Logicalis Australia has appointed Luke Gardiner as principal of its newly formed Technology Assurance Services (TAS) group, a strategic move designed to help organizations navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. The appointment, announced , reflects a growing demand for “compliance-by-design” across sectors like financial services, critical infrastructure and government.
Gardiner brings over 20 years of experience in resilience, cyber, and assurance programs within regulated environments. His background includes senior roles at Dell Technologies, NTT, and Ethan Group, where he focused on building and scaling consulting-led sales practices. Prior to that, he led resilience and outsourcing programs at Siemens, including work related to mergers, acquisitions, integration, and separation activities. This breadth of experience positions him to lead Logicalis’s efforts to bridge the gap between regulatory requirements and practical operational controls.
The launch of TAS and Gardiner’s appointment come at a pivotal moment. Australian and international regulators are intensifying their focus on operational risk management and third-party risk. Specifically, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has introduced CPS 230, setting expectations for maintaining critical operations and managing material service providers. Overseas, regulations like the European Union’s NIS2 directive and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) are adding further pressure on organizations to demonstrate robust technology controls.
According to Lisa Fortey, general manager at Logicalis Australia, Gardiner’s expertise is crucial for guiding clients through these complexities. “Luke brings deep expertise in technology assurance and a strong understanding of how to meet rising regulatory expectations in a practical and business-focused way, strengthening the company’s ability to guide clients through increasingly complex compliance landscapes,” she stated.
The core challenge Logicalis aims to address is the disconnect often found between policy, procurement, and legal agreements, and the actual operational controls in place. Organizations are increasingly being asked to provide concrete evidence that their technology environments, suppliers, and contracts align with their stated risk tolerances. TAS is designed as a consulting-led function, integrating assurance assessments with project delivery and managed services to provide a holistic approach.
Peter Cardassis, technical services director at Logicalis Australia, emphasized the strategic integration of TAS within the company’s existing offerings. “The integration of Technology Assurance Services into our core Transformation Services, Managed Services, SOC, and Private Cloud offerings is a direct response to our customers’ need for ‘compliance-by-design’,” he explained. This integration aims to ensure that Logicalis’s commercial models and service delivery are inherently defensible against rigorous regulatory standards.
Gardiner himself highlighted the need for organizations to move beyond simply having policies and frameworks in place. “Australian organisations need a clear and defensible view of risk to assess readiness and their ability to respond to major incidents,” he said. “This requires moving beyond policy and frameworks to focus on how technology, suppliers and operating models perform in practice.” He stressed that regulated organizations require practical guidance, not just theoretical models, to identify gaps and prioritize improvements that will withstand regulatory scrutiny.
To facilitate this practical approach, Logicalis Australia has developed the Technical Operations and Readiness Assessment (TORA) methodology. TORA is a workshop-based program designed to accelerate cyber resilience by delivering a roadmap to uplift technology operations and align them with an organization’s specific governance, risk, and compliance obligations. The methodology will underpin future TAS engagements.
Recognizing the need for ongoing dialogue and refinement, Gardiner announced plans to host a series of industry roundtables in the coming months. These roundtables will focus on governance and compliance challenges and gather feedback on how the TORA methodology can be further tailored to the needs of organizations operating in highly regulated sectors. This proactive approach underscores Logicalis’s commitment to providing solutions that are not only compliant but also aligned with the evolving needs of its clients.
The launch of TAS and the appointment of Gardiner signal Logicalis Australia’s commitment to becoming a key partner for organizations facing increasing regulatory pressure. By focusing on practical implementation and a holistic approach to assurance, Logicalis aims to empower its clients to navigate the complex compliance landscape with confidence.
