, Cenitex

Frances has a wealth of leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. She draws on extensive experience in information technology, large transaction processing centres, customer contact centres and client relationship management. Prior to joining Cenitex, Frances was with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for over fourteen years, the past seven as Chief Finance Officer. She has been recognised for her leadership in the areas of financial and resource management, investment strategy, procurement and contract management.

Executive Director of Enterprise Solutions, Department of Premier and Cabinet

Lisa joined the Department of Premier and Cabinet earlier this year as the Executive Director of Enterprise Solutions. In this role Lisa leads the whole of Victorian Government IT Strategy, Cyber Security Unit, ICT Dashboard and associated digital capability uplift programs. Lisa brings a wealth of experience in IT delivery to the public service, after an 18 year international career at Accenture where she led strategy development, business and digital transformations, and most recently the innovation program.

Lisa also holds Bachelors of Engineering and Science, and a Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of Melbourne.

Chief Information Officer, Department of Premier and Cabinet

Lynn Warneke is the CIO at the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Following a successful corporate career in business, IT and consulting roles for a diverse range of organisations – from tech start-up to major commercial enterprise – Lynn has been working for the last 6 years in the tertiary education sector and now in state government. After 5 years with Deakin University, most recently as the Deputy Chief Digital Officer, she joined DPC last August as Chief Information Officer and Director of Corporate Operations.

Throughout a varied career, Lynn has consistently worked at the nexus of digital and emerging technologies, business transformation, and customer experience. Her achievements include establishing an innovation lab to create new products and services with emerging technologies; designing and implementing the award-winning Smart Campus strategic program for Deakin University – which included the location-aware and personalised Scout wayfinding app to help students navigate Deakin campuses; and Genie, an AI-enabled ‘smart’ digital assistant for all 60,000 students. At DPC Lynn is currently delivering a comprehensive ‘digital workplace’ program that is assisting DPC’s transition to new, more productive and flexible ways of working through a human-centred redesign of the physical workplace and introduction of new tools and technologies.

Lynn is also a member of the Victorian board of the ACS (Australian Computer Society) and serves on the ACS’s national Digital Enablement Strategy Committee. She is a judge for the annual #TechDiversity Awards and the Digital Disruptors Awards, and an advocate for two interconnected outcomes: ensuring technology is inclusive and usable for everyone, and increasing diversity in the tech sector.

Principal, Hoyne

Andrew is the Principal of brand agency Hoyne. After 28 years, Hoyne have become a globally renowned brand and marketing agency, whose core focus is place and property.

They work with major international asset owners, developers and local councils to create recognisable landmarks and destinations; from residential towers and masterplanned communities to commercial developments, new mixed-use precincts, and even cities.

Over the years, Andrew has developed a profound belief in the power of place, and the categorical link between good placemaking and significantly higher profits (both economic and social). It’s a passion that has led him to produce The Place Economy, a resource book series that presents thought-leadership on best practice placemaking, development and place branding from around the world.

Hoyne are now considered global thought leaders on place branding and place making.

Assistant Commissioner Victoria Police

Stephen Fontana has been a member of Victoria Police since 1975 and has spent the majority of his career as a criminal investigator; working at busy metropolitan Criminal Investigation Units, in the Crime Squads and on a number of high profile task force investigations. He also spent a number of years working at the Ethical Standards Department leading investigations into complaints against police and police corruption.

Stephen was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner in charge of the State Emergencies and Security Department in early 2008. In June 2011, he took charge of the North West Metropolitan Region which delivers frontline police services for the largest region in the state (1.71 million Victorians living in 14 local government areas)

Stephen commenced as the Assistant Commissioner Crime Command on 1 July 2012. In this he managed the portfolios of Specialist Support, Serious Crime (including Homicide and Sex Crimes), Finance & Cybercrime, the State Anti-Gangs Division and Organised Crime across the state.

On 1 May 2018 Stephen commenced his current appointment of Chief Information Officer for Victoria Police and in a dual-role also leads the Information, Systems and Security Command (ISSC).

In Stephen’s current role he is responsible for the governance, strategic direction and management of Victoria Police information technology and communications systems and applications, and for the overall management and strategic direction of enterprise information management and protective security.

As CIO, Stephen is a member of the Victoria Police Executive Command.

Chief Information Officer, Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services

Steve has been the CIO at the Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services since 2014. He is an award winning leader of digital transformation and has worked in a range of executive and consulting roles in and around the public sector for the past twenty years. Previously he was the head of public sector for the UK ICT research and advisory firm Ovum. In younger days he founded and sold an eCommerce company called movinghome.com.au, completed his Doctorate in Management Studies at the University of Oxford and worked as a search & rescue Mountaineer for Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand.

Director, Business Services at Indigenous Business Australia

Robert is the Director of Business Services at Indigenous Business Australia, a Federal statutory authority created to assist and enhance the economic development opportunities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia. Robert’s roles at IBA are quite diverse with oversight of procurement, several customer management IT systems, information management and Digital 2020 transformation.

Following a 25 year career as a Credit Risk Executive at two of Australia’s top four banks, Robert was approached by IBA over 10 years ago to use his skills to assist overhaul their business lending and support program, Australia’s longest running Indigenous capital program. Following that he moved into the business services branch about 5 years ago to work on organisational scale projects such as Indigenous procurement, CRM and information management.

In a volunteer capacity, Robert is a Chief Inspector and Emergency Officer with the NSW State Emergency Service. He is the Local Commander of five SES Units in the Queanbeyan Palerang region surrounding the ACT with over 220 volunteers under command.

Chief Information Officer (Executive Director Information Services)
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

Claire is responsible for leadership of the Information Services Division within the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), leading the strategy and vision for information and technology across the department. Claire is a member of the Victorian Government CIO Council, setting strategic direction for ICT across the Victorian government.

Prior to her current role, Claire was Director, IMT Delivery for the Department of Sustainability and Environment for two years. Claire has held a variety of roles across the private and public sector including roles in finance, internal audit, business management, human resources and operations.

Chief Information Office, Victorian Department of Transport

David is the Chief Information Officer at the Victorian Department of Transport, which plans, builds and operates the transport system for Australia’s fastest growing state. The department was created on 1 January 2019 from the former mega department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources where David developed and led the digital and technology capabilities for Transport for Victoria.

Prior to joining the Victorian Public Service, David led Omni-channel Service Enablement, Product Strategy & Design at Service NSW, the lead agency for transforming citizen-centric digital government services in NSW. Since launch, Service NSW has consistently achieved customer satisfaction scores of 98% and now services more than 70% of its transactions digitally. The recently announced Federal Government initiative, Services Australia, is using Service NSW as its model for service delivery.

David’s private sector experience includes executive roles within Banking & Financial Services, Telecommunications and Business Consulting as well as experience with Start-ups and Joint Ventures.

Director of IT Services, Department of Education and Training

Brett James is the Director of IT Services at the Department of Education and Training, Victoria with responsibilities for delivering high quality technology services across both corporate and school environments. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Tasmania. Before joining the Department of Education and Training he has held technology and commercial roles at Telstra, Ericsson, AGL Energy.

Founder and principal, MIA Consulting Services

Deirdre Diamante is the founder and principal of MIA Consulting Services. She works closely with government to implement industry and procurement programs and is a sought-after advisor by commercial and public sector organisations alike. Her various educational programs are recognised by AusIndustry, Business Victoria and Swinburne University. Deirdre is Chair of the Victorian Council of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and a co-founder and Director of the #TechDiversity Foundation. Recently Deirdre was appointed a Director to the Board of Manningham Community Enterprises Limited, part of the Bendigo Bank Community Bank network.