Safeguarding Australia's Financial Future โ Unleashing the Power of Collaboration against Financial Threats!
September 9 - 10, 2025 | Swissรดtel Sydney, Australia
Main Conference Day One: Tuesday 9 September 2025
๏ปฟ
8:15 am - 8:45 am
Registration and Morning Coffee
8:50 am - 9:00 am
Chair's Welcome Remarks
Andreas Chai -
Director,
Griffith University
9:00 am - 9:30 am
PANEL DISCUSSION: Future-Proofing Financial Institutions: A Leadership Perspective on Evolving Threats
Sharon Thorpe -
Chief Operating Officer, Financial Crime Compliance,
Commonwealth Bank
Brad Markwart - Chief Risk Officer, Beyond Bank Australia
Toby Evans - Head of Economic Crime, AusPayNet
Akhilesh Mehta - Chief Operating Officer, G&C Mutual Bank
Wendy Ward - Vice President of International Oversight, American Express
- How are financial institutions leveraging data analytics, AI, and other emerging technologies to enhance financial crime detection and prevention in 2025 and beyond?
- What are the key regulatory changes on the horizon (e.g., Tranche 2, sanctions regimes) and how are leaders preparing their organisations for these shifts?
- Beyond traditional partnerships, what innovative collaborative models are being explored to combat increasingly sophisticated financial crime?
9:30 am - 10:00 am
Protecting Customers in the Digital Age
Miguel Aguado -
Compliance Director Asia Pacific,
Ria Money Transfer
- Emerging fraud tactics, including crypto-enabled crime and payment system vulnerabilities.
- Strengthening KYC/CDD and authentication beyond current cybersecurity practices.
- Empowering customers through awareness and education.
10:00 am - 10:30 am
Re-imagining Financial Crime Transformation - AI & The Future Operating model
Kush Mukherjee -
Industry Leader ANZ and APAC Financial Crime & Compliance Practice,
Concentrix Australia
- Explore how emerging financial crime typologies are creating a need for institutions to abandon legacy models and build agile, real-time, intelligence-led frameworks.
- Witness a 24-capability blueprint and a stepwise AI maturity roadmap - revealing how institutions can embed explainable AI and have a realistic practical and achievable path to competency
- Learn about a dynamic operating model : Highlights the Future financial Crime PREVENTION Ecosystem - a dynamic operating model that is based on reduced complexity and increased use of data.
Sponsored by: Concentrix
Kush Mukherjee
Industry Leader ANZ and APAC Financial Crime & Compliance PracticeConcentrix Australia
10:30 am - 11:00 am
PANEL DISCUSSION: AI & Data: The Future of Fraud Detection
Elise Muhlheim -
Head of Financial Crime Control & Fraud,
OFX
Murugan Manickam - Former Head of Enterprise Fraud Risk (APAC & Japan), Citi Bank
Andreas Chai - Director, Griffith University
Craig Doran - CEO, Comtrac
- What are the current limitations and vulnerabilities of AI and machine learning in detecting increasingly sophisticated fraud? โฏ
- โฏHow can we leverage data to stay ahead of criminal advancements in AI fraud?
- What strategies can be employed to stay ahead of criminals advancing AI tactics? โฏ
- How can we balance the need for effective AI-driven fraud detection using sensitive data with ethical considerations and user privacy?
Sponsored by: Comtrac
11:00 am - 11:15 am
Speed Networking Session
11:15 am - 11:45 am
Morning Break and Networking
Interactive Group Discussions
11:45 am - 1:15 pm
IDG A | Balancing Customer Experience with KYC and Onboarding Requirements
Harvinder Singh -
Regional Vice President of Sales โ Identity Verification, APAC,
Entrust
Discuss methods to streamline compliance processes while ensuring a positive and seamless customer onboarding experience.
Sponsored by: Entrust
11:45 am - 1:15 pm
IDG B | AI in AML: Balancing Innovation, Oversight and Accountability
Ernest Foo -
Professor,
Griffith University
11:45 am - 1:15 pm
IDG C | Designing an Agile Financial Crime Framework for Emerging Risks
11:45 am - 1:15 pm
IDG D | Auditing Financial Crime Processes for Efficiency and Complianc
1:15 pm - 2:00 pm
Lunch Break and Networking
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: Panel Discussion: Bridging Industries to Combat Criminal Advancements
Anthony White -
Fraud & Counterfeit Manager,
Canon
Katie Lourey - Head of Risk and Compliance, Gold Bullion Australia
Tess Ogle - Head of Financial Crime Risk Stewardship| Compliance, HSBC
Andreas Chai - Director, Griffith University
- Adapting marketing strategies to the 2025 ban on gambling ads on public transport, exploring innovative digital and alternative channels.
- Overcoming the challenge of the credit card ban for lotteries, implementing seamless alternative payment solutions for continued customer engagement.
- Managing a unique regulatory position outside AML frameworks, proactively addressing evolving compliance requirements and building robust internal controls.
2:45 pm - 3:15 pm
Building a Resilient Defense: Capability Development in Financial Crime
Sharon Thorpe -
Chief Operating Officer, Financial Crime Compliance,
Commonwealth Bank
- Partnering with academia to support capability uplift.
- Discussing frameworks for building robust financial crime units, including talent acquisition, technology investment, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Highlighting best practices in designing and delivering training that equips professionals with the skills to detect and prevent sophisticated financial crimes.
3:15 pm - 3:45 pm
Afternoon Tea and Networking
3:45 pm - 4:15 pm
A Case Study from the Bullion Industry: Battling Money Laundering
Katie Lourey -
Head of Risk and Compliance,
Gold Bullion Australia
- Identifying key loopholes exploited by money launderers in the bullion trade.
- Analysing criminal methods, including mules and sophisticated scams.
- Navigating regulatory changes and strengthening bank collaboration.
- Building internal capabilities for detection and prevention.
4:15 pm - 5:00 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: From Risk to Reward: Aligning Risk and Compliance with Business Objectives to Secure Leadership Focus
Jeremy Leong -
Chief Risk Officer - Head of Risk and Compliance,
Taishin International Commercial Bank
Porus Govekar - Head of Compliance, Lottoland Australia
Tess Ogle - Head of Financial Crime Risk Stewardship| Compliance, HSBC
- Strategies for effectively communicating the value of risk and compliance, aligning them with business objectives to gain senior leadership support and resource allocation.
- Balancing a customer-first approach with robust risk and compliance frameworks, ensuring a positive customer experience while mitigating potential threats.
- Developing and supporting emerging risk and compliance leaders, fostering a culture of collaboration, and leveraging diverse perspectives to navigate the evolving risk and regulatory landscape.
- Moving beyond reactive measures to anticipate challenges and turn potential threats into opportunities.
Jeremy Leong
Chief Risk Officer - Head of Risk and ComplianceTaishin International Commercial Bank
