Current Board
2025/26 AIPIO BOARD
Executive Directors
Dr. Phil Kowalick
President
A recognised thought leader in intelligence, law enforcement and national security, I served more than 34 years as a senior executive with the Australian Federal Police, contributing to many of Australia’s most important law enforcement programs. I established multi-agency intelligence capabilities at major airports, designed national counter-terrorism priority-setting arrangements, and was instrumental in developing the Australian Criminal Intelligence Model and the organisational design of the Australian Border Force.
I bring deep expertise in organisational strategy, strategic design, intelligence management, operating models, problem-solving, and program delivery, helping organisations achieve outcomes in complex systems.
I hold a PhD in Law from the University of New England, am an Adjunct Professor and Chair of the School of Justice Advisory Board at QUT, and an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at UNE. I teach across UNE, QUT and UNSW and am regularly invited to speak at national and international conferences.
Dr Samantha Rush
Vice President
Samantha is an experienced Corporate Executive, Company Director, and Advisor who believes in the importance of making a positive impact. Her experience, knowledge and skills are unique and multifaceted, spanning business intelligence, risk, governance, strategy, sales, finance transformation, project management, change management, and operational efficiency. She holds an MBA, as well as tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Industrial Relations and HR, International Business, and a PhD in decision making.
Ross Lawler
Treasurer
Catherine Sharpe
Secretary
secretary@aipio.asn.au | catherine.sharpe@aipio.asn.au
Catherine has over 15 years of experience in regulatory environments, she has established a commitment to public service, pursuing creative solutions to complex regulatory challenges.
Catherine is an intelligence professional with a career spanning diverse industries including industrial relations, public health, and electoral systems across both Federal and State jurisdictions. She began her intelligence career uncovering non-compliance across industry networks and supply chains, contributing to the recovery of widespread underpayments. She later led a targeted intelligence team within the Department of Justice and Community Safety, guiding monitoring and enforcement activities through tasking of Authorised Officers. Currently, Catherine is supporting the development of an emerging regulator by building a robust and sustainable intelligence framework.
Catherine holds a Bachelor of Business, Certificate IV in Government Investigations, and an Intelligence Practitioner Certificate.
Directors
Kim Valois
Kim is a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and a former professional intelligence officer with decades of operational intelligence service. She now works in the cybersecurity domain with experience working across many industries including defence, financial services, information technology, higher education, and utilities. She leads teams protecting critical infrastructure against cyber threats and currently is the CISO at SA Water in Adelaide, South Australia.
Gill Wilson
Gill has been a member of AIPIO since 2004 and has held executive positions on the AIPIO Board throughout her membership. She is currently the Director Engagements – which includes sponsors, partners and affiliates.
Gill enjoyed a long career in law enforcement and her passion for intelligence commenced in 1994. She worked in numerous different areas of intelligence within the organisation and managed to put together numerous development initiatives for intelligence practitioners by linking networks and experiences from her voluntary role in AIPIO to her professional role.
Her desire to see intelligence recognised as a profession is continuing with AIPIO and she is a keen participant in the development of the Certification and Accreditation and Continuous Professional Development project.
Gill was awarded the Australian Police Medal in 2017; AIPIO Life Membership in 2018 and in 2011 was named by the Australasian Council of Women and Policing as “The Most Outstanding Female Leader”.
Isabel Schmidt
Isabel is an accomplished advisor and leader with experience in strategic advisory roles, team leadership and intelligence operations within the public sector and not-for-profit industry. With expertise spanning both operational and strategic intelligence, Isabel has developed a proficiency in covert intelligence methods, contributing to the successful execution of high-stakes operations.
Anastasia Zafeirakopoulos
Anastasia is a lawyer with almost 20 years of regulatory and corporate law experience. She has a strong regulatory background having worked across several roles for the Federal Government including governance, risk, compliance. Anastasia has experience in law enforcement, supervision, policy and law reform contexts. As well as her depth of experience in law, Anastasia brings a multidisciplinary perspective to governance more generally, having also managed her own business as a physiotherapist and working with professional sports teams.
Shannon Armstrong
Shannon is a highly experienced career Intelligence Analyst, leader, and trainer with 25 years of experience covering a broad spectrum of law enforcement, security intelligence, and defense. Shannon has a remarkable track record of delivering real-world intelligence outcomes and leading high-pressure, active counter-terrorism and threat-to-life investigations, providing critical insights that inform operational decision-making. The director of Intelo Training Solutions, Shannon delivers a comprehensive suite of intelligence leadership and tradecraft training for government, business, and industry.
Shannon has served as the Intelligence Capability Advisor to the Australian and New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee, responsible for the national training and professional development of Australia’s CT Intelligence Response capabilities. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Education, a Masters in Terrorism Safety and Security, and post-graduate qualifications in Adult Vocational Training. In 2017, he was awarded the AIPIO individual award in recognition of his contributions to the intelligence profession.
Dr Charles Moschoudis
Charles is former Covert Operative and SOG (sth) (NSWPF), a Barrister for 25 years, a University Professor at the AGSL (TUA), and a Lecturer in Law at the University of Sydney LEC.
Glenn Tait
Glenn is a Senior Sergeant with the Queensland Police Service, working in the State Intelligence Group. He has been working in the intelligence field since 1998 involved from station to state level. Part of his career has been working at the Police Academy delivering the Intelligence Training Program corrupting the young minds of future generations of practitioners. He has a strong commitment function across all agencies and disciplines which is demonstrated by his membership with International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA) and AIPIO. The latter, he is the Queensland representative for.
Darlene Grech
Darlene has 37 years’ experience in law enforcement, with 20 years dedicated to various intelligence functions both specialist and criminal. Darlene is experienced in tactical, operational and strategic intelligence fields of operation and a former trainer of covert human intelligence methodologies. Darlene has a passion and focus for ethics and human behaviour profiling and as it relates to criminal and human intelligence collection. Darlene holds a number of tertiary qualifications in Criminal Intelligence, Psychology, Case Management and a Masters in Leadership and Management.
Portfolio Coordinators
Richard Keir
Capability Development
Air Commodore Richard (Rick) Keir, AM, CSC (Retired)
Richard (Rick) Keir is the Director of his company, Stirling Advisory. Rick provides strategic advisory and consultancy services to the intelligence, defence, and national security communities, as well as related Australian and international (FVEY) industry.
Rick was a professional Royal Australian Air Force Intelligence Officer for over 30 years. During military career Rick held a range of demanding staff and command appointments at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of command as both an Intelligence specialist and as a generalist, in Air Force, joint, and national organisations.
Rick was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM); awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC); was the first Air Force Intelligence Officer promoted to the rank of Air Commodore in 2015; and, led, managed, and governed intelligence organisations that included up to 200 of Australia’s finest men and women. Rick holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration from the Australian National University, and a Master of Arts (Strategic Studies) from Deakin University. He is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff Course and Australian Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies’ Defence and Strategic Studies Course. He has also graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Cranlana, Harvard Kennedy School, and Australian Graduate School of Management.
Lesley Honeyman
Lesley joined the Department of Customer Service in January 2019 as the Director Operations, Cyber Security NSW. In this role she is responsible for several functions which include intelligence, incident response, capability development, infrastructure security and vulnerability scanning. Together with her team she has established the first state government vulnerability scanning capability – Bathurst Vulnerability Management Centre.
Ms Honeyman as the Director Operations continues to develop and maintain positive working relationships with key agencies at a state, national and international level. She has over 25 years of experience in the intelligence and security field, both at the state and federal level. Her experience includes providing leadership and coordination to cyber incident response, special events and operations managed by NSW Police Force (Lindt Café, World Youth Day and the 2000 Sydney Olympics). She received a Deputy Commissioner’s Commendation and an award of meritorious service for her commitment and dedication to NSW Police Force.
Elaine Ogden
Elaine has had an extensive career in the public service. She is working with the AIPIO Intern and Tertiary Engagement program.
Felicity Le
Coordinator Thought Leadership > Social Media
Felicity is a practicing private intelligence professional working in the mercantile industry whilst studying a double degree in Law (Honours) and Justice (majoring in Policy and Governance) at the Queensland University of Technology. Felicity is passionate about global intelligence and international law, having published research articles, undertook several related subjects in university and completing internships. Felicity aspires to work in public intelligence post-graduation and wishes to use her current platform to reach out to other like-minded young intelligence professionals.
Mariana Zafeirakopoulos
Coordinator Thought Leadership > IJCII Managing Editor
Mariana is a transdisciplinary strategist and researcher whose work bridges intelligence analysis, systems thinking, and socio‑technical design. She is a Practice Group Leader at Frazer‑Nash Consultancy, bringing together systems thinking, systems engineering, and socio‑technical system design to help organisations navigate complexity, improve decision‑making, and build capability for long‑term system stewardship.
Her career spans more the Australian Public Service, consulting and international organisations, working in strategic insight, innovation, and futures thinking. She is also a Senior Fellow with the Social Cyber Institute, where she examines the human experience of AI‑enabled cybersecurity systems through participatory and socio‑technical research methods and an Adjunct Lecturer and researcher at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning.
She holds a Master’s degree in Social Science and Public Policy from King’s College London, where she focused on wargaming for intelligence analysis and a Phd in transdisciplinary innovation from the University of Technology Sydney. Across all her roles, Mariana’s work centres on human‑centred design, strategic design, and the co‑creation of preferred futures, particularly in contexts where technology, society, and security intersect.
Delphine U. Yandamutso
Delphine is a dedicated public sector and humanitarian professional with over 15 years’ experience across child protection, settlement services, and international engagement. She has worked in complex and high-risk environments, bringing sound judgment, thoughtful analysis, and a people-centred approach to her work. She holds dual Master’s degrees in Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism and International Security Studies from Macquarie University, and has a longstanding interest in the intelligence field. Delphine hopes to transition into the intelligence profession in the future, drawing on her investigative background, multicultural insight, and fluency in English, French, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, and Swahili to contribute meaningfully to responsible public service.
Kirsten Williams
Kirsten commenced employment as a Policy Advisor with Department of Justice in 2002. Having always wanted to pursue a career in criminal intelligence, Kirsten joined Victoria Police in 2005 as a civilian intelligence practitioner and has performed analytical roles in a range of operational and strategic intelligence areas. Kirsten’s current role is Executive Adviser to the Deputy Commissioner, Capability
Kirsten holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Criminology, post graduate qualifications in Criminology (The University of Melbourne), Criminal Intelligence (Charles Sturt University), Management (Victoria University) and most recently Executive Leadership (Australian Institute of Police Management). Kirsten was awarded the Chief Commissioner’s Medal for Merit for the Regional Boundaries Project in 2011.
Kirsten has held various roles on not-for-profit boards including the Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers and Regional Development Australia, Hume. Kirsten is passionate about professionalising intelligence, exploring data analytics and developing emerging leaders in all practices. In her spare time Kirsten enjoys playing golf and the benefits of living in country Victoria.
Mark Webster
Mark works within the AIPIO Governance team while also convening the Financial Intelligence Community of Practice.
Alex McNaught
Alex is part of the AIPIO Events Team. Alex is an intelligence analyst in the field of environmental regulation. She has intelligence experience in tactical, operational and strategical roles within law enforcement, corrections and intellectual property environments. Alex is passionate about supporting the development of intelligence professionals and encouraging networks across intelligence teams.
Alex has a Bachelor of Justice, majoring in Criminology.
Dave Ellis
Dave is a Senior Sergeant in Victoria Police and manages investigation, intelligence and tasking operations in Western Region Division 4 in Western Victoria. He has been working in the intelligence and investigation fields since 1998. Dave has a Masters in Terrorism and Security Studies (Charles Sturt University), Bachelor of Policing (Investigations) and is currently studying as a post grad student at Griffith University. Dave has been a member of AIPIO since 2015.
Community of Practice Convenors
Cassandra Nicholson
Cassandra works within the AIPIO Events team. Cassandra has worked across a range of industries showcasing the transferability of intelligence. Beginning with the federal government in biosecurity and transport security then later moving to Papua New Guinea to work in oil and gas. More recently she worked in rail safety regulation and now the gambling industry. Using quantitative and qualitative approaches, Cassandra has worked across many industries assisting to provide solutions to complex scenarios.
Cassandra has a Bachelor of Arts, Social Sciences (Psychology and Sociology) and Regional and International Studies.
Russell Metge
Russell is a leader in strategic intelligence and geopolitical risk, with extensive global experience in both government and industry. His background includes senior intelligence roles with the New Zealand Defence Force, UK Ministry of Defence, and Sky Group. He has successfully led teams focused on operational intelligence, national security, threat assessment, and enterprise risk. His work has provided valuable insight and foresight that inform policy, tailor intelligence capabilities, and support executive decision-making. Russell holds postgraduate qualifications in security, intelligence, and international relations from King’s College London, Massey University, and NTU Singapore. He is dedicated to developing future intelligence professionals and advocates for the intelligence profession as a crucial component of a safe and prosperous society.
Neil Quarmby
Neil’s career extends across 21 years in military intelligence, five years in law enforcement and almost fifteen years leading three government regulators in the sectors of: health services, human/social services, and workplace safety. Neil was most recently the NSW Registrar of Community Housing which is a statutory appointment reporting to government on the suitability and performance of companies to manage risks associated with the provision of shelter to our most disadvantaged. Neil is the Chief Executive of Intelligence Rising – a consulting and online training company for intelligence and compliance professionals.
Neil has lived experience in building better-practice regulatory outcomes, has independently reviewed regulators’ performance, and has provided international consulting services for many government organisations seeking to improve their intelligence and decision-making capability. He has also published two authoritative texts on intelligence and regulation. His company provides skills based and introductory courses for intelligence, regulation, compliance, and enforcement officers and managers.
Mark Webster
Financial Intelligence
Mark has worked in the fields of intelligence, investigations and financial crime since the early 1990s. Starting in strategic intelligence in the then National Crime Authority, Mark transitioned to the operational intelligence sphere with the Australian Federal Police, later becoming a sworn member and detective. During this time Mark also completed an international deployment working in counter terrorism and security intelligence within Southeast Asia, and working with a number of regional regulatory bodies.
Since leaving the AFP Mark has worked in private sector fraud and financial crime investigation and financial crime technology project management.
Mark has academic qualifications in criminology, business management and fraud and financial crime and is a member of the International Association of Financial Crime Investigators.
Helen Glazebrook
Helen Glazebrook is a leading Australian criminal intelligence expert with more than 25 years’ experience across law enforcement, national security, regulatory, and corrective services. She has designed and implemented intelligence capability frameworks for organisations including the Australian Protective Service, Office of Transport Security, Queensland Police, and multiple corrective services agencies across Australia.
A 2022 Winston Churchill Fellow, Helen researched international best practice in corrections intelligence, engaging with agencies in New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Her unclassified outcomes report received the AIPIO Publication Award (2023) and has informed national efforts to counter violent extremism, strengthen offender monitoring, and enhance intelligence and debriefing practices.
Helen has held senior intelligence roles, including Senior Specialist Intelligence Analyst with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and continues to shape the field through her roles on the Expert Panel for the Inspector of the Irish Prison Service, as facilitator of AIPIO’s international Corrections Intelligence Community of Practice, and as founder of the International Corrections and Prison Association’s Corrections Intelligence Network Group.
She holds a Degree in Justice Studies (Intelligence and Investigations), is trained in human source management and exercise design, and has previously lectured in intelligence studies at Queensland University of Technology.
Kylie Flower
Following a 29-year career with the Australian Federal Police as a sworn officer, Kylie has spent the past 5.5 years as a facilitator/coach with Wisdom Learning in Canberra. Kylie has worked in both ACT Policing and National policing roles including 4 years as the Commander Learning and Development. During her career Kylie had postings in Melbourne, Canberra and Hong Kong as well as secondments to the Australian Customs Service, the National Crime Authority and the ANU National Security College. At Wisdom she works with both the public and private sector, delivering professional development training as well as VET qualifications in investigations, intelligence and leadership. She also served on the Executive Committee of the Australasian Council of Women and Policing from 2010-2025. Kylie holds several tertiary qualifications including a Master of Education and a Master of Leadership and Management (Policing and Security). She is also a Vincent Fairfax Fellow (Centre for Ethical Leadership).
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