Brett Cunningham

Audit · Risk · Compliance · Melbourne

Brett Cunningham

Risk, assurance and governance executive. Certified Practising Risk Manager.

I build risk frameworks that change how organisations set appetite, direct assurance effort and test whether controls hold, working alongside Boards and Executives in regulated industries.

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Brett Cunningham
Impact

Enterprise risk, built into every decision

50% → 90%Control effectiveness lifted through a Sarbanes-Oxley assurance program
4.65Top-quartile engagement, leading a team of ten
AU & NZDual-jurisdiction audit, risk and compliance mandate
20+Years leading risk and compliance in regulated industries
About

Risk leadership for the Boardroom

A Melbourne-based risk, assurance and governance executive who partners with Boards and Executives on material and contested risk.

My career in audit, risk and compliance spans insurance and financial services, energy and critical infrastructure, telecommunications and aged care and healthcare.

My focus is simple: make risk management something the business uses to decide, not a report it files.

Case studies

Where I've added value

01
Energy

Enterprise risk, built from the ground up

Challenge
No enterprise risk management, no working framework or governance, and no link between risk and assurance.
What I did
Put all three in place: an ERM framework, the governance to run it, and integration with assurance.
Result
A cultural shift, with risk embedded in the organisation's processes and decision making.
02
Aged care

Audit, risk and compliance, working as one

Challenge
Inconsistent practices across the organisation, and a misunderstanding of what good, effective controls look like.
What I did
Worked with key stakeholders to introduce a common risk language, artefacts and processes, and taught control owners what a control is.
Result
Better risk conversations, more insightful reporting and more effective control design, delivering tangible value.
03
General insurance

Compliance the regulator could rely on

Challenge
Authorised representatives across a regional and rural network needed to demonstrate compliance with the Corporations Act.
What I did
Established a first-line compliance and assurance program, built its artefacts and educated the authorised representatives.
Result
A full assurance and compliance cycle, end to end, including reporting to ASIC on adherence to the program.
04
Energy

Risk appetite the Board could decide with

Challenge
Risk appetite wasn't defined. Decisions relied on gut feel and subjective views rather than an agreed position on how much risk to accept.
What I did
Built a risk appetite framework, and worked with risk owners to compile risk appetite statements and limits.
Result
Approved by the Board and built into the decision-making process.

Full career history is on LinkedIn →

Strengths

Areas of depth

Credentials

Qualifications

Contact

Interested in working together?

If you're interested in working with me, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch to talk about risk, assurance and building them into the way your organisation decides.

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