The establishment of CREST ANZ was made possible by a generous one-off grant from the Commonwealth of Australia's Attorney General's Department. CREST Australia New Zealand Ltd is a not for profit company limited by guarantee run on behalf of its Members. CREST ANZ provides cyber security accreditation for companies and individuals and corporate entities and promotes the provision of high quality, best practice information security services according to its Company Constitution.

CREST ANZ Approved Companies have subjected themselves to scrutiny by CREST ANZ and have signed up to the CREST ANZ Company Constitution and Code of Conduct. For more information on becoming a CREST ANZ Approved company, visit the CREST ANZ Membership page.

CREST Australia New Zealand Ltd has a governing Board who sets the strategic direction and oversight the operations of the company.

David McEwen - Chair

David McEwen is an accomplished Non-Executive Director, CEO and Corporate Advisor with over 20 years of experience in developing strategies to improve profitability, grow the value of shareholders' equity and create successful leadership and operational teams to deliver on the corporate vision. During his career, David worked with a wide range of industries - from Travel Publishing, to Advertising, Telecommunications and Agriculture. David is a recognised leader with the ability to inspire and lead diverse groups of individuals and teams. David is a recognised leader with the ability to inspire and lead diverse groups of individuals and teams.

The CREST ANZ strategy for the next 12 months will demonstrate value to existing and prospective members by focusing on opportunities to grow new revenues which will strengthen and grow the organisation. Secondly, we will improve the profile of CREST ANZ by providing online media sites content position CREST ANZ as a thought leader and the peak industry body of the industry. I look forward to meeting new and prospective members and also key influencers in government, education and industry.

Daminda Kumara - Director

Daminda is currently heading the Cybersecurity function for the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (Australian Federal Government agency). With over 25 years of experience in information technology, he has worked with global organisations across manufacturing, supply chain, construction, and safety industries to help operate and implement mission-critical technology services. Daminda is also a visiting associate professor for Macquarie University's cyber security hub and was appointed as a non-executive director for CREST Australian and NZ 2019.

Martin Boyd - Director

Martin is the CEO for Vertex Cyber Security, a business whose aim is to protect and hack a range of businesses across many industries and companies, including: Built, Spaceship, Nano, Government, BeforePay, small businesses, Top 50 ASX etc.

Prior to that, he worked at CBA for a decade, including the role of Executive Manager of Cyber Security for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

John Powell - Director

John is a non-executive director, speaker, cyber security advisor and freelance cyber security advisor.

He approaches information security consulting with a business focus and an array of skills and experience that cover areas including governance, risk, design, implementation and operation. His time in the ICT sector has spanned more than 35 years working at both technical and leadership levels across compute, storage, network and security domains.

In recent years, John has been using this breadth and depth of Information Systems experience to provide security consulting services. John is a member of the Australian Information Security Association, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a graduate of the company directors course, and a founding member of the Active Cyber Defence Alliance.

Jayaprakash (JP) Muthusamy - Director

Jayaprakash (JP) Muthusamy is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with over 28 years of experience across cybersecurity operations, penetration testing, risk management, and security governance. He is the CEO and Director of the Cybersecurity Practice at Borderless CS, an Australian-headquartered cybersecurity consultancy delivering penetration testing, SOC/MDR, incident response, and compliance services across Australia and Fiji.

JP has led and delivered complex security engagements for organisations across government, financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure, with a strong focus on real-world risk reduction and regulatory alignment. His expertise spans CREST-aligned penetration testing, vulnerability management, red teaming, security architecture, and security operations centre (SOC) design and uplift.

He is deeply experienced in applying leading frameworks and standards, including CREST methodologies, ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF, ASD Essential Eight, SOC 2, and APRA CPS 234, ensuring that technical security outcomes are aligned with governance and business objectives.

JP is also an active contributor to the cybersecurity community, serving as a Director of CyberYouth Australia (Not-for-Profit) and supporting workforce development and cyber education initiatives. He is recognised for his practical, risk-based approach and commitment to raising cybersecurity maturity across both public and private sectors.

Gurpreet Singh - Director

Gurpreet Singh is a seasoned cybersecurity entrepreneur and business leader with over two decades of experience across global technology vendors, advisory roles, and security services leadership. He is the Founder and Director of Protectera, an Australia-based cybersecurity firm delivering penetration testing, incident response, security assurance, and strategic advisory services to government, enterprise, and regulated industries.

Gurpreet has held senior leadership roles with globally recognised organisations including NetApp, EMC, Juniper Networks, Trend Micro, and Tenable, where he led sales leadership, go-to-market strategy, and regional expansion initiatives across APAC. His career spans both vendor and services ecosystems, providing him with a practical and balanced understanding of customer outcomes, operational maturity, and industry standards.

He is deeply committed to advancing cybersecurity professionalism, ethical practice, and skills development within the industry. In addition to leading Protectera, Gurpreet actively mentors emerging professionals, supports early-career and career-transition initiatives, and contributes to thought leadership on resilience, mindset, and leadership in high-pressure cybersecurity environments.

Gurpreet brings to the CREST Board a practitioner-led perspective, strong governance mindset, and a genuine passion for strengthening globally recognised standards that enhance trust, capability, and maturity across the cybersecurity profession.

Troy Vanderplas - Director

Troy Vanderplas is the Chief Operating Officer of Infotrust, an Australian sovereign cyber security services provider and part of an ASX-listed group. In his role, Troy leads operational strategy, service delivery, governance, and organisational performance across managed security services, offensive security, advisory, and compliance functions, supporting enterprise and government clients across Australia.

Troy is recognised for a calm, pragmatic and people-first leadership style, grounded in operational discipline, ethical decision-making, and clear accountability. He is known for his ability to translate complex operational and cyber risk into practical, board-ready insights, and for building high-performing, multidisciplinary teams through trust, transparency, and shared ownership. He has led organisations through periods of growth, transformation, and increased regulatory scrutiny while maintaining strong delivery quality and client outcomes.

Prior to his current role, Troy has held senior leadership and management positions across cyber security, logistics, operations, and government. His career includes roles with NSW Government, Warehousing and Logistics, Data Centre fit out, and Cosmetics, providing deep experience across both public and private sectors. He also served for 15 years in the Royal Australian Air Force, where he held roles in operations management, capability support, aircraft mechanical engineering and explosive ordnance disposal, developing strong foundations in leadership, risk management, and operational resilience.

Troy holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Logistics & Management from the University of Sydney, alongside additional technical and vocational qualifications supporting his leadership career.

Bob Ledger - Director

Bob Ledger is a technology leader, entrepreneur, and systems architect with over a decade of experience building and scaling innovative digital platforms across cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, and agtech. He is the CEO and Co-founder of block8.ai, where he leads the development of next-generation penetration testing solutions that combine advanced AI with expert human validation to deliver faster, smarter, and simpler security outcomes.

Previously, Bob has held senior technical and leadership roles including Software Development Lead at OneStep Group, Technical Architect at ES2, and Chief Technology Officer of The Carbon Farming Foundation, where he helped create scalable, low-cost technology solutions to support Australia’s carbon farming industry. His work has consistently focused on bridging complex technology with real-world impact.

A serial founder, Bob also co-founded Regen Farming News and Farmfolk, global platforms dedicated to accelerating regenerative agriculture through technology, talent, and education. His early career spans enterprise security consulting, government systems, network engineering, and software development.

Bob holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and multiple industry certifications, including AWS Certified AI Practitioner and Solutions Architect. He is driven by building practical, future-focused solutions that enable organisations to operate more securely, sustainably, and intelligently.

George Bej - CEO

George Bej has been CEO of Crest ANZ since 2019. He is an accomplished global executive in the strategy, consulting and transformation services sector, with a proven track record in all aspects of running and transforming businesses. Over the past four years, he has served as Director of Strativity Group, a global member | customer experience consultancy that has delivered major strategy formulation and deployment programs with leading organisations in Australia and across the globe. He is simultaneously a Director of Optimize, a strategy | consulting firm specializing in rapid, sustainable growth for its clients. Earlier in his career, George served as CMO at Laminex Industries, a Fletcher Building Company and prior to that, held senior executive roles across a range of industries and organizations in a career that spans 30 years.

George has implemented customer and member focused change programs that have led to revenue growth, improved retention and bottom line. He specializes in accelerating business performance, bringing disciplines, tools and insights that underpin successful transformation programs. George's approach to market penetration, new product | service development and introduction draws upon disruption theory, design thinking, entrepreneurialism and innovation and he has brought much of this to the fore in his extensive work. George is MBA qualified (Macquarie Graduate School of Management) and has undertaken and completed significant tertiary education in the disciplines of leadership, strategic planning, change management, organisational restructuring and performance management.