Safeguarding Australia Summit

Hamish commenced as the Head of National Security on 17 July 2025. In this role he is responsible for integrating the national security mission across Home Affairs. Hamish also holds the position of the National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator.

From 2023 to 2025, Hamish was the Deputy Secretary of Cyber and Infrastructure Security Group, bringing together cyber security and technology security policy, critical infrastructure and transport security policy, regulation and partnerships, protective security policy and background checking under the AusCheck scheme.

Prior to this, Hamish was the Inaugural Head of the then Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre, a role he held from 1 September 2021, leading the principal critical infrastructure security regulatory authority, policy and program functions.

Immediately prior to this role, Hamish undertook a range of Division Head roles including leading the Cyber, Digital and Technology Policy Division, the National Security and Law Enforcement Policy Division as well Deputy Head of the COVID-19 National Coordination Mechanism.

Hamish has held Senior Executive Service positions in the former Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the former Australian Crime Commission.

Hamish has also served in a range of intelligence, policy, planning, and program delivery roles in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Attorney General's Department, the Australian Senate and the former Office of Transport Security.

Hamish started his career in the National Museum of Australia.

Hamish has a Bachelor of Arts (ANU), Bachelor of Asian Studies (ANU and Gadjah Mada University) and an ANZSOG Executive Masters of Public Administration.

Ciara Spencer was appointed as Deputy Secretary Law Enforcement and Domestic Security on 24 July 2025.

As Deputy Secretary Law Enforcement and Domestic Security, Ciara leads the Group responsible for cyber security and technology security policy, countering foreign interference policy and partnerships, national resilience and protective security, criminal justice and law enforcement policy.

Before taking up her current position, Ciara served as First Assistant Secretary, Consular and Crisis Management Division in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In that role, Ciara led Australia’s response to crises in the Middle East and delivered consular services to support the safety and welfare of Australians overseas.  Ciara has also led the International Security Division and Australia’s international response to defence issues, cyber security, counter terrorism, misinformation, human trafficking and modern slavery.

Ciara has previously held Senior Executive positions in the Department of Home Affairs, the former Department of immigration and Border Protection and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. These roles focused on national security, including aviation and maritime security, law enforcement policy, child exploitation, human trafficking and people smuggling. Ciara has also served in a range of policy, legal and program delivery roles at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Attorney-General’s Department.

Ciara holds a Master of Laws (International Criminal Law Specialisation) from Leiden University in the Netherlands and a Bachelor of Asian Studies (Japanese)/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the Australian National University.

Stephen Moore commenced as First Assistant Secretary AUKUS in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in February 2026. Prior to joining PM&C, Stephen held several senior positions with the Department of Defence, including as the inaugural First Assistant Secretary AUKUS Advanced Capabilities, responsible for implementation of Pillar II of AUKUS across the Defence organisation and First Assistant Secretary Defence Industry Policy, where he developed and implemented international and domestic defence industry policy. Stephen has also served as Deputy Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation, held a long-term acting role as First Assistant Secretary International Policy, and has worked in Parliament House as a ministerial adviser. Stephen joined the Australian Defence Department when he commenced working for International Policy Division early in 2006, covering a wide range of policy areas including the Pacific, North Asia and the Middle East. He was responsible for developing strategic and operations policy relating to Australia’s military commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and has deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a policy advisor to Australian commanders in theatre. Stephen has science degrees in Neurobiology and Geophysics and came to the Australian Defence Department after a career in the oil and gas industry. He also holds a Masters degree in International Relations from the Australian National University.

Lisa Elliston is the First Assistant Secretary of the Multilateral Economic Engagement Division and Australia’s G20 Sherpa at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Ms Elliston’s Division is responsible for advising the Prime Minister on Australia’s multilateral economic engagement, including the G20, G7, APEC and multilateral trade, and coordinating work on economic security across the public service. Ms Elliston is the Department’s Reconciliation Champion and works to build relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Prior to her current role Ms Elliston was the First Assistant Secretary of the Strategy, Projects and Priorities Division, generating evidence to inform policy solutions and supporting the implementation of the Government’s priorities. Ms Elliston has also worked at the Australian Treasury where she led several different economic policy divisions. She was responsible for Treasury advice and analysis on domestic social policy settings and prior to that developed international policy to strengthen global economic and financial stability, engaging with international financial institutions and multilateral forums including the G20 and APEC. Ms Elliston has previously held senior executive and economic policy advising roles in the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Ms Elliston has an Honours Degree in Economics from the University of Adelaide and a Masters Degree in Operations Research and Statistics from the University of New South Wales.

Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn AO (Retd) MDefStud, MStratStud John Blackburn is the Chair of the Institute for Integrated Economic Research – Australia. He retired from the Royal Australian Air Force in 2008 as the Deputy Chief of the Air Force, following a career as an F/A-18 fighter pilot, test pilot and strategic planner. Since 2008, John has consulted to Industry and Government Agencies and has undertaken a range of National Security and Resilience related studies, as a Reservist until 2019 , and also with the Institute for Integrated Economic Research - Australia, the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, the Kokoda Foundation, and the Sir Richard Williams Foundation. For the past four years he has led a National Resilience Project that has highlighted a lack of resilience in Australia in addressing the pandemic, climate change impacts, the ongoing energy transition, and growing regional security threats.

Dr Justin Fidock is the Program Leader for National Security within the Space, Intelligence, National Security and Cyber (SINC) Division at Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), part of the Australian Department of Defence.

In this role, Justin leads the National Security Program, which drives Innovation, Science and Technology (IS&T) engagement with domestic and international national security partners. The Program also identifies and delivers targeted IS&T projects that enhance Defence and broader national security capabilities. The first of these projects focuses on strengthening protective security resilience, with an emphasis on insider threat, security culture, and facility security.

Dr Fidock is widely recognised for his strategic leadership across the national security science and technology ecosystem. He has led multidisciplinary research efforts spanning socio-technical systems, organisational resilience, and Human–AI teaming, with a strong focus on translating research into operational impact. Through his work, Justin has helped build enduring partnerships across government, academia, and industry, fostering innovation and capability uplift in areas critical to Australia’s security.

He is deeply committed to building strong, collaborative relationships across the national security community, bringing together industry, academia and government to co-develop IS&T solutions that deliver real impact. He actively champions cultural evolution and more integrated ways of working within the IS&T ecosystem. Justin is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, work-life balance, and the development of emerging talent.

Justin holds a PhD in Business Information Systems from RMIT University and a Master of Psychology (Organisational) from the University of South Australia. He continues to contribute to research, particularly in the area of Human–AI teaming, through collaborative projects with academic and industry.

Matthew (Matt) Warren is the Director of the RMIT University Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation and a Professor of Cyber Security at RMIT University. He has held roles such as Deputy Director of University Research Centre, Head of School, Deputy Head of School, Program Leader for several programs during his tenure at Deakin University. 

Matthew Warren is a researcher in the areas of Cyber Security and Computer Ethics. He has received numerous grants and awards from national and international funding bodies, such as: Australian Research Council (ARC); Engineering Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in the United Kingdom; National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa.

Matthew Warren has taught in Australia, Finland, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

 Professor Todd Mansell is the Foundation Director of the Australian Defence Technologies Academy (ADTA) at Adelaide University. He is a Defence leader with more than 36 years of experience spanning defence research, development, acquisition and operations analysis.

He was previously Technical Director at the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) and responsible for establishing it as an authorised submarine engineering organisation, as well as developing and applying the science, technology and innovation base Australia requires to be a safe and effective independent owner/operator of our nuclear-powered submarine capability.

He holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Melbourne and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, Advanced Management Program (AMP188).

Professor Mansell’s contribution to Defence has been recognised with the Minister for Defence, Award for Scientific Achievement.

Prior to his current role, Prof Mansell was posted at The Boeing Company (USA), where he worked alongside the Chief Engineer and his leadership team on engineering realignment, innovation, supply chain and R&D transformation. He has also led 4 different research divisions in Defence Science and Technology Group, and acted as the Chief Defence Scientist.

Dr Rodrigo Praino is Professor of Politics and Public Policy and Director of the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies. He holds a PhD in Political Science and has received several prestigious fellowships, scholarships and awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship. In 2018 he became the first political scientist to win a Tall Poppy Science Award for excellence is scientific research and communication.

Professor Praino is an expert in decision-making and political behaviour. For over a decade, he has conducted successful research on elections, focusing on how voters make decisions in a context of low-information. His publications in this area cover a wide range of issues, including the effect of political scandals and corruption, the political behavior of young voters, the political representation of women, and the role of candidate physical appearance.

Professor Praino is also one of the only scholars in Australia engaged in research on space politics and space policy. He is particularly interested in understanding and analysing the importance of space assets for defence, economic development, international relations, and decision-making. He is co-author of the book Power, State and Space: Conceptualizing, Measuring and Comparing Space Actors (Springer, 2023).

As the CEO and founder of DEWC services, Allan has been a force in advancing Australia’s capabilities in command, control, communications, computing, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, an electromagnetic warfare (C4ISREW). With a distinguished career spanning over 30 years in both uniformed and civilian roles, Allan’s expertise and leadership has been instrumental in shaping DEWC into a leading consultancy in the defence sector.

Allan’s journey began in 1990 when he joined the Royal Australian Air Force, where he honed his skills as an electronic warfare systems engineer and project manager. His extensive experience with the ADF and the defence industry provided a strong foundation for his next venture. In 2011, Allan founded DEWC Services to unite experienced C4ISREW practitioners with a shared passion for serving the Australian defence community. Under his leadership, DEWC Services has grown to employ over 100 specialist practitioners, delivering critical support and expertise to Australian defence force capabilities across all domains.

Since its inception, DEWC Services have been dedicated to enhancing Australia’s sovereign capabilities in the electromagnetic battle space. Allan's vision was to create an organisation then not only solved complex C4ISREW problems but also fostered a strong community of defence veterans. DEWC Services employs 27 veterans from the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Airforce and Australian Army, reflecting Allan’s commitment to integrating veteran experience into the organisation’s mission.

Allan's leadership is marked by a profound sense of purpose and dedication to improving defence systems and safeguarding Australian freedoms. His personal experience and technical acumen have driven DEWC Service’s success and its role in advancing Australian defence capabilities. Through DEWC Services, Allan continues to inspire and lead a team that is deeply committed to excellence and innovation in the defence sector.

Dr Michael Cohen is the Academic Director and an Associate Professor at NSC. He has expertise in International Security with an empirical focus on the Indo-Pacific. He was Partners Across the Globe Fellow at NATO Defence College, Rome, from September 2022 through January 2023 and was, from December 2019 through December 2023, convenor of the NSC’s PhD program.

Dr Cohen's specific research interests include the causes and implications for interstate conflict of nuclear weapons proliferation and international alliance dynamics, the role of political leaders and how their foreign policy decision-making can be improved and the efficacy of signalling and coercion in National Security affairs. Empirically he has expertise on the Korean peninsula, South Asia, China, the United States and the U.S.-Australia alliance. He regularly provides media commentary on these issues.

Dr Cohen’s first book, When Proliferation Causes Peace: The Psychology of Nuclear Crises (Georgetown University Press: 2017), addressed how nuclear proliferation influences states’ foreign policy. His co-edited book North Korea and Nuclear Weapons: Entering the New Era of Deterrence (Georgetown University Press: 2017, with Sung Chull Kim) addressed the impact of North Korea’s nuclear program on the Korean peninsula.

Dr Cohen’s other research has been published or is forthcoming in journals such as International Organization, Journal of Peace Research, European Journal of International Relations, European Journal of International Security, Journal of Global Security Studies, Foreign Policy Analysis, Asian Security, International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, The Non-Proliferation Review, Armed Forces and Society, Australian Journal of International Affairs and International Security (correspondence).

Dr Cohen is interested in supervising PhD research broadly related to his interests. He has twenty years of teaching experience in Australia, Canada and Denmark. Prior to joining the ANU National Security College in 2018, he was Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of the Bachelor of Security Studies program at the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University (2015-2017) and Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Center for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark (2012-2015). Dr Cohen was also a visiting scholar at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University (2014).