Australian Certification Body AGCG Globally Accredited For ISO/IEC 42001 AI Management Standard

Australian-owned ISO certification body, A Good Certification Group (AGCG), has gained accreditation from the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ) to certify organisations against ISO/IEC 42001:2023, the international standard for AI management systems.

The accreditation makes AGCG one of only four certification bodies globally to hold JASANZ accreditation for the standard, which provides organisations with a structured framework for developing and using AI while meeting compliance obligations.

The accreditation arrives as AI becomes more deeply embedded in products, workflows and core business operations, and as organisations face growing pressure from customers, regulators and stakeholders to demonstrate that they are managing AI responsibly.

The governance gap

Research suggests a disconnect between AI adoption and the governance frameworks around it. Deloitte’s 2026 State of AI in the Enterprise report found 69 per cent of Australian organisations are already using agentic AI, while just 22 per cent have a model for governing AI agents that they consider to be at an advanced stage.

Separately, research from KPMG and the University of Melbourne found 83 per cent of Australians would be more willing to trust AI systems when assurances are in place, including adherence to international AI standards and responsible governance practices.

ISO/IEC 42001 is designed to address that gap. Through independent certification, organisations can demonstrate that their approach to AI governance is backed by auditable processes aligned with a recognised global standard, rather than resting on internal commitments alone.

Certification as more than compliance

AGCG’s CEO, José Bishop, positioned the accreditation within the company’s broader effort to reframe how certification is perceived.

“For too long, certification has been viewed as something businesses have to get to remain commercially competitive, rather than something that genuinely helps them improve and manage risk,” Bishop commented.

“We built A Good Certification Group to challenge this perception, combining human, value-adding conversations with innovative technology to deliver accredited audits that are rigorous, efficient and most importantly, leave organisations better than we found them.”

Bishop described the AI management standard as a natural extension of that approach.

“ISO/IEC 42001 represents a next step in that mission,” he explained. “Traditionally, certification has been seen as a trust signal, but many organisations are now trying to build using AI, and modelling their approach off of ISO/IEC 42001 so they ensure they are building responsibly.”

“This standard gives organisations an internationally recognised way to demonstrate they have the governance and oversight to use AI effectively. Our role is to make that process impartial, practical and focused on delivering genuine value for the organisation – not simply providing a certificate.”

Revio among first to certify

Cyber security and AI risk advisory firm, Revio, which operates across Australia and New Zealand, is among the first organisations in the region to achieve ISO/IEC 42001 certification. The certification was awarded through AGCG.

Revio’s Founder and CEO, John Baird, indicated the firm pursued certification to ground its advisory work in direct experience rather than theory.

“We sit at the intersection of cyber security, AI and risk management, and we didn’t want to ask clients to do something we hadn’t done ourselves,” Baird remarked. “So we built an AI management system, got it certified to ISO 42001, and now we can speak from experience, not just theory.”

Baird noted that the process reshaped how the firm thinks about AI governance.

“The biggest lesson for us was that governing AI responsibly is less about restricting it and more about being able to explain it: clear processes, appropriate guardrails, meaningful human oversight,” he observed. “This experience has strengthened how we advise clients, because we can share practical insights from building a framework that works in the real world.”

From family buyout to 17 countries

AGCG’s trajectory has been shaped by an unconventional origin story. The business was formerly known as Certification Oceania before being acquired in 2024 by CEO, José Bishop, and COO, Talani Newton, who sold their personal assets to match a private-equity bid and buy the company themselves.

They rebuilt the business around the idea that certification should function as a tool for trust and continuous improvement rather than an annual box-ticking exercise. Since the acquisition, AGCG has expanded from an Australian-focused operation into a certification group working across 17 countries, recording triple-digit year-on-year growth.

The company operates as a certified B Corp and reinvests 5 per cent of its certification revenue through The Good Fund, which supports social and environmental causes.

AGCG holds JAS-ANZ and IAF accreditation, meaning its certificates are recognised in more than 100 countries.

AI governance beyond the enterprise

Bishop argued that AI governance is no longer solely an enterprise concern, as AI tools become more embedded in the operations of small and mid-sized businesses.

The ISO/IEC 42001 standard provides a framework that can be adopted by organisations of varying sizes, giving them a structured approach to managing how they develop, deploy and oversee AI systems.

For AGCG, the accreditation extends the same approach it applies across its other certification work – treating the audit process as an opportunity to surface risks and improve operations rather than a compliance hurdle to clear.

Further information is available at www.goodcertificationgroup.com.

Last Updated on September 8, 2026 by Nick Ross