CDAO Sydney schedule

During this 10-minute networking session, the aim of the game is to go and meet three people you don't already know. Use the questions on the screen to guide your conversation. Have fun!

• What are the key trends and opportunities in AI and analytics that are transforming industries?
• What challenges and ethical considerations must leaders address when implementing AI, including data privacy and bias?
• How can organisations strategically align AI initiatives with their goals, invest in data governance, and build effective teams?
• What should data leaders do to stay ahead in the future, including fostering a data-literate culture and embracing emerging technologies?

This session delves into the delicate balance between driving innovation and ensuring robust governance within a data strategy. We’ll discuss CDAOs can effectively allocate resources to foster innovation while maintaining strong governance and security practices.

How can we craft a data strategy that embraces technological advancements without compromising compliance, security, or operational integrity?

Key Discussion Points:

• The competing demands of innovation and governance: Challenges and benefits.
• Practical strategies for prioritizing resources across both innovation and governance.
• Defining the optimal balance: What does success look like, and how can it future-proof the organisation?

• How can we identify and mitigate biases in the data our AI systems use?
• What steps can we take to ensure our algorithms are transparent and accountable?
• How can we incorporate human oversight to enhance the fairness of AI decisions?
• What measures should we implement to regularly audit and update our AI systems for continuous fairness?

Panellists:

Marek Rucinski Chief Data Officer and Deputy Commissioner, Smarter Data ATO

Ash Nair General Manager - Data Analytics Automation and AI (CDAO) icare NSW

Siamak Tafavogh Head of Business Insights Group CBHS

• Understanding EU AI Act and its impact globally, and what are the implications on business
• Australia's Privacy Laws – key changes and how will these impact AI adoption
• Ensuring transparency and accountability in AI systems, particularly in the context of regulatory frameworks

• Key elements of a modern data governance framework
• Trends and challenges
• What skills are required for an organisation and its people to be effective in an evolving landscape

• What are data catalogues and why should dedicate resources to building them?
• Considerations when it comes to creating your catalogues: What are they for and what business purpose do they serve?
• What is a sustainable data catalogue and how can it withstand the test of time?

• Tackling ‘data drift’, the silent killer of AI accuracy. By employing proactive governance practices, teams can detect, prevent, and manage shifts in data that threaten model performance, ensuring your AI stays sharp and adaptable in a fast-evolving world.

• Understanding the essential role of data governance in ensuring trust and reliability in data assets
• Discussing how effective data governance supports data-driven decisions across the organisation
• Boosting operational performance and sparking innovation with well-structured data governance

• How is AI changing the way we do business?
• Are we optimising AI’s capabilities?
• Processes, procedures and practices

• From Data to Gold: Discover how to unlock the hidden value in raw data with AI-powered insights that drive transformative outcomes.
• AI with a Conscience: Secrets to building scalable, ethical AI solutions that are transparent, fair, and trustworthy.
• Responsible Innovation in Action: Leverage cutting-edge data tools to create meaningful impact while staying accountable to stakeholders.

• Explore how advanced analytics and untapped innovation can uncover hidden opportunities and drive transformative business strategies.
• Deploying strategies for integrating emerging data technologies seamlessly into existing systems.
• Addressing the risks around data-driven decisions in a rapidly evolving technological landscape
• Gain insights into the future of data analytics and how to stay ahead of emerging trends and disruptions

• Is Generative AI really revolutionising data and analytics, driving business innovation and value?
• What are the key trends and forces shaping the integration of Generative AI into business processes
• Learn practical strategies for adapting data practices to support effective AI system development
• Discover actionable insights for redesigning business models and strategies to fully leverage AI capabilities

• Discover how Large Language Models (LLMs) are transforming business operations and strategy
• Overcome key hurdles businesses face when integrating LLMs, from technological barriers to organisational resistance
• Get actionable insights on how to quickly derive value from LLMs, from best practices for implementation, setting clear objectives, to measuring success to ensure you achieve a fast return on your investment

In this session, we will look at talent capture and retention, with a particular focus around specialist talent and predicting future business talent needs.

• Why is it so difficult to keep to best practices?
• Do we agree that there are a set of best practices out there?
• Brutal honesty about what isn't working: What are we doing if a best practice fails to deliver expected results?
• How can we continue to evolve our best practices to keep up with new data complexities and requirements?

• Driving data literacy initiatives amongst the leadership ranks – how does AI change this? How do you start and what is the goal?
• Communication is key: Could you get the board to speak your language?
• Kicking off effective projects and initiatives for both data and AI

• What can we do within our own teams to safeguard data from breaches?
• Navigating privacy challenges brought about by advancements in Generative AI while maintaining data protection best practices
• How do we prepare for a breach and how should we respond if it happens to us?

This session will guide you on using data mesh to produce high-yield data products and practical solutions to enhance data accessibility in the corporate environment.

• Readying non-technical teams to work effectively with AI
• Reskilling your workforce for AI adoption requires strategic planning and support
• How should data governance evolve to address the unique challenges AI introduces?
• As AI evolves rapidly, how do we ensure continuous learning and effective feedback loops for the workforce?

Panellists:

Sam Stark Head of Advanced Analytics Capabilities Endeavour Group

Amyn Nathwani Head of Data Governance and Privacy Healthdirect Australia

Anil Arya Head of Data and Technology Australian Conservation Foundation

In this session, we will look at the role of the data leader and what they can do for their teams and how they drive data culture across the organisation. How has the CDAO or CDO role evolved? How does a good leader justify the value of their team? How can we lengthen the tenure of the CDAO?

• Uncovering techniques to create compelling stories through effective data visualisations that resonate with your audience
• Employing visual tools that facilitate direct comparisons between datasets, enhancing understanding of relative performance and outcomes
• Strategies for reducing cognitive load through visualisations that convey complex information simply and effectively

• Leveraging customer data to understand behaviour, preference, and purchase patterns
• Utilising data to optimise supply chain and inventory management
• Understanding the role of data in market expansion, product assortment planning, and pricing strategies
• How can AI positively influence consumer focused strategies?

• Discover how businesses can harness data analytics to guide strategic decisions and catalyse impactful digital transformation.
• Examine methods for leveraging data to tailor customer interactions, ultimately enhancing satisfaction and loyalty.
• Uncover essential performance indicators (KPIs) that assist businesses in assessing the effectiveness of their digital transformation initiatives through data-driven insights.
• Acquire insights into best practices that will equip leaders with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of digital transformation in today’s data-centric world

• Unlocking the changes to the Privacy Act and its impact on data
• Bridging compliance gaps between existing organisational procedures to meet the new reforms
• How will this impact AI adoption?

• Can you ensure that democratisation efforts do not compromise privacy or lead to biased outcomes?
• Does AI facilitate or hinder data access and analysis?
• Showcasing successful implementations of ethical data democratisation that highlight best practices and lessons learned

• How do you define a data-led culture?
• How do you build and encourage data culture organisation-wide?
• How do you overcome barriers to gain support for building a data-led culture?

Panellists:

Andy Sutton General Manager Advanced Analytics Endeavour Group

• Finding the right literacy strategy for your company
• Devising a literacy plan for the next two years
• Maintenance and upkeep: Keeping the organisation up to date with trends, changes and new ideas

Panellists:

Arvind Raghuraman Head of Data Risk Governance NAB

• Leveraging open-source tools and cloud computing to reduce infrastructure costs while scaling analytics capabilities
• Prioritising high-impact strategies that deliver tangible business value and build momentum for data-driven decision making
• Upskilling existing teams with AI/ML training to maximise the potential of in-house talent and minimise expensive external hires
• Adopting an agile, iterative approach to analytics projects, testing hypotheses quickly and pivoting based on results to optimise ROI

• How can you tell what works for your business without investing first? Best practices, tell-tale signs and trends to pick up from the get-go
• Developing a robust AI strategy deeply rooted in your business objectives, data capabilities, and operational realities
• Implementing a data-driven approach comes with numerous advantages that directly impact bottom lines and competitive positioning, such as measurable business goals, informed decision-making, and real-time insights

• Explore how robust data governance frameworks can drive tangible business outcomes
• Uncover strategies for aligning governance initiatives with organisational goals
• Learn practical approaches for transforming data governance into competitive advantage
• Examine the role of leadership in bridging the gap between data strategy and execution
• Discover how to measure the real-world impact of data governance on business performance

Reserved

• What is truly new to data & analytics today?
• How do you envision and deliver robust governance frameworks for successful adoption of new data-driven technologies while ensuring ethical and responsible use of these technologies
• Upskilling employees so they are equipped with the skills to engage with the technology, while maintaining transparency and accountability through effective governance practices.
• Examining the comprehensive costs of the evolving data landscape, including talent acquisition and retention, technology infrastructure, data quality and availability, and ethical considerations
• Myth busting – is technology getting easier? Or is it bringing new challenges?

Panellists:

Simone Roberts General Manager, Data AUSTRAC