Ashleigh is currently the Head of Social at Digitas Australia, a subsidiary of Publicis Groupe. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge across all aspects of digital, media, social & influencer marketing with experience spanning across Australia, Asia-Pacific and North America. With an extensive history in developing and executing holistic digital marketing strategies she now focuses on a dedicated approach to brand story-telling and delivering true value for all clients.
As a strategist, she is highly creative however this is coupled with an analytical mindset that is rooted in data and learnings. Ashleigh’s responsibilities lie in the longevity of strategies and the end-to-end creation and implementation of digital, social and influencer activities.
As a mentor, she brings her 10 years of industry experience and applies real-life learnings that has been the foundation for her success. When she’s not working or mentoring, you can find Ashleigh either at the park with her dog, out horse riding in an open field or somewhere sunny with a cocktail in hand.
Amber Dermoudy is a digital marketing and social media specialist with a passion for building and promoting communities of interest.
Currently, Amber is Senior Social Media Manager at Xero – a global technology company specialising in financial management software. In the past, Amber has worked as Head of Social and Digital in both agency-side and client-side roles for a number of leading brands including Toyota Australia, Pizza Hut, Colgate-Palmolive, VOSS, Destination Queenstown, NBN, Tencent, Expedia, ABC, TEDx and Spotify.
A pseudo-geek at heart, Amber is fascinated by exploring emerging technologies especially within the platforms, metaverse and AI space.
Simona is a seasoned Principal Advisor in Technology and Cybersecurity with over 25 years of experience across finance, aviation, energy, and critical infrastructure. She specializes in data-driven security and transformational technology strategies, helping organizations strengthen resilience, manage risk, and build security-aware cultures.
Her work spans the development of intelligence-led cyber frameworks, regulatory compliance, incident response, and board-level engagement on complex risk topics. Simona is known for aligning cybersecurity with business objectives, advocating for the ethical use of data, and enabling strategic decision-making through actionable insights.
She has led diverse teams and managed programs across organizations of up to 36,000 staff, including Qantas, Macquarie Group, and Ausgrid. Her leadership in crisis simulations and strategic risk planning has helped embed cybersecurity into the fabric of business strategy. Passionate about high-performance cultures, Simona brings a collaborative approach to driving innovation and uniting stakeholders for impactful outcomes.
Anne Higgins is the Global Head of Cybersecurity Control Services at BNY where she is responsible for first line risk management and control practices for the Cybersecurity organization.
With 20+ years in technology risk management, Anne has held key roles at SVB, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and Aon. Before joining BNY Mellon, she managed regulatory affairs at SVB, led cross-functional regulatory strategies at Wells Fargo, and was global head of Cybersecurity Regulatory and Audit at J.P. Morgan.
Anne oversees regulatory and audit engagement, including examinations, response management, and compliance with industry frameworks like ISO, NIST CSF, and the Cyber Risk Institute. She also leads Cyber control, issues management, and Cyber Risk Quantification, shaping the firm’s overall Cyber strategy.
Originally from Australia, Anne has lived in all around the world and is now based in NYC. Outside of work, she enjoys keeping active and spending time with family and her French bulldog, Koko.
Austin Phillips is a comprehensive security practitioner with experience building and managing multiple teams across the information security industry. He has a proven expertise in security engineering, incident response, risk & vulnerability management, and security architecture. He is passionate about helping companies understand and resolve risks across on-prem and cloud environments. From leading SOC teams, to building threat intelligence programs, Austin is a leader with experience across multiple aspects of the industry. In his free time, he enjoys golf, fishing, and spending time with his family.
Wolf’s three decades of experience in information warfare and resilience have honed his skills and made him an expert in the field of cybersecurity. He has an in-depth knowledge of the cybersecurity landscape, including the latest threats and vulnerabilities, as well as an understanding of the technical tools and strategies that organizations can use to protect themselves. Wolf is a problem solver, who has a talent for breaking down complex technical challenges into manageable and actionable steps. He is a creative thinker who is always looking for innovative ways to enhance security and reduce risk.