The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will add to its data and technology capabilities with the appointment of Dr Ian Oppermann as a commissioner and the reappointment of commissioner Anna Brakey for another five-year term, developments with implications for insurers operating in data‑intensive markets. Both terms begin on Dec. 10, aligning with ongoing work on Digital ID, the Consumer Data Right (CDR), and digital markets oversight across financial services, utilities, and communications.
Oppermann has more than 30 years of experience in the information and communications technology sector, focusing on data, broadband-enabled services, and technology. He recently served as data standards chair for Digital ID and the CDR, frameworks that govern how consumer data is shared and used in sectors including banking, energy, and telecommunications, and that may ultimately influence data portability and identity settings relevant to insurance distribution and claims handling. He previously served as the inaugural chief data scientist for the New South Wales government and has held senior management roles in Europe and Australia. Oppermann holds an MBA from the University of London and a PhD in mobile telecommunications from the University of Sydney, and is a non-executive director of Standards Australia.
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Commenting on the appointment, ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said: “I am excited to welcome Ian to the ACCC, where we look forward to drawing on his technological and data acumen, including around the use of AI in government. Ian is a respected thought leader in the digital economy. His contributions will be invaluable in helping to drive innovation at the ACCC and our data-driven approach to regulation.”
For insurance professionals, Oppermann’s role is relevant to the regulator’s work on data access, data standards, and oversight of digital tools, including artificial intelligence, as these are applied in pricing, underwriting, distribution, and customer engagement.
Brakey has been reappointed to a further five-year term, also effective Dec. 10, continuing her role in the ACCC’s infrastructure and essential services work. She has more than 25 years of experience across the public and private sectors, including senior positions at the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) of New South Wales and economist roles in the private sector. At the ACCC, her focus has been on infrastructure regulation, particularly in energy and telecommunications, and on competition in essential services. These areas affect insurers through factors such as energy transition risk, critical infrastructure performance, network reliability, and service continuity.
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Cass-Gottlieb commented: “I am delighted that Anna will remain with us for a further term so we can continue to benefit from her deep knowledge and expertise in infrastructure regulation. The ACCC will continue to be well served by Anna’s commitment to transparency, high-quality analysis, and meaningful engagement with stakeholders.”
Brakey will continue as chair of the ACCC’s Infrastructure and Communications Committee and the Energy Markets Board, and as deputy chair of the Water and Agriculture Committee. These committees oversee sectors that intersect with insurers’ portfolios, including energy networks, telecommunications infrastructure, and water systems that can influence both operational and catastrophe risk.
Oppermann’s appointment fills the vacancy created by commissioner Peter Crone’s decision not to seek another term. Crone will conclude his service with the ACCC on Dec. 9. Cass-Gottlieb said: “I am deeply grateful for Peter’s many significant contributions as a commissioner. I have valued, and the agency has greatly benefitted from, his trademark economic, policy, and commercial insights and expertise across many of our most complex programs and projects. Peter has made important contributions to many aspects of the ACCC’s work, including the Consumer Data Right and Digital ID programs, the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Forum, and our childcare inquiry. We wish him well for his future endeavours.”
Crone has chaired the ACCC’s Digital ID and Consumer Data Right Committee and served on the Mergers Review Committee and the Scams and Digital Markets Committee, areas relevant to competition and consumer outcomes in financial services and adjacent markets.
The appointments sit within the ACCC’s broader governance structure, which consists of a chair, two deputy chairs, and four commissioners, collectively forming the commission. Appointments involve participation by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments.
Cass-Gottlieb, who began her five-year term as chair in March 2022, chairs the Enforcement Committee and the Scams and Digital Markets Committee, and is a member of the Mergers Review, Digital ID and CDR, Infrastructure and Communications, and Energy Markets committees. She also serves on the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Payments System Board, which regulates access to payment systems and stability for financial market intermediaries, a point of intersection with general, life, and health insurers.
Deputy chair Mick Keogh has responsibility for small business and agriculture and chairs the Water and Agriculture Committee and the Competition Exemptions Committee. Deputy chair Catriona Lowe leads the Compliance and Product Safety Committee and is deputy chair of the Digital ID and CDR Committee, the Scams and Digital Markets Committee, and the Energy Markets Board. Commissioners Philip Williams and Luke Woodward chair and support core committees covering mergers, enforcement, competition exemptions, and key infrastructure issues.
