Modern Govt Day

Overview

As technology, data and Al reshape government, leaders across the public sector are navigating the challenge of accelerating innovation while strengthening security, resilience and public trust. The Co-Piloted State explores how government and industry can build adaptive digital capability, harness emerging technologies and modernise the foundations needed to deliver better outcomes for Australia's future.

What we will cover

• Enterprise Support The latest strategies in enterprise support with cost optimisation in mind.
• Operational Productivity Investigating ways to streamline processes and optimise internal operations, reducing inefficiencies and improving overall output.
• Data Analytics Exploring how data-driven insights can guide strategic decisions and improve business outcomes across departments.
• Digital Acceleration Exploring how to accelerate digital transformation efforts to drive growth and adapt to new market demands.
• Cyber Priorities Emphasising proactive approaches to cybersecurity, integrating security measures into projects from inception to minimise risk.
• AI & Automation Examining how automation and AI are enhancing decision-making, reducing manual tasks, and improving business outcomes.
• Enterprise Agility Focusing on building agility and resilience into business operations to quickly respond to market shifts, disruptions, and emerging opportunities.
• ESG Goals Investigating how CIOs can support organisational sustainability efforts, aligning IT with environmental and social governance (ESG) metrics.
• Talent Development Addressing the challenge of upskilling IT teams and attracting digital talent, focusing on leadership in a tech-driven world.
• Executive Partnerships Exploring the evolving role of CIOs as strategic partners within the executive team, driving cross-functional collaboration and innovation.
• Security Investments Discussing the increasing need for investments in cybersecurity to protect against evolving threats and secure sensitive business data.
• Customer Experience Exploring strategies to elevate customer interactions, personalisation, and engagement, ensuring competitive differentiation and loyalty.

Agenda

• 8:00 am Networking Breakfast(Modern Gov Day - Plenary) An informal start to the day where delegates can meet peers, share expectations and prepare for the sessions ahead. Exchange experiences and discuss current challenges with fellow CIOs. Outline objectives for the day’s programme. Build connections that could lead to future collaboration.
• 8:35 am Factor Opening Remarks: What Government Boards & Secretaries Now Expect(Modern Gov Day - Plenary) Drawing on Factor’s CIO and board-level research, VP Analysts outline how expectations of government technology leaders have shifted. Covers resilience reporting, cost transparency, cyber posture, AI governance, and measurable delivery outcomes under scrutiny.
• 8:50 am CIOs at the Crossroads: Meeting Government Boards’ Evolving Expectations(Modern Gov Day - Plenary) This session explores the evolving landscape facing Australian government technology leaders, shaped by increasing citizen expectations, policy complexity, heightened security requirements and the demand to deliver more with constrained resources. Drawing on the latest research and insights from public sector leaders, we’ll examine how expectations of government CIOs are changing, what executives now require from technology leadership, and how leading CIOs are balancing transformation, resilience and responsible innovation to deliver better outcomes for communities.
• 9:05 am The New Era of Cyber Resilience: Moving Beyond the Essential Eight to Outcomes-Based Security(Modern Gov Day - Plenary) With the ASD’s landmark announcement to retire the Essential Eight framework over the next two years, the public sector compliance landscape is shifting rapidly. Chris Horlyck will outline the strategic roadmap for this transition to the new, threat-informed Essentials series. He will explain how agencies can migrate from rigid, Windows-centric checklists to a flexible, outcomes-based security posture. This session covers how upcoming Essentials chapters, such as cloud security and agentic AI, will empower public sector technology leaders to modernise securely while keeping cyber resilience intact. Discussion Points: Navigating the Transition: The timeline and practical roadmap for migrating from the Essential Eight to the new, principles-based Essentials series. Securing Cloud & Agentic AI: How the new framework's focus on modern architectures allows agencies to safely adopt emerging tools without losing control or visibility. Outcomes Over Checklists: Shifting government security culture from ticking boxes to active, threat-informed defense aligned with the ISM.
• 9:25 am Balancing Sovereignty, Security and Innovation: A C-Suite Decision(Modern Gov Day - Plenary) Sovereign capability has evolved into a cornerstone of strategic resilience for both major enterprises and government institutions. As leaders navigate a complex landscape of cloud, AI, and global vendor ecosystems, technology decisions have become fundamental business decisions that shape financial sustainability, risk appetite, and operational agility. This session moves beyond the friction of digital transformation to explore how executive teams can harmonise security and national interest with the need for rapid innovation. Discussion Points: The Sovereignty Paradox: Moving past outdated definitions to assess whether current procurement and architecture models support true strategic autonomy or merely create new forms of long-term dependency. From Compliance to Competitive Advantage: Deconstructing the friction between rigid compliance frameworks and the rapid, iterative nature of AI to ensure that security and public trust act as engines for transformation rather than barriers to speed. Orchestrating Cross-Functional Strategy: Examining how CIOs, CFOs, CROs, and Business leaders are aligning to turn technology investments into sustainable enterprise value, ensuring that infrastructure decisions are inherently defensible, scalable, and aligned with core business objectives.
• 9:55 am The Governance Safeguard: FOI, Integrity, and Public Sector Automation(Modern Gov Day - Plenary) As public sector agencies integrate automated decision-making and AI into service delivery, they must navigate a complex web of legal, administrative, and information access obligations. This session looks past technology design to address the hard regulatory realities of public sector automation. Alice will discuss how agencies can scale these technologies while strictly meeting Freedom of Information (FOI) requirements, maintaining pristine record-keeping, and ensuring that automated public administration remains legally defensible, transparent, and compliant with federal information rights. Discussion Points: The FOI & Audit Challenge: Ensuring automated workflows, algorithms, and AI decisions remain fully auditable and retrievable under information access laws. Administrative Law & AI: Upholding "reasonable decision-making" and natural justice when algorithms assist or automate government outcomes. The Regulator’s Guidance: Practical steps for CIOs to design compliance and governance into systems before deploying automated tools.
• 10:25 am Networking Break & Morning Tea(Modern Gov Day) Morning Team Strategy and Collaboration Session
• 10:25 am From AI Pilots to Real Business Value: What’s Actually Scaling?(Executive Roundtable) In enterprise telecommunications, AI is increasingly being applied to critical infrastructure and systems that underpin connectivity and mobility; from networks and mobile fleets to customer operations. In 2026, for many CIOs the real challenge is not experimentation, but embedding AI into complex, live environments where service performance, coverage, and customer experience are directly impacted. Backed by global experience with organisations such as Meta, IKEA, LVMH and Qantas, Vodafone Business will share insights on scaling AI to improve service visibility, predict network and service issues, and proactively intervention before customers are impacted. This creates a shift from reactive decisioning to predictive, insight-led operations; demonstrating what it actually takes to operationalise AI in real-world environments, and how to connect technical capability to measurable business outcomes. Moving beyond where AI could work, to where it is already working to scale core telecom and service operations, exploring how AI delivers value, helping enterprises move beyond isolated pilots to build connected, resilient, and customer-centric operations powered by AI. DISCUSSION PONTS: From Experimentation to Impact : where is AI actually delivering value? AI is moving beyond pilots into use cases that are delivering measurable value. What is working, what has stalled, and how leaders distinguish interesting experimentation from genuine business impact across CX, cost, speed and productivity. Pilot-to-Production vs. Real-World Complexity: What does it take to scale AI in real environments? What happens when AI moves from controlled pilots into live enterprise environments, exploring the practical barriers to scale, including data quality, observability, integration, governance, risk, operating models and prioritisation. AI Business Value vs Technical Success: how leaders are connecting AI initiatives to the outcomes the business actually cares about, explore ROI, leadership buy-in, customer experience, resilience, cost reduction and how to prevent AI from becoming another disconnected technology initiative.
• 11:25 am Peer-Driven Debate(Modern Gov Day) A: Data Sovereignty vs Digital Innovation As government agencies accelerate adoption of cloud, AI and emerging technologies, how do leaders balance national interest, security obligations and public trust with the need to access world-leading technology capability? Discussion Prompts: Does greater data sovereignty strengthen resilience, or create barriers to innovation and scale? How should government engage with global technology providers while protecting critical information and national capability? What does “sovereign capability” practically mean for agencies delivering essential public services? B: Whole-of-Government Platforms vs Agency Autonomy Should government move toward greater shared platforms and common capabilities, or should agencies retain flexibility to design technology environments around their unique missions? Discussion Prompts: Where do shared platforms create better citizen outcomes, efficiency and interoperability? When does standardisation become a barrier to agency innovation and responsiveness? How can government reduce duplication while respecting different operational requirements? C: Transformation Speed vs Public Sector Assurance Government leaders are under pressure to modernise services faster while maintaining security, compliance, accountability and public confidence. How do agencies balance the urgency to transform with the responsibility to get it right? Discussion Prompts: Are existing governance frameworks enabling better outcomes or slowing progress? How should leaders assess acceptable risk when delivering critical government services? How can agencies create faster pathways from innovation to production? D: Modernise Legacy Systems vs Extend What You Have Many government services rely on ageing technology foundations. How do leaders decide when to modernise, when to invest in existing platforms and when to fundamentally rethink service delivery? Discussion Prompts: When does technical debt become a threat to resilience and service continuity? How can CIOs secure long-term investment for modernisation while meeting immediate priorities? Is incremental transformation a practical pathway or delaying necessary change? E: Build Internal Capability vs Partner with Industry With growing demand for cyber, data, AI and digital expertise, how should government balance developing internal capability with leveraging specialist industry partners? Discussion Prompts: Which technology capabilities should government retain as strategic national capability? How can agencies reduce dependency on contractors while maintaining delivery capacity? What new approaches are needed to attract, develop and retain technology talent? F: AI Adoption vs Public Trust As AI becomes embedded into government services and decision-making, how do leaders unlock its potential while maintaining transparency, accountability and community confidence? Discussion Prompts: Where should AI augment government decision-making, and where must human judgement remain central? How should agencies govern automated decisions that impact citizens? What principles should guide responsible AI adoption across government?
• 0:00 pm Beyond the Strategic Roadmap: Architecting and Scaling Front-Line Digital Delivery(Modern Gov Day) A CIO’s digital vision depends on an organisation’s ability to translate strategic priorities into secure, scalable and user-centred services. In government, this requires more than technology implementation, it requires strong governance, technical stewardship and delivery capability to modernise complex environments while maintaining public trust. In this executive session, Stephen Dryden explores how the Department of Home Affairs is strengthening digital delivery across a complex technology landscape. Drawing on his oversight of a broad portfolio of critical digital systems, the Department’s identity and biometrics technical ecosystem, and its Digital Experience function, Stephen will share perspectives on how delivery governance, portfolio management and modern delivery practices can support sustainable digital capability. Discussion Points: From Strategy to Execution: How leaders translate digital priorities into practical delivery outcomes, aligning technology investments, governance, and operational needs. Building the Foundations for Scale: How portfolio management, delivery capability, and organisational stewardship enable sustainable transformation across critical technology ecosystems. Designing Trusted Digital Experiences: How organisations balance user experience, accessibility, identity, and security to create services that are resilient and trusted.
• 0:20 pm Practical AI Implementation in Government(Modern Gov Day) Many organisations have experimented with AI, but far fewer have successfully embedded it into operational environments where security, privacy, compliance and public trust cannot be compromised. As government agencies move beyond pilots and proof-of-concepts, the challenge is no longer whether AI can deliver value, but how it can be implemented responsibly, governed effectively and integrated into existing operating models. Drawing on firsthand experience deploying AI-assisted development practices within a federal government agency, this session explores the realities of moving from experimentation to production, including the guardrails, governance frameworks and human oversight required to ensure AI delivers outcomes without creating new risks. Discussion Points: Moving Beyond the Pilot Phase: What does it take to transition AI from experimentation into operational environments, and what lessons have been learned from implementing AI-enabled solutions within a government agency? Building the Guardrails for Responsible Adoption: How can organisations balance innovation with privacy, security, compliance and accountability requirements, while ensuring AI remains a tool that supports rather than replaces human expertise? Creating Sustainable AI Capability Across Government: As AI becomes embedded in day-to-day operations, what skills, governance structures and operating models will agencies need to ensure long-term value, trust and resilience?
• 0:40 pm Connected Government: Building the Interoperable Infrastructure of the Next Decade(Modern Gov Day) The next phase of digital government will be defined not by individual technology projects, but by the ability for systems, organisations and jurisdictions to work together seamlessly. Building a connected public sector requires shared standards, collaborative ecosystems and digital foundations that enable innovation at scale. Drawing on the Australian Digital Health Agency’s experience delivering national interoperability initiatives, Peter O’Halloran will explore how government leaders can create the foundations for connected services, drive adoption across complex ecosystems, and enable simpler, more seamless experiences for citizens. Discussion Points: The Interoperability Blueprint: How shared standards, common frameworks and reusable digital capabilities create the foundations for connected government across agencies, jurisdictions and industry. Moving Beyond Fragmented Solutions: How government leaders can move from isolated technology initiatives toward scalable digital ecosystems that enable innovation, reduce duplication and support long-term capability. The CIO as Ecosystem Architect: How technology leaders are evolving from delivery-focused roles into architects of connected platforms, standards and digital foundations that enable better public services.
• 1:00 pm Lunch Break & Peer Connect(Modern Gov Day)
• 1:00 pm Executive Roundtable 'Why Agentic AI Demands a New Integration Strategy' Agentic AI is rapidly moving from experimentation to enterprise adoption. Yet AI agents are only as effective as the systems, data, and processes they can access. Agentic AI will not be limited by model intelligence. It will be limited by an enterprise's ability to connect systems, data, processes, and governance. Organizations that modernize integration today will be the ones that realize autonomous business operations tomorrow. As organizations look to scale AI beyond copilots and chatbots, fragmented applications, siloed data, and disconnected workflows are becoming major barriers to success. Integration is emerging as the critical foundation that enables AI agents to securely access information, orchestrate processes, and drive business outcomes across the enterprise. This executive roundtable will explore how technology leaders are modernizing integration strategies to connect applications, data, APIs, events, and workflows, creating the trusted digital backbone required for Agentic AI. Participants will share insights and experiences on breaking down silos, accelerating AI-driven innovation, and building the connected enterprise needed to unlock autonomous operations at scale.
• 2:00 pm Executive Exchange(Modern Gov Day) An interactive session where tech leaders connect one-on-one with peers to share candid stories about decisions they’ve made, what worked, and what they learned along the way. Expect honest reflections, practical insights, and engaging peer-to-peer conversations in an open, informal format.
• 2:30 pm From IT Partner to Strategic Driver: The Evolving Role of the CIO(Modern Gov Day) Deploying new software is only half the battle in public sector modernisation, the real work begins when solutions are embedded into daily operations alongside the people who rely on them. Drawing on frontline execution across complex government environments, this session explores how technology leaders can move past the initial "go-live" milestone to drive genuine, long-term workforce adoption. Looking beyond project delivery, the session examines how the role of the CIO has fundamentally evolved from managing systems to co-designing core organisational strategy, ensuring that modern ICT serves as an indispensable engine for business transformation and public service delivery. Discussion Points: Post-Implementation Reality: Why the real transformation work begins after "go-live," focusing on embedding new solutions directly into daily user workflows. The CIO as Strategy Co-Designer: Moving beyond IT delivery to ensure technology is deeply integrated into core business and operational decision-making. Active Business Alignment: Practical ways CIOs can actively collaborate with executive peers to bridge the gap between technical capability and user adoption.
• 2:50 pm Trust by Design: Technology Leadership When Every Digital Decision Shapes Public Confidence(Modern Gov Day) Whether serving bank customers or Australians seeking independent dispute resolution, technology leaders are increasingly judged not by the systems they build, but by the trust those systems create. As AI, automation and digital services become central to how organisations interact with people, CIOs must ensure technology remains transparent, accessible and accountable. This session explores how leaders can modernise at pace while keeping trust at the centre of every technology decision. Discussion Points: Designing digital services people trust. Scaling AI without losing human accountability. Using customer insights to drive better technology decisions.
• 3:10 pm The Leadership Decisions That Will Define the Next Decade(Modern Gov Day) As we look toward 2027, the focus is no longer just on technology delivery, but on the structural choices that determine long-term capability. How do you move beyond the "pilot trap" to achieve actual scale? How do you manage the integration tax of legacy systems while building the sovereign foundations required for national resilience? This closing panel will pressure-test the strategies that will shape our organisations and the public sector’s technical maturity over the coming years. Discussion Points: Scaling Beyond the Pilot: Moving from isolated AI experiments to institutionalised value. We will explore how to tackle the data remediation and integration challenges required to turn pilots into repeatable, large-scale productivity gains. Engineering Sovereign Resilience: Balancing the efficiency of global hyperscalers with the necessity of local control. We will discuss how to build the "sovereign buffers" needed to maintain continuity and security in an increasingly complex vendor landscape. The CIO as Strategic Architect: Moving from delivery lead to enterprise designer. We will address how to re-skill internal teams for an AI-augmented environment and ensure technology strategy is the primary driver of policy and financial outcomes.
• 3:50 pm Wrap & Roadmap: Public Sector Technology Priorities for 2026(Modern Gov Day) A structured 90-, 190-, and 360-day roadmap focused on resilience, sovereign architecture, AI governance, and disciplined execution in government environments.
• 3:55 pm End of Day | Networking Drinks(Modern Gov Day)

Speakers

• Josh Heid · CEO, Factor Josh brings with himself years of leadership experience as the driving force behind Factor and Panelist , where he has shaped the future of business strategy through his expertise in Product Design , Customer Experience , and Engineering . An innovator at heart, Josh excels in Product Design , where he combines aesthetic sensibility with functional purpose to create solutions that resonate with users and deliver measurable results. His approach bridges customer needs and cutting-edge technology, ensuring that every product is not only visually compelling but also highly effective in meeting market demands. In the realm of Customer Experience , Josh has consistently championed the importance of understanding user journeys and fostering engagement through intuitive design and seamless interactions. He has implemented frameworks that elevate user satisfaction, ensuring that Factor’s offerings remain at the forefront of customer-centric innovation. Josh's engineering mindset adds a unique layer to his leadership. His ability to translate complex concepts into actionable development processes has resulted in robust, scalable applications and systems. By integrating engineering principles with strategic thinking, Josh has driven operational excellence while maintaining a sharp focus on delivering top-tier solutions to clients. With a deep understanding of Leadership Strategy , Marketing , and Sales , Josh has built Factor and Panelist into trusted names in their industries, continuously setting new benchmarks for innovation and success.
• Burak Cankurtaran · Chief Technology Officer, Panelist Heading up the tech team at Panelist.
• Shelley Rigg · VP Analyst, Factor Shelley Rigg is Executive Producer, Research & Content at Factor, where she draws on over two decades of experience producing commercially driven campaigns, broadcast content, and executive events for some of the world’s leading brands. An award-winning producer and BAFTA recipient, Shelley has overseen more than 30 primetime shows in the UK and US, led strategic campaigns for Netflix, BBC, Amazon Prime, Rio Tinto, and Optus, and executive produced major live events, including Optus’s award-winning coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. At Factor, she brings her expertise as a talk show host, moderator, and content strategist, supporting broadcast, editorial, and e-learning initiatives while shaping engaging conversations with senior leaders across industries.
• Chris Horlyck · First Assistant Director-General Cyber Security Resilience, asd
• Dimitar Dimitrovski · Chief Information Officer, The Fair Work Ombudsman
• Stevie-ann Dovico · Chief Technology Officer, Australian Financial Complaints Authority
• Stephen Dryden · Assistant Secretary, Digital Delivery, Australian Public Service
• Jamie Norton · Chief Information Security Officer, ASIC Jamie Norton is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), where he leads the organisation’s enterprise cyber security strategy, risk management, and information security function. In this role, he is responsible for strengthening the resilience of Australia’s corporate regulator, protecting sensitive regulatory and market data, and ensuring ASIC’s digital environments are secure and aligned with its enforcement and supervisory mandate. He is a highly experienced cybersecurity executive with more than 25 years across government and industry, including previous roles as CISO at the Australian Taxation Office, and senior security leadership positions at organisations such as McGrathNicol, NEC, Check Point, and the World Health Organization. He also serves as Vice Chair of the global board of ISACA and is a recognised voice in cyber governance, AI risk, and national cyber resilience initiatives
• Kim Riley · CITO, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• Peter O'Halloran · Chief Digital Officer, Australian Digital Health Agency
• Alice Linacre · Australian Freedom of Information Commissioner, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
• Holger Kaufmann · CIO and Executive Group Manager, Digital Solutions, ACT Health
• Betty Markoska · Deputy CIO, The Fair Work Ombudsman
• Naimat Ahmed · Director of Cybersecurity, Department of Parliamentary Services
• Brad Markwart · Chief Risk Officer, Beyond Bank
• Marli Lozoya · Executive Producer, Factor

Partners

• Vodafone Business · Gold
• ResetData · Bronze ResetData is Australia's sovereign Neocloud, providing a fully integrated ecosystem for secure, sustainable, scalable AI. Powered by our network of sovereign AI Factories, starting with AI - F1, we deliver end- to- end capability across the entire AI lifecycle.
• IBM · Gold At IBM, we do more than work. We create. We create as technologists, developers, and engineers. We create with our partners. We create with our competitors. If you're searching for ways to make the world work better through technology and infrastructure, software and consulting, then we want to work with you. We're here to help every creator turn their "what if" into what is. Let's create something that will change everything.

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