Founder and Director, Ampersand Integrated AI Solutions
Marc L'Huillier is one of Australia's most experienced strategic insight and advisory leaders, with more than 25 years advising organisations on growth, transformation and complex decision-making across global markets.
He was formerly CEO of Sweeney Research, one of Australia's leading insight, data and strategy firms, where he led the business through a period of significant growth before overseeing its acquisition by EY. He subsequently spent more than a decade as a Senior Partner at EY, leading major projects across Australia and more than 40 countries.
Throughout his career, Marc has worked at the intersection of strategy, technology, regulation and organisational transformation. His experience spans major government agencies, regulated industries and large-scale enterprise environments navigating complex operational and compliance challenges.
At EY, Marc played a leading role in the development and delivery of the Non-Executive Director Technology Governance Program, working directly with Boards and Executive Leadership Teams across Australia and New Zealand. The program focused on technology governance, risk, compliance and large-scale transformation, including the adoption and oversight of AI.
He has also held senior industry and governance positions, including Vice President of the Australian Data & Insights Association, and served for eight years on the Rugby Australia Board Nominations Committee during a period of significant organisational transformation.
Ampersand was established to bring together this strategic and regulatory experience with the emerging capabilities of applied AI. Marc works closely with a trusted network of specialist advisers, implementation partners and the leadership team at Labrynth AI to assemble the right expertise for each engagement.
Privacy Policy
Effective date: January 2025
Ampersand Integrated AI Solutions Pty Ltd (“Ampersand”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals we interact with. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and disclose personal information, and your rights in relation to that information.
We operate in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Where we engage with individuals in New Zealand or the United States, we take reasonable steps to comply with applicable privacy laws in those jurisdictions.
1. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly: We collect personal information you voluntarily provide when you submit an enquiry via our website or email, engage with us in connection with advisory or implementation services, or attend events or demonstrations we host. This may include your name, email address, phone number, job title and organisation name.
Information collected automatically: When you visit our website, we may collect limited technical data through cookies and analytics tools, including anonymised IP address, browser type, pages viewed and referring URLs. This data is used in aggregate and is not linked to identifiable individuals.
2. How We Use Personal Information
We use personal information to respond to enquiries and communicate about our services; to provide, develop and improve our advisory and implementation services; to manage client and business relationships; and to comply with legal and regulatory obligations. We do not use personal information for unsolicited marketing without prior consent.
3. Disclosure to Third Parties
We may disclose personal information to service providers who assist in operating our website and business infrastructure (analytics, email, cloud hosting). These parties are required to handle information in accordance with applicable privacy laws. Where you have engaged us in connection with Labrynth AI services, limited professional information may be shared with Labrynth AI or Invisible Technologies solely for the purpose of delivering agreed services. We do not sell, rent or trade personal information.
4. AI Advisory Services and Client Data
Ampersand provides advisory services related to the deployment of Applied AI platforms. In the course of advisory engagements, we do not access, process or store your organisation’s confidential operational data unless expressly agreed as part of a formal engagement. Any personal data shared during scoping or demonstration of AI solutions is used solely for the purposes of that engagement and is not disclosed to third parties beyond what is necessary. Client data handled in connection with AI platform implementations is subject to the data handling terms of the relevant platform provider and any applicable engagement agreement.
5. Analytics and Cookies
Our website may use Google Analytics to collect anonymised usage data. You may opt out via the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. Cookies may be used to support site functionality and analytics. You may control cookie settings through your browser, though disabling some cookies may affect site functionality.
6. Data Storage and Security
Personal information is stored on secure systems maintained in Australia and through reputable cloud infrastructure providers. We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.
7. Accessing and Correcting Your Information
You have the right to request access to personal information we hold about you, and to request corrections where it is inaccurate or incomplete. To make a request, contact us at contact@ampersandai.co. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with the Privacy Act.
8. Complaints
If you believe we have not handled your personal information appropriately, contact us at contact@ampersandai.co. We will investigate and respond within 30 days. If not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.
9. International Data Transfers
We operate across Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Where personal information is disclosed to parties outside Australia, we take reasonable steps to ensure those recipients handle your information consistently with the APPs.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on our website.
Each LGA and state is scored independently across multiple performance factors, then combined into a single composite rank.
01
Capture
Permit records from state portals. ABS datasets for business, construction, population and income. Regulatory data from state planning legislation.
02
Score
Each factor normalised to a 0-100 scale. Score 100 = best performer in Australia. Extreme values are adjusted to prevent distortion.
03
Rank
Component scores combined into a weighted composite. Rank 1 = highest overall score. Confidence tiers and near-tie flags applied. Updated annually.
Select a ranking type to explore the components:
Five components determine each LGA's composite score.
Permit
Permit speed
Average days to approve a development application, combined with improvement trajectory and throughput.
Economic
Household income
Rate of household income growth across the LGA. Signals a strengthening local economy and sustained demand.
Economic
Business growth
Percentage growth in registered businesses over a multi-year window. Captures economic momentum.
Activity
Construction activity
Percentage growth in total construction value. Captures whether development is actually happening.
Demand
Population growth
Composite of five-year growth rate, absolute persons added, and forward demand pressure.
Component weights are proprietary. Scores normalised 0-100; higher = better.
Permit Performance
Permit
Permit duration
State-level average permit processing time. Reflects overall planning system efficiency.
Permit
Permit transparency
Share of LGAs publishing timely, accessible permit data.
Growth Indicators
Growth
Business growth
Percentage growth in registered businesses state-wide.
Growth
Construction activity
Percentage growth in total construction value at state level.
Growth
Population growth
Five-year state population growth rate.
Regulatory & Cost Factors
Regulatory
Regulatory restrictions
Restrictive clauses in state planning laws. More clauses = greater complexity.
Regulatory
Regulatory requirements
Average regulatory categories per application. More categories means higher compliance cost.
Regulatory
Development delays
Combined standard and major DA processing timeframes.
Cost
Construction cost
Weighted average cost per sqm across asset classes.
Cost
Payroll tax
State payroll tax rates assessed for impact on development economics.
Component weights are proprietary. 8 states and territories ranked.
546
LGAs ranked
381
LGAs with permit data
70%
Permit data coverage
8
States & territories
A Different Kind of AI
AI is fast moving and there are many forms in the market. Some follow rules. Others recognise patterns. The most advanced systems interpret meaning and support complex decision-making.
Labrynth has purpose-built a decision-making engine for complex compliance environments.
Deploying AI Solutions
Rules-based systems follow explicit instructions. They are reliable and deterministic, but limited in environments where regulation is complex, ambiguous or constantly evolving.
Large language models and many everyday AI tools operate through pattern recognition. They predict plausible outputs based on statistical inference. This makes them flexible and powerful, but also prone to hallucination - generating answers that sound convincing, even when incorrect. For everyday productivity tasks, that trade-off may be acceptable. In regulated environments, it is not.
Labrynth is built on a different approach.
Hermeneutical AI interprets. It reads regulation in context, weighs intent, applies precedent and connects obligations to evidence. It addresses the part of regulatory work that has traditionally depended on human judgment - now scaled with greater speed, consistency and transparency.
Where Pattern AI predicts what is probably right, Labrynth is designed to determine what is demonstrably right, with the evidence attached.
Type of AI
How it works
Strength
Limitation
Rules-Based AI
Follows predefined instructions
Reliable and deterministic
Limited flexibility; struggles with ambiguity
Pattern AI
Predicts outputs from statistical patterns
Flexible, scalable and powerful
Can hallucinate; limited explainability
Hermeneutical AI
Interprets meaning in context
Handles complexity, precedent and regulatory intent
Requires deep domain and contextual design
Applied AI Advisory
Ampersand
Integrated AI Solutions
Regulatory Complexity.
Resolved.
Regulatory CompliancePayroll ComplianceWorkplace RelationsLicensing and PermittingEnvironmental ComplianceFraud PreventionFinancial Services Compliance
The Problem
Regulation is complex. Managing it shouldn't be.
Organisations are not short of software or expertise. They are short of systems that can understand Australian regulations, identify issues and make determinations.
Manual processes and workarounds take over as a result. Spreadsheets become a system of record.
The underlying problem remains and compounds, year on year.
AmpersandIntegrated AI Solutions
Working with Labrynth in the Australian market as an advisory and implementation partner.
Focused on reducing the cost, time and complexity of compliance through applied AI built for real-world operating environments.
Solutions sit above your existing platforms. No system transformation or upgrade required.
Pilots running in weeks, not months.
Our Approach
Six Core Capabilities. One Integrated Approach.
1
01 - Diagnostic
Complexity Mapping
Identify where regulatory burden, compliance obligations and legacy process are constraining outcomes. Precise problem definition before any solution is designed.
2
02 - Advisory
Expert Advisory
Senior domain expertise matched to the specific regulatory, operational and commercial problem. The right knowledge, applied at the right point.
3
03 - Design
Custom Solution Design
Purpose-built Applied AI platforms developed with Labrynth AI. We do not implement new software or experimental tools. We train the Labrynth platform on the specific compliance rules and regulations. Targeted, tested and deployed at pace.
4
04 - Delivery
Implementation & Deployment
Delivery into your workflows, systems and operating environment. Pilot to full deployment, with Labrynth AI capability integrated where it has the most impact.
5
05 - Adoption
Change Management
People, processes and leadership ready before launch. Not just technical deployment - organisational readiness built in from the start.
6
06 - Capability
Capability Building & Oversight
Accountability frameworks and risk controls built for regulated environments. Staff training on platform use, so your team becomes self-reliant. One point of contact throughout.
Sector Coverage
Australia operates one of the world's most fragmented and multi-layered regulatory environments, with hundreds of authorities, overlapping obligations, and constantly evolving compliance requirements.
The Labrynth solution is sector agnostic. It can be designed to suit specific regulatory environments. Reach out to find out more.
GovernmentFinancial ServicesHealthcareEnergyInfrastructureBuilding & ConstructionTelcoInsuranceEducationResourcesAged CareLegal & Professional
Enterprise-grade regulatory intelligence deployed internationally. Ampersand works alongside Labrynth where regulatory complexity needs to be resolved.
Most AI tools are built to generate responses. Labrynth produces defensible reasoning.
It is powered by hermeneutical AI – an interpretive system that reads regulations the way a domain specialist does. Not to summarise and not to suggest what the regulation might mean, but rather to apply them precisely to the facts at hand and to produce findings that are transparent and traceable.
Every output maps back to the specific clause that produced it. A qualified specialist can then review findings before they become final.
The Labrynth Story
Founded in New York by Stuart Lacey and Francis Pedraza. Stuart is the CEO of Labrynth. Francis is the founder of Invisible Technologies and Infinity Constellation. He is an Adviser to Labrynth.
Spun out of Invisible Technologies - the company trusted to train more than 80% of the world's leading AI models and deploy them at scale.
A proven, not experimental, platform. Already deployed at scale internationally across government, energy, healthcare, property and financial services.
In Practice
Labrynth Use Cases
We work with private and public sector organisations on high-impact problems across complex, regulated environments.
To see how Labrynth is streamlining regulation globally, reach out and we can walk you through live deployments in Australia and the US.
Payroll Compliance
Modern Award & Enterprise Agreement Assurance
Australia's first underwritten payroll compliance solution.
Currently in large-scale deployment with an ASX-listed facilities business - over 4,000 employees and 80,000+ shifts evaluated per fortnight. Enterprise rollout pending.
Building and Construction
AI Permit Decision Engine
Extensive US case studies in cities with complex permitting laws.
One city recorded a reduction from 188 days to 8 days processing time, with a 66% cost reduction.
Implementation currently underway with one of Australia's largest home builders.
NDIS Australia
Fraud Prevention & Service Delivery Verification
Fraud prevention and service delivery verification for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Leakage through fraud and inadvertent non-compliance across the $52bn scheme is conservatively estimated at 5-10% per annum.
Labrynth is being deployed to verify service delivery and surface non-compliance at the provider level. Pilot nearing completion.
Energy - United States
Deep Fission Nuclear
Deep Fission is reimagining nuclear power in the US - placing small modular reactors a mile underground for cheaper, faster and more scalable deployment.
The Labrynth platform is being used to assist in permit lodgement and execution.
Additional Use Cases
Emerging Programs in Australia
Labrynth was established in the US in late 2024. Growth has been extensive. Active in Australia since December 2025.
Programs currently in development locally across Healthcare and Financial Services, Aged Care and Education.
The Labrynth capability works wherever there is compliance complexity.
The Red Tape Index
Building and Construction Conditions in Australia
The Importance of Cutting Red Tape in Australia
Australia's regulatory environment is complex, fragmented and expensive to navigate. Despite successive reform agendas, the cost of compliance continues to increase year on year.
It has a direct and profound impact on business productivity and the ease with which Australians can access services.
The data is confronting and cutting red tape is now top of the agenda for Australian business leaders.
The Red Tape Index has been designed to provide a clear view on regulatory environments in Australia. The first sector covered is building and construction, with other sectors to follow in coming months.
The Heavy Burden of Red Tape in Australia
Regulatory red tape costs the Australian economy an estimated $160 billion per year - a figure that grows as regulatory volume compounds and compliance infrastructure struggles to keep pace.
The cost is not abstract. It shows up in delayed projects, duplicated effort, elevated headcount and decisions deferred.
Source: Business Council of Australia
Since 2000, at the Federal level alone there has been a major escalation in regulation:
The number of regulations has doubled
The number of pages of regulation has tripled
Business has responded by doubling the number of compliance roles
The Commonwealth Government's last regulatory stocktake (2014) estimated that there were approximately 86,000 regulations with a compliance burden of $65 billion. The figure today is a multiple of that and weighs heavily on Australian citizens and businesses.
Source: Business Council of Australia
The 2025 AICD Director Sentiment Index found Directors ranked regulation among the top three issues facing Australian business:
Productivity growth (42%)
Global economic uncertainty (39%)
Regulatory red tape (35%)
Two-thirds of Directors say the current regulatory environment constrains productivity. Three-quarters expect the burden to increase in coming years.
Source: AICD Director Sentiment Index 2025
OECD data illustrates the scale of the challenge:
Australia's productivity is significantly below the OECD average, while its regulatory burden sits above it
Productivity growth has reached its lowest point in 60 years
Benchmarked against G7 countries, Australia ranks second-highest in administrative and regulatory burden - behind only Japan
Sources: OECD and AICD
SMEs are collectively the largest employers in the Australian economy. Yet they bear a disproportionate share of the regulatory burden.
Four in ten estimate they spend more than 6 hours per week on red tape
Close to one in two (48%) report having incurred a financial penalty for non-compliance
Source: Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Access The Red Tape Index
A global proprietary platform developed by Labrynth AI. Ampersand manages the ongoing development and roll-out of the Australian edition.
The Red Tape Index was established by Labrynth in the United States in early 2025, with the Australian edition launching in December 2025.
The Australian Index ranks 546 local government areas and all eight states and territories. Each is scored across multiple performance factors - including permit speed, economic conditions, regulatory complexity and construction cost. It is then combined into a single composite rank.
Data is drawn from state permit portals, ABS datasets and state planning legislation. Every score is normalised, updated annually, and published alongside a confidence rating.
Every engagement is led by a dedicated senior specialist, with direct accountability throughout.
Right Expertise, Every Time.
Specialists matched to the sector, regulatory environment and operational context - drawn from long-standing networks across consulting, government, research and industry.
A Contemporary Approach.
Expert capability assembled around the compliance challenge. Senior, responsive and commercially grounded.
Built for the Australian market.
Implementation and deployment partners embedded from day one, with direct experience across regulated Australian industries.
Global capability, locally applied.
Direct access to the Labrynth AI platform, its global development team and an international body of deployed solutions.
Get in Touch
Find Out More
If your organisation is managing a compliance burden that software and internal expertise has not solved, we should talk.
You could have a Labrynth pilot solution in place in weeks, not months.
Why the Ampersand name?
&
The ampersand symbolises connection and integration - connecting people, technology, data and insight to help organisations navigate complexity with greater clarity and confidence.
