16th Annual National Public Sector Fraud and Corruption Congress

13-14 May 2026, Sydney

Day One – Wednesday 13 May 2026

 

8.30       Registration opens

 

9.00       Opening remarks from conference chair

 

9.10       International Keynote Address:
Strengthening Interagency Collaboration Through Secure Data 

• Constructing your fraud data sharing around current key threats
• Navigating the key obstacles in data sharing for fraud control
• Refining your fraud data sharing and analysis process according to each threat
• Designing an effective multi-agency fraud network across government

Mark Astley, Head of Service, National Anti-Fraud Network Data & Intelligence Services (UK)

 

10.10    Working effectively within interagency taskforces to combat fraud and corruption

• Designing your interagency collaboration effectively before work begins
• Ensuring your cross-agency teams have rapport and communication capabilities
• Aligning the mindsets and goals of counterfraud teams from multiple industries
• Navigating privacy and security limitations between key agencies

Timothy Underhill, Detective Superintendent Economic, Corporate Crime and Corruption (EC3), Australian Federal Police

 

10.50     Morning coffee break

 

11.20    Private Sector Guest Presentation:
Managing the key drivers of misconduct: “Why Good People Make Bad Decisions”

• Constructing strategy around the key motivators of fraud and corruption
• Negotiating the cultural and psychological dimensions of misconduct
• Preventing minor ethical breaches from snowballing
• Guiding your teams to navigate “grey areas” effectively
• Ensuring that decision-making is still ethical in ambiguous or high-pressure situations
• Leading with integrity and ethics for meaningful fraud risk management

Iain Hart, Head of Risk Management, Crown Resorts

 

12.00    Developing an integrity culture that resonates across your organisation

• Establishing foundational values and policies around fraud and corruption
• Bridging communication gaps between business areas through meaningful consultation
• Undertaking constructive counterfraud actions that resonate with your teams
• Working effectively with key business units to produce meaningful collaborative strategies and training

Jade Maskiewicz, Disclosures and Investigations Coordinator, Central Coast Council

 

12.40    Lunch break

 

13.40    Improving reporting rates of potential fraud and corruption red flags

• Building effective processes and technology to improve automatic detection
• Developing productive relationships with key stakeholders to improve reporting rates
• Fostering a culture of integrity that meaningfully engages your teams and line leaders
• Developing avenues for enthusiastic and meaningful disclosures
• Collaborating effectively with line leaders to apprehend potential threats on all levels of the organisation

Shane Lysons-Smith, Chief Audit Executive, Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries

 

14.20    Managing the fraud and corruption risks inherent in contractor relationships

• Establishing the responsibilities of the contractor and your organisation clearly
• Minimising potential security risks around contractor engagements
• Working alongside other business functions to ensure best-practice contractor engagement
• Responding effectively to realised fraud risk involving contracting parties

Benjamin Hallam, Senior Manager Fraud and Corruption Prevention and Investigations, Sydney Metro

 

15.00    Afternoon tea break

 

15.30    Ensuring your fraud and corruption controls minimise Conflict of Interest risks

• Ensuring conflict-of-interest policies are clear and easily accessible
• Reporting potential violations of COI policy constructively
• Collaborating with key business areas to design COI policy that complements your fraud and corruption control strategy
• Embedding COI concerns within your detection function

Sheryn Anderson, Manager Integrity, Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action Victoria

 

16.10    Challenging the wicked problem of organisational siloing for an effective fraud and corruption response

• Developing a useful understanding of the causes of siloing in your organisation and the greater public service
• Approaching key business units to lessen the impact of siloing on counterfraud capabilities
• Breaking down silos within the limits of key privacy and security concerns
• Supporting a collaborative approach to de-siloing within your own teams

Ralph Esther, Manager Procurement and Governance, Blacktown City Council
Peter Thompson, Coordinator Audit and Risk, Blacktown City Council

 

16.50    Closing Remarks from Chair

 

17.00    End of Conference Day One and Networking event

 

Day Two – Thursday 23 October 2025

 

8.00       Registration opens

 

8.25       Opening remarks from Chair

 

8.30     International Keynote Address:
Minimising organisational vulnerability to cybersecurity threats

• Collaborating with internal and external experts to tighten cybersecurity measures
• Minimising incidents by targeting human error in cyberfraud
• Allocating responsibilities and network controls to slow malicious fraud actors
• Adjusting your approach to digital fraud and corruption depending on the sensitivity of particular finances and data

Mark Rysanek, Cyber Liaison Officer – Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Consulate General of Canada

 

9.30      International Keynote Address:
Combatting technologically-enabled fraud threats based on key trends – HMRC’s Perspective

• Engaging with the unique challenges of organised crime and external fraud actors
• Investigating potential instances of fraud effectively across organisations
• Ensuring your fraud control strategy efficiently prevents and detects fraud
• Introducing new technologies and tools within your organisational fraud strategy
• Organising effective counterfraud and AML strategies and teams

De Quincey Bailey LLB, Senior Investigation Officer, Illicit Finance Lead, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (UK)

 

10.30    Morning coffee break

 

11.00  Regulator Case Study Session
Managing Conflict-of-Interest governance effectively to mitigate misconduct – learnings from ICAC NSW

• Evaluating key COI risks based on case studies and the broader COI landscape
• Designing your reporting and governance levers to act on COI effectively
• Ensuring that COI reporting is effectively integrated within organisational practices
• Navigating realised COI violations to minimise risks to your organisation and teams

Barry Davidow, Senior Corruption Prevention Officer, Independent Commission Against Corruption NSW

 

11.40  Utilising new technology to dramatically empower your fraud and corruption response

• Selecting the most effective technology available for your counterfraud teams
• Producing outstanding controls and culture with support from technological solutions and dashboards
• Increasing detection rates for fraud and corruption with sophisticated data and management technology
• Empowering your investigative function with key tools and software

Frank Trimboli, Senior Manager Intelligence and Detection, Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria

 

12.20    Lunch Break

 

13.20  Private Sector Case Study
Implementing practical controls to maximise data security

• Designing your data fraud controls in consideration of recent incidents and case studies
• Creating practical controls on data security processes that require zero technology
• Implementing technology-led controls and mitigation strategies for data fraud risks
• Collaborating effectively with teams and leaders to ensure best practice

Samuel Stuart, Director, Services Business Lead – Security Solutions, Mastercard

 

 

14.00    Maximising key resources to build the capabilities of your fraud and corruption team

• Modelling and visualising key data to communicate the importance of counterfraud and anticorruption initiatives
• Communicating effectively with time-poor executive leaders and stakeholders
• Combining governance and ethics concerns with a convincing business case for fraud and corruption control
• Developing a strong case for fraud and corruption control with support from committees and other organisational allies

Joanna Virtue, AS Fraud Prevention and Anti-Corruption Branch, Attorney General’s Department

 

 

14.40    Afternoon tea break

 

15.10    Refining your organisational fraud and corruption controls for best-practice outcomes

• Mapping your key checks-and-balances in fighting fraud and corruption
• Engaging with duty-holders to evaluate their competency for fighting fraud
• Ensuring planned controls are accessible, resonant, and regularly followed
• Reviewing your fraud controls regularly in a world of constant change

Marea Getsios, Procurement and Contracts Manager, Inner West Council

 

15.50    Preparing your organisation to control modern fraud and corruption threats from AI

• Constructing your counter-fraud strategy based on updated capabilities of modern AI
• Working productively with internal and external AI experts in combatting new threats
• Creating controls and systems to reduce the effectiveness of AI threats
• Ensuring your approach to AI threats can keep pace with increasingly sophisticated technology

Dr Sharif Abuadbba, Team Leader Distributed Systems Security, AI & Cybersecurity, CSIRO’s Data61

 

16.30      Closing remarks from chair and End of Conference Day Two