DAMA Australia

Meet Thomas D'Arcy, a member of the 2026 DAMA Mentoring Team.   Thomas is a DAMA Certified Data Management Professional Associate (CDMP-A).   Thomas has over 10 years' experience across software engineering and data engineering. He currently works as a Senior Data Engineer at Banpu Energy Australia, where he leads the maintenance and continuous improvement of platforms and data management practices across the data lifecycle aligned to DMBOK best practices. His experience spans cloud data platforms, data architecture, and ETL/ELT development using technologies including Databricks, Azure, SQL, and Python.   Why choose Thomas as your mentor? Thomas enjoys helping others build confidence, strengthen their problem-solving ability, improve their technical skills and approach challenges with a clear and pragmatic mindset. Mentees can expect a supportive and approachable mentor who values open communication, continuous learning, and professional growth.

Meet Vipul B., a member of the 2026 DAMA Mentoring Team.   Vipul is a DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) Master, with master specialties in Data Governance and Data Quality. He is also an Alation Data Governance Advocate, AWS AI Practitioner, and a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP). Vipul is a results-driven Data Management Leader with over 18 years of experience designing and executing enterprise data strategies across government, professional services, and private sectors. He combines strategic leadership with hands-on expertise to translate regulatory and business priorities into scalable governance frameworks — driving stronger trust in data, regulatory readiness, and a measurable lift in business value from data investments.   With deep, end-to-end expertise across Data Governance, Data Quality, Metadata Management and Regulatory Compliance, Vipul is known for transforming fragmented data landscapes into trusted, business-ready assets. He has delivered impactful outcomes across banking and financial services, public sector and government, professional services, mining , education and telecommunications — bringing both technical depth and governance discipline to every engagement   Why choose Vipul as your mentor? As a mentor, Vipul focuses on helping data professionals find clarity direction, and momentum in their career journey. He is passionate about helping data professionals through career transitions, credentialing pathways in data. Vipul believes meaningful mentoring is grounded in trust, honest conversation, and a genuine investment in his mentees' success. Whether preparing for CDMP certification, stepping into a leadership role, or pivoting into data governance, Vipul helps mentees turn ambition into action.

🚨 Don’t Miss Out — Only 3 Places Left! 🚨 The 2026 DAMA Australia Mentoring Program is almost full, with just THREE places remaining before applications close. This is your opportunity to connect with experienced data professionals, expand your network, strengthen your capabilities, and grow alongside the DAMA Australia community during this 6-month mentoring journey running from June to November 2026. 📅 PROGRAM KICK OFF Tuesday 2 June 2026 Our mentoring team is working hard to prepare a program designed to support, engage, empower and educate mentees over the coming months — and we’re excited to welcome this year’s cohort. ✅ FREE for current DAMA Australia members only ✅ 6-month structured mentoring experience ✅ Supported by experienced industry mentors ✅ Waitlist available once places are filled A waitlist will be managed for applicants who are unable to enter the program immediately, with mentees invited into the program as places become available. #DAMAAustralia #DataManagement #Mentoring #DataGovernance #DataLeadership #DataCommunity #ProfessionalDevelopment #Analytics #MentoringProgram #DataProfessionals

📣DAMA Melbourne Event AI strategy is easy to talk about. Making it real across an organisation is where most struggle. Too much governance can restrict innovation. Too little can create risk. Finding the right balance is exactly what we’ll tackle at the next DAMA Melbourne event, proudly sponsored by IMS Academy. And this time, we are even more thrilled. We are launching IMS Academy - our new Data & AI corporate training practice. IMS Academy has been created to help organisations build practical AI and data capability across the enterprise, drawing on IMS’s proven advisory experience delivering complex Data and AI initiatives across government and industry. Join us from 5:15 PM for pre-event drinks and canapés as we celebrate the launch, followed by the DAMA Melbourne session commencing at 6:00 PM. In this session, we’ll explore: • How to balance AI innovation with risk and governance controls • How the right guardrails can accelerate AI adoption rather than slow it down • How to turn AI strategy into practical organisational action • How to operate effectively within emerging AI governance frameworks • How organisations can move beyond pilots and hype into sustainable AI adoption If your organisation is struggling to embed AI in a safe, scalable, and practical way, this session will provide real-world insights and approaches you can apply immediately. Event Details: 📅 4 June 📍 Level 14, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne 🕕 DAMA Session: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM 🥂 IMS Academy Launch Celebration: From 5:15 PM Register here for more details and to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/gRSA5yCJ Please indicate your interest in attending the launch celebration when registering. Spots are limited, so book yours now! #AI #DataStrategy #AIGovernance #DataGovernance #ArtificialIntelligence #DAMA #DataLeadership #EnterpriseArchitecture #DigitalTransformation #IMSAcademy #IMS #DAMAAustralia

It's an amazing program, with a 2:1 ratio for mentees to mentors! For those that miss out, we'll wait list you and enrol you as soon as we have space.

🚨 Don’t Miss Out — Only 5 Places Left! 🚨 Applications for the 2026 DAMA Australia Mentoring Program are almost full, with only FIVE places remaining for this year’s intake. This 6-month mentoring journey runs from June to November 2026 and brings together experienced data professionals and emerging leaders from across the DAMA Australia community. 📅 Program Kick Off: Tuesday 2 June 2026 Our mentoring team is working hard to prepare a program that will support, engage, empower and educate mentees over the coming months — and we’re excited to get started. This year’s mentoring team includes: 🔹 10 returning mentors 🔹 4 new mentors 🔹 Expertise spanning the DAMA wheel 🔹 A 2:1 mentee to mentor ratio A waitlist will also be managed for applicants who are unable to enter the program immediately. Mentees on the waitlist will be invited into the program as places become available. 📌 Eligibility: Current DAMA Australia members only. 📌 Sign up here: DAMA Australia Mentoring Program #DAMAAustralia #DataManagement #Mentoring #DataGovernance #DataLeadership #Analytics #DataCommunity #ProfessionalDevelopment #DataProfessionals #MentoringProgram

Most data problems don’t start with technology. They usually start with: “Can we just simplify this?” “Why does this report say something different?” “Surely AI can do this now?” Modern platforms are evolving fast. AI is everywhere. Automation is accelerating. But the reality behind data, governance and decision-making is still messy, nuanced, and full of detail. Join us at the next DAMA Queensland Professional Meetup as we explore both sides of the conversation — from practical Microsoft Fabric automation through to the human blind spots shaping how organisations interpret data and AI. 🎤 Jack MacCormick Automation of Fabric Management with Semantic Link Labs 🌟 Keynote Speaker — Ross Gundry Reality has a Surprising Amount of Detail 📅 11 June 2026 📍 Australian Retirement Trust, Brisbane City Networking | Automation | Insight Come along for practical insights, real conversations, and an opportunity to connect with Brisbane’s data community. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gPqEzhsh #DAMAQueensland #MicrosoftFabric #DataManagement #AI #Analytics #DataCommunity

📣This National Volunteer Week, we wanted to take a moment to recognise and thank all of the volunteers across DAMA Australia who contribute their time, energy and expertise to supporting the data profession and broader community. From the mentoring program, events and sponsorships through to branch committees, partnerships and webinars — so much of what we do is only possible because people choose to give back alongside their day jobs and personal commitments. This year’s National Volunteer Week theme, “Your Year to Volunteer”, is a great reminder that volunteering can take many forms — whether that’s helping organise events, mentoring others, sharing knowledge, supporting operations behind the scenes, or simply contributing ideas and perspectives. 🪴 Professional communities don’t grow on their own. They grow because people care enough to invest in them. 💫If you’ve ever been interested in learning more about DAMA, becoming a member, or attending one of the many local branch events held across Australia, you can find more information via the DAMA Australia website: https://www.dama.org.au 🙏 Thank you again to everyone who volunteers their time to help move the data profession forward.

Meet Rob Angeles, a member of the 2026 DAMA Mentoring Team.   Rob is a DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP)   Rob Angeles is a principal consultant and AI builder with twenty five years of experience across healthcare, finance, government, retail and telecommunications. He works at the intersection of enterprise data, sovereign AI and the kind of organisational change that actually sticks. He runs Archos Labs. Rob has spent two decades building the systems that large organisations run on. He has led complex transformation programs, designed enterprise data architecture, and closed the gap between AI strategy and the data reality underneath it.   Why choose Rob as your mentor? What Rob brings to mentoring is the full picture. Not just how to build better models but why programs are structured the way they are, where they are likely to break, and how to position yourself as the person who solves it before anyone else sees it coming. He is known for staying close to the hard problems, sharing knowledge without reservation, and pushing people toward their own capability rather than his answers.

Meet Vipin Anand, member of the 2026 DAMA Mentoring Team.   Vipin is a DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) and IAPP Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP). Vipin is a senior data and analytics leader with over 18 years of experience bridging complex technical infrastructure and business strategy to help organisations turn raw data into reliable, decision‑ready assets. Currently a Director of Data Engineering, he leads teams building scalable data pipelines and robust architectures that improve accuracy, performance, and risk‑informed decision‑making, particularly in commercial credit and risk domains. With deep, end‑to‑end expertise across Data Engineering, Data Governance, Data Quality, Master & Reference Data Management, Metadata Management, Data Architecture, and regulatory data, Vipin is known for translating fragmented and inefficient data landscapes into practical, business‑ready solutions. His approach balances strong engineering fundamentals with governance discipline to ensure data is not just technically sound, but trusted and fit for purpose. Why choose Vipin as your mentor? As a mentor, Vipin focuses on helping data professionals think beyond tools and platforms, and understand how their work creates real business impact. He brings a practitioner‑to‑leader perspective, offering pragmatic guidance on building scalable systems, working effectively with stakeholders, and growing influence as a data professional. He is passionate about mentoring engineers, fostering psychologically safe teams, and supporting mentees as they navigate complexity, leadership growth, and career progression in data.