Agenda
Day One | Monday, 17th March 2025
8:10
Registration & Morning Refreshments
8:30
Opening Karakia
8:50
Chairperson’s Opening Address
Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer, Provident Insurance
AI STRATEGY & GOVERNANCE
9:00
Opening Keynote: AI that means business.
As a global AI thought-leader, hear about the trends and key drivers underpinning AI-powered innovation that delivers true business ROI and how they can be leveraged to help you operate, compete and innovate in 2025.
Adarsh Pagolu, Head of Telco and Media, Google Cloud
9:30
Presentation: The Future of AI Regulation: What’s Next for CIOs & Business Leaders?
Overview: A forward-looking discussion on emerging AI regulations, policy trends, and the impact on enterprise AI strategies.
Tom Maasland, Partner, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
DIGITAL LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY
10:00
Panel: Navigating Digital Resistance with Inclusive Change Management Strategies
How to change ingrained ways of working, drive new ways of thinking and overcome the ‘we’ve always done it this way’ approach
The importance of augmenting the workforce, blending technology capability with human capability
Addressing organisational and employee concerns with clear communication and education to foster a culture of collaboration
Moderator: Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer, Provident Insurance
Ange Nash, Chief Information Officer, AA Insurance NZ
Ben Dakers, Transformation lead - Data & AI, Fonterra
Lena Jenkins, Chief Digital Officer, WM NZ
Tighe Wall, Chief Transformation Officer, Contact Energy
10:45
Lightning Address – Hosted by ECM360
Roy Godwin, Managing Director, ECM360
10:50
Morning Tea & Interactive Networking
DRIVING BUSINESS VALUE WITH AI
11:15
Presentation: Lessons Learnt: What CIO’s Should Know Before Advancing AI Innovation
What’s the end goal? Understanding where AI can drive business value and finding the right use cases
The undeniable relationship between AI & Data and why you need a robust data governance framework in place
Don’t forget about operational excellence – why finding the balance between innovation and core IT systems is critical
The importance of right size AI governance that integrates into existing risk management structure
Paul Jepson, Chief Information Officer, FMG
11:45
Presentation: How to deliver on the productivity promise of AI
Generative AI has seemed almost too good to be true: enabling faster, more personalised customer service across all touchpoints, increasing employee productivity, and cutting coding time from days to minutes. The ROI of AI has skyrocketed from 13% in 2022 to 31% in 2023 and McKinsey predict that generative AI has the potential to add $4.4T annually to the global economy. However, 90% of AI projects don’t make it to production.
How do you ensure AI delivers on the productivity promise for your organisation?
Kieran Hagan, AI Segment Leader, IBM ANZ
12:05
Panel: Breaking Down the AI Buzz: How to Effectively Communicate AI to the Board
Aligning realities to business expectations - risk vs opportunity
The importance of truly understanding the AI adoption landscape
Addressing the AI talent shortage in New Zealand
People and AI not people vs AI - how can AI enhance your teams?
Moderator: Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer, Provident Insurance
Manvi Madan, Manager Data & Insights, Port of Auckland
Paul Jepson, Chief Information Officer, FMG
Cynthia Patterson, Group Chief Information Officer, Unison Networks Ltd
James Lawrence, Head of AI, Fonterra
12:50
Networking Lunch
BRIDGING TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS
1:50
Presentation: Tackling Software Support Risk & ROI to Drive Digital Transformations
Discover how organisations are transforming their IT strategies to achieve cost efficiency and drive innovation. This session explores the value of third-party support services in empowering executives to optimise resources and accelerate digital transformation efforts. The presentation highlights case studies of cost reductions in IT support, techniques for prolonging ERP system lifespans while maintaining performance, and strategies for managing mission-critical customisations with predictable costs.
Unlock the potential of your IT investments and pave the way for sustainable growth and competitive advantage.
Joe Locandro, EVP & Chief Information Officer, Rimini Street
2:10
Interactive Breakout Sessions
During this session, attendees will have the opportunity to attend 2 x 30-minute interactive breakout sessions of their choice.
Breakout A:
Building a Human-Centered, AI-Powered Organisation with AI Agents and Automation
Explore how AI agents, automation, and responsible AI are shaping the future of business. This interactive round table will dive into:
AI Agents and Automation: Transforming operations by augmenting AI and human capabilities.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC): Best practices for implementing AI safely.
Responsible AI: Balancing automation with human-centered design to build trust and inclusivity.
Maximising ROI from AI: Uncovering strategies to measure and optimise the value of AI investments.
Raji Haththotuwegama, Head of Data & AI, Canon Business Services
Breakout B:
Harnessing Your Data in the AI Era.
According to SOX, in 2024, a staggering 402.89 million TB of data was generated daily, amounting to 147 Zettabytes for the year, with projections reaching 181 Zettabytes by 2025. This exponential growth has largely been fueled by AI’s insatiable appetite for data.
As New Zealand’s CIOs navigate this data deluge, it’s crucial to understand how to leverage this resource effectively. This interactive roundtable will explore:
Data Essentials in the AI Landscape
The Gravity of Data
Infrastructure Under Pressure
Kiwi Success Stories
Mark Jobbins, CTO, APJ | Pure Storage, Inc.
Breakout C:
Overcoming Observability Barriers to Enable Operational Scalability and Optimise Performance
Aligning your observability strategy with desired organisational outcomes
Optimising your ability to effectively identify and prevent system failures and downtime
Fostering high performance & reliability across your application and infrastructure ecosystem
Stefan Nantz, Senior Sales Engineer, Datadog
Jason Baynham, Strategic Account Executive, Datadog
Breakout D:
Tips and Tricks - delivering productivity outcomes with AI
Come to this session to ask questions and get answers on how you can ensure AI delivers the outcomes you want for your organisation. Discussion topics will depend on what is most topical for you and your peers and may include:
Where generative AI is delivering the most value today
How other organisations are tackling AI risks such as accuracy and bias
How to get past the POC to scale AI in your organisation
Kieran Hagan, AI Segment Leader, IBM ANZ
HUMAN CENTRIC IT & INNOVATION
3:10
Afternoon Tea
3:30
Presentation: Public Sector Insights - How Auckland Council is Putting People at the Centre of its IT Strategy
How Auckland Council is putting citizens at the centre of its digital strategy
Best practices to creating a people-centric culture within technology teams
Neil McGowan, GM of Technology Services, Auckland Council
4:00
Panel: Driving Innovation in the Digital Era with Diversity of Thought – Enabling People & Business
Enabling Aotearoa New Zealand’s people in the digital era
Driving innovation and business success with the ability to see the different sides of company initiatives
The positive impact had on both employees and customers when DEI is embedded within your technology
Moderator: Peter Fletcher-Dobson, Chief Executive Digital & Information Officer, Te Wānanga
Corrinne Pillay, Head of Digital Portfolio & Strategy, SkyCity Entertainment Group
Ben Littlewood, Head of Digital & Data, Fisher Funds
Emily Isle, Chief Digital Officer, MBM
4:45
Lightning Address - Hosted by Franklin Smith
Luke Wilson, Associate Director - Technology & Digital, Franklin Smith