Max Couling

Max Couling

Cybersecurity Consultant

Passionate about cybersecurity, problem-solving, and creative solutions.

Cybersecurity Consultant at EY, delivering NIST CSF 2.0 aligned roadmaps, IAM solutions, and risk assessments to empower enterprise resilience across New Zealand primary industries, insurance, and banking.

About Me

Cybersecurity

IT Operations

Azure & AI

Python

I'm a Cybersecurity Consultant at EY, with a strong foundation in Identity & Access Management (IAM) and IT operations.

Recently graduated from the University of Auckland with a degree in Computer Science and IT Management, I combine technical expertise with business acumen to address cybersecurity challenges.

My experience spans user access reviews, system maintenance, and implementing secure IAM solutions like SailPoint IdentityNow. I also deliver NIST CSF 2.0-aligned strategic roadmaps and coordinate large-scale phishing simulations and risk assessments.

Certifications:

  • Microsoft Certified: AZ-900 & AI-900
  • EY Solution Architecture and Cyber Bronze badges
  • EY Cybersecurity - Bronze Learning (2024)

Key Skills

IAM (SailPoint) Risk Assessment NIST CSF Project Delivery Stakeholder Mgmt Python / Flask

Professional Experience

GRC Specialist (12-month secondment)

Major NZ Primary Industry

Aug 2025 - Present

Conducting cyber risk assessments across IT, OT and third-party environments; coordinating penetration testing activities; and supporting compliance with NIST CSF 2.0 and the NZ Privacy Act 2020.

Cybersecurity Consultant

Ernst & Young (EY)

March 2025 - Present

Auckland, New Zealand

I co-authored a three-year NIST CSF-aligned cybersecurity roadmap to raise client maturity from Tier 1/2 to Tier 3, designed C-Suite workshops to secure executive buy-in, coordinated phishing simulations that reduced failure rates from ~15–20% to 0% for a 25-person organisation, and manage engagement finances for a $1.2M annual account (budgets, ETC forecasting and margin optimisation).

Intern Cybersecurity Consultant

Ernst & Young (EY)

November 2023 - February 2024

Led UATs, UARs and PVTs for IAM projects (SailPoint IdentityNow), streamlining access across 22,000+ employees.

IT Specialist (Part-Time)

Exzel IT Consulting

September 2022 - June 2023

Provided on-site and remote technical support, hardware upgrades, secure data destruction and system setup for small businesses and education centres.

Previous Experience

Crew Trainer at McDonald's New Zealand (2019-2021)

Production Staff at Northland Orchids (2017)

Projects

SurveyHustle Screenshot

SurveyHustle

A web application designed to facilitate the creation, distribution, and analysis of surveys with strong privacy guarantees using Differential Privacy techniques.

Technologies:

Flask Tailwind CSS/DaisyUI SQL Stripe Heroku
View Details
Horologe Screenshot

Horologe

A personal TV show tracker that provides updates on upcoming episodes for shows you're currently watching. Named after the Latin word for "clock" or "time".

Technologies:

Flask Tailwind CSS TV APIs
View Details

Mars Rover Image Search

React & TypeScript web app using NASA’s REST APIs to display daily activity of Mars rovers (Curiosity, Perseverance, etc.), deployed on GitHub Pages.

Education

Bachelor of Science

Computer Science and IT Management

The University of Auckland

February 2021 - November 2024

GPA 6.83/9 (~A− average). Top Achiever Scholarship recipient ($20,000). Awarded highest grade in INFOMGMT 399.

NCEA 1,2,3 with Excellence

Academic Honours, Prefect

Kerikeri High School

February 2015 - November 2021

Get In Touch

Contact Information

Auckland, New Zealand