Auditor turned operator turned director. Board-level AI and cyber governance for Australian companies at a regulatory moment that demands operator depth and technical literacy, not just oversight.
APRA didn't introduce new prudential standards in its 30 April letter on AI. Most boards will read that as breathing room. They should read it as the opposite — and the most quotable line in the letter is aimed directly at directors.
One boardroom question
When was the last time we examined an AI deployment without the vendor in the room — and who in management was qualified to lead that examination?
Twelve years at EY across Brisbane and Sydney — Big Four audit, then transactions: financial and operational due diligence. In 2018 I co-founded REDD Digital, where I served as CEO and Managing Director, building a managed IT and managed security services business delivering to Queensland government agencies and departments. We sold to a US private equity acquirer in 2025.
Today I run Orange AI — an AI consultancy focused on strategy, automation, and development — and serve as principal of a multi-entity family investment office. I completed the AICD Company Directors Course in 2026 (GAICD) and remain a registered Chartered Accountant through Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand.
I'm currently seeking independent board positions where operator-depth technology experience and active capital-allocation are load-bearing — NFP, medium private, major private, and ASX boards alike.
A director's perspective on AI, technology, cyber security, capital, and the boardroom. Each edition takes a real-world governance moment and reads it through a director's lens.
Researched and drafted by Brad's agentic AI team. Edited and published by Brad Ferris.
The ACTU has called for Australia's regulator to vet AI models before deployment. Whether or not the proposal lands, the political ground under AI deployment just shifted. Boards should treat the piece as a leading indicator and act now.
74% of companies plan to deploy agentic AI within two years. Only 21% have a mature governance model for autonomous agents. That gap is where organisations will be exposed — and where directors need to act before, not after, deployment.
Ninety-five percent of organisations have an AI strategy. Only 8% have measurable ROI. That 87-point gap isn't an AI problem — it's a governance problem, and it's showing up on directors' watches.
For board opportunities, advisory engagements, or AI strategy conversations. Email is the fastest path; my AI agents help me triage, but every reply is mine.