Investment Operations Australia 2025 Forum offers sponsors an excellent opportunity to demonstrate thought leadership and leverage networking opportunities to build brand-value amongst your target audience. If you would like to know more about sponsorship, exhibition and business development opportunities please just get in touch with us – sponsorship@ibrc.com.au
Early Invited Speaker Includes:
Speakers of The 8th annual Invest-Ops Australia 2025 Conference.
Head of Investment Operations, Brighter Super
Chief Executive Officer, Australian Custodial Services Association ( ACSA)
Managing Director, Head of Risk Management, State Street Australia
Head of Investment Operations & Performance Reporting, AMP
Head of Client Services and Head of Sydney office at The Northern Trust Company
Executive Director - Tax Product, JPMorgan Chase & Co
Independent Consultant & Advisor
Country Manager, Financial Risk Solutions (FRS) Ltd
Chief Operating Officer, AlphaCert Labs
Former Program Manager, Active Super
Principal Consultant, Novigi
Associate Director - NSW, Kaizen Recruitment
Partner Financial Services, Ernst & Young
Partner, Holley Nethercote Lawyers
NED, Senior Advisor, Coach, Author | Global Pension and Retirement Leader
Managing Director, Global Solutions by Zodia Custody
Tech Consulting: Wealth & Asset Management, EY Oceania
KPMG Tax Partner
APAC Product Development and Strategy, Citi
Partner, PwC Australia
Managing Director, Head of Australia and New Zealand, Calastone
Independent Consultant, Former COO IFM Investors
Senior Director Operations, SS&C Technologies
Director - Investor Operations, Centuria Bass Credit
Managing Director Australia & New Zealand, Georgeson
Director, Digital Asset Services at ANZ
Manager, Performance & Risk Analytics at IFM Investors
Head of Regulatory Watch & Market Advocacy APAC, BNP Paribas Securities Services
Director | Sustainability and Responsible Investment, KPMG Australia
KPMG Tax Partner
Head of Alpha, Asia Pacific at State Street
Our Sponsors
GOLD SPONSOR
SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONEvent Schedule
Learn schedule, program and topics of the 8th annual Invest-Ops Australia Investment Operations Challenges 2025 Forum
DELEGATE REGISTRATION & COFFEE
STEPHEN HUPPERT
Independent Consultant & Advisor
• How operations are becoming strategic enablers in a fast-changing investment landscape
• What are the key forces reshaping investment operations in superannuation and funds management?
• How can operations evolve from a cost centre to a source of strategic value?
• What skills and capabilities will define tomorrow’s operational leaders?
STEPHANIE CRAIG
Senior Director Operations, SS&C Technologies
• Shifting from operational efficiency to operational excellence
• Building a culture of continuous improvement
• Measuring and benchmarking operational performance
• Creating stakeholder value through operational capabilities
MODERATOR:
SALLY SURGEON
Head of Client Services and Head of
Sydney office at The Northern Trust Company
PANEL MEMBER:
TREVOR MEISEL
Tech Consulting: Wealth & Asset Management, EY Oceania
LOUNARDA DAVID
Independent Consultant, Former COO IFM Investors
SHIRLEY WILSON
Head of Investment Operations & Performance Reporting, AMP
Speakers:
• Progress, pitfalls and practicalities of aligning front, middle and back office
• What are the critical components of an effective front-to-back integration strategy?
• What common challenges emerge during integration and how can they be overcome?
• What role do data models and platforms play in seamless operational alignment?
MODERATOR:
ROSS BROCKBANK
Head of Alpha, Asia Pacific at State Street
Panel Members TBA
11:10 MORNING COFFEE & NETWORKING
• Examples of intelligent automation in reconciliations, exceptions handling, compliance
• Where is AI currently delivering the most impact in investment operations?
• What are the risks and limitations of automation in complex workflows?
• How should teams build readiness for broader adoption of AI solutions?
CIAN O'DRISCOLL
Country Manager at Financial Risk
Solutions (FRS) Ltd
• Lessons learned from CPS 230 implementation
• What does operational resilience mean in the current investment landscape?
• How can resilience be embedded into business-as-usual operations?
• Evolving regulatory expectations for operational resilience
• Strategies for effective third-party risk management
MODERATOR:
SUSANNA CHAN
Partner Operational, Technology and Cyber Risk and Resilience, PwC Australia
PANEL MEMBERS:
KAREN GILBERT
Managing Director, Head of Risk Management, State Street Australia
STEPHEN COUTTS
APAC Product Development and Strategy, Citi
12:50 LUNCH & NETWORKING
• Essential elements of effective operational due diligence.
• Identifying and evaluating operational risks.
• Proven strategies and best practices for thorough due diligence.
• Real-world examples highlighting successful operational due diligence efforts.
• Creating a unified data architecture for investment operations
• How investment data management supports performance, risk, compliance, and decision-making
• What are the key elements of a modern investment data architecture and operating model?
• Advanced analytics and reporting capabilities
MODERATOR:
KATHY TAYLOR-HOFMANN
Principal Consultant, Novigi
PANEL MEMBERS:
STUART HILL
Former Program Manager, Active Super
SCOTT TAYLOR
Chief Operating Officer, AlphaCert Labs
14:40 AFTERNOON TEA
• Practical implications for settlement, custody, and reconciliation of crypto and tokenised assets
• What are the key operational risks in handling digital assets and tokenised securities?
• What infrastructure and skill sets are needed to support future growth in this space?
• How are global best practices emerging in this fast-evolving area?
MODERATOR:
MICHAEL MAVROMATIS
Partner, Holley Nethercote Lawyers
PANEL MEMBERS:
MARSHA LEE
Managing Director, Head of Australia
and New Zealand, Calastone
DEBORAH ALGEO
Managing Director, Global Solutions by Zodia Custody
ROBERT PORTER
Director, Digital Asset Services at ANZ
• Making engagement data meaningful and manageable
• How can investment operations teams support effective stewardship reporting?
• What are the logistical challenges in managing proxy voting across global markets?
• How do ops teams collaborate with responsible investment and ESG functions?
SCOTT HUDSON
Managing Director Australia & New Zealand, Georgeson
With growing regulatory scrutiny, the rise of AI and automation, evolving asset classes, and increasing demand for real-time data and reporting, investment operations are under
more pressure than ever. This panel will unpack how leading COOs, Heads of Ops, and Tech Strategists are preparing for 2025 and beyond — transforming legacy systems, navigating global compliance challenges, and embracing data governance and analytics to create agile, scalable operations.
LOUNARDA DAVID
Independent Consultant, Former COO IFM Investors
SHIRLEY WILSON
Head of Investment Operations & Performance Reporting, AMP
CLOSING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR
17:00- 18:00 NETWORKING DRINKS (1 HOUR)
DELEGATE REGISTRATION & COFFEE
STEPHEN HUPPERT
Independent Consultant & Advisor
• Operational challenges in implementing sustainability frameworks
• Data management for ESG reporting and compliance
• Measuring and reporting on impact investments
• Regulatory developments in sustainable finance
• Balancing cost pressure with the need for innovation and resilience
• How can ops teams find efficiencies without increasing operational risk?
• What levers—people, processes, platforms—deliver the greatest ROI?
• How are leading funds justifying investment in operations transformation?
JOSEF PILGER
NED, Senior Advisor, Coach, Author | Global Pension and Retirement Leader
• Exploring the shift from traditional operating models to agile, modular, and tech-enabled frameworks
• Leveraging data, AI, and automation to drive efficiency, scalability, and resilience in investment operations
• Balancing regulatory compliance, cost pressures, and innovation in evolving TOMs
• Collaborating with service providers and fintechs to future-proof operational ecosystems
Panel Members TBA
11:10 MORNING COFFEE & NETWORKING
DAVID MILLAR
Partner Financial Services, Ernst & Young
• Keeping up with tax reporting, attribution, and cross-border compliance
• How are teams managing tax risk and reporting across asset classes and jurisdictions?
• What tools can improve accuracy and timeliness of tax calculations?
• How do tax and ops teams best collaborate?
MODERATOR:
DUNCAN LYON
Executive Director - Tax Product, JPMorgan Chase & Co
PANEL MEMBERS:
NATALIE RAJU
KPMG Tax Partner
JESSIKA HEYNEN BROOKES
KPMG Tax Partner
12:50 LUNCH & NETWORKING
• Operational accuracy and insight in performance analytics
• What are the operational challenges in delivering timely, accurate performance data?
• How do ops teams ensure transparency and trust in performance reporting?
• How is technology improving attribution across multi-asset portfolios?
ETHAN HE
Manager, Performance & Risk Analytics at IFM Investors
• Getting more value from third-party service providers
• What governance and oversight models drive accountability and performance?
• How do you manage data dependencies and handoffs with custodians?
• What SLAs and KPIs really matter?
14:40 AFTERNOON TEA
• Resourcing and leadership in operations – the changing talent profile
• What capabilities are most in demand for modern investment operations teams?
• How can firms attract and retain top operational talent?
• What new leadership and team structures are emerging post-pandemic?
MODERATOR:
DARRAGH CLEARY
Associate Director - NSW, Kaizen Recruitment
PANEL MEMBERS:
MICHAEL NIGHTINGALE
Head of Investment Operations, Brighter Super
PETER CALLANAN
Director - Investor Operations, Centuria Bass Credit
• Scaling operations for increased private market allocations
• Data management challenges across illiquid asset classes
• Valuation and transparency considerations
• Technology solutions for private markets operations
JOSEF PILGER
NED, Senior Advisor, Coach, Author, Global Pension and Retirement Leader
• Addressing the difficulties in accessing reliable, consistent, and comparable climate-related data across asset classes and geographies
• Operationalising Regulatory Frameworks
• Integration with Risk and Performance Systems
• Reporting Transparency and Stakeholder Expectations
MODERATOR:
DAVID TRAVERS
Executive, Australian Custodial Services
Association (ACSA)
PANEL MEMBERS:
JOSEPHINE MAIORANA
Head of Regulatory Watch & Market Advocacy APAC, BNP Paribas Securities Services
NATHAN KESSEY
Director | Sustainability and Responsible Investment, KPMG Australia
Closing Remarks From The Chair
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