Conference Day One: Tuesday, 14 October 2025


8:15 am - 8:45 am Registration and Coffee

8:45 am - 8:50 am Event Directors Opening Remarks

8:50 am - 9:00 am Chairโ€™s opening remarks

ยท      What strategies ensure digital, and tech transformation is embedded across the enterprise for long-term impact?

ยท      How can we align innovation with commercial and operational goals to create measurable value?

ยท      What leadership strategies help organisations build resilience, foster innovation, and drive adoption in times of transformation?  



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Joy Kennedy

Strategic Advisor, Business Transformation Management
SAP

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Caroline Ferris

Head of Core Banking Transformation
Bank of Sydney

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Philippa Spark

Head of Transformation Strategy & Planning
transurban

9:30 am - 10:00 am Rewrite the Future of Business Transformation: Make AI work for your Enterprise

Gerold Laue - - Manager, Value Engineering APAC, Celonis

Join us as we explore the foundational role of Process Intelligence (PI) in the age of AI. Discover how Celonis empowers organizations to uncover and optimize their processes, laying the essential groundwork for both human and AI workforces to create real, measurable impact and achieve next level operational excellence. 



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Gerold Laue

- Manager, Value Engineering APAC
Celonis

10:00 am - 10:15 am Speed Networking โ€“ Connect with Your OPEX Week Network

10:15 am - 10:45 am Case Study: Aligning Transformation for Measurable Impact

David Johnson - Global Head of Business Transformation, IFM Investors

ยท      Crafting plans that clearly demonstrate how each initiative directly aligns with strategic goals and delivers measurable results.

ยท      Driving buy-in by communicating how innovation and adaptability enhance the measurable contribution of individual and team efforts.

ยท      Tackling resistance and legacy systems by prioritising changes that demonstrably improve alignment and measurable outcomes.

ยท      Implementing strategies that emphasise continuous evaluation of initiative contributions and adaptation to evolving. 

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David Johnson

Global Head of Business Transformation
IFM Investors

10:45 am - 11:15 am Digital Transformation: Are We Truly There?

Mikhail Golovnya - Senior Advisory Data Scientist, Minitab

Mikhail Golovnya explores the true potential of digital transformation, from basic data collection to advanced analytics and generative AI, addressing its cultural impact, ethical questions, and future possibilities. Drawing on decades at the forefront of data science, he challenges whether weโ€™ve truly reached the limits of modern technology.



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Mikhail Golovnya

Senior Advisory Data Scientist
Minitab

11:15 am - 11:45 am Morning Break and Community Connections

Itโ€™s time to solve your challenge with the input, advice, perspective and experience of your peers!

During this part of the event, attendees attend their pre-selected interactive discussions. Delegates can select 3 x interactive discussion groups, each lasting 30 minutes. Discussion groups are hosted by experts and kept intimate to allow all attendees the opportunity to discuss your most pressing questions in an informal yet constructive approach to problem solving.

INTERACTIVE GROUP DISCUSSIONS

IDG A

11:45 am - 1:15 pm โ€œ+AI versus AI+โ€ Applying AI as an Add-On vs. AI led transformation for Process Intelligence
Christine Blyth - CEO, Evolvere
Norman Lee - Solution Architect, ARIS


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Christine Blyth

CEO
Evolvere

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Norman Lee

Solution Architect
ARIS

IDG B

11:45 am - 1:15 pm 'The leadership skill no one talks about. Curiosity in a world obsessed with answers'
Dr Chris Rowell - Managing Director, Performance Frontiers
Sarah West - Principal, Performance Frontiers


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Dr Chris Rowell

Managing Director
Performance Frontiers

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Sarah West

Principal
Performance Frontiers


Beyond Lean, beyond ERP. The next era of transformation blends AI, xR, neuroscience, and process mining to help enterprises evolve consciously โ€” turning technology into intelligence and operations into insight.




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Lt Col Sandeep Jadhav

Lean Six Sigma Master Blackbelt and Digital transformation expert
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Sumit Bhandari

Founder & CEO
VCG Digital

IDG D

11:45 am - 1:15 pm Scaling Automation & AI for ROI and Competitive Edge

IDG E

11:45 am - 1:15 pm Human-Centric Design in the Age of AI-Driven Autonomy

IDG F

11:45 am - 1:15 pm AI-Powered Decisioning & the Rise of Enterprise Agents

1:15 pm - 2:15 pm Lunch Break and Industry Insight

Enjoy lunch with a side of lively Business Transformation conversation with your peers!

1:15 pm - 2:15 pm VIP Lunch Hosted by Celonis

Chief Transformation Officer Boardroom

2:15 pm - 2:45 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: Leading Transformation at the Executive Level
Timothy Roberts - Process Excellence Lead, HSBC
Demi Stefanova - Head of Growth Marketing, Quickstep Group
Ian Nicholls - CEO, explic8

ยท      Developing scalable capabilities to ensure sustainable, long-term transformation. 

ยท      Aligning leadership, technology, and business strategies for cohesive execution.

ยท      Real-life examples from global leaders on navigating complex transformations. 

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Timothy Roberts

Process Excellence Lead
HSBC

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Demi Stefanova

Head of Growth Marketing
Quickstep Group

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Ian Nicholls

CEO
explic8

Chief Transformation Officer Boardroom

2:45 pm - 3:15 pm 5 Things that CEOs should know about AI but their CIOs wonโ€™t tell them!
Ian Nicholls - CEO, explic8


  • AIโ€™s strategic value
  • The true cost of scaling AI
  • AI risk, ethics, and regulation
  • Talent model and organizational design
  • Practical next steps you can take as a CEO


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Ian Nicholls

CEO
explic8

Chief Transformation Officer Boardroom

3:15 pm - 3:40 pm Q&A: Building Resilience to Thrive in Uncertain Times
Philippa Spark - Head of Transformation Strategy & Planning, transurban

ยท      How can leaders create a resilient culture that empowers teams to thrive during crises?

ยท      Which strategies should leaders prioritise to ensure their businesses are prepared for future uncertainty?

ยท      In what ways can agile leadership foster a mindset of innovation and proactive change management?

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Philippa Spark

Head of Transformation Strategy & Planning
transurban

AI, AUTOMATION, DATA

2:15 pm - 2:40 pm Q&A: Data-Driven Transformation: From Insights to Intelligent Action
Mitchell Burger - Chief Insights Officer, Healthdirect Australia

ยท      Practical applications of process mining, automation, and advanced analytics to drive measurable operational improvements.

ยท      Exploring how cloud computing, AI, blockchain, and edge computing are transforming data centres and enterprise systems.

ยท      Assessing the business impact of data-driven strategies, secure access technologies (SASE), and next-gen virtualisation.

ยท      Overcoming data literacy challenges to unlock the full potential of AI, ML, and language models for automation.

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Mitchell Burger

Chief Insights Officer
Healthdirect Australia

AI, AUTOMATION, DATA

2:40 pm - 3:10 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: Turning AI Potential into Real Business Value: Automate, Optimise, Transform
James Harding - Head of Technology, Eco Outdoor
Mitchell Palmer - Chief Operating Officer, Aussie Industries

ยท      How can businesses move beyond AI hype to achieve real, measurable impact through automation and optimisation?

ยท      What are the key considerations for building a strong business case for intelligent automation, balancing ROI, cost, and scalability?

ยท      How can organisations ensure responsible AI implementation while achieving results and managing stakeholder expectations? 

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James Harding

Head of Technology
Eco Outdoor

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Mitchell Palmer

Chief Operating Officer
Aussie Industries

AI, AUTOMATION, DATA

3:10 pm - 3:40 pm Quickfire Showcase: Transforming Business Performance, Resilience & Agility
Erin Cullen - Head of Operations, Hawke's Brewing Co.
Louis Leung - Chief Transformation Officer, Team Super

3 presenters, 10 minutes on the clock for each. They will share with you their top tool, tactic or tip which revolutionised the business transformation in the last 12 months. Focused, fast and effective โ€“ vote for your top approach at the end of the session!

 

1.      Innovative High Growth Strategy

Presenter: Erin Cullen, Head of Operations, Hawke's Brewing Co.

2.   Simplifying Operations to Transform Business Performance

Presenter: James Gardner, Commercial Ranging Lead, Woolworths

3.   Empowering People for Transformational Change

Presenter: Louis Leng, Chief Transformation Officer, Team Super

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Erin Cullen

Head of Operations
Hawke's Brewing Co.

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Louis Leung

Chief Transformation Officer
Team Super

3:40 pm - 4:00 pm Business Transformation Demonstration Drive

4:00 pm - 4:30 pm Afternoon Break

Enjoy a coffee and morning snack with a side of lively Business Transformation conversations with your peers!

4:30 pm - 5:00 pm LEADERS PANEL DISCUSSION: 5 Common Mistakes in Transformation and How to Avoid Them

Belinda Dawson - Chief Transformation Officer, The Disability Trust
Dan Ramirez - Head of Transformation, Income Insurance Limited

In this session, transformation experts will explore the five most common mistakes organisations make during their transformation journeys and offer actionable insights on how to avoid them. From overlooking cultural shifts to neglecting clear communication, these missteps can derail even the most well-planned initiatives. By understanding these pitfalls, leaders will gain valuable knowledge on how to drive successful, sustainable transformation.

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Belinda Dawson

Chief Transformation Officer
The Disability Trust

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Dan Ramirez

Head of Transformation
Income Insurance Limited

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm OPEX Week: Cocktail Reception & Party!