Leading AI & Cybersecurity, Sydney
Two days in Sydney for the leaders who decide. Day 1 on getting real results from AI. Day 2 on leading as cyber attacks get smarter.
Book one day, or both
Each day stands on its own. Choose the AI day, the cyber day, or both for the full picture.
From pilots to payoff
What's changed, what the rules now say, and how leaders who've scaled AI got past the pilot stage. A full day of plain-English briefings for the people who decide.
The Essential AI Update 2027
A year is a long time in AI. This opening briefing cuts through twelve months of announcements to what actually changed for Australian organisations: the models, the costs, the rules and the results. You'll leave knowing which shifts matter for you, and which you can safely ignore.
- What changed in the last 12 months, and what was hype
- Where Australian organisations are seeing real returns
- The three AI decisions every leader needs to make this year
Leading AI in government
Government is moving faster on AI than most people realise, with Chief AI Officers being appointed across federal agencies and new frameworks in every state. Hear what's working inside the public sector, what isn't, and what every leader can borrow.
- Lessons from Chief AI Officers on getting from pilot to practice
- Turning national and state AI frameworks into everyday decisions
- Keeping public trust while you move faster
From pilots to payoff: leaders who've scaled AI
Most organisations have run an AI pilot. Far fewer have turned one into results. Three leaders who have done it share what they funded, what they killed, how they brought their people with them, and the numbers that convinced their boards.
- Why most pilots stall, and how these leaders got past it
- Choosing the use cases worth funding, and killing the rest
- Measuring returns your CFO will actually accept
The new rules: AI obligations every leader must know
From 10 December 2026, organisations covered by the Privacy Act must tell people when automated systems make decisions about them. Add procurement, liability and governance expectations, and AI is now a compliance issue as much as a technology one. This is the plain-English version.
- What the automated-decision transparency rules require of you
- Who signs off on AI, and who is accountable when it goes wrong
- The questions to put to every AI vendor before you buy
Your people and AI
The technology is the easy part. The harder work is redesigning jobs, building skills and leading people who are anxious about what AI means for them. A leader who has been through it shares how they brought their workforce along, and what they'd do differently.
- Redesigning work, not just adding tools to it
- Closing the skills gap quickly and affordably
- Leading through job anxiety without overpromising
AI agents at work, and your 90-day plan
AI agents that can plan and act on their own are arriving in everyday software. This closing session explains what they can and can't safely do today, then gives you time to build your own 90-day leadership plan before you leave the room.
- What AI agents are, and where they fit in your organisation
- The guardrails to put in place before you switch them on
- Your first 90 days, on the page
Leading through AI-enabled threats
Technical content, explained for the people who make the decisions. No jargon and no product pitches. Bring your GC or CFO.
The 2027 threat briefing
AI has made cyber attacks faster, cheaper and far more convincing, from deepfake voice calls to phishing emails with no spelling mistakes. This briefing walks through the incidents and trends that matter for Australian organisations, in language built for leaders rather than technicians.
- How AI is changing the attacks aimed at your organisation
- The Australian breaches that changed the rules
- What attackers look for first
Protecting the public's data
Government agencies hold some of the most sensitive data in the country and are among the most targeted organisations. A public sector leader shares what it takes to protect citizens' data, and how agencies work with national and state cyber bodies when something goes wrong.
- Cyber leadership lessons from government
- Why agencies are such frequent targets, and what that means for you
- Working with national and state cyber agencies in an incident
When it happens to you: leaders who led through a breach
Nobody plans to be breached. Our panel has been there. They take you through the first hour, the first day and the first week: the calls they made, the people they told, and what they wish they'd had in place before it happened.
- What the first 72 hours really look like
- Talking to staff, customers, regulators and the media
- What they'd do differently next time
Decide, disclose, defend: your legal accountability
When a breach lands, the clock starts. Ransomware payments must be reported within 72 hours, privacy penalties have climbed, and individuals can now sue for serious invasions of privacy. This session sets out what leaders, directors and officers are personally accountable for.
- Ransomware payment reporting and the 72-hour clock
- Privacy Act penalties and the statutory privacy tort
- Directors' and officers' duties before, during and after a breach
The threat inside the building
Not every threat comes from outside. Contractors, suppliers, careless staff and the chatbot your team is quietly pasting documents into can all open the door. Learn where the inside risks sit, and the simple controls that leaders, not IT, own.
- Insider, supplier and third-party risk
- Shadow AI: what your people are already sharing
- The controls leaders own
Crisis simulation: a ransomware and deepfake breach
Put it all into practice. Working at your table, you'll lead an organisation through a ransomware attack that escalates round by round, complete with a deepfake call from your CEO. Every decision has consequences, and every table debriefs with the experts.
- Making decisions with incomplete information, against the clock
- Who to call, what to say and when
- A decision checklist you've tested under pressure
Program subject to change. Speakers will be announced progressively.
Your 90-day AI plan: a hands-on workshop for leaders
Two online mornings to turn the briefing into a plan for the part of the organisation you lead. Add it when you book your Sydney ticket, or choose All-Access.
- Where you really are. Your pilots, tools and the shadow AI already in use.
- Choosing your bets. Score use cases on value and feasibility. Cut the rest.
- The business case. Costs, returns and the measures your executive will accept.
- People and ways of working. Who owns it, the skills you need and how the work changes.
- Your 90-day plan. Sequence it, find the quick wins and test it with your peers.
Book early and save up to $600
First In pricing ends 19 February 2027. All-Access includes both days and the online workshop.
| Ticket | First InUntil 19 Feb 2027 | Early BirdUntil 25 Mar 2027 | StandardFrom 26 Mar 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| One dayDay 1 (AI) or Day 2 (Cyber) | $1,299 | $1,499 | $1,699 |
| Both daysThe full two-day summit | $2,099 | $2,399 | $2,699 |
| All-AccessBoth days + the 90-day AI plan workshop | $2,699 | $2,999 | $3,299 |
| Workshop onlyTwo online mornings, 13–14 May | $899 | $999 | $1,099 |
All prices in Australian dollars and exclude GST.
A room full of people who decide
Questions, answered
When and where is the Sydney event?
Wed 5 – Thu 6 May 2027, in Sydney. Both days run 9:00am to 4:20pm local time, with registration from 8:30am. The venue will be announced on this page.
Can I attend just one day?
Yes. Day 1 covers AI and Day 2 covers cyber. Book either day on its own from $1,299 + GST, or both days from $2,099 + GST.
How do I book the 90-day AI plan workshop?
Add it for $699 + GST when you register for Sydney, or choose All-Access, which includes both days and the workshop. It runs online over two mornings, Thursday 13 and Friday 14 May 2027.
Who should attend?
Executives, senior managers and board members who make decisions about AI and cyber risk, plus their advisers: general counsel, CFOs, CIOs, CISOs, risk and HR leaders.
Are there group discounts?
Teams of 3–5 save 15% and alumni save 10%. Discounts don't combine. For more than ten people, ask us about an in-house session.
Other cities
Book Sydney at First In prices
First In prices end 19 February 2027. Choose Sydney and your ticket when you register.
Book now