CIO Day AI playground | Sydney
Doing More with Less: Building Efficient and Sovereign Enterprises
ILUMINA Sydney, Australia
Hosted by Factor
- 224 attendees
- 14 hours
Overview
In a time of rapid technological change, increasing cyber risks, tighter budgets, accelerating AI adoption, and rising pressure to maintain digital sovereignty, Australian CIOs are being asked to deliver more with less while keeping control.
Factor’s flagship CIO Day will bring together senior technology leaders from Australia’s largest enterprises to explore practical strategies for translating technology investments into measurable outcomes, simplifying complex systems, strengthening sovereignty over data and critical infrastructure, and driving operational efficiency.
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
- Executive Roundtable
- Networking Breakfast 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.
- Executive Roundtable Title: Preparing for AI Superclusters: What CIOs Need to Build Today for the Next Wave of Compute and Data Demands AI adoption is accelerating, yet only 40 percent of CIOs feel ready to prioritise AI meaningfully and even fewer (4 percent) say they have the infrastructure maturity required to run large scale models or initiatives. As governments and major enterprises invest in sovereign AI superclusters, the pressure is shifting towards building secure, unified and cost-efficient data platforms that can support advanced workloads. This roundtable explores what AI supercluster models mean for Australian enterprises, the architectural changes required to be ready, and how unified cloud and data foundations can lower complexity and unlock the next generation of AI and analytics. Discussion Points: • How AI superclusters will reshape compute, storage and security expectations • Why legacy risk reduction is now a prerequisite for enterprise scale AI • The importance of unified, governed data platforms to support real time analytics and predictive decisioning • How to design future ready cloud and hybrid environments that remove integration drag
- Welcome Address(CIO Day) A short framing on the current Australian enterprise landscape, including regulatory change, competing global pressures, constrained budgets, and the growing demand for measurable progress on transformation.
- CIOs at the Crossroads: Meeting Boards’ Evolving Expectations(CIO Day) This session explores the current Australian enterprise landscape, marked by regulatory change, global pressures, constrained budgets, and the urgent need for measurable transformation. Drawing on the latest CIO and board-level research, we’ll examine how expectations of technology leaders have shifted, what boards now look for in resilience, cost transparency, and transformation outcomes, and how leading CIOs are adapting their strategies and communication to succeed in this changing environment.
- Australian Enterprise and Global Shifts(CIO Day) Join Former Minister for Foreign Affairs and ANU Chancellor the Hon Julie Bishop as she explores how global change, regional dynamics, and technology policy are reshaping Australian enterprise strategy and what leaders can do to stay competitive. This keynote examines how these global forces are influencing economic direction, organisational strategy, and innovation, offering insights into how Australian enterprises can position themselves for the future. Discussion Points: How technology and innovation are transforming business operations and competitiveness The impact of climate change and sustainability on corporate strategy and governance How Australian organisations can adapt and thrive amid global and regional disruption
- Scaling Technology with Governance and ROI(CIO Day) Jakub Firek, CIO Risk and Risk-Treasury-Finance Data Platform at Commonwealth Bank, shares how the bank is scaling technology with efficiency and strong governance. From AI-enhanced software delivery to modern enterprise platforms, he’ll unpack how disciplined foundations, secure systems, and refreshed infrastructure unlock faster, safer execution and real business value. Jakub will explore how CBA balances innovation with operational friction, manages platform strategy across a complex landscape, and builds the conditions for sustainable speed at scale. Discussion Points: Scaling internal technology efficiently while maintaining security and governance. Building platforms that enable speed without sacrificing full-stack capability. Turning technology initiatives into measurable business outcomes. Reducing friction in integrating new solutions with legacy systems.
- Eliminating Data Fragmentation: Building a Unified Platform for Protection, Recovery and AI-Ready Governance(CIO Day) Most enterprises now store data across SaaS, public cloud, private cloud and on-prem systems, creating widespread fragmentation that drives cost, weakens resilience and slows down AI adoption. IDC reports that more than 60% of enterprise data is now stored in locations that IT teams consider difficult to protect or govern. At the same time, the average ransomware attack results in more than eight days of business disruption, and more than 70% of organisations say recovery speed is their single biggest gap. This session explores how CIOs can replace fragmented backup tools and isolated data silos with a unified platform that delivers consistent protection, fast recovery and integrated governance. The outcome is a simpler, more resilient data estate that is ready for automation, analytics and AI initiatives. Discussion Points: The rising cost and risk created by fragmented data environments How a unified data protection and recovery model improves resilience and response What CIOs and CISOs need to do now to ensure data is AI-ready
- The Power of C-Suite Convergence in Building Resilience That Boards Support(CIO Day) Join an expert, cross-function C-Suite panel as they explore how partnerships among top executives are essential for addressing today’s global megatrends. Moving beyond the buzzwords of fusion teams, this discussion will focus on the importance of collaborative leadership in navigating shifts in technology, governance, and market dynamics, showcasing how integrated strategies across business functions can bolster organisational resilience and agility. Discussion Points: Leveraging diverse executive perspectives to tackle complex global challenges. Developing adaptable frameworks to meet governance, technological, and economic shifts. Fostering cross-functional alignment to drive innovation and gain a competitive edge.
- Executive Roundtable(Executive Round Table) Building the Future-Ready Enterprise with Responsible AI and Secure Agents CIOs are being asked to do more than just “bring in AI”- they must enable it across the business responsibly, securely, and at scale. The opportunity? Massive gains in productivity, accuracy, and decision-making - without sacrificing trust or control. In this focused roundtable, explore how secure AI agents are transforming the enterprise by giving every employee instant, permission-aware access to the knowledge they need - without the complexity of manual model training. Learn how forward-thinking CIOs are using AI to accelerate outcomes, break down silos, and unlock enterprise-wide performance. You’ll discover how to: Enable real-time, trusted answers grounded in your enterprise knowledge Equip every employee with a secure, AI-powered assistant Drive smarter, faster decisions without adding risk or noise Break silos and boost productivity at scale Operationalise AI responsibly - with governance built in from day one
- Networking Break & Morning Tea Morning Team Strategy and Collaboration Session
- Executive Roundtable - Turning Technology Spend into Measurable Business Value(Executive Round Table) The Value Mandate: How CIOs Are Prioritising Work, Tracking Impact and Communicating Technology’s Contribution in 2026 This roundtable brings together CIOs, digital leaders and technology finance specialists to explore the new economics of modern IT. As organisations face expanding backlogs, rising expectations for AI and modernisation, and continued budget pressure, the challenge is no longer just managing costs, it’s demonstrating value. The session examines how leading enterprises are reshaping their planning, prioritisation and financial governance to ensure teams are focused on the work that delivers the greatest business impact. Participants will discuss how clearer visibility into technology spend, better alignment with business outcomes and stronger value tracking are helping CIOs decide what to fund, what to sequence next and how to communicate results with confidence at executive and board level. Key Discussion Points: How CIOs are navigating rising cost pressures, cloud volatility and total cost of ownership while modernising their estates. How leaders are prioritising and sequencing work when backlogs exceed capacity and demand continues to grow. What CIOs are doing to ensure AI initiatives deliver measurable value and support business outcomes. How organisations are tracking value and using financial insight to communicate technology’s contribution and guide investment decisions.
- Redesigning Infrastructure to Support AI and Business Agility(AI Impact) CIOs are under pressure to balance agility with compliance, modernisation with cost, and innovation with operational risk. This discussion brings together technology leaders to share how they are redesigning their infrastructure mix, combining public cloud, colocation, and sovereign environments, to achieve both control and flexibility. Discussion Points: Integrating legacy systems with modern, cloud-ready platforms Comparing vendor models and infrastructure strategies Balancing innovation speed with regulatory and operational constraints
- Upgrading Enterprise Systems to Reduce Technical Debt(Core Modernisation) Modernising ERPs, HR systems, CRM platforms, and other core applications is critical for agility and efficiency. This roundtable explores approaches for eliminating technical debt while maintaining operational continuity. Discussion Points: Prioritising systems for modernisation and integration Balancing risk with speed of deployment Driving operational efficiency through modern platforms
- Securing Data, Sovereignty and Trust(Sovereign Data Security) As organisations expand their use of cloud, AI and distributed workforces, leaders are being forced to rethink where their most sensitive data lives and how it is protected. Explore how CIOs can strengthen cyber resilience, ensuring data sovereignty and building infrastructure that can withstand both regulatory and threat-based pressures. Discussion Points: Secure networks and resilient infrastructure to support AI-driven and cloud-based workloads. Cloud strategy and data sovereignty: private vs hybrid decisions and the rise of cloud repatriation. Cybersecurity in 2026: best practices, the role of AI in defence, and achieving end-to-end protection across the enterprise.
- Data Centre Strategy for AI, Hybrid Workloads, and Sovereignty(Advanced Analytics) With the rise of AI workloads, sovereignty mandates, and high-density infrastructure demands, CIOs are re-evaluating how and where their data lives. This roundtable explores designing environments that balance scale, performance, and regulatory compliance. Discussion Points: Preparing infrastructure for high-density and AI/ML workloads Leveraging sovereign hosting for compliance and risk mitigation Integrating colocation into hybrid and multi-cloud strategies
- Orchestrating Microservices and Event-Driven Platforms(Integration Architecture) CIOs are challenged with connecting diverse applications and services efficiently. This session explores API management, integration platforms, and event-driven architecture as tools to achieve seamless connectivity. Discussion Points: Best practices for API management and microservices Leveraging integration-platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) Event streaming and service mesh orchestration
- Optimising Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Environments for Value(Cloud Economics) CIOs are tasked with creating flexible cloud architectures that support growth while managing cost and avoiding vendor lock-in. This discussion explores practical strategies for multi-cloud and hybrid deployments. Discussion Points: Designing cloud strategies for agility and scalability Cost optimisation using FinOps principles Avoiding lock-in while enabling innovation
- From Channels to Cohesion: Rolling Out an Enterprise-Wide Communications Fabric(CIO Day) As enterprises scale across markets, fragmented communication tools often stand in the way of a seamless employee and customer experience. This session explores how CIOs can unify messaging, voice, video, and digital engagement into one adaptive architecture, transforming communication from a basic utility into a strategic capability. Attendees will hear how leading organisations are modernising their communications fabric to improve responsiveness, resilience, and personalisation at scale. Discussion Points: Building a secure, API-first communications layer that connects every channel and workflow Embedding intelligence and automation to personalise engagement and streamline service delivery Creating a scalable foundation for future customer and employee experience innovation
- Consolidating Cybersecurity — What You Can’t Afford to Cut(CIO Day) In a year where CIOs are being asked to consolidate tools, reduce spend, and “do more with less,” cybersecurity is feeling the squeeze. Yet the rising bar of compliance, especially across critical infrastructure means certain capabilities cannot be compromised. Berin Lautenbach explores how to consolidate intelligently, protect detection speed, and avoid cutting the hidden foundations that keep organisations safe. Discussion Points: Balancing Consolidation with Risk: How to reduce tool overlap without compromising detection, response speed, or visibility. Foundations You Cannot Ignore: Why hygiene, basic processes, and foundational controls are the areas most vulnerable to budget cuts. Compliance and Critical Infrastructure Pressures: Navigating the rising expectations from government and regulators while operating under limited budgets.
- The Observability Imperative: Building Resilient, Data-Driven Enterprises(CIO Day) In 2026, the real competitive divide in Australian enterprises is no longer cloud maturity, digital transformation progress, or even AI ambition. It is the ability to see, with clarity, context and confidence, what is happening across every digital system, every customer touchpoint, and every AI-enabled workflow. Observability has become the foundation of resilience, security readiness, and confident AI adoption. Splunk helps enterprises turn raw telemetry into real time insight, faster incident response, and stronger digital performance. This keynote explores why observability now sits at the heart of enterprise strategy and how leaders can build a smarter, more resilient digital core. Discussion Points: Why Observability is Now a Board-Level Issue The Shift From Monitoring to Intelligent Operations Resilience Engineering in the Age of AI The Splunk Advantage: Turning Telemetry into Action
- How Westpac Is Using Real-Time Intelligence to Combat Scams(CIO Day) As scams grow increasingly sophisticated, financial institutions are rethinking their approach to fraud detection and customer protection. In this keynote, Miranda Ratajski will share how Westpac is leveraging real-time intelligence, data, and AI to stay ahead of evolving threats shifting from reactive defence to proactive prevention. She’ll explore how technology, culture, and strategy come together to build trust and resilience at scale. Discussion Points: From Reaction to Prevention, Reimagining Fraud Detection Balancing Speed, Accuracy, and Trust Aligning AI Strategy with Organisational Culture and Risk Appetite
- Executive Roundtable(Executive Round Table) From Backup to Business Resilience: How CIOs Are Reframing Data Protection for Cyber Risk, Compliance, and AI Readiness As cyber threats escalate, regulatory scrutiny increases, and enterprises push deeper into hybrid and multi-cloud environments, CIOs are being held accountable not just for uptime—but for recovery, resilience, and trust in data itself. This closed-door roundtable brings CIOs together to discuss how leading organisations are rethinking data protection as a strategic capability: ensuring rapid recovery from disruption, preventing ransomware reinfection, maintaining visibility over sensitive data, and preparing clean, compliant data foundations for AI initiatives. The session will focus on real-world challenges, trade-offs, and lessons learned—not vendor theory. Key Discussion Points: Recovery as a Measure of Resilience Ransomware, Reinfection & Trust in Data Visibility, DSPM & Regulatory Pressure Operating Model Shifts Data Readiness for What’s Next
- Lunch Break & Peer Connect An hour to continue conversations, meet solution providers and explore potential partnerships.
- Executive Roundtable AI Without Illusions: What It Really Takes to Move From Pilot to Production in 2026 In 2026, AI progress will be defined by engineering discipline rather than experimentation. Yet only 3 percent of ANZ CIOs say their infrastructure is ready for AI at scale, despite 49 percent listing AI and analytics as a top priority. Add to this the reality that 45 percent still face significant legacy risk and slow delivery cycles, and it becomes clear why so many AI pilots stall before reaching production. This roundtable examines what actually drives success, the patterns seen across organisations that have delivered real outcomes, and the practical steps CIOs are taking to strengthen foundations, modernise platforms and use AI to accelerate delivery. We will explore both sides of the equation: how to modernise for AI, and how AI can in turn accelerate modernisation. Key Discussion points: Why AI fails to leave the lab: The most common blockers slowing progress, from fragmented data environments and incomplete cloud foundations to low DevOps maturity, slow delivery speeds and weak governance. Modernisation as the gateway to AI readiness: Why almost half of CIOs cite legacy risk reduction as their top concern, and how modernisation accelerators, evolutionary architecture and improved engineering practices are reshaping both AI delivery and delivery at large. From pilot to production: what delivery patterns work: How leaders are building resilient data platforms, strengthening pipelines, embedding governance, improving model operations and automating workflows to support scalable, trustworthy AI. Building the foundations AI depends on: A practical look at the core elements that repeatedly show up in successful organisations: data readiness, cloud foundations, AI governance, and the people capability needed to support continuous delivery and continuous learning. Partnering success: the role of engineering partners: What CIOs expect from their software engineering partners in 2026, from capability uplift and architectural assurance to accelerating modernisation while ensuring reliability, transparency and measurable delivery outcomes.
- Managing Data Quality, Privacy, and Compliance(Data Governance) With regulatory complexity rising, CIOs are focusing on frameworks for governance, cataloging, and privacy. This session examines practices to ensure trusted and compliant data usage. Discussion Points: Master data management and metadata frameworks Data lineage, cataloging, and consent management Navigating local and global privacy regulations
- Driving Continuous Delivery and Platform Performance(DevOps Observability) CIOs are leveraging DevOps, platform engineering, and observability to deliver faster and more reliable software. This discussion explores strategies to monitor, optimise, and automate operations. Discussion Points: Implementing infrastructure as code and continuous delivery pipelines Monitoring applications with observability and AIOps tools Scaling platform teams while maintaining operational excellence
- Building Sustainable IT Infrastructure and Practices(Green IT) Sustainability is increasingly part of enterprise IT strategy. This roundtable explores practical ways to reduce energy use, manage hardware lifecycle, and align technology with ESG goals. Discussion Points: Designing energy-efficient data centres Optimising hardware refresh cycles and resource usage Measuring carbon impact and reporting against ESG targets
- Empowering Business Teams While Maintaining Governance(Citizen Development) Low-code and no-code tools are enabling business units to innovate independently. This discussion focuses on frameworks that encourage adoption while preserving IT oversight. Discussion Points: Enabling business-led app development safely Maintaining compliance and governance standards Measuring impact of citizen development initiatives
- Harnessing Edge, IoT, and Real-Time Data Streams(Edge Computing) Edge computing, IoT, and streaming analytics are transforming operational and customer experiences. CIOs discuss strategies for leveraging these technologies at scale. Discussion Points: Implementing predictive maintenance and telemetry solutions Scaling IoT deployments across the enterprise Leveraging real-time analytics for decision-making and engagement
- Enabling Hybrid Work and Knowledge-Driven Organisations(Digital Workplace) Modern collaboration, knowledge management, and change enablement are central to the digital workplace. CIOs discuss strategies for improving productivity, skills development, and employee experience. Discussion Points: Selecting and integrating collaboration and knowledge tools Supporting hybrid and remote work models effectively Driving digital skills development and adoption
- Building a Data-Driven Enterprise Without Increasing Risk(Afternoon Sessions) As organisations push to become more data-driven, many inadvertently introduce new risks across privacy, security, compliance, and decision-making. This session explores how CIOs can unlock the value of enterprise data while maintaining strong governance, clear accountability, and operational control. It will focus on the leadership, operating-model, and investment decisions required to embed data into the business without compromising trust, resilience, or regulatory obligations. Discussion Points: Data Ownership and Accountability: Defining clear ownership for data quality, access, and usage across the enterprise to avoid fragmented responsibility and unmanaged risk. Enabling Access Without Losing Control: How to balance data democratisation with robust security, privacy, and governance frameworks that scale with the organisation. From Insight to Action-Safely: Ensuring data-driven decisions are reliable, auditable, and aligned to business outcomes, rather than introducing new exposure through poor data quality or unchecked analytics.
- Simplification as Strategy: Aligning Technology, AI, and Operations for Impact(Afternoon Sessions) In a landscape where complexity has become the silent cost of transformation, Suncorp has made simplification the cornerstone of its technology strategy. Tom Richardson will share how re-platforming core systems, embedding AI with purpose, and streamlining operations can unlock both speed and value. This session explores how CIOs can move beyond “technology for technology’s sake” to deliver tangible impact for the business. Discussion Points Re-platforming for resilience and speed: lessons from consolidating finance and HR systems while reducing operational complexity. AI that simplifies, not complicates: how to introduce AI into corporate platforms without creating new layers of inefficiency. The simplification dividend: turning system decommissioning and operational transformation into strategic value for the enterprise.
- Innovative Use Cases in Driving Operational Efficiency and Cost Optimisation(Afternoon Sessions) As enterprises face ongoing cost pressures, technology leaders are being asked to do more with less while still enabling innovation. Tanya Trott, CTO at Transurban, will share practical strategies and innovative use cases that show how technology services can unlock efficiency, optimise costs, and deliver sustained business value without compromising on service quality or future growth. Discussion Points: Balancing cost optimisation with innovation: where to streamline, and where to double down on investment. Innovative use cases in technology services: how automation, AI, and cloud services are reshaping efficiency strategies. Embedding efficiency into culture and operations: sustaining long-term optimisation across people, processes, and technology.
- CIO Speed Exchange(Afternoon Sessions) In this fast-paced session, CIOs exchange real stories of successful and failed initiatives. It’s an opportunity to connect directly with peers in a rotating one-on-one format. uncover common challenges, and share what really drives or derails transformation.
- Compliance as Catalyst, Culture as Foundation(Afternoon Sessions) Compliance can often feel like a barrier with cybersecurity perceived as “just an IT issue.” The Star Entertainment Group CIO Peter Meliniotis sees it differently. Peter will share that regulation and governance can drive better, safer, and more deliberate technology choices. This fireside chat will explore how compliance requirements can support transformation, how a strong risk-aware culture underpins security, and why shared accountability across the organisation is essential for building resilience and maintaining trust. Discussion Points: Driving transformation: reframing compliance requirements as opportunities to shape technology strategy and innovation. Closing the Compliance Gap: lessons from building solutions when vendors did not have a full solution. Culture as Security’s First Line: making security and compliance part of daily habits, not just IT policy.
- Putting the Customer at the Core of Data-Driven Transformation(Afternoon Sessions) In today’s enterprise landscape, digital transformation only delivers value when it starts with the customer. Brian Townshend, CIO at Metcash, explores how harmonising data across siloed systems and embedding AI can unlock actionable insights, drive loyalty, enhance revenue, and improve operational efficiency, all while meeting board expectations for accuracy, transparency, and measurable business value. Discussion Points: Customer-Centric AI: How understanding and influencing customer behaviour across retail and B2B networks drives growth, loyalty, and relevance. Data as the Foundation for AI Advantage: Using high-quality first-party data and AI to generate actionable insights for both internal teams and partner networks. Enterprise Transformation for Scale: Aligning siloed technology stacks and modernising legacy systems to enable enterprise-wide AI and data capabilities without duplication.
- How to Do More with Less: A CIO's Guide(Afternoon Sessions) CIOs today are under pressure to deliver maximum impact amid tighter budgets, rising stakeholder expectations, and complex technology landscapes. This panel explores how leading IT executives turn lean teams into high-performance engines by combining metrics, culture, and strategic leadership. Attendees will gain real-world insights on driving productivity, influencing behaviour, and transforming IT from a service function into a strategic partner that shapes business outcomes. Discussion Points: Metrics that Matter: Using data-driven KPIs to shape team behaviour, improve accountability, and measure IT’s impact on business outcomes. Culture and Leadership: Building a high-performance, outcome-focused technology function while managing change and engaging dispersed teams. Prioritising Value: Making tough decisions about people, processes, and initiatives to deliver the most business impact, doing more with less without compromising results.
- Turning Emerging Tech into Business Outcomes(Afternoon Sessions) Emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and robotics are transforming the banking industry, but realising their potential requires strategic leadership. In this session, David Walker, Group CTO at Westpac and former CTO at DBS, shares insights on turning emerging tech into tangible business outcomes. He will discuss how to prioritise technologies that deliver real value, overcome integration and regulatory challenges to make multiple innovations work together, and scale initiatives by building the right teams, capabilities, and infrastructure. Discussion Points: Prioritising What Matters: How to decide which emerging technologies-AI, quantum, robotics- deliver real value for the bank and its customers. Making Technologies Work Together: Overcoming integration, operational, and regulatory challenges to ensure different technologies deliver seamless impact. Scaling for the Future: Building the right teams, capabilities, and infrastructure to turn innovation into sustainable business results.
- Leadership, Decision and Continuity in an Age of Uncertainty(Afternoon Sessions) In an era marked by rapid technological disruption and intensifying global instability, CIOs are expected to lead far beyond the IT function. This keynote invites one of Australia’s most seasoned national leaders, The Hon. John Howard, to reflect on how to lead through profound uncertainty drawing lessons from the national stage that are deeply relevant to enterprise leadership today. Mr. Howard will explore the global political dynamics reshaping the world, how these forces impact Australia’s strategic position, and what today’s corporate leaders can learn from decision-making at the highest levels of public life. Discussion Points: Geopolitical Volatility and the Return of Strategic Competition: How rising tensions between global powers such as the US, China, Russia are redrawing alliances, shifting global norms, and challenging the stability of liberal democracies. Australia’s Strategic Position in an Uncertain World: What these global shifts mean for Australia’s national priorities: from economic resilience and defence, to data sovereignty and technological independence. Leadership Under Pressure: What National Decision-Making Can Teach CIOs: How to make clear, trusted decisions in the absence of certainty balancing risk, trust, and long-term vision. What CIOs can take from political leadership during reform, crisis, and global change.
- Factor Closing Remarks(Afternoon Sessions)
- End of Day | Networking Drinks(Afternoon Sessions)
Speakers
Jeremy Hubbard · Chief : Technology & Data Officer, Rest Super Jeremy Hubbard is the Chief Technology & Data Officer at REST Super, where he leads the organisation’s technology, data, and digital strategy across one of Australia’s leading profit-for-member superannuation funds. He is responsible for driving enterprise technology transformation, modernising platforms, harnessing data insights, and delivering secure, customer-centric digital solutions. With over 20 years of experience in digital innovation, technology leadership, and data strategy across consulting, financial services, and fintech, Jeremy has a proven track record of aligning IT and data initiatives with business outcomes. He is passionate about leveraging technology to create operational excellence, foster a data-driven culture, and navigate complex regulatory and cybersecurity landscapes.
Stephen Bennett · Group Chief : Information Security Officer, Domino's Australia A versatile Senior Security Leader with 30 years of experience in the IT industry with a strong background in building security capability from the ground up for large enterprise organisations covering such verticals as Gaming, Law Enforcement, Healthcare and Retail in both Asia Pacific and European markets.
Berin Lautenbach · CISO (Global Head of Information Security), Toll Group Berin Lautenbach is the CISO (Global Head of Information Security) at Toll Group, where he leads the organisation’s global cyber security strategy, resilience programs, and security governance. With nearly three decades of experience across logistics, telecommunications, finance, technology, and defence, he has built a reputation for strengthening enterprise-wide security posture while enabling business growth. At Toll, Berin has been instrumental in uplifting cyber maturity, embedding modern security architecture, and driving large-scale transformation following significant industry-wide threats and disruptions. Prior to joining Toll, Berin held senior security leadership roles including Asia Pacific CISO at Telstra and executive security positions at GE Capital, Sun Microsystems, and the Australian Department of Defence. His career spans deep expertise in cyber operations, risk management, incident response, and securing complex, global technology environments. A recognised voice in the industry, Berin regularly speaks on resilience, secure-by-design leadership, and the evolving threat landscape, bringing clarity, pragmatism, and strategic insight to boards and executive teams alike.
Deniz Molokov · Group Chief : Information Officer / Chief : Information Security Officer, Downer Deniz Molokov is the Acting Group Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer at Downer Group, where he leads both the organisation’s technology strategy and cybersecurity programs. In this dual role, he is responsible for driving enterprise IT transformation, modernising legacy systems, implementing scalable digital platforms, and safeguarding the business against emerging cyber threats across Downer’s diverse infrastructure and services operations. With over two decades of experience in technology leadership, Deniz has deep expertise in aligning IT strategy with business outcomes, managing risk, and delivering digital solutions in complex, asset‑intensive environments. He is recognised for fostering innovation, operational resilience, and a data-driven culture that balances technological advancement with security, governance, and measurable business impact.
David Hackshall · Chief : Information Officer (CIO), Sonic Healthcare David Hackshall is the Chief Information Officer (Australia) at Sonic Healthcare, where he leads the organisation’s technology strategy, digital transformation, and enterprise IT initiatives across one of the world’s largest medical diagnostics and healthcare services companies. He is responsible for modernising legacy systems, implementing scalable digital platforms, and leveraging data to drive operational efficiency and improved patient outcomes. With extensive experience in technology leadership across regulated and complex environments, David has held senior roles including Global CIO at Cochlear Limited. He is recognised for aligning IT strategy with business objectives, delivering large-scale transformation programs, and fostering a data-driven culture that enables innovation, accountability, and measurable business impact.
Tom Richardson · EGM Bank Transition & Corporate CIO, Suncorp Group Experienced CIO with history of leading transformational change. Strategic thinker coupled with deep execution skills. Builder of high performance technology teams in retail banking, wealth management, IT procurement, and mergers & acquisitions (M&A).
James Eagleton · ANZ Managing Director, Cohesity James Eagleton is Cohesity’s Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. In this role, James is responsible for driving Cohesity’s overall business strategy, sales operations, and growth initiatives across the ANZ region. His appointment marks a new expansion phase for Cohesity’s ANZ business, and a commitment to provide industry-leading cyber resilience solutions to our customers, which already include many of the largest Enterprise and Public sector organisations in ANZ. These customers are supported across every sector and workload - to not only recover confidently and quickly - but to also outsmart threat actors. James brings extensive leadership experience in data security, virtualisation, and enterprise digital solutions to his role at Cohesity, having led regional sales and channel teams at Adobe, Dell, and Sun Microsystems. He has a strong track record of building high-performing teams, delivering growth, and helping customers accelerate their digital transformation journeys, most recently leading the South Pacific regional Data Services and Storage organisation at HPE.
Brian Townshend · Chief Information Officer - Food & Liquor, Metcash Brian is an outcome-obsessed executive leader with more than 25 years of shaping growth, lifting performance, and delivering strategies that delight customers and inspire teams. His career spans a decade running his own consultancy, time at M&S, Canon and in AU six years with Super Retail Group, and most recently serving as CIO – Food & Liquor at Metcash. Known for his ability to see the big picture while moving fast on what matters, he blends technical and customer insight to turn opportunity into action. He galvanises teams, earns trust across complex stakeholder landscapes, and brings clarity, energy, and momentum to every transformation he leads.
Miranda Ratajski · CIO, Group Business Units, Westpac Miranda is the CIO of Group Business Units for Westpac. She is a leader of large-scale and complex technological and digital transformations. Miranda has developed strategic and tactical direction, built high-performing teams, and enabled service to uplift customer experiences. Her leadership, focus, and business direction result in improved engagement and productivity through enhanced employee experience, delivering significantly engaged teams who have more time to delight customers. Driving excellence in product delivery is key to having systems that provide the right experience—Miranda has 25 years of global experience and is a master of this craft. Her experience spans Federal Government, Telecommunications, and Financial Services sectors across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Miranda is passionate about diversity and promoting women in technology. Community is a strong anchor for Miranda, and she is also a volunteer yoga teacher. Miranda’s recent awards and nominations include: WiBF Award for Inclusive Leadership Ranked #37 in the Top 100 Women in Finance Technology (Globally) Recognised #9 on the Power List
The Hon. John Howard · Former Prime Minister, Australia The Hon. John Howard OM AC served as Australia’s 25th Prime Minister from 1996 to 2007, leading one of the country’s longest-serving governments. A transformative figure in modern Australian politics, he oversaw a period of sustained economic growth, major tax reform including the introduction of the GST, strengthened national security, and landmark gun law reform following the Port Arthur tragedy. His leadership helped shape Australia’s role on the global stage through strong alliances and active participation in international affairs. Before his prime ministership, Mr Howard held key portfolios including Treasurer in the Fraser Government and represented the Sydney electorate of Bennelong for over three decades. Widely regarded for his steady leadership and pragmatic approach to governance, he remains an influential voice in public affairs and a respected commentator on leadership, policy, and Australia’s place in a changing world.
David Walker · Group Chief Technology Officer, Westpac (Australia) & DBS (Singapore) David Walker is a seasoned technology executive and futurist with over three decades of experience driving transformation across the Asia-Pacific region. With a career that began in 1987 as a software engineer, David has consistently been at the forefront of innovation from building complex systems to founding a leading data science consultancy, and leading large-scale digital transformations in financial services. David played a pivotal role in the transformation of Singaporean bank DBS, helping it evolve from a traditional bricks-and-mortar institution into a globally recognised digital leader. More recently, he led the major technology transformations at Westpac, including the bank merger, AI adoption at scale and platform modernisation. David is committed to integrating transformation into organisational culture. From implementing effective strategies to reimagine business operations comprehensively and driving real business value for future success by leveraging emerging technologies.
Mark Brown · Chief Information Officer (CIO), Dyson Group of Companies Mark Brown is the Chief Information Officer at Dyson Group, where he leads the organisation’s technology strategy and digital transformation initiatives across its sustainability-focused operations. In his role, he is responsible for driving enterprise-wide technology solutions, modernising legacy systems, and leveraging data and digital tools to enhance operational efficiency and support the company’s decarbonisation and innovation goals. With extensive experience in technology leadership and enterprise transformation, Mark brings a proven track record of aligning IT strategy with business objectives in complex, asset-intensive environments. He is passionate about using technology to enable sustainable growth, foster innovation, and deliver measurable value to both the business and its stakeholders.
Peter Meliniotis · Group Chief : Information Officer, The Star Entertainment Group Peter Meliniotis is the Group Chief Information Officer at The Star Entertainment Group, where he leads the organisation’s technology strategy and transformation agenda across its integrated resort, hospitality, and gaming operations. With over two decades of experience in technology advisory, implementation, and enterprise transformation, Peter has built a career at the intersection of innovation, governance, and business enablement. Since joining The Star in 2025, he has been instrumental in driving digital modernisation and strengthening the organisation’s information management and systems architecture to support operational excellence and regulatory integrity. Holding both an MBA and a Master of Information Technology, Peter combines commercial acumen with deep technical expertise; passionate about leveraging technology to deliver secure, efficient, and customer-centric business outcomes.
Nicholas Kontopoulos · Vice President : Marketing, Asia Pacific and Japan, Twilio As the Asia Pacific & Japan Vice President of Marketing for Twilio, Nicholas Kontopoulos harnesses over 30+ years of professional experience, built across multiple industries and geographies. He’s passionate about challenging the 'status-quo' and 'management dogma' that stifles the creative thinking processes that are paramount to delivering amazing customer experiences, Nicholas ensures that ‘Customer Experience’ is a core business ideology at the heart of the brand. Previous to this, Nicholas was the APAC Head of Growth Marketing at Adobe DX and the Global VP for Fast Growth Markets Marketing at SAP, and has also held a number of highly strategic global and regional, Sales and Business Development and Marketing roles during his career across the globe. During the course of his career, Nicholas has passionately pursued business strategies that both harness, and intelligently exploit the power of available technologies, both within the businesses he has worked for and those clients he has served. An international speaker, Nicholas has been regularly published on Forbes.com , News Asia, Bloomberg, CampaignAsia.com , Marketing-Interactive.com , THEDRUM.com and Customerthink.com .
Julie Bishop · Fmr Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia The Hon Julie Bishop has served as Chancellor of the Australian National University since 2020. As Australia’s first female Foreign Minister (2013–2018), she led major diplomatic initiatives, including the response to MH17, for which she was awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit from the Netherlands. She championed initiatives like the New Colombo Plan, benefiting over 40,000 students in the Indo-Pacific, and led the creation of the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper. In her 20-year political career, she also served as Minister for Education, Science and Training, Minister for Women's Issues, and Minister for Ageing. A lawyer by background, she was Managing Partner at Clayton Utz prior to politics. Ms. Bishop holds honorary doctorates from the University of Adelaide and Edith Cowan University and has been recognized with fellowships at Harvard and the McCain Institute. She also served on the UK’s G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council and the Trilateral Commission Capitalism Task Force. Beyond academia and diplomacy, she chairs Prince’s Trust Australia and Telethon Kids Institute, is Patron of Shooting Stars, and supports Football Australia's Legacy '23. In 2023, she joined David Jones as an official Friend of the brand. Through her consultancy, Julie Bishop and Partners, she offers strategic advisory services.
Christine Low · Head : Observability, APJC, Splunk Christine Low is one of APJC’s leading voices in observability, digital resilience, and AI-ready operations. As the Head of Observability for Asia Pacific and Japan (APJC) at Splunk, she helps some of the region’s largest enterprises and government agencies navigate cloud complexity, harness real-time insights, and build the resilient digital foundations required for the AI era. With more than two decades across global technology leaders—including Cisco, IBM, Logicalis and Telstra—Christine brings unrivalled depth in enterprise transformation, modern IT operations, and mission-critical infrastructure. Her work shapes how organisations accelerate cloud adoption, reduce downtime, elevate customer experience, and prepare for the next wave of AI-driven innovation. A published thought leader, Christine is the author of “ From Data Chaos to Clarity: Splunk and AWS Power AI Readiness in APAC ”, “ The New Rules of Data Management for the Public Sector ” and “ Harnessing Observability to secure Australia’s critical infrastructure ” Her perspectives are frequently featured in ComputerWeekly, SecurityBrief, and other industry outlets, where she influences regional thinking on data strategy, availability, and operational excellence. Christine is also a passionate advocate for the advancement of women in technology, championing confidence, representation, and inclusion in cybersecurity, data engineering, and platform teams. Known for her clarity, energy, and ability to translate complexity into actionable insight, Christine delivers keynotes that inspire leaders to rethink what’s possible—and to turn data, resilience, and observability into competitive advantage. Authored From Data Chaos to Clarity: Splunk and AWS Power AI Readiness in APAC New Rules of Data Management We need to tame the data dragon – and ride it to new heights Harnessing Observability to secure Australia’s critical infrastructure Quoted/Attributed Australian firms lead in AI and Observability, driving revenue gains ANZ firms spending more on data management ANZ leads in observability investment and business value Let’s Talk: The simple way to handle complex privacy laws Women in leadership Instilling Confidence in Women Leaders Amid Rapid Digital Change (Authored) Cybersecurity leaders urge more women to lead sector evolution (Quoted/Attributed)
Tanya Trott · Chief Technology Officer, Transurban A versatile and widely experienced senior Technology professional with a history of planning and implementing technology initiatives to generate improved productivity and deliver capability uplifts and strategic value. I enjoy interacting with people and re-focusing teams to deliver excellent service and successful programs of work. Specialties: Specialised skills in technology roadmaps and adoption, technology selection and business case development, contract negotiation and cost reduction identification and execution, and service and operational management and general business management skills. The ability to translate technical drivers to business initiatives and vice-versa.
Jakub Firek · Chief : Information Officer Risk and Risk-Treasury-Finance Data Platform, Commonwealth Bank Jakub Firek is a Senior Technology and AI Executive with over 25 years of experience leading large-scale transformation across financial services and mining. He is currently CIO for Risk and RTF Data Platform owner at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where he leads enterprise Technology, Data, Machine Learning and AI platforms. Jakub specialises in modernising complex technology and data landscapes and embedding AI-driven decision-making across customer, risk, finance and regulatory domains.
Michelle Martin · Chief : Information Officer, Transurban Michelle Martin is the Chief Information Officer for Customer & Technology at Transurban, where she leads the strategy and delivery of customer platforms, digital transformation, and enterprise technology solutions across one of Australia’s most innovative infrastructure organisations. Since joining Transurban in 2021, she has played a key role in modernising systems, enhancing customer experiences, and driving technology programs that underpin the company’s city-shaping projects. With over two decades of experience spanning technology, financial services, and large-scale program delivery, Michelle has held senior leadership roles at organisations including J.P. Morgan and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. She is passionate about harnessing technology to simplify complexity, empower teams, and create meaningful value for both customers and the business.
Stevie-Ann Dovico · Group Executive Technology - CIO, Beyond Bank Stevie is a technologist, a strategist, an innovator, and a leader. She has a larger-than-life energy and a passion for developing people and teams. Stevie started her career in consulting working for EY and KPMG and has spent almost 20 years in banking and financial services at both Westpac and NAB running critical technology platforms that support some of the largest businesses in Australia. Throughout her career she has led global teams and large-scale delivery and transformed digital capabilities. She is currently the CIO of Beyond Bank, one of the largest customer owned banks in Australia and one of the best BCORPs in the country. In 2022 Stevie was awarded Executive Leader of the Year by Women in Digital and in 2024 was recognised as one of Australia’s top 50 CIOs in CIO50.
Partners
- Macquarie Telecom · Official Sovereign Partner
- Nexon · Silver
Apptio, an IBM Company · Gold- Udemy · Silver
SS&C Blue Prism · Bronze SS&C Blue Prism fuels the world’s most complex businesses with agentic automation that’s trusted, tested and ready to run. Backed by SS&C Technologies, a $25 billion enterprise, we fuse advanced AI-driven software with deep industry expertise to turn agentic from idea to impact. Our agents operate where it matters most: in high-stakes, high-compliance environments across banking, healthcare, insurance, asset management and 70+ other industries. With built-in governance, proven execution and a straight line to value, we help enterprises work faster, safer and smarter. As our own “customer zero”, we power over $4 trillion of SS&C customer assets with the same engine we deliver to our customers. Email us at bpm-apac.marketing@sscinc.com to take the next step in your automation journey with SS&C Blue Prism. With SS&C Blue Prism, you can make your AI operational, not just aspirational. To learn more, visit http://www.blueprism.com/ and follow us on Twitter @blue_prism and LinkedIn .- AvePoint · Bronze
- Glean · Gold Glean is the Work AI platform that connects and understands all your enterprise data, to generate trusted answers and automate work grounded in company knowledge. Using Glean’s powerful search and RAG technology to retrieve the most relevant, up-to-date information, Glean's AI assistant generates highly personalized answers based on your company’s unique enterprise knowledge graph. All answers are secure, private, permissions-aware, and fully referenceable back to source documentation in your enterprise. Glean also empowers users to quickly and securely build multi-step prompts and custom generative AI, agents, and assistants that automate everyday workflows. With over 100 connectors, LLM options, and no need for costly professional services, data training, or manual fine-tuning, Glean delivers turnkey implementation of a complex AI ecosystem on one centralized platform. Founded by Arvind Jain (Google Distinguished Engineer, Rubrik Co-founder), T.R. Vishwanath (Microsoft, Meta), Piyush Prahladka (Google, Uber), and Tony Gentilcore (Google), Glean has funding from Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and The Slack Fund.
- Celonis · Platinum
- Rocket Software · Silver
AMD · Bronze We care deeply about transforming lives with AMD technology to enrich our industry, our communities, and the world. Our mission is to build great products that accelerate next-generation computing experiences – the building blocks for the data center, artificial intelligence, PCs, gaming and embedded. Underpinning our mission is the AMD culture. We push the limits of innovation to solve the world’s most important challenges. We strive for execution excellence while being direct, humble, collaborative, and inclusive of diverse perspectives. AMD together we advance_- Equal Experts · Gold We are honoured to have been named the 2nd best place to work in the UK by Glassdoor! Our team of 3,000 consultants across five continents help create leading digital products and services. We decide with data, design for users, deliver at pace and scale sustainably. Bringing undiluted expertise We only engage senior consultants. In years of experience, our people have twice the industry average. Low-ego and curious, they share knowledge with your teams and across our network. Keeping you innovating We take the time to understand where you are now. We get excited about where you want to be. Building momentum with many small changes, we embed innovation into your every day. Easy to work with Valuing context, we never offer cookie-cutter solutions. Treating each other and our customers as equals, we solve problems with you. Infusing our culture and skills into your organisation, we build long-lasting value. Experienced consultants know what they’re doing – we free them to do what they do best. Find out what it’s like to work with us, get in touch.
- Sonar · Bronze
Cohesity · Platinum
Veeam Software · Gold Veeam®, the #1 global market leader in data resilience, believes every business should be able to bounce forward after a disruption with the confidence and control of all their data whenever and wherever they need it. Veeam calls this radical resilience, and we’re obsessed with creating innovative ways to help our customers achieve it. Veeam solutions are purpose-built for powering data resilience by providing data backup, data recovery, data freedom, data security, and data intelligence. With Veeam, IT and security leaders rest easy knowing that their apps and data are protected and always available across their cloud, virtual, physical, SaaS, and Kubernetes environments. Headquartered in Seattle with offices in more than 30 countries, Veeam protects over 550,000 customers worldwide, including 74% of the Global 2000, that trust Veeam to keep their businesses running. Radical resilience starts with Veeam. Learn more at www.veeam.com or follow Veeam on LinkedIn @veeam-software and X @veeam.- Twilio · Signature Partner About Twilio Millions of developers around the world have used Twilio to unlock the magic of communications to improve any human experience. Twilio has democratized communications channels like voice, text, chat, video and email by virtualizing the world’s communications infrastructure through APIs that are simple enough for any developer to use, yet robust enough to power the world’s most demanding applications. By making communications a part of every software developer's toolkit, Twilio is enabling innovators across every industry — from emerging leaders to the world’s largest organizations — to reinvent how companies engage with their customers.
- YaRKEN · Gold
- Cato Networks · Bronze Cato provides the world’s leading single-vendor SASE platform, converging Cato SD-WAN and a cloud-native security service edge, Cato SSE 360, into a global cloud service. Cato SASE Cloud optimizes and secures application access for all users and locations everywhere. Using Cato, customers easily replace costly and rigid legacy MPLS with modern network architecture based on SD-WAN, secure and optimize a hybrid workforce working from anywhere, and enable seamless cloud migration. Cato enforces granular access policies, protects users against threats, and prevents sensitive data loss, all easily managed from a single pane of glass. With Cato your business is ready for whatever’s next. CatoNetworks.com @CatoNetworks.
- Splunk · Platinum Splunk is helping to build a safer and more resilient digital world by equipping customers with the unified security and observability platform they need to keep their organization securely up and running — no matter what digital disruptions come their way.
Optus · Platinum As one of the largest telecommunications companies in Australia, Optus provides mobile, telephony, internet, satellite, entertainment and business network services to more than 10 million customers each day. Our mobile network reaches 98.5 per cent of the Australian population and we are committed to constantly delivering new technologies that will connect more Australians to their friends, families and businesses. We offer a range of pre- and post-paid mobile plans allowing customers to choose a plan that best suits their data and price needs for themselves and their families. Optus is more than just a telco, providing exclusive premium entertainment and sport content across a range of platforms. Whether at you’re at home or on-the-go, you can catch up on the latest TV shows and movies, get closer to the games and players you love with Optus Sport or be the first with tunes on your favourite streaming service and score backstage access to artists with Optus Music. As we move into the next generation, Optus will continue to invest in our people, our communities, our networks and a sustainable future to help create a better and more connected future for Australians.- Oracle · Gold We’re a cloud technology company that provides organizations around the world with computing infrastructure and software to help them innovate, unlock efficiencies and become more effective. We also created the world’s first – and only – autonomous database to help organize and secure our customers’ data. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure offers higher performance, security, and cost savings. It is designed so businesses can move workloads easily from on-premises systems to the cloud, and between cloud and on-premises and other clouds. Oracle Cloud applications provide business leaders with modern applications that help them innovate, attain sustainable growth, and become more resilient. The work we do is not only transforming the world of business--it's helping defend governments, and advance scientific and medical research. From nonprofits to companies of all sizes, millions of people use our tools to streamline supply chains, make HR more human, quickly pivot to a new financial plan, and connect data and people around the world. At work, we embrace diversity, encourage personal and professional growth, and celebrate a global team of passionate people developing innovative technologies that help people and companies tackle real-world problems head-on. If you’d like to join us, please visit our Careers page: https://www.oracle.com/corporate/careers/ For investor news, SEC filings, and financial information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), please visit https://investor.oracle.com/home/. F
- Factor Leading market research in APAC.
- Panelist Panelist is the vision for easy connections. We are a movement that exits to eliminate the complexity in professional interactions and give individuals a sense of clarity behind every conversation. And we do that by giving you the power to swift through to the right conversations and opportunities. Founded in 2021, we have had exponential growth, with members and senior executives from organisations across the globe including the Fortune 500. Panelist services include: Social networking Virtual events platform Audio chat rooms Company community centers We grow rapidly and we're always on the look out for talent across engineering, product management, design, research, analytics, technical program management, operations, and more.
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