Giovanni Russello is an Associate Professor with the Computer Science Department, at the University of Auckland. His research focuses on Android security, confidentiality and privacy solutions for the cloud, and access control models in general. He leads the SECRET Lab, where together with his group works on several security projects including MBIE STRATUS project. In the past, he was founding CEO of a startup developing secure solutions for Android.

Steven Galbraith is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Auckland. He has a doctorate in number theory from the University of Oxford and he worked for over 10 years in the acclaimed Information Security Group at Royal Holloway University of London. Steven is a leading researcher in the mathematics of public key cryptography, especially elliptic curve cryptography and lattice-based cryptography. He has served on the board of directors of the International Association of Cryptologic Research, published a major textbook in the mathematics of cryptography, and given many invited lectures at cryptography conferences.

Alex Sims is an Associate Professor of Commercial Law in the Business School at the University of Auckland. Alex’s research is on blockchain technology and is a founding member of the Blockchain Association of New Zealand. Alex is also a New Zealand representative on the OECD Blockchain Expert Policy Advisory Board (BEPAB). Recent endeavours include a grant funded by the Law Foundation on “Regulating digital currencies that use Blockchain Technology”. For more information see here.

John is Dean of Science, assuming the role in June 2014. Prior to that, he was Dean of Engineering and Computer Science at the Australian National University and before that was Professor of Applied Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Auckland, including a six-year term as Head of Department between 1999 and 2005.
John’s research career has been in Software Engineering, with over 200 publications in his area of expertise and a long history of University-industry research engagement.
He has been awarded both an FRSNZ, in recognition of his research activities and a National Tertiary Teaching Excellence award, reflecting his passion for teaching.