Events

Risk Leader Tour

RMIA’s Risk Leader Tour is back – and this year, we’re doing things a little differently…

Taking place across three cities – Brisbane (09 Sept), Melbourne (10 Sept), and Sydney (12 Sept) – this year’s event offers a fresh, more relaxed format designed to spark real connection, open conversation, and provide meaningful insight. Whether you're deep into your career or just starting out in risk, this is your chance to hear directly from some of the most respected professionals in the industry – and walk away with ideas and advice you can actually use.

Each event centres around a candid fireside chat with Peter Taylor, RMIA’s 2025 Risk Leader of the Year, joined by a special guest in each city:

  • Kate Gannon (Brisbane) – 2025 Risk Consultant of the Year

  • Ella Withers (Melbourne) – 2025 NextGen Risk Professional of the Year

  • Ling Huang (Sydney) – 2025 Risk Manager of the Year

Moderated by RMIA CEO Simon Levy, these conversations are about more than career highlights. They’ll cover lessons learned, pivotal moments, practical tools, and reflections you won't find in a presentation or PowerPoint deck.

In Brisbane and Melbourne, we’re shifting to an afternoon format (4–7pm) – with networking drinks and canapés on arrival, a relaxed fireside discussion and live audience Q&A, followed by a main meal and more time to connect with your peers.

In Sydney, we’re mixing it up with a Friday morning brunch at the Museum of Contemporary Art (8–11am) – complete with a plated breakfast, good coffee, stunning harbour views, and maybe even a mimosa or two.

This event is designed for every risk professional. It’s a chance to catch up with colleagues, build your network, and be part of conversations that matter. It’s ideal as a team outing, an introduction to the RMIA community, or simply a moment to step back and reflect on your own career journey.

Spaces are limited – don’t miss your chance to learn from and connect with the risk leaders shaping our profession today.

Looking to be a part of this event in 2025?

We have a variety of sponsorship opportunities available to showcase your organisation to over 300 industry professionals nationwide. Please reach out to Tim Gibson with your interest, and he will contact you to discuss which opportunity best suits your needs.

BRISBANE, MELBOURNE, SYDNEY

Peter Taylor

Group Chief Risk Officer, IAG
2025 RMIA Risk Leader of the Year

Peter Taylor - aka "PJ" - is currently Group Chief Risk Officer at Insurance Australia Group (IAG), a role he has held since 2022.

Previous to this PJ was in various senior risk roles at two of the banking majors serving as General Manager, Enterprise Risk for the Westpac Banking Group and prior to that 11 years at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in a number of roles including Group Chief Operational Risk Officer; CRO Group Business Services; CRO of CBA's Wealth Management Division; and Chief Risk Officer, of CBA's CommInsure Life and General businesses.

Originally from Zimbabwe where he was a co-founder of an investment banking group PJ migrated to Australia in 2004 and restarted his career at BankWest in Perth. He has over 30 years of experience in corporate business and risk roles with large financial services companies, including over 20 years working with and on EXCOs and Boards as well as with regulators. 

BRISBANE

Kate Gannon

Founder, August Advisory & ResilienceSOS
2025 RMIA Risk Consultant of the Year

Kate Gannon is a strategist, creative, and straight-talking risk advisor on a mission to bring colour back to risk management. With 20+ years’ experience across regulatory change and resilience in Australian and UK financial services, she’s known for cutting through complexity and making the ‘boring’ stuff powerful.

She founded August Advisory to support purpose-led organisations with match-fit risk advice, and founded ResilienceSOS, a bold system that turns resilience from a compliance chore into a team sport. Blending behavioural science, change strategy and creative thinking, Kate helps leaders embed resilience in everyday action.

Kate brings clarity and energy to risk uplift across appetite, frameworks, critical operations and culture. A Chartered Accountant and Graduate of the AICD, she’s valued for her ability to distil complexity and lead confidently through ambiguity.

MELBOURNE

Ella Withers

Head of Investment Risk & Compliance, Hostplus
2025 RMIA NextGen Risk Professional of the Year

Ella is the current Head of Investment Risk & Compliance at Hostplus. She is a dynamic and emerging leader within risk and compliance, specialising within the financial services sector. Known for embedding a strong risk culture, her relationship-based approach supports successful embedment of risk and compliance frameworks within organisations to enable better organisational outcomes. With prior experience within the consulting sector, Ella leverages better practice insights and pragmatism to strike the right balance when designing and implementing risk and compliances frameworks. Ella is also a current Chapter Executive of the SA-NT Chapter and is an active participant within the RMIA Community. She is passionate about providing support to new entrants to the risk profession and takes on active mentoring roles within the community. Outside of work, Ella is currently undertaking a Masters of Business Administration, reflective of her enthusiasm and desire for continuous learning and development.

SYDNEY

Ling Huang

General Manager - Risk & Safety, Aveo Group
2025 RMIA Risk Manager of the Year

Ling is currently the General Manager – Risk and Safety at Aveo Group, leading enterprise risk management, workplace health and safety, business resilience, and insurance. With over 20 years’ experience across retirement living, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and professional services, he have developed extensive expertise in risk governance, business continuity, crisis management, and insurance.

At Aveo, Ling’s leadership has embedded risk-informed decision-making, enhancing financial resilience, workforce safety, and regulatory compliance. Previously, he held senior risk roles leading enterprise risk transformations, resilience strategies, and financial compliance frameworks, deepening his ability to effectively manage complex business structures.

Ling’s passion for risk management stems from recognising its critical role in enabling organisational success. He is driven by opportunities to shape strategic decisions, influence organisational culture, and create environments where businesses thrive amid uncertainty. Ling remains committed to innovating risk methodologies, especially addressing emerging challenges such as climate resilience, investment risk, and regulatory developments.

By consistently achieving measurable improvements in financial performance, operational resilience, and workforce safety, Ling’s career is defined by not only mitigating risks but actively enabling growth, enhancing stakeholder confidence, and securing long-term strategic outcomes.

2024 Risk Leader Tour:

Reflections and insights from RMIA’s CEO, Simon Levy.

Celebrating Excellence

The RMIA Risk Leader Tour was a resounding success, taking us to three vibrant cities – Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. Each venue set a perfect backdrop for recognising and celebrating the exceptional achievements of our latest award winners. From the moment the doors opened, there was a palpable sense of anticipation, with attendees eager to hear from some of the leading risk professionals in the industry.

A Showcase of Talent and Diversity

The tour was not just about recognising individual success; it was a platform to highlight the diversity and depth within the risk management profession. Our Risk Award winners represented a broad cross-section of industries. Melissa, from the industrial manufacturing sector, shared her insights into managing complex risk environments. Abhi, with his background in advisory, brought a fresh perspective on strategic risk consulting. Jane and Peter, who responded to the Prudential Inquiry into CBA, shared their work on the transformation that followed. Their stories were about impact, cohesion, and alignment, underscoring how working together and being transparent are critical to success. They also highlighted the distinct but complementary nature of risk and compliance, showing how both disciplines can collaborate to deliver shared outcomes.

Each presentation was unique, reflecting the specific expertise and contributions of our winners. Attendees were captivated by the breadth of knowledge on display, and the passion these professionals bring to their work was undeniable.

Connecting with the Risk Community

Beyond the stellar presentations, the connection between the speakers and their audiences stood out. Each speaker spoke directly to their home risk community, delivering insights tailored to the challenges and opportunities faced by their respective industries. Jane, who travelled across all three cities, spoke powerfully about evolving leadership, the importance of building communities and tribes, and how these concepts can foster resilience within the profession.

Looking around the room at each event, I could see the audience completely engaged, absorbing the content and reflecting on how these insights applied to their own work. The diversity of talent in attendance was inspiring – from seasoned professionals to emerging leaders, all coming together to learn, share, and grow.

A Bright Future for Risk Management

The overwhelming feedback from attendees was incredibly positive. Many commented on the high calibre of both the speakers and the discussions. As CEO, I was particularly struck by the sense that the future of the risk profession is in good hands. The passion, dedication, and knowledge demonstrated by both the speakers and attendees was humbling.

While much of today’s conversation revolves around technology, artificial intelligence, and automation, this tour reinforced a simple truth: risk management is fundamentally a people-centred profession. Systems and processes can only take us so far – it's the expertise, intuition, and leadership of people that drives true risk management success.

Looking Ahead

As we wrap up this year’s Risk Leader Tour, I’m filled with optimism. The talent we celebrated and the enthusiasm of those in attendance remind me that the profession continues to evolve and thrive. The RMIA is proud to be at the forefront, supporting the growth and development of risk professionals across Australasia.

Our community is strong, our future is bright, and I’m excited for what lies ahead.