An update from ACS President Helen McHugh - September 2025

Dear ACS members,

It has been an energising month for ACS, filled with events, milestones, and important steps forward for our community.

I have always said I am the glue.

Lately folks have been suggesting I might be an influencer, hey I'll take it!

But anyone who knows me know my real passion is networking and bringing folks together.

And that is why I am spending the next few months meeting as many members as I can and hoping to bring some new members on board to share the magic of ACS and the tech community in this amazing, tech-savvy, clever country.

And so last week I had the pleasure of attending Something Tech., Australia’s premier startup showcase by the ACS Labs. It was a beautiful two days alongside more than 560 technologists, investors, and industry leaders from fintech to agtech.

The event finale, River Rival, was nail-biting with eight founders pitching their innovations to judges, venture capitalists, and tech unicorns. Congratulations to givvable, winner of the Best of the Best award, and to Cool Beans for taking home both the Best Product and People’s Choice awards. Congratulations to the ACS Labs team on delivering such a world class event, and to ACS CEO, Josh Griggs, for opening the final day.

I networked for the two days and found some amazing startups, including Step Out Academy, an app for kids to learn through a curriculum. So, no surprise I put the CEO in touch with our Education Pathways lead, to champion alternative tech pathways (ACS Digital Pulse Action 8).

I’d also like to congratulate the ACS WA team on the outstanding success of the Western Australia Digital Pulse 2025 Report Launch recently even though I couldn’t make it this time. I look forward to joining the community in Victoria later this month for their launch.

Other highlights included attending AI Government Showcase, where Josh and I reinforced our growing relationships with the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA), Home Affairs, National Artificial Intelligence Centre (NAIC), and the Australian Public Service (APS).

I also attended Tech in Gov, one of the largest gatherings of its kind, bringing together leaders across the public and private sectors. Then dropped into the Australian Law Forum where the topic was, no surprise, AI, Copyright and how do we change the Laws (this aligns with ACS Digital Pulse Action 1: Develop a national sovereign AI strategy).

On the policy front, I attended the Attorney-General’s Department keynote on tax reform and copyright - key areas where we play an important role in shaping the conversation.

Networking and Collaboration

Our National AI Technical Community also continues to grow at pace, thanks to strong collaborations with Rita Arrigo (National AI Centre) and Professor Sue Keay (UNSW AI Institute). It is inspiring to see such momentum building across our networks.

Later this month, Dr David Cook (FACS) will represent ACS at the 2025 International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) General Assembly in Nyon, Switzerland (16–20 Sept). David will lead strategic discussions on regional research, AI collaboration, and global education initiatives, advancing ACS’s influence and partnerships across academia and industry.

Constitution Review and Governance

The ACS Constitution Review remains a priority for the Management Committee (MC). The Sense Test Phase was designed to gather stakeholder feedback and gauge how well the draft aligned with governance best practice, other member associations, and of course, legal requirements.

Through the recent Sense Test phase, we heard a wide range of perspectives:

• Support for adopting the Constitution Reform Working Group (CRWG) Constitution
• Desire to remain a member-based organisation rather than a corporatised model
• Recognition of ACS’s growth, with calls for a constitution fit for a larger, mature body
• Calls to leave the current Constitution largely unchanged, fixing only clear gaps and problem areas.

MC has agreed that the best way forward is to pursue targeted regulation changes that deliver visible, practical improvements, while continuing to resolve the 30 outstanding issues between the MinterEllison Constitution (MEC) and CRWG Constitution drafts.

Vice Presidents’ Update

On governance matters, we received external legal advice on 27 August that will allow us to move forward with filling the vacant VP Communities and VP Academic-Technical roles.

There is a strong desire of many members to resolve the matter expeditiously. Therefore, as President and with the support of MC last week, I have called a meeting of Congress for 29 September to address these matters.

The Management Committee will reconvene on 10 September to consider the legal advice received, determine the next steps, and ensure a united position is presented, so that the vacant positions can be filled at Congress on the 29th.

Celebrations and Wellbeing

On 1 September we celebrated the International Day of Women in Cyber Security. As a strong advocate for women in IT, I am proud of the steps ACS is taking to create a more inclusive and supportive profession.

This month also brings R U OK? Day on 11 September. It’s a timely reminder to check in on one another, and on ourselves. Our profession is rewarding but also demanding, with constant change and challenges. A conversation could change a life.

Thank you as always for your engagement and commitment to ACS. Together, we are building a stronger, more connected technology profession.

Remember if you see me out and about come and have a chat. I am truly pleased when folks come and tell me how much they enjoy this newsletter; it is an honour. You can also reach me directly at president@acs.org.au.

ACS is here to support you with opportunities to connect, upskill, and thrive in your career.

Take care.

Helen McHugh MACS (Snr) CP

ACS President