Whitehawk Ltd Appoints Adrian Vallino CEO for Cyber Security and AI Growth

WhiteHawk appoints Adrian Vallino as Group CEO to lead next growth phase

WhiteHawk Limited (ASX: WHK) has appointed Adrian Vallino as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 July 2026, in a move the Company describes as the next stage of its strategic growth across cyber security and AI governance.

Vallino arrives with a clear mandate: accelerate a global, partner-led and diversified distribution strategy while commercialising the recently acquired Quixxi Clarity AI platform.

The appointment positions WhiteHawk at the convergence of cyber security and AI governance, with a stated focus on growing recurring revenue and building a more scalable, resilient revenue base for shareholders.

A proven global executive with two decades of leadership

Vallino brings more than two decades of leadership across global and ASX-listed financial services, technology and risk businesses. WhiteHawk describes him as a builder of high-growth technology and financial services businesses, appointed as a deliberate step to lead the Company’s next phase of growth.

His senior executive roles have spanned several major organisations:

• Challenger Limited

• Genworth Financial

• BNY (Bank of New York)

For investors, the appointment signals Board ambition and a considered step-up in leadership capability as WhiteHawk seeks to capture what it describes as a rapidly converging opportunity across cyber security and AI governance.

Giuseppe Porcelli, Non-Executive Chair of WhiteHawk

“Adrian is an exceptional global executive who has built, scaled and de-risked businesses worldwide, and who understands deeply how operations, technology and risk come together inside any enterprise or government agency. That perspective is exactly what WhiteHawk needs as we commercialise Quixxi Clarity AI and accelerate a partner-led, diversified distribution strategy. The Board is confident Adrian will elevate the business, sharpen our focus on recurring revenue, and position WhiteHawk as the preferred global leader in cyber security.”

The four-pillar strategy to accelerate growth

Under Vallino’s leadership, WhiteHawk will pursue a focused strategy built on four pillars:

1. International, partner-led diversified distribution — extending reach across multiple industries and government agencies with disciplined cost control.

2. Realising the value of Quixxi Clarity AI — accelerating the commercialisation and integration of the platform.

3. Recurring revenue and scalable growth — improving the revenue line and growing Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) on a platform “architected for seamless scalability.”

4. Diversified channels that mitigate risk — reducing concentration risk to build a more resilient, higher-quality revenue base.

The ARR and scalability focus is a central theme. By targeting a platform that can grow without proportionate growth in cost, the strategy is designed to de-risk the revenue base and support what the Company terms exponential growth.

Why AI governance matters now

AI governance refers to the process of discovering, monitoring and governing the AI systems deployed across an organisation’s environment. As adoption of these systems accelerates, the responsibility for oversight is increasingly landing at the top of the organisation.

Regulators and markets are placing rapidly developing responsibility and accountability obligations directly on boards and directors, extending beyond responsible AI frameworks. This creates a growing need for tools that help leadership teams see and manage the AI risk they carry.

WhiteHawk positions Quixxi Clarity AI as the platform that helps boards meet these emerging obligations, placing the Company at the nexus of cyber security, AI governance and digital risk.

CEO remuneration structured around revenue milestones

WhiteHawk has entered into a formal service agreement with Vallino under which a substantial portion of remuneration is linked to Company revenue milestones, aligning CEO incentives with shareholder revenue outcomes.

The share bonus is proposed and remains subject to shareholder approval. Where approval is not obtained, the shares will not be issued, and Vallino may be remunerated on a cash equivalent, so the share grant should not be viewed as guaranteed.

Supporting terms of the agreement include:

• Effective date: 1 July 2026

• Term: No fixed term from the effective date

• Termination: Subject to 3-months’ written notice by either party

What’s next for investors

Adrian Vallino, Group CEO of WhiteHawk

“My priority is to accelerate shareholder value by growing recurring revenue, scaling efficiently, and expanding our distribution across industry and government through a global partner-led model.”

The Company also intends to host a corporate webinar for investors, during which management will provide an update on the project pipeline and strategic direction in light of recent developments. The date, time and registration information are to be released in due course.

The AUKUS cyber partnership with Adisyn Services, announced in June 2026, represents the second channel deal WhiteHawk has executed this year, extending the partner-led model into the defence sector and adding CMMC compliance delivery to the distribution mix Vallino inherits.

For shareholders, the near-term value drivers centre on ARR growth and the commercialisation of Quixxi Clarity AI, both of which sit at the heart of the four-pillar strategy Vallino will lead from 1 July 2026.

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