Session 1.4 Expo Session: Mission Sovereignty: Isolation Is not a Resilience Strategy
Tracks
Open Session
| Tuesday, November 17, 2026 |
| 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
| Royal Theatre |
Presentation Outline
For decades, military organisations viewed sovereignty through ownership, control and independence. Those assumptions were shaped by an era where geographic separation, dedicated infrastructure and self contained systems provided meaningful assurance. Today, the strategic environment is different. Modern military capability depends on interconnected digital ecosystems, global supply chains, coalition operations and technology platforms evolving faster than traditional acquisition and assurance models can match. Artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, software and data have become critical determinants of military advantage, yet accessing and sustaining these capabilities increasingly depends on participation in global technology ecosystems rather than isolation.
This presentation explores how Defence can reconcile three objectives often treated as competing priorities: sovereignty, resilience and technological superiority.
Drawing on contemporary thinking in digital sovereignty, cyber resilience and mission assurance, it challenges the assumption that resilience is achieved through isolation and argues that modern sovereignty is the ability to maintain freedom of action, operational effectiveness and strategic advantage while managing dependencies. Combining strategic policy perspectives with operational military experience, the presenters examine how Defence can design capabilities that continue to deliver mission outcomes when systems are disrupted, communications are degraded and supply chains are contested.
Attendees will leave with a practical framework for evaluating sovereignty, resilience and military effectiveness in an era where strategic interdependence is not a vulnerability to eliminate, but a reality to manage. The ultimate measure of success is not that every dependency is removed, but that the mission continues when those dependencies are challenged.
Speaker
Mr Mark Anderson
National Security Officer
Microsoft
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Biography
Mark Anderson is the National Security Officer for Microsoft ANZ, responsible for security, assurance and trust across Microsoft's cloud platforms supporting government, defence, critical infrastructure and regulated industries. He works with policymakers, security agencies, regulators and customers on cyber security, resilience, digital sovereignty and the secure adoption of advanced technologies.
With more than 30 years' experience in technology and over 20 years at Microsoft, Mark has held leadership roles spanning security, architecture and strategy. He holds a Master of Cyber Security from Edith Cowan University and is an Adjunct Fellow at Macquarie University.
With more than 30 years' experience in technology and over 20 years at Microsoft, Mark has held leadership roles spanning security, architecture and strategy. He holds a Master of Cyber Security from Edith Cowan University and is an Adjunct Fellow at Macquarie University.
Mr Mark Donaldson VC
Senior Industry Advisor
Microsoft
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Biography
Mark Donaldson VC is a Senior Industry Advisor in Microsoft's Worldwide Public Sector organisation, leading strategic engagement with defence customers across Asia and the Australian Government.
A former member of the Australian Army's Special Air Service Regiment, Mark served 17 years in the Australian Defence Force and deployed on operations alongside Australian and allied special operations forces.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, the nation's highest military honour for gallantry. Mark brings a unique operational perspective on resilience, sovereignty, mission assurance and the future of military capability.
A former member of the Australian Army's Special Air Service Regiment, Mark served 17 years in the Australian Defence Force and deployed on operations alongside Australian and allied special operations forces.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, the nation's highest military honour for gallantry. Mark brings a unique operational perspective on resilience, sovereignty, mission assurance and the future of military capability.
