COPY - CTO Day | Sydney | 19 May 2026 • Crown Barangaroo, Sydney

Overview

Technology leadership has entered a new phase. The defining challenge is no longer access to innovation, but the ability to convert it into durable enterprise advantage under increasing constraint. Regulatory scrutiny, cost pressure, cyber risk, legacy complexity, and board-level accountability now shape every major technology decision.

This conference brings together Australia’s most senior technology leaders to examine how CTOs are navigating these pressures while still delivering growth, resilience, and transformation. Across sectors from banking and retail to industrials and aviation, sessions explore how emerging technologies are being translated into measurable outcomes, how modernisation has become a risk strategy rather than a discretionary investment, and how AI is reshaping delivery, governance, and operating models.

A central theme throughout is convergence: between technology and cost strategy, innovation and regulation, cyber resilience and speed, and the CTO and the broader C-suite. The agenda moves beyond hype to focus on execution, sequencing, and judgement, where to invest, where to simplify, and where delay now creates greater risk than action.

Attendees will leave with practical insight into how leading CTOs are making the toughest calls today: balancing ambition with control, innovation with trust, and speed with resilience, while strengthening their mandate as enterprise leaders trusted by boards.

What we will cover

• Enterprise Support The latest strategies in enterprise support with cost optimisation in mind.
• Innovation & Transformation Focusing on how technology leaders can guide digital transformation efforts, ensuring alignment with broader business goals.
• IT Modernisation Examining strategies for modernising legacy systems, creating more agile and scalable IT infrastructures that meet future demands.
• Cloud Management Discussing the role of cloud technologies in enhancing operational efficiency, improving cost management, and supporting business growth.
• Cybersecurity Leadership Highlighting the growing responsibility CTOs have in setting the organisation’s cybersecurity agenda, balancing proactive defence with innovation.
• Edge Computing Exploring the integration of edge computing and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to enable faster data processing and real-time insights.
• AI Integration Investigating how AI and machine learning are transforming business processes, driving automation, and enhancing decision-making.
• Data Governance Addressing how CTOs can lead efforts in establishing robust data governance frameworks to ensure compliance and data security.
• Talent Upskilling Focusing on strategies to attract, retain, and upskill technology talent, keeping teams agile and ahead of the curve in a competitive market.
• C-Suite Collaboration Discussing the evolving role of CTOs as strategic partners within the executive team, ensuring that technology initiatives align with overall business strategies.
• CTOs & Sustainability Exploring how technology can drive sustainability efforts, from reducing energy consumption in data centres to integrating eco-friendly IT practices.
• Quantum Readiness Examining how CTOs can prepare their organisations for the future of quantum computing, understanding potential applications and risks.

Agenda

• 8:00 am Executive Roundtable(Roundtable 1)
• 8:00 am Networking Breakfast(CTO Day Sydney) 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 CTOs. Outline objectives for the day’s programme. Build connections that could lead to future collaboration.
• 9:00 am Opening Remarks: Building the Modern Engineering Organisation(CTO Day Sydney) A quick look at the day’s focus on speed, resilience and platform-centric delivery.
• 9:10 am Strategic Technology Leadership in 2026: Insights by Factor(CTO Day Sydney) As organisations navigate 2026, CTOs are redefining technology leadership to accelerate growth, innovation, and resilience. No longer focused solely on infrastructure and delivery, technology leaders are shaping enterprise strategy by harnessing data, scaling emerging technologies, and enabling organisational agility. Recent insights show CTOs prioritising AI adoption, modern data platforms, cyber resilience, and scalable architectures to support sustainable growth in an increasingly complex digital environment. This session will explore how forward-thinking CTOs are transforming technology functions into strategic engines for enterprise-wide impact. Discussion Points: Harnessing data platforms and advanced analytics to enable real-time insights, smarter decision-making, and business agility. Expanding the CTO’s role as a strategic partner to the C-suite, aligning technology roadmaps with enterprise and operational objectives. Leveraging AI, automation, and modern architectures to scale innovation, improve efficiency, and maintain competitive advantage.
• 9:25 am The Real Cost of Not Modernising(CTO Day Sydney) For most organisations, technology modernisation is no longer optional, it now sits at the centre of performance, resilience, and competitiveness. Yet the greatest risk today isn’t failed transformation; it’s delayed transformation. In this session, Robert Wilson, Group CTO of BOQ, will unpack the hidden costs of maintaining legacy platforms, the operational and strategic exposure created by technical debt, and why postponing change now carries more risk than moving forward. He will explore how organisations can modernise in a measured, risk-aware way, and how simplifying technology environments can unlock resilience, reduce cost, and accelerate innovation across the business. Discussion Points: Quantifying the Cost of Delay: How Legacy Systems Inflate Risk, Spend, and Complexity Modernisation as a Risk-Control Strategy: Reducing Operational and Regulatory Exposure Sequencing Modernisation for Maximum Impact with Minimum Disruption
• 9:45 am Unlocking the Power of Generative AI and How it Shapes Opportunities and Risks for Australian Enterprises(CTO Day Sydney) Generative AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s reshaping industries and unlocking opportunities for Australian enterprises. As over 72% of organisations plan to increase their AI budgets by 2026, businesses must navigate the complexities of deploying this transformative technology. From creating hyper-personalised customer experiences to streamlining operations, generative AI offers immense potential. However, challenges like ethical implications, talent shortages, and infrastructure demands loom large. This session dives deep into actionable strategies for leveraging generative AI while addressing risks, empowering organisations to stay ahead in a highly competitive market. Discussion Points: Examining the state of generative AI adoption in Australia and its projected impact. Addressing ethical considerations and governance frameworks for responsible AI. Strategies for integrating generative AI into existing technology stacks.
• 10:00 am The Power of C-Suite Convergence in Building Resilience That Boards Support(CTO Day Sydney) 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.
• 10:30 am Decision Velocity: How CTOs Are Redesigning How Decisions Get Made(CTO Day Sydney) As technology complexity grows, execution is increasingly constrained not by capability but by slow, unclear decision-making. In this session, CTOs share how they are redesigning decision rights, governance, and accountability to increase decision velocity without increasing risk. The discussion focuses on practical ways to remove friction, sharpen ownership, and enable faster, better decisions at scale. Discussion Points: Clarifying Decision Rights and Accountability: How leading CTOs define who decides what, where escalation is truly required, and how ownership is embedded at the right levels. Balancing Speed with Risk and Governance: Practical approaches to accelerating decisions while maintaining regulatory, operational, and enterprise controls. Removing Structural Friction from Governance: Identifying and simplifying approval layers, committees, and processes that unintentionally slow execution.
• 10:35 am Networking Break & Morning Tea Morning Team Strategy and Collaboration Session
• 10:35 am Executive Roundtable(Roundtable 2)
• 10:35 am Executive Roundtable(Roundtable 3)
• 11:20 am Peer-Driven Debates(Networking Break & Morning Tea) A: Platform Standardisation vs Engineering Autonomy Do internal developer platforms accelerate innovation or constrain the creativity and judgement of engineering teams? Discussion Prompts: When does platform engineering remove friction, and when does it introduce rigidity? How much autonomy should teams retain over tools, architecture, and delivery pipelines? Does platform standardisation accelerate innovation or institutionalise compromise? B: AI-Augmented Engineering vs Engineering Discipline Will AI fundamentally increase engineering productivity or weaken the technical depth and rigour organisations rely on? Discussion Prompts: Where does AI genuinely accelerate software delivery versus introducing new risk? How should organisations maintain code quality, architecture discipline, and security with AI-generated output? Does AI amplify great engineers or flatten the difference between strong and weak teams? C: Cloud Scale vs Cost Accountability Has the cloud truly simplified technology operations or simply shifted complexity into cost management? Discussion Prompts: At what point does cloud flexibility become financial inefficiency? Should CTOs optimise for architectural agility or financial predictability? Is the next phase of cloud about scale or discipline? D: Delivery Velocity vs System Resilience Are organisations optimising for faster delivery at the expense of reliability and operational stability? Discussion Prompts: When does continuous delivery increase risk rather than reduce it? How should CTOs balance release velocity with system resilience in complex architectures? Does the pressure to ship faster undermine long-term operational health? E: Composable Architectures vs Architectural Fragmentation Are API-first and composable architectures enabling agility or creating fragmented, harder-to-govern ecosystems? Discussion Prompts: At what point does modularity become architectural sprawl? How should CTOs govern APIs and services without slowing teams down? Does composability truly simplify systems or simply distribute complexity? F: AI Innovation vs Data Control How far should organisations push AI experimentation when the risks around data governance, privacy, and model reliability remain unresolved? Discussion Prompts: When does accelerating AI adoption create unacceptable enterprise risk? How should CTOs balance innovation pressure with governance obligations? Is the biggest barrier to AI scale technical capability or data control? G: Modernisation vs Operational Stability Should organisations aggressively modernise legacy systems or prioritise stability for the platforms that still run the business? Discussion Prompts: When does modernisation unlock strategic capacity and when does it create unnecessary disruption? How should CTOs decide which legacy systems must evolve and which should endure? Is technical debt always a liability or sometimes a strategic asset? H: Engineering Productivity vs Engineering Craft Are organisations optimising engineering for throughput or preserving the technical craft that underpins long-term system quality? Discussion Prompts: Should CTOs measure engineering success by speed of delivery or durability of systems? Does the rise of automation, platforms, and AI risk commoditising software engineering? What defines engineering excellence in an era of increasingly automated development?
• 11:50 am Shifting Left with AI to Build Smarter Teams and Faster Delivery(Networking Break & Morning Tea) Whilst organisations use AI to write code or run tests, Domino’s is taking a step further, using it to rethink the entire development process. Matthias Hansen, Group CTO of Domino’s, will share how shifting AI left by embedding it at the very start of projects helps teams uncover alignment gaps, streamline workflows, and accelerate delivery, turning early insights into smarter decisions and measurable business outcomes. Discussion Points: Embedding AI Early in the Development Lifecycle: How using AI at the requirements and design stage helps identify misalignments, accelerates decision-making, and sets teams up for faster, more accurate delivery. Driving Adoption and Cultural Change: The challenges of getting business and tech teams comfortable experimenting with AI, and strategies to coach, lead by example, and normalise AI as a tool rather than a threat. Maximising ROI While Reducing Manual Effort: How shifting left with AI can decrease “lights-on” maintenance costs, streamline code upgrades, and improve overall efficiency across complex, large-scale platforms.
• 0:10 pm Scaling Innovation in Highly Regulated Industries(Networking Break & Morning Tea) In sectors where safety, compliance, and environmental controls define the boundaries of every decision, innovation can seem constrained, but these same constraints can become powerful accelerators when approached the right way. In this session, Angus Melbourne, CTO of Orica, will explore how heavily regulated industries can drive meaningful, scalable innovation without compromising safety or operational integrity. Discussion Points: Turning Regulatory Constraints Into Innovation Catalysts: How strict regulatory environments, often viewed as blockers, can instead lead to stronger product design, more robust governance, and higher-quality technology outcomes. Designing Repeatable Innovation Models for Traditional and Safety-Critical Sectors : Unlike digital-only businesses, physical and industrial organisations require innovation frameworks that account for long-lived assets, operational risk, field safety, and environmental stewardship. Partnering Across Ecosystems to Accelerate Safe, Real-World Innovation: From universities to startups, government bodies to end customers, cross-ecosystem collaboration is increasingly essential for derisking and scaling innovation before it reaches high-stakes operational environments.
• 0:30 pm Mission-Critical Operations: Cloud, Edge, and Resilience(Networking Break & Morning Tea) When national security operations cannot fail, technology design, resilience, and decision-making reach new heights. Krissie Auld, CTO of the Australian Federal Police, shares how the AFP builds secure, distributed, cloud-enabled, and edge-capable systems that stay operational under extreme conditions. Attendees will take away practical strategies for designing resilient, scalable, and future-ready infrastructure. Discussion Points: Designing for Continuous Operations: How to build infrastructure that stays resilient under pressure, from system failures to high-demand, mission-critical workloads. Hybrid Cloud and Edge in Action: Practical insights on leveraging distributed architectures to support real-time decision-making and operational agility. Translating National Security Lessons to Enterprise: Frameworks and strategies to secure, resilient, and high-value enterprise systems.
• 0:50 pm Turning Emerging Tech into Business Outcomes(Networking Break & Morning Tea) 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.
• 1:10 pm Executive Roundtable(Roundtable 4)
• 1:10 pm Lunch Break & Peer Connect An hour to continue conversations, meet solution providers and explore potential partnerships.
• 1:10 pm Executive Roundtable(Roundtable 5)
• 2:10 pm CTO Exchange(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) In this fast-paced session, CTOs share candid perspectives on technology initiatives that succeeded, and those that fell short. Through a rotating one-on-one format, participants connect directly with peers to unpack common operational, technical, and governance challenges, exploring what truly accelerates or stalls enterprise technology transformation.
• 2:40 pm Separating Hype from Reality in Emerging Technology(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) As organisations across industries explore AI, automation, and other emerging technologies, the challenge is no longer access but discernment. In this session, Simon Hughes, CTO of Jetstar, will share practical insights on how to separate genuine opportunities from overhyped trends. He will discuss how to assess new technologies through the lens of cybersecurity, data privacy, ethics, and operational readiness, and how to turn pilots and proofs-of-concept into measurable organisational value. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for adopting emerging tech in a way that drives real impact rather than following the noise. Discussion Points: Identifying what is real versus overhyped in emerging technology. Integrating governance, ethics, and compliance into technology adoption. Translating pilot programs and proofs-of-concept into tangible business outcomes.
• 3:00 pm Technology as the Enterprise Cost Strategy(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) As enterprises face mounting pressure to deliver rapid cost reduction without slowing innovation, CTOs are increasingly at the centre of the mandate. In this session, Kate Whitney, Chief Digital and Technology Officer of Treasury Wine Estates, shares how technology leaders can use AI, automation, platform rationalisation, and smarter vendor partnerships to remove structural cost from the business; not just trim budgets. Drawing on her experience leading large-scale cost transformation, she explores the mindset shifts required across teams, how to keep talent engaged during cost-out programs, and why execution and culture ultimately matter more than tools. Discussion Points: Leading Technology-Driven Cost Transformation: How CTOs can turn cost pressure into strategic advantage by aligning teams, culture, and execution to deliver measurable enterprise impact. Vendor Partnerships as a Force Multiplier: How strategic, trust-based vendor relationships can accelerate innovation, enable smarter technology adoption, and unlock sustainable cost efficiency. Driving Enterprise AI Adoption: Overcoming organisational friction and the ‘frozen middle’ to embed AI and automation into day-to-day operations, boosting productivity and operational impact.
• 3:20 pm Product as the Operating Model for Customer Trust(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) The right product delivered at the right time is the ultimate way to earn customer trust. In this fireside chat, Adam Cox, Chief Product and Technology Officer at THE ICONIC, demonstrates how a product-led approach can transform organisations by putting the customer at the centre of every decision. By aligning engineering, product, and customer insights, Adam shows how disciplined prioritisation drives measurable value, accelerates innovation, and builds long-term trust with customers. Discussion Points: Product-Led Decision Making: Turning product strategy into a guiding framework that ensures every initiative delivers tangible business impact. Enhancing Customer Trust Through Technology and AI: Using AI and modern tech to speed delivery, improve experiences, and strengthen customer loyalty. Scaling Innovation With Discipline: Empowering teams across the organisation to experiment and prototype quickly while maintaining alignment and focus.
• 3:40 pm The Pressure Points: Where CTOs Are Making the Toughest Calls(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) This panel brings together senior technology leaders to unpack the critical decisions shaping enterprise technology today. From managing technical debt and operational risk to integrating AI at scale and retaining top talent, CTOs share the real-world challenges that don’t make it into board reports and the strategies they use to navigate them. Discussion Points: Managing Legacy & Technical Debt: How do you decide when to modernise vs maintain? Operational Risk & Resilience: Key strategies for preventing outages or failures in critical systems. Talent & Team Capability: Retaining top tech talent in a competitive market. The CTO Mandate Today: How the role has evolved from tech operator to business strategist.
• 4:10 pm Analyst Wrap: Five Imperatives for the CTO Office(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) Board ready insights on architecture, cost, AI enablement, developer experience and velocity.
• 4:15 pm End of Day | Networking Drinks(Lunch Break & Peer Connect)

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