CDAO Sydney schedule

During this 5-minute networking session, participants can build their network. Have fun!

 Reserved for InfoTrack 

• How can data leaders translate AI potential into tangible business outcomes that align with strategic goals?
• What role should data leaders play in balancing innovation with governance, ethics, and regulatory compliance in AI initiatives?
• How can data leaders ensure the organisation has the right data, talent, and infrastructure to scale AI responsibly and effectively?

Speakers:

Jonathan Cook Chief Data & Analytics Officer Westpac Institutional Bank

Suzie Cardwell Chief Data Product & Technology Officer – Enterprise Nine

James Fitzpatrick Chief Data Officer Allianz Australia Insurance

Reuben Alexander Director Governance, Quality & Compliance, Chief Data Office 

Transport for NSW

Urvashi Chadha Head of Data ASX (To Be Confirmed)

• What are the most common points of disconnect that prevent data teams from delivering value—strategy, culture, skills, or something else?
• How do you ensure individual hires come together as a cohesive team that can execute and deliver under pressure?
• What frameworks or practices have helped your teams move beyond the proof-of-concept phase into scaled, operational success?

Speakers:

Andrew Spiegelman Head of Data & Analytics Service NSW

Vasyl Nair Group Chief Executive Officer Team Super

Shiva Storer General Manager - Data, Strategy, M&A and Enterprise Services TAL Australia

Kirstie McGlone Data Governance Lead Latrobe Health Services

Brett Wilson Chief Information Officer The Royal Australasian College of Physicians

• How can data leaders reposition their teams from reactive service providers to strategic collaborators with the business?
• What mindset and structural shifts are needed to enable proactive value creation rather than ticket-based delivery?
• How do you measure and communicate the strategic contribution of your data team beyond dashboards and reports?

Reserved for Tricentis 

• 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 the stages of data governance maturity and how to assess your organisation’s current state
• Learn practical strategies and frameworks for advancing governance without slowing innovation
• Discover best practices from leading organisations to embed governance into culture, processes, and technology 

• How can AI models be trained and tuned to identify subtle data quality issues and drift before they impact downstream use?
• What’s the right balance between automated detection and human oversight in managing data reliability?
• How do you integrate real-time monitoring into existing data pipelines without introducing latency or complexity? 

• What strategies work best for modernising legacy systems without causing disruption to critical business operations?
• How do you prioritise which parts of the data stack to replace, refactor, or integrate with modern platforms?
• What role do cloud, APIs, and data virtualisation play in extending the value of legacy investments? 

Moderator:

Su Jella Board Member Women’s Tennis Foundation

Speaker:

Ram Radhakrishnan Chief Analytics Officer TEG 

• How are low-code/no-code platforms enabling business teams and analysts to take a more active role in data-driven innovation?
• What governance and guardrails are needed to balance speed and scale with quality and consistency?
• How can data leaders strategically integrate these tools into their tech stack without creating new silos or shadow IT? 

• Why does hiring top technical talent individually not guarantee a high-performing team?
• How do you foster collaboration and proactivity in newly formed data teams?
• What hiring and retention strategies help turn strong individuals into a cohesive unit that delivers value?

Speakers:

Andrew Spiegelman Head of Data & Analytics Service NSW

Steven Turnbull Associate Director - Performance Insights Optus

• How can CDAOs scale AI responsibly while ensuring governance and compliance keep pace?
• What strategies build trust across the business, so AI adoption is embraced, not resisted?
• How do leaders balance the urgency for AI-driven growth with the risks of misalignment or misuse?

Speakers:

Reuben Alexander Director Governance, Quality & Compliance, Chief Data Office Transport for NSW

Speakers:

Yash Khanna General Manager, Data Governance nbn

Ken To Executive Manager, MetaData Expert nbn 

• How can data leaders effectively translate complex AI-driven insights into compelling, actionable narratives for diverse audiences, including the C-suite and frontline teams?
• What storytelling techniques help build trust and credibility around AI outcomes, especially when dealing with uncertainty or probabilistic results?
• How do data leaders balance transparency and simplicity without oversimplifying AI models or data nuances when communicating to non-technical stakeholders?

Speakers:

Imma Chippendale Senior Strategic Advisor, Data ACCC

Sam Stark Head of Capabilities - Data & AI Endeavour Group

Iain Hart Head of Risk Management Crown Resorts

Jonathan Shen AI Practice Executive - Strategy & Governance Suncorp

Andrew Hottes Chief Digital Information Officer Cranbrook School

• What frameworks or KPIs can help data leaders clearly articulate ROI to executive stakeholders?
• How do you link data and AI initiatives to business outcomes without oversimplifying complex value chains?
• What’s the best way to balance long-term capability building with the need for quick, visible wins?

• How can embedded analytics and modern BI tools improve decision-making by meeting users where they work?
• What are the key success factors for transitioning from dashboard-heavy reporting to more proactive, contextual insights?
• How do you ensure data governance, scalability, and user adoption when embedding analytics across products or platforms?

• How do you move beyond slogans to real executive accountability and aligned data behaviours?
• What’s working (and what’s not) when shifting mindsets in teams that aren’t data-native?

• How do you know your culture is actually changing – and not just your strategy deck?

Speakers:

Alix Higgins Associate Director, Data Governance and Analytics NSW Telco Authority

Mudit Srivastav Director, Data Science and Engineering Colonial First State

Imma Chippendale Senior Strategic Advisor, Data ACCC

Bish Nath Principal, Data Platforms AMP

Chantal Velasque Head of Data & Analytics Uniting 
 

• What does it take to build agentic AI that can reason, adapt, and act within defined business constraints?
• How do we manage unintended behaviour, conflicting objectives, and real-world edge cases?
• What are the new architecture and governance models required to scale agentic AI across the enterprise? 

• How has data science evolved from what it once was to what it needs to be now?
• With automation, AI, and low-code tools, do we still need ‘data science’ as we know it?
• What will a high-impact, future-ready analytics team look like — and how do we build it?

• What are the most meaningful metrics for demonstrating the business value of data, and how do they vary by stakeholder?
• How can you tie data KPIs to broader organisational goals like revenue growth, risk reduction, or customer experience?
• What common pitfalls do data teams face when trying to quantify impact, and how can they be avoided?

• How can you effectively decentralise stewardship responsibilities while ensuring alignment with enterprise standards?
• What tools, training, or automation are needed to scale stewardship across diverse teams and domains?
• How do you measure the success of a scaled stewardship model—beyond just policy adherence?

Speakers:

Akanksha Wangnoo Chief Privacy, Data Ethics and Data Governance Officer NAB

Kirstie McGlone Data Governance Lead Latrobe Health Services

Urvashi Chadha Head of Data ASX (To Be Confirmed)

Simone Roberts General Manager, Data Division AUSTRAC

• How can organisations embed transparency, accountability, and fairness into their AI systems to build stakeholder confidence?
• What frameworks and governance models ensure AI is both compliant and adaptable to evolving ethical standards?
• How do leading enterprises move from cautious experimentation to trusted, large-scale AI adoption that delivers measurable value?

• What’s one ‘unsexy’ data trend that you think will quietly dominate in 2026 - and no one is paying enough attention to yet?
• If you had to kill one overused data buzzword or practice before the year ends, what would it be, and what should replace it?
• If you were placing a bold bet on where data is headed in 2026 - technology, talent, AI, governance, anything - what would you bet on, and what do you think would make it succeed or flop?
• What's your most unusual opinion about where data, AI, or governance is headed and why do you stand by it?
• How do you expand your thinking to meet the challenges of tomorrow?
  
   Speakers
  Craig Price Head of Artificial Intelligence Suncorp
  Ahona Dutta Data Quality, Governance and Reporting Lead NSW Health SESLHD