Speakers

Salil Parekh

CEO, Infosys

Salil Parekh, as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, sets and evolves the strategic direction for the company and its portfolio of offerings, while nurturing a strong leadership team to drive its execution. Salil has nearly three decades of global experience in the IT services industry with a strong track record of driving digital transformation for enterprises, executing business turnarounds and managing successful acquisitions.

Most recently, Salil was a member of the Group Executive Board at Capgemini, where he held several leadership positions for 25 years. He was responsible for overseeing a business cluster comprising Application Services (North America, UK, Asia), Cloud Infrastructure Services, and Sogeti (Technology & Engineering Services Division). He was responsible for the strategy and execution of these businesses – setting direction and enabling rapid client adoption. He was also the Chairman of Capgemini’s North America Executive Council. He was the architect of the North America growth and turnaround strategy, and was instrumental in setting up their offshoring capabilities.

In his earlier role as Partner at Ernst & Young, Salil is widely credited for bringing scale and value to the Indian operations of the consultancy firm.

He holds Master of Engineering degrees in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

Ash Barty

Former World No.1 and 3-Time Grand Slam Champion

Australian Ashleigh Barty, 26, was a professional tennis player on the Women’s Tennis Association tour from 2011–2022 (with a break from late 2014 to early 2016). Widely regarded as one of the sport’s most naturally talented players, Ash’s game style and ability to play a wide variety of shots set her apart from her opponents. Ash’s off court approach endeared her further to the tennis community and fans around the world. With her unassuming manner, confidence to forge her own path and commitment to being a good person before all else, she became a role model for many.

Ash announced her retirement from professional tennis in March 2022. Ranked number 1 in the world and the reigning ladies singles champion at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, she departed from the sport as one of the most accomplished players ever. Her tennis achievements include: 3 Grand Slam singles titles, 1 Grand Slam doubles title, 12 WTA singles titles, 11 WTA doubles titles and an Olympic bronze medal for mixed doubles. Ash held the WTA world number 1 ranking for 114 consecutive weeks, the fourth-longest streak in tour history, behind Steffi Graf (186 weeks), Serena Williams (186) and Martina Navratilova (156).

A proud First Nations woman, Ash is committed to creating sport and education opportunities for youth in communities around Australia. Ash’s next chapter is yet to be written but will certainly involve a new set of goals and dreams, expanding her community work, spending time with her family and her dogs, and enjoying many sports as a fan.

Andrew Groth

EVP – Region Head, Australia & New Zealand, Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. As the Head of Australia and New Zealand, Andrew drives the strategy and growth for the company’s second largest market. This includes managing five industry business units and over 4,500 employees in the region. Andrew also leads the Financial Services business for Infosys across the Asia Pacific region, helping organisations navigate their digital transformation. Andrew joined Infosys in 2010 to head up the company’s Financial Services business in Australia and New Zealand, where he significantly grew relationships with the region’s major financial institutions. Over the years he has taken on additional roles within Infosys, including Head of Financial Services – Asia Pacific and Head of Enterprise and Industry Services.

Andrew also serves as a Board Director of Infosys Portland and Infosys Compaz. Having lived and worked in Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States, Andrew brings a broad cultural and business background and has a track record of building strong, diverse teams.

Prior to Infosys, Andrew was a Senior Vice President at Genpact based in London, where he led the growth of the business and its customer relationships across the EMEA region. Previously, Andrew spent 19 years at CSC in a broad range of roles, including the strategic development of its large-scale sourcing, systems integration and consulting business.Andrew is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, has completed a Stanford University Global Leadership Program and is a Senior Associate of the Australian & New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance. Known for his authentic and engaging approach with clients, partners and employees, Andrew is also passionate about encouraging Australia’s youth to build digital careers and develop STEM skills.

Andrew chairs Infosys’ CSR Program in Australia & New Zealand – Springboard. Through the program, Infosys is enabling pathways to learn and education for under-represented communities including People with Disability, Students from low socio-economic backgrounds and Indigenous communities. Andrew also represents Infosys in the Business Council of Australia and actively participates in the BCA’s Digital Economy and Telecommunications Group.

Craig Tiley

CEO, Tennis Australia

Craig is recognized as one of Australia’s most innovative and forward-thinking chief executives. His charismatic and passionate nature, together with his business acumen, has leveraged him to the forefront of sports administration and the leader behind Australia’s largest and most successful international sporting event.

He has been the driving force behind the growth of the Australian Open into a truly global brand and one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

Craig’s incredible relationship with the players has long been a key to the success of the Australian Open right from when he was appointed Tournament Director for his first event in 2006. He was later appointed CEO of Tennis Australia in 2013.

In that time, he has led unprecedented growth in the event’s global awareness and audience, revenue, player compensation, facilities and on-site activities for fans. As a result, the Australian Open has continually broken attendance records and attracted more than 814,000 people from around Melbourne, Victoria and across the globe in 2020 alone.

The event reaches a global audience of more than one billion households. His relationship with the players and relentless focus on improvement and innovation has transformed the Australian Open into one of the players’ and Australia’s favorite sport and entertainment event.

More recently the Australian Open was the first Grand Slam tennis event (and first truly global sporting event) to be held safely and successfully in 2021 (amid Covid) as well as at the height of the omicron strain in 2022. These incredible logistical exercises involved transporting more than 1000 people (including more than 500 players) across the globe to Australia to compete.

Despite some enormous obstacles, AO 2021 and 2022 were hailed massive successes (especially by the players) and generated more than $405.3 million in economic benefit to the state of Victoria at a time when it was most needed.

Craig has also led the introduction of successful initiatives to shift the historical decline in tennis participation including the rollout of digital platforms, which has increased access to courts by over 350%. He has led the diversification of Tennis Australia with the creation of a global production unit, development of music and food partnerships, the launch of a venture capital fund and a successful incubator partnership. He also serves as the Chair of the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS) in Australia and is on the Board of Safety Culture and Rising (Melbourne’s International Arts Festival). Prior to joining Tennis Australia, Craig was Director of Tennis at the University of Illinois, where he led the fastest tennis program turnaround in US collegiate history, breaking a 100-year-old record for most consecutive wins.

He twice earned the US National Coach of the Year award, which was presented by the President of the US at the White House, coached several top ten professional players and captained the South African Davis Cup team. His achievements have further been recognized by being elected to the College Tennis Hall of Fame (2010) and Illinois Athletic Hall of Fame (2017).

Craig holds academic degrees in kinesiology, economics and business, has produced two best-selling tennis videos, been a Lieutenant in the Army where he was the sixth ever recipient of South African Army merit award and has served as a keynote speaker and leadership consultant

Bernard Salt AM

Author, Demographer and Business Advisor

Bernard Salt is regarded as one of Australia’s leading social commentators. He heads The Demographics Group which advises business on demographic, consumer and social trends. Prior to that Bernard founded KPMG Demographics.

He holds an MA from Monash University and was an adjunct professor at Curtin University Business School between 2010 and 2020. He was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Australia Day honours.He is well known to the wider community for his penchant for identifying and tagging new tribes and social behaviours such as the ‘Seachange Shift’, the ‘Man Drought’, ‘PUMCINS’ (pronounced pumkins) and the ‘Goats Cheese Curtain’. He is perhaps best known for popularising the phrase “smashed avocado” globally.

Bernard has popularised demographics through his books, columns and media appearances. His body of work is summarised in six best-selling books and he writes two weekly columns for The Australian newspaper. Bernard appears regularly on radio and television programs and in conjunction with KPMG Australia he hosted a top-rated podcast called “What Happens Next” which discussed rising trends and important business issues.

Adam Gilchrist AM

International Cricket Legend

Adam played his junior cricket in country NSW from the age of 7. From his hometown of Lismore, he represented NSW and Australia at Under 19 level and at the age of 21 made his first class debut at the SCG in 1992. In 1997 Adam replaced Ian Healy in the Australian One Day side and two years later became Australia’s test wicketkeeper for the next 96 consecutive test matches until his retirement in January 2008. He was an integral part of what was to become one of Australia’s greatest ever cricket teams. In December 2000 Adam became the 43rd Australian Test Cricket Captain. In March 2002 he became the No. 1 ICC ranked batsman in the world. In January 2008 in his final test match, he broke the then world record for the most wicketkeeping dismissals in test cricket. In 2010 he was selected in ESPN Cric Info’s Greatest Ever World XI alongside fellow Australians Sir Donald Bradman, Dennis Lillee and Shane Warne. In the same year he was voted the greatest wicketkeeper/batsman of all time.

Throughout his playing career and since his retirement from international cricket in 2008, Adam has performed a number of ambassadorial roles for various Australian corporations, government entities and charities. He has spearheaded a number of highly successful marketing and brand campaigns for Australian and international companies. Adam is the current host of the Fox Sports National Cricket commentary team. In addition to this pivotal broadcasting role, Adam has consistently been in high demand across all media platforms from TV, radio, on social media and print.

In 2008, Adam was appointed as Chairperson of the Australia Day Council. In that capacity, Adam was responsible for heading up the statutory body in charge of all matters relating to the annual Australia Day celebrations. That role included overseeing the selection process for the Australian of the Year and the various award winners from each State and Territory. Adam was required to chair a committee comprised of prominent Australians to run the organisation as well as oversee a permanent staff of 12 employees with an annual budget of nearly $10 million dollars. In 2014 Adam was appointed as the first Australian Education Ambassador to India. He attended a number of high level meetings and education based conferences throughout India with the Prime Minister and Minister for Education.

Adam is currently the patron of Ronald McDonald House Western Australia. This charity provides short term accommodation to the families of seriously ill children who live in regional areas but are forced, often at short notice, into the capital city to look after their child whilst undergoing treatment in hospital. Since 1998, Adam has spent considerable time visiting the centre to personally meet, support and actively encourage these families and their sick children. In addition to this direct, personal involvement, Adam headed up a $20million capital raise for the establishment of a 48 room facility for Ronald McDonald House at the new hospital extensions at Sir Charles Gairdner Perth. On behalf of the charity Adam has met and lobbied a number of corporate heads and industry leaders as well as liaising with the Western Australian Premier's department and other government instrumentalities to achieve the successful capital funding for the project. Adam is also a World Vision ambassador and represents that organisation both in Australia and throughout the world. In this capacity, he works closely with the organisation with respect to a number of World Vision projects operating throughout India and the sub-continent.

Don Meij

Group CEO & MD, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises

Don Meij is an Australian business leader, innovator and entrepreneur. The long-standing CEO of Domino’s, he has spearheaded the growth of the franchise in Australia, international acquisitions and the development of new technologies that have improved business efficiencies, customer service and staff safety.

Don’s personal and professional story is one of continuous growth and development, of passion, dedication and a keen business sense. He has literally risen through the ranks from pizza delivery driver to pizza store entrepreneur, to Group CEO and Managing Director of Domino’s – Australia’s largest and first publicly-listed pizza chain.After commencing as a pizza delivery driver in 1987 in Redcliffe, Queensland, for Silvio’s Dial-a-Pizza (Silvio’s) while studying to be a high school teacher, Don fell in love with the business and has since worked his way up the ranks.

By 1996 Don took the plunge and bought his first franchise in what is now Domino’s at Morayfield, Caboolture – which went on to become the second busiest store on the planet in its first year. Don went on to build a network of 17 stores, before vending his stores into Domino’s, becoming Chief Operating Officer (2001), and then Group Chief Executive Officer (2002). In May 2005, Don led Domino’s to become Australia’s first publicly-listed pizza chain on the ASX.

Domino’s Pizza Enterprise Limited (DPE) is now the largest master franchise in the world and owns and operates more than 2,700 stores in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Luxembourg and Denmark and employs more than 82,000 team members in nine markets.

Don has always held a deep passion for innovation and entrepreneurialism and through his leadership and commitment, Domino’s has launched many world-first initiatives in the technology and digital innovation space.

Examples include Domino’s GPS Driver Tracker technology that allows customers to track pizza from the store to the door, the launch of autonomous pizza delivery vehicles and drones, and DOM Pizza Checker, which uses artificial intelligence to improve the quality and consistency of pizzas.

Don passionately believes businesses must disrupt, or be disrupted, and is now leading the Company’s investment in machine learning and artificial intelligence, meeting demand from more customers than ever before who want to engage with businesses online. All of Domino’s innovation work aims to answer one simple question: How can we make this experience better for our customers and keep them coming back for more?

Don has won many industry awards including; Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Channel 7 Business Person of the Year Awards 2015, The Ernst & Young Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2004, Australian Institute of Management (AIM) Professional Manager of the Year 2004 (QLD) and the 2002 QLD Retail Franchise.

Don’s international Domino’s awards include Pizza International Manager of the Year in 1996 and Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Domino’s worldwide network in 2004.

In 2016, Don was listed No. 4 on Business Insider’s list of 100 Coolest People in Australian Tech and Domino’s was named No. 20 on Forbes’ Most Innovative Growth Companies list.

In 2017, Don celebrated 30 years with Domino’s which today, is the market leader in most of the countries in which it operates. The story of Domino’s and the dedication and commitment from Don will continue to evolve well into the next decade.

Andrew Duncan

CEO and Managing Partner, Infosys Consulting

Andrew Duncan leads the Infosys Consulting business globally – the company’s signature management consulting practice which drives transformative strategy and innovation for some of world’s largest brands.

Andrew joined Infosys Consulting in 2019 and has transformed the European business into a high-performance entity with double digit revenue growth and industry-leading profitability. Andrew has significantly influenced the culture of the firm, creating an organization where people have a strong sense of pride and belief in the company and where top talent aspires to work.

Following his degree in electrical engineering from Imperial College London, Andrew has had a very successful and diverse background in consulting, having served in MD or CEO roles for several technology and services companies. A dual citizen of the UK and the USA, Andrew has lived and worked in both Europe and North America and built high-performing teams across a range of sectors over the last 25 years. As a partner for AT Kearny, he helped start up the firm’s IT strategy practice and several new service offerings. He also built and co-founded a large professional services business that was subsequently acquired in 2007 by Capgemini.

Since joining Infosys, Andrew has become a significant influencer in the industry and among clients for his thought leadership and innovative mindset. Under his leadership, the firm has relaunched several cutting-edge new service offerings, elevated its brand, and repositioned itself as a formidable leader in the market.

His insights are regularly featured in top business publications, and he is a frequent and sought-after speaker at industry and client events. Due to his latest achievements, he was recognized as a Global Leader in Consulting for 2022 by Consulting Magazine, one of the top industry bodies representing the space.

Andrew is a visionary and inspirational leader who has made a stellar contribution to Infosys, and whose influence extends beyond the company to the entire consulting industry.

Jayne Hrdlicka

CEO, Virgin Australia Group

Jayne Hrdlicka is the Chief Executive Officer of the Virgin Australia Group, a major Australian airline operating domestic and short-haul international flights, charter and cargo services, and the award-winning Velocity Frequent Flyer loyalty program. Since joining Virgin Australian in November 2020, Jayne has managed the transformation of the airline under new ownership in a difficult operating environment dominated by COVID-19. In her time as CEO, Jayne has overseen fleet growth of nearly 60 per cent - from 58 aircraft to 92 aircraft, introduced a simplified fare structure focused on providing value to customers, announced a commitment to a target of net zero emissions by 2050, invested in the re-start of international travel for the airline, refreshed the lounge product as well as delivered step change investments in technology.

Virgin Australia is focussed on being Australia’s most loved airline and has won many awards over the years including Best Cabin Crew, Best Domestic Airline and Best Economy Class. Velocity Frequent Flyer has also scooped a wealth of prestigious gongs including the Freddie Awards Best Program of the Year and Best Redemption Ability for Asia/Middle East and Oceania.

Jayne has 20 years leadership experience in the consumer and aviation sectors. Prior to joining Virgin Australia, Jayne was CEO of the a2 Milk Company, and prior to that Jayne held leadership roles at Qantas Group for nearly a decade, where she led the design of Qantas Airlines transformation across both cost reduction and customer experience improvement. She also was the CEO of the Jetstar Group for 6 years delivering significant improvement in customer experience across all airlines as well as substantial growth in revenue and earnings. Jayne was also CEO of Qantas Loyalty and Digital Ventures before leaving to join the a2 Milk Company.

Jayne currently serves as Chair of Tennis Australia and is a member of the Hawaiian Airlines’ Board of Directors. Formerly, Jayne was a Non-Executive Board Director of Woolworths, was a former senior partner with Bain & Company and leader in the firm’s Customer Strategy and Marketing Practice. She led Bain’s Customer Practice for the Asia region. Earlier in her career, Jayne also spent 6 years as an executive and subsequently a CEO of two publishing and marketing related businesses. Both of these businesses required the design and execution of complex transformations.

Danni Jarrett

CEO, Invest Victoria

Danni has held leadership roles in Invest Victoria for the past six years shaping its current priorities and initiatives, and having responsibility for identifying and securing investments to achieve sustained economic growth for Victoria.

Danni has deep government experience with a focus on industry development with a particular focus on innovation and technology, design and defense. In each of her roles, Danni has worked closely with both global and local companies, industry and professional associations, and education and research organisations, always with a view to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

Danni takes pride in leading a team of high performing people committed to securing investments that shape our State and add value to our lives.

Danni has a degree in journalism from RMIT and a graduate diploma in human resource management and industrial relations from the University of Melbourne.

Manjot Singh Mann

CEO, M1

Mr Mann was appointed as Chief Executive Officer on 6 December 2018 and the Board of Director of M1 on 11 June 2019. Mr Mann is also the Chief Digital Officer of Keppel Corporation, appointed with effect from 1 March 2022.He has about 30 years of operational leadership experience across diverse geographical markets and a unique blend of insights and perspectives in the rapidly evolving telecommunications industry.

Prior to joining M1, Mr Mann served as CEO at Pareteum Asia, a leading cloud software platform company, where he was appointed to expand NASDAQ-listed Pareteum Corporation’s footprint in Asia. He was previously Global CEO (Communications and Convergence) of Lebara Mobile (UK), one of the largest multinational, Pan-European mobile virtual network operators in the world. He was also the former CEO of Hutchison Telecommunication in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Mr Mann currently holds directorships in several subsidiaries of M1 Limited. He is also a Director of Keppel Telecommunications & Transportation Ltd, Keppel Digi Pte Ltd and Keppel Enterprise Services Pte. Ltd.

Mr Mann completed his Master of Management Studies (Marketing and Sales Management) from the University of Bombay in 1990 and obtained a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) from the University of Jabalpur in 1987.

Darren Kane

CSO, nbn™

Darren Kane has been the Chief Security Officer at nbn™ since 2015. Under his leadership, the nbn Security Group has become a converged centre of physical and cyber security enabling Australia’s biggest critical infrastructure owner to better protect its people and assets against evolving threats.

Prior to nbn™, Darren served in Federal Government Law Enforcement Agencies for over 19 years in the Australian Federal Police and financial markets regulator the Australian Securities & Investment Commission, and 11 years at Telstra Corporation in varied security management roles culminating in 5 years as the Director, Corporate Security & Investigations.

Darren was appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Information Technology, Faculty of Science, at Deakin University in 2020. Darren has a Master’s in Business Administration, a Diploma of Financial Markets and is a Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors.

In 2020 Darren was awarded Male Champion of Change at the AWSNA (Australian Women’s Security Network Awards).

Suresh Sundararajan

CEO, Olam Ventures

Suresh Sundararajan is currently the CEO of Olam Ventures, the incubation and venture building arm of Olam Group based out of Singapore. In this role, he has co-founded Jiva, Terrascope along with others.

Suresh joined Olam Group in 1996 and has undertaken many leadership roles since. In 2017 he initiated the digital transformation journey for Olam and led the development and implementation of a suite of solutions across the agricultural supply chain. Suresh today also serves as the acting CEO of Olam Technology & Business Services, the group’s IT, Cybersecurity, Digital and Global Business Services arm.

Suresh has over the past 26 years, held leadership positions in several corporate functions including Corporate Affairs, Investor Relations, Taxation, Legal, Risk & Market Compliance, Global Business Services, Information Technology and Strategic Investments. Suresh holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Madras, India, a degree in Cost Accountancy in 1990 from The Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India, and is a qualified Company Secretary with The Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

Brad Blyth

Group CIO, Kmart Group

Brad Blyth has more than eight years of technology leadership experience, in his current role as Kmart Group (Kmart Australia and Target Australia) chief information officer overseeing the global technology teams. Prior to this he was at Flybuys where he oversaw the wholesale Amazon Web Services migration.

Before joining Flybuys in September 2018, Brad was at Latitude Financial Services as CTO and has also worked at the Commonwealth Bank, including three years as head of digital architecture.

Alexa Glynn

Group Executive COO-Australia and NZ, Rabobank

Alexa joined Rabobank’s London operations in 2006 and has held numerous positions across technology, security and change delivery domains in Europe and Australia.

Appointed Rabobank Group Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Region Australia and New Zealand on 1st July 2022 she has exceptional leadership experience and IT business acumen with a Bachelor in Digital Media from University of Westminster, and qualifications in Risk & Security, AGILE, LEAN SixSigma and Project Management. Having grown up on a farm, she has a strong family history in Agriculture, Sustainability and technology.

Alexa is a champion for change and transformation, and a passionate advocate of transparency, openness, and creating pathways for future leaders.

Andal Alwan

Regional Head - APAC, Consumer, Retail and Logistics, Infosys

Andal is a thought leader in retail and consumer facing industries. She has over 25 years experience working in APAC, across many highly valued and recognizable regional and global brands. She advises CxOs on transforming their businesses leveraging digital technologies, with a sharp focus on business outcomes. She has been with Infosys for the past 3 years and has worked with Big4 and leading global technology companies, prior to that. At Infosys, she is responsible for our clients and business in the Consumer, Retail and Logistics segments across APAC. Additionally, as Chair of the Infosys SEA Business Council, she is responsible for growth initiatives in the region. She is a staunch supporter of diversity and believes an inclusive workplace is a better performing workplace.

Vishal Salvi

Chief Information Security Officer & Head of Cyber Security Practice, Infosys

Vishal Salvi is Senior Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer and Head of the Cyber Security Practice at Infosys. He is responsible for the overall information and cyber security strategy and its implementation across Infosys Group. He is additionally responsible for the Cyber Security Business Delivery, driving security strategy, delivery, business and operations enabling enterprises security and improving their overall posture.

Vishal has over 25+ years of industry experience in Cybersecurity and Information Technology across different Industries. Prior to joining Infosys, he has performed various leadership roles in Cybersecurity and Information Technology at PwC (Partner Cyber – 2 years), HDFC Bank (SVP & CISO - 8 years), Standard Chartered Bank (SVP & Head Cyber Ops – 11 years), Global Trust Bank (IT Ops), Development Credit Bank (IT Ops) and Crompton Greaves (IT Sales).

Vishal has extensive management and domain experience in driving transformation Cybersecurity programs, delivery and sales in all key aspects i.e. Policy, Standards, Procedures, Awareness, Identity & Access Management, IT-GRC, Network Security, Incident Response, Security Monitoring, Malware protection, Cyber fraud management, Security configuration, Compliance, On-line Banking and ecommerce, Cryptography, Data Protection, Third Party Management, Business Continuity Planning, Cyber Defence Centres & Cloud Security etc.

He is a well-known leader in the Cybersecurity industry within India as well as globally and has been part of the Cybersecurity domain for the past two decades. He is a regular speaker in major local and global Cybersecurity conferences for sharing best practices and raising Cybersecurity awareness across the industry. He is part of various Advisory Councils and Boards to provide leadership and direction on various Cybersecurity frameworks and standards to drive adoption of cyber security across industry. He has participated in various case studies related to cyber security practices over the past decade.

Vishal holds a degree in computer science engineering and MBA in Finance. His certifications include CISM and DSCI Certified Privacy Professional. He has received numerous awards from prestigious institutions such as DSCI, CSO Forum, ISACA etc.

Tessa Tiernery

Product Director, Spark NZ

As Product Director Tessa is responsible for designing and delivering products and service experiences that customers value. Tessa is also responsible for shaping Spark’s investments and maturing capability in digital, IT, data and experience design to deliver on future business needs.

She joined Spark in November 2015 as the Manager of Brand, Communications and Events for Spark Digital before moving on to become Business Manager. In 2017, Tessa joined the team that was responsible for successfully transitioning Spark into an Agile organisation and is regarded as one of New Zealand’s leading Agile and product development practitioners.

Tessa brings to the role more than 16 years of experience in information and communication technologies, having previously held a variety of roles at Vodafone New Zealand. She has a Diploma in Communications Studies from Manukau Institute of Technology.

Peter Barrass

CIO, Institutional Banking & Markets, ANZ Bank

Peter is based in Sydney and is currently the Divisional CIO for Institutional and Payments at ANZ, responsible for the technology services across Markets, Transaction Banking, Corporate Finance and Payments globally. He graduated with Honours in Engineering from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and has spent the last 25 years working in Financial Services in Europe, the USA and Australia.

Arthur Gillion

GM- Marketing and Experience, AGPC

Arthur Gillion joined the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) in February 2016.

As AGPC’s General Manager – Marketing and Experience, he is responsible for brand strategy, all-digital channel performance, product development, ticketing, loyalty programs, fan engagement and at-event fan experiences for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix events in Victoria.

Arthur’s work has been recognised globally through reaching Hall of fame status in the Victorian Tourism Awards, winning best international sporting event of the year (SPIA awards) and two Webby Awards for best sports websites globally for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

He has a passion for the sport, entertainment and tourism industry, creating value for fans, and contributing to Melbourne and Victoria’s visitor and experience economies

Jonathan Gibson

CIO, Institutional Bank, Westpac

Jonathan joined Westpac in 2016 as the Chief Information Officer, Business Bank. In 2019, Jonathan was appointed Chief Information Officer, Westpac Institutional Bank. He is responsible for the end-to-end management of the Institutional Bank’s technology global footprint.

Jonathan plays an active role in the technology transformation across Financial Markets, Treasury, Corporate and Institutional Banking, Global Transaction Services and Payments.

Jonathan is passionate in enhancing the Customer Experience and unlocking business value with technology. He has a proven track record in delivery of large scale technology transformation initiatives within the financial services from “vision to implementation”.

Prior to joining Westpac Group, Jonathan spent eleven years in a variety of senior technology roles at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

He also worked at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young in their global consulting arm.

James Noble

Chief Experience Officer, APAC, WONGDOODY

James is our multi-award-winning CCO & CXO for the APAC region. Joining WONGDOODY through the acquisition of his Experience Design Agency in 2020, he has taken on the leadership role and provides mentoring and leadership across Asia Pacific. Growing brand exposure in the region to drive growth and expand into a new global region and industry sectors.

James is considered a global leader in experience design and an energetic force to be reckoned with and is constantly pushing creative thinking and innovation through technology integration in new and existing partnerships and within stakeholders and departments globally. Harnessing the culture and fabric of whom Wongdoody represents, building a strong and thriving team—launching new studios ANZ that delivers globally award-winning work. It's not all about awards, but James and the team have a plethora of recent wins.

His strategic thinking to enhance customer experiences in a diverse and complex world has been transformative. The average fan of today can enjoy an event from all angles, platforms, and locations without needing to attend physically. His visionary approach to delving into data and how it’s intrinsically linked to creating a more loyal and engaged experience and enhancing, engaging, creating, and driving customer decision-making process by increasing not only the digital but the physical touch points has produced some of the most to dramatic returns on ROI I’ve ever seen and delivered new highs of fan satisfaction and success.

Raja Shah

SVP and Industry Head, Global Markets, Infosys

Raja Shah, Senior Vice President and Industry Head at Infosys is responsible for driving strategies and growth for CMT (Communication, Media and Technology) & SURE (Services, Utilities, Resources & Energy) verticals across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. As an expert strategist with over 20 years in the IT industry, Raja helps Infosys’ global accounts to build on their core competencies and offer worldwide knowledge and expertise to their customers.

Working previously as a Client Partner for a large Telecommunications company, Raja has elevated Infosys to be a trusted advisor and partner. Leading this account since 2001, Raja has laid the foundation to build a strategic collaborative platform, diversifying growth across the client landscape. During this time, the client and Infosys have jointly won many industry awards in recognition of outcomes achieved with great success.

Before joining Infosys, Raja worked in business development and sales roles for FMCG. Raja has a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering and has attended a Stanford Leadership course alongside other global leaders, gaining critical business insights.

Raja resides in Melbourne with his wife and two children. During his free time, he enjoys playing cricket and watching the game live from the stadium with his family.

Anand Swaminathan

EVP and Global Industry Leader - Communications, Media and Technology, Infosys

Anand Swaminathan is Executive Vice President, and Global Industry leader for the Communications, Media and Technology group at Infosys and is member of Board at WONGDOODY (a fully owned subsidiary of Infosys). He joined Infosys in 1999, and built his career working across Business Development, Package design & implementations, Technology Alliances & Partnerships and Data & Analytics practice. Anand has grown many large client relationships through large deal wins and building successful account teams through solid client strategy and relationships. Anand builds trust and loyalty with clients by building strategic and long term partnerships driven by client empathy. Anand previously worked in Manufacturing Industry. Anand holds a Masters in Information Technology from BITS, Pilani, India. He is a member of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of India and Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

Melissa Doyle

Master of Ceremony

An accomplished and awarded journalist with nearly 30 years experience, Melissa is one of the best-known and trusted voices and faces in Australian media.

A graduate of Charles Sturt University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, Melissa began her career as a television news reporter and weather presenter at WIN TV Canberra in 1990. Three years later she moved to Prime TV in Canberra as a reporter and co-host of the evening news. In 1995, Melissa joined the Seven Network in the Canberra bureau at Parliament House before moving to the Sydney newsroom.

Melissa joined Sunrise in 1997 and co-hosted Australia’s favourite breakfast program until August 2013, taking it from humble beginnings to Number One.

During that time Melissa covered such significant events as the Beaconsfield mine disaster, the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Olympic Games in Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Queensland floods, Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires, multiple federal and state elections, the Inauguration of Barack Obama and the election of Pope Francis.

She interviewed stars such as Tom Cruise, Justin Bieber, Robin Williams, Jane Fonda and Katy Perry.

Melissa rejoined the Seven Network’s news team in 2013 and anchored the network’s live rolling coverage of historical moments such as the birth of Prince George, the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the release of Schapelle Corby from prison in Bali, the centenary of ANZAC commemorations in Gallipoli and the Lindt Café Siege in Sydney.

Melissa and the Seven News team were recognised with a Walkley Award ,a Logie and three international Edward R. Murrow Awards for their coverage of the siege.

Melissa went on to be host and senior correspondent of the Seven Network’s flagship news and public affairs program, Sunday Night, covering a wide range of stories, from internationally exclusive interviews with James Hewitt, Princess Diana’s former lover and Rebel Wilson, to stories on PTSD and the Jonestown massacre.

Melissa is also the weekend breakfast host for radio station Smooth FM. In 2014, she won the Australian Commercial Radio award (ACRA) for Best Newcomer (Metro) and in 2018 Best Music presenter (metro).

In the 2016 Australia Day Honours List Melissa was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her "significant service to the community through representational roles with a range of charitable groups, and to the broadcast media."

Melissa has written two books, “The Working Mothers Survival Guide” and her best selling memoir “Alphabet Soup.”

Off screen, Melissa is a wife and proud mother of two teenagers Nick and Talia.

She passionately supports many charities. She is National Patron for the Make A Wish Foundation and an Ambassador for The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, World Vision, Children’s Cancer Institute, Adopt Change, Legacy and the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

She is the Number One Ticket holder for the GWS Giants (AFL) and serves on the club board.

A multiple Silver Logie nominee as Most Popular Television Presenter, Melissa was voted one of the "most real celebrity mums" and regularly polls in the Top 50 of Reader's Digests annual list of Most Trusted Australians.

Ashok Mysore

VP and Regional Head - Delivery and Operations, Australia and NZ, Infosys

Ashok Mysore has over 30 years of industry experience across Telecommunications, Financial Services, Logistics, Energy, Utilities and Services industries. Ashok as Vice-President and Regional Head for Australia and New Zealand, is responsible for developing a performance driven culture among a group of diverse and talented individuals to achieve accelerated profitable growth in challenging markets by delivering value while continuously improving internal efficiencies.

Ashok joined Infosys in 2004 to lead the Telecommunications business and since has held numerous roles before taking up the Regional COO role in 2014 to lead delivery and operations across Australia and New Zealand. Ashok has wide experience in strategy, sales leadership, general management and consulting across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, India and South-East Asia. Ashok is recipient of IABCA Business Leader of the Year 2019 Award that recognizes outstanding achievements of a business leader. Ashok sits on multiple advisory boards, customer steering committees and program boards, has been actively involved with the Australian Computer Society and is a regular speaker amongst industry, academia and partner ecosystem.

Ashok completed his Executive Leadership Program from the Stanford Graduate School of Management, has an MBA in Strategy & Leadership from the Mt Eliza Business School (University of Melbourne), and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science & Engineering. Ashok is based in Melbourne.

Jason Paris

CEO, Vodafone NZ

Jason is the CEO of Vodafone New Zealand, soon to be renamed One New Zealand, and joined Vodafone Group in April 2018 from Spark New Zealand where he was Chief Executive Officer of Home, Mobile and Business. Prior to his time at Spark, Jason held senior executive roles in Europe and New Zealand across the technology, media and retail industries.

Jason is a proud New Zealander, family man, One NZ Warriors and Highlander’s supporter and says his love of technology has helped shape his career.

Jason is passionate about the role of technology and of One New Zealand in enabling a better future for New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses.

Kieran O'Meara

Executive, IT and Software Engineering, Telstra Product and Technology

Kieran has more than 25 years’ experience in technology delivery, software engineering and digital transformation.

Kieran is the Executive for Telstra Software Engineering, Customer and Product Technology, and Corporate IT. Kieran has previously held key leadership roles across technology, operational strategy and digital transformation. He led Telstra’s Consumer & Small Business T22 strategy where he was responsible for digitising Telstra’s retail business.

Kieran was previously held executive roles at British Sky Broadcasting and in consulting.

Prior to joining Sky, Kieran established, grew and eventually exited a telecommunications software and services vendor specialising in network management and self-service network provisioning for enterprise clients in the UK market.

A keen cyclist, Kieran lives in rural Victoria with his wife and 3 children where he breeds Scottish Highland Cattle and tinkers with vintage machinery.

Kieran holds an undergraduate degree in management science and completed postgraduate studies in Information Technology, including majors in Object Oriented Design and Artificial Intelligence.

Nadia Cameron

Publisher and Editor, CMO Australia

Nadia is a media brand and professional community builder with extensive expertise across B2B organisations and leading business and technology titles. She has worked as a Publisher, Managing Editor, Content Strategist, Journalist, Community Engagement Manager, Commercial Leader and Facilitator/Speaker, chalking up 22 years’ experience across digital media and content properties supporting diverse professional and consumer audiences.

A respected and award-winning industry Journalist and Editor, Nadia has maintained a focus on technology and business, taking a pivotal role in developing leading titles such as CIO, Computerworld, PC World, Australian Reseller News (ARN), Exhibition News, Australian Telecom, Business Asia, and CMO Australia, owned by Foundry, an IDG Inc Company.

From 2010 to 2012, Nadia was the Managing Editor of several national and global business publications supporting the UK events industry. During this time, she created FaceTime Magazine in association with the Event Industry Alliance as a publication dedicated to elevating the role of events in marketing. Nadia has also been responsible for launching and transforming key industry events, including the ARN Innovation Awards and Exhibition News Awards.

Nadia rejoined IDG Australia (now Foundry) in 2013 to lead CIO magazine as well as develop and launch the CMO Australia brand. CMO focuses on the unique leadership, strategic marketing and technology challenges facing marketing and customer chiefs.

In 2015, CMO launched the CMO50 to recognise Australia’s most innovative marketing leaders. The CMO50 program is now an enviable a stamp of modern marketing excellence.

Today, Nadia sits at the helm of CMO as Publisher and Editor and is also Associate Editor of CIO.

Vicki Russell

Chief Technology and Transformation Officer, MACS

Vicki is an executive leader with over 20 years of experience leading large teams to deliver business focused technology transformation in complex environments. Vicki has worked across both for-profit and not-for-profit organisations and is strongly focused on outstanding customer experience and energising teams through authentic and inspiring leadership.

Vicki’s current focus is within the education sector, working in the K-12 environment, though having also worked within the higher education and specialist medical education industries her transformation experience covers the entire lifecycle of life-long learning. A key driver for Vicki is to help those organisations leap-frog with progressive technology advancements to enable the greatest outcomes for the communities they serve.

Semra Barutchu

VP Engineering Services, ASIA, Infosys

Semra is the Vice President of Engineering Services for Infosys Asia. She works with Enterprise and Service Providers, providing direction and guidance to customers as they transition their business through the use of digital technologies, such as IoT, 5G, Open technologies, DevOps Frameworks and automation.

Additionally, Semra led the development and implementation of the Infosys Global Engineering Strategy and the ongoing review and monitoring to ensure the achievement of the long-term objectives for the Infosys Engineering Services unit Semra has 20+ years’ experience working in several ICT multinationals and multiple industry segments including Communications, Manufacturing, High Tech, Retail, Financial Services, Government, Mining and Utilities.

Semra joined Infosys in 2013 to lead the ANZ Engineering Business Unit and in 2015 added Asia wide responsibility.

James Riley

Founder and Editorial Director, InnovationAus

James Riley has a long history as a technology reporter in Australia and in Asia and is the Founder and Editorial Director of InnovationAus.

Over a 30-year career in journalism, has worked in newspapers, industry magazines, radio and online, including lengthy reporting stints at the South China Morning Post, The Australian, and InformationWeek and has worked on editorial floors at various times in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra (Press Gallery), Adelaide and Hong Kong.

He also co-founded the pan-Asia monthly print magazine The Dataphile in Hong Kong in 1993 at the birth of the World Wide Web. As the Editorial Director, James sets the tone and direction of InnovationAus reporting, as well as advising on building programs for business roundtables and bespoke events. James is responsible for building the InnovationAus Editorial Advisory board. He regularly moderates roundtable business lunches, panels and industry forums.

James has had a specific interest in industry development policy as it relates to the Australian technology sector.

Nilanjan Roy

Chief Financial Officer

Nilanjan Roy joined Infosys on 1st March 2019 as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that, he served as the Global Chief Financial Officer of Bharti Airtel Ltd. and was responsible for the finance function across India and Africa. He has held various leadership positions for the last 13 years in Bharti Airtel, prior to which he worked with Unilever for 15 years in their global operations across India, Europe, and the US.

As an established finance leader, Nilanjan has extensive and rich global experience including shareholder value creation, ESG and corporate governance, business partnering, mergers and acquisitions, treasury and funding, investor relations, cost management, taxation, financial accounting and reporting.

Nilanjan has a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) from Delhi University and is a Chartered Accountant.

Dr. Tamara Somers

Director, Sustainability and ESG, XERO

Tamara is a seasoned ESG leader and changemaker, with global experience spanning multiple continents. Tamara joined Xero in 2021 and as Director Sustainability & ESG, she is responsible for managing, monitoring and reporting on Xero's sustainability performance, with a focus on approaching ESG matters through use of whole-of-business initiatives. She’s passionate about embedding ESG in businesses as part of core strategy and organisational DNA. Prior to joining Xero, Tamara worked in ESG reporting and strategy at Telstra and Glencore, was an Australian diplomat, and worked in strategy consulting with Bain. Tamara holds the Competent Boards ESG Designation and a PhD in Arts from Monash University.