Written by Melvin Hipolito
Published in Channel Life, 09 December 2025
V2 AI has appointed cyber security and technology specialist Ian Nguyen as a Partner, as the Asia Pacific consultancy targets growing demand for secure artificial intelligence projects among large organisations.
The Sydney-based firm said Nguyen will focus on security-led modernisation and AI adoption for clients across regulated sectors. The company works with enterprises in financial services, energy, utilities and government.
Nguyen has more than 15 years of experience in technology and security transformation. He has worked on large programs in financial services, energy and utilities, and state and federal government.
His background includes cyber strategy, critical infrastructure uplift and enterprise risk reduction. He has also overseen multi-million-dollar modernisation projects that respond to regulatory, board and customer requirements.
Security-focused hire
V2 AI specialises in data and AI consulting across Asia Pacific. The firm opened in 2023 and has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Kuala Lumpur.The firm advises organisations on data use and AI implementation. It also works on internal skills development during client engagements.V2 AI's recent State of AI in Australia report highlighted security and ethics concerns among local enterprises. The survey found that 83% of respondents saw data security and ethical issues as the top two barriers to AI adoption.
Respondents also reported the impact of those concerns on day-to-day projects. The report said 61% believed security issues were slowing the progress of their AI initiatives.
Ethics frameworks also featured in the findings. Among respondents whose organisations had or were developing an ethics framework, nearly 60% said it allowed them to move faster and added an extra layer of security.
V2 AI Founder and Chief Executive Craig Howe said Nguyen's background in secure adoption of new technology matched current client priorities.
"We're thrilled to welcome Ian to V2 AI as we continue empowering enterprises to adopt Data and AI with confidence. Ian is a standout leader with deep experience delivering complex security and technology transformations across some of Australia's most critical industries. His ability to reduce risk while accelerating modernisation aligns perfectly with the outcomes our clients are seeking. Ian will play a critical role in helping our clients evolve securely and responsibly as they embrace next-generation AI capabilities, particularly during this period of rapid, AI-fueled change," said Howe.
Experience in critical infrastructure
Nguyen's most recent role was at electricity transmission provider Transgrid. He served there as Head of Critical Infrastructure Security Portfolio.
At Transgrid he established and led the organisation's critical information security uplift. The work covered technology, process and governance changes around critical infrastructure systems.
Before Transgrid, Nguyen was a Director at Deloitte. He worked there as a Cyber Transformation Delivery subject-matter expert in the financial services and energy sectors.
His earlier experience includes more than four years at Westpac in senior technology and cyber roles. He also spent over six years at PwC in program management, IT audit, business resilience and program assurance.
At PwC he worked across state and federal government agencies, energy, utilities and aviation. Those projects involved risk, compliance and continuity programs.
AI and risk agenda
Nguyen joins V2 AI as boards and executives in regulated industries reassess AI and data strategies. Their focus includes security controls, regulatory expectations and customer trust.
His appointment brings in leadership experience across sectors that face detailed compliance requirements. These include banking, critical infrastructure, and public sector agencies.
Nguyen is known for stakeholder engagement across operations, technology, risk and executive teams. He has led governance design, delivery frameworks and team structures for large-scale programs.
He holds a Bachelor of Business Informatics. He also holds several professional accreditations in technology and security.
Nguyen said he saw a shift in how enterprises approached AI and data projects.
"V2 AI is genuinely committed to helping enterprises harness Data and AI responsibly by combining deep technical expertise with an outcomes-focused consulting model. I'm thrilled to join a team operating at such pace and scale. As Partner, I look forward to helping clients leverage technology to accelerate risk reduction to enable secure enterprise growth," said Nguyen.
V2 AI said Nguyen will be based in Sydney and will work with clients across Asia Pacific on AI and data programs that place security and risk at the centre of design and delivery.
