CIO Leadership Live: Australia
Host Cathy O'Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief APAC for CIO and CSO brands, interviews IT leaders throughout Australia. The conversations focus on leadership, innovation, and business strategy. Each episode features in-depth discussions with CIOs and other technology executives, offering insights into how Australian IT leaders drive digital transformation and business success.
Episodes
Ram Kalyanasundaram, Technology & Digital Transformation Director, Lion
Lion's Director of Technology & Digital Transformation, Ram Kalyanasundaram, shares how one of Australia's leading beverage companies is rethinking its approach to enterprise IT.
In this conversation with CIO Editorial Director Cathy O'Sullivan, Ram unpacks the "clean core" principle - what it means in practice, why it matters for long-term agility, and how Lion is applying it across a complex,
Tanya Graham, Group Executive - Digital & Transformation, icare
icare Group Executive for Digital & Transformation Tanya Graham discusses leading the organisation’s transformation program, the power of shared goals when working with technology partners, and how technology is helping icare better support vulnerable people on their recovery journey.
Connie Beck, Group Director - Transformation & Digital, Urbis
Urbis Group Director for Transformation & Digital Connie Beck on developing the organisation’s GenAI platform, the importance of uplifting digital literacy, how they prioritise career development, and the skillsets she thinks will be most needed headed into 2026.
Mark Opitz, Group Head of ICT, Acciona Australia
In this episode of CIO Leadership Live, Cathy O’Sullivan speaks with Mark Opitz, Group Head of ICT at Acciona Australia. Mark shares insights from his career journey, details Acciona’s digital transformation, and highlights impactful innovations like the Linksite tool and early adoption of AI and large language models. He also discusses his approach to change management, building vs. buying tech,
Adam Wrightson, Chief Technology Officer, HOYTS
In this CIO Leadership Live interview, HOYTS Chief Technology Officer Adam Wrightson sits down with Cathy O’Sullivan to explore how digital transformation is reshaping the cinema experience - from behind-the-scenes infrastructure to the palm of your hand.
With nearly three decades at HOYTS, Adam shares how his team leads everything from traditional IT and cybersecurity to cinema projection, sound
Nick Sone, Chief Customer Officer, Brennan
In today’s global tech landscape, local capability is becoming a strategic advantage for CIOs.
In this CIO Leadership Live interview - in partnership with Brennan - Nick Sone, Chief Customer Officer at Brennan, explores why more Australian CIOs are turning to trusted, local partners who can deliver global capability - without the complexity and red tape of offshore integrators.
As Brennan sets i
Sanjeev Gupta, Chief Information & Transformation Officer, HBF Health
HBF Health’s Sanjeev Gupta on how the organisation’s transformation programme has delivered benefits to members and staff, what he would have done differently, and how AI can be a force for good.
Dr Rachna Gandhi, Group Chief Digital Officer, Ramsay Health Care
Ramsay Health Care’s Chief Digital and Data Officer Dr Rachna Gandhi on enhancing people-centred care through technology, creating a single source of truth for the organisation’s data, and overcoming technical debt to accelerate benefits for patients and staff.
Datacom CISO Collin Penman on AI-powered threats and cyber fatigue
Datacom CISO Collin Penman talks about the growing gap between leadership and employees when it comes to cybersecurity, how cyber fatigue is leaving businesses in Australia and New Zealand more exposed, and why AI-powered threats are now keeping security leaders up at night.
Speaking to CIO's Cathy O'Sullivan, Penman dug into Datacom's State of Cybersecurity Index findings, and the reality is sob
Nicola Dorling, Group CIO, Downer
Downer Group CIO Nicola Dorling on utilising AI to improve safety on sites and for predictive asset maintenance, the importance of balancing legacy tech with innovation, and fostering a strong team culture through the ‘Downer Difference’.
Hani Arab, Chief Information Officer, Seymour Whyte
Seymour Whyte Chief Information Officer Hani Arab on dealing with legacy tech, where the organisation is heading with its cloud journey, and the emerging trends he anticipates in technology for the construction sector.
Milad Kruze, Executive GM - IT, The Salvation Army
Milad Kruze, Executive General Manager for IT at the Salvation Army, discusses the organisation's multi-faceted mission, modernising disaster management software, implementing AI for community connections, and the importance of empathy, relationship building, and diversity in IT.
Carrie Hu, Chief Digital Product Officer, New Aim
New Aim Chief Digital Product Officer Carrie Hu on being named Next CIO winner as part of CIO50 Australia, how she and her team are developing new platforms to support e-commerce, the key things needed to get buy-in for new initiatives, and how she’s generating interest in STEM careers through Inspiring Girls Australia.
IDC Chief Analyst ANZ Linus Lai on 2025 tech landscape
IDC's Chief Analyst for Australia and New Zealand Linus Lai reflects on the year in technology, the ongoing challenges for CIOs in the region, and IDC’s predictions on digital technology spending for 2025.
Leeanne Chau, Chief Information Officer, WaterNSW
WaterNSW CIO Leeanne Chau on how data is fundamental for operational modelling and leveraging innovation opportunities, why digital transformation is not just about technology but also about enabling people and processes to thrive in a constantly evolving environment, and the importance of partnerships, leadership, and diversity.
Gary Adler, Chief Digital Officer, MinterEllison
MinterEllison Chief Digital Officer Gary Adler on the firm’s hyperautomation strategy and how its benefitting internal and external stakeholders, driving digital fluency for the firm’s staff through a digital academy and dedicated GenAI time, and how to stay innovative in a changing world.
Melanie Evans, Chief Information Officer, Ventia
Ventia Chief Information Officer Melanie Evans on winning a CIO50 Team of the Year award, combating burnout through digital wellbeing initiatives, exploring how AI can help the organisation’s central focus on safety, and maintaining a balance between being compassionate and making tough decisions
Kurt Brissett, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, Transport for NSW
CIO of the Year at the 2024 CIO50 Awards Kurt Brissett, Transport for NSW's Chief Innovation & Technology Officer, on delivering world-firsts in technology for transport users, how high staff engagement is translating into customer satisfaction, and why he is so passionate about creating careers in technology for veterans.
Dan Kerr, Chief Information Officer, Fremantle Ports
Fremantle Ports CIO Dan Kerr on how his team helps support the facilitation of trade in Western Australia through operational technology and data and insights, the huge program of work rolled out to lift the organisation's IT maturity, and why a focus on engagement is crucial for team development.
Devan Naidoo, Technology Director at MUFG Retirement Solutions
MUFG Retirement Solutions Technology Director Devan Naidoo on reshaping the organisation’s technology operating model globally, what growing up in apartheid South Africa taught him about work, how the company is leveraging AI, and the importance of having a diverse team at all levels.
Suma Shivalingaiah, Chief Information Officer at Eastern Health
Eastern Health Chief Information Officer Suma Shivalingaiah discusses starting her CIO role on the day of a ransomware attack and how cyber is a never-ending challenge, creating digital champions to improve tech adoption, and the need for more interoperability in healthcare systems.
Nazih Battal, Chief Information and Technology Officer at Rashays
Rashays Chief Information and Technology Officer Nazih Battal on improving customer experience and engagement through technology, the challenges for the hospitality sector in uncertain economic times, and a career highlight working on the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Andrew Dome, Chief Digital Information Officer at Uniting
Uniting’s Chief Digital Information Officer Andrew Dome on using augmented reality to provide regional telehealth services, the ways technology is lessening the admin burden of frontline staff, and how CIOs in the aged care sector come together to collaborate and deliver the best outcomes for the humans at the centre of their services.
Alan Sharvin, Chief Information Officer, Tabcorp
Tabcorp Chief Information Officer Alan Sharvin on why the technology team is a 'plus one' for the business, how cost optimisation can be a powerful tool for innovation, and the excitement and tech challenges of the Melbourne Cup and racing carnival season.
Sinan Erbay, Chief Information Officer, RMIT University
RMIT University CIO Sinan Erbay on delivering supercomputing power to the university research community through its RACE Hub facility, pushing boundaries and building out their capabilities in emerging technologies through the university's Living Lab, and why he's a big believer in distributed teams and driving a customer-first approach.
David Gee, Author, The Aspiring CIO and CISO
Experienced global CIO David Gee discusses his motivations for writing a book for aspiring CIOs and CISOs, the lessons he learned during his career in technology, and his hopes and fears for the next generation of tech leaders.
Stevie-Ann Dovico, Chief Information Officer, Beyond Bank
Beyond Bank Chief Information Officer Stevie-Ann Dovico on using technology to enhance the human-to-human customer experience in banking, why security and availability are non-negotiables that drive the bank's tech strategy, and her passion for new tech that fosters inclusivity and helps financial wellbeing
Eglantine Etiemble, Group Chief Technology Officer at PEXA
PEXA Group CTO Eglantine Etiemble on how her organisation powers 90% of property transactions in Australia, why flexibility is key to getting more women into IT, the importance of moonshots, and the company’s next focus on transforming the UK property market.
Geoff Quattromani, head of technology, Johnson & Johnson MedTech ANZ
Johnson & Johnson MedTech ANZ Head of Technology Geoff Quattromani on putting patients at the heart of everything they do, why they are creating internal GPTs for staff, taking AI to the operating theatre through their partnership with NVIDIA, and why there has never been a more exciting time to be in tech.
Marcelo Dantas, Chief Information Officer, Automic Group
Automic Group Chief Information Officer Marcelo Dantas on completing one of the largest-ever registry services transitions in Australia on its cloud-native platform, the use cases for GenAI he is exploring, and why the organisation is looking to shift to a hybrid cloud model.
Scott Andrews, Chief Operating Officer, Idea Science
Idea Science’s Chief Operating Officer Scott Andrews on how the role of CIO has evolved, why team and customer feedback is essential, and the need to continually ‘sharpen the saw’ to stay relevant.
Dr Alex Ji, Chief Information Officer, New Aim
New Aim’s Chief Information Officer Dr Alex Ji on how the e-commerce company has delivered to 60% of Australia’s households, their mission to democratize AI usage for small and medium online retailers, and how they are optimizing last mile delivery to drive customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Brett Wilson, Chief Information Officer, Australian Red Cross
Brett Wilson, Chief Information Officer at Australian Red Cross, talks about being ready to activate at all times in an emergency or disaster scenario, the organisation's transformation and modernisation journey with a huge focus on data, and leveraging AI to keep the organisation secure.
John Taylor, Former Group Executive - Technology & Security, MedHealth
MedHealth’s former Group Executive - Technology & Security, John Taylor talks about his career path from being a police detective into security and IT, why he favours evolution rather than revolution when it comes to projects, and how technology partners can add value with new perspectives.
Michael Ciavarella, Chief Technology Officer at A&S Labels
A&S Labels’ Chief Technology Officer Michael Ciavarella on how automation is helping drive the fashion business to the next level, the importance of values alignment when it comes to choosing partners, and why networking is essential for anyone in a technology leadership role.
Brett Reedman, Chief Information Officer, Catholic Healthcare
Catholic Healthcare CIO Brett Reedman talks about partnering with Microsoft for its not-for-profit AI aged care incubation lab, how the new organizational strategy has led to a revamp of the care provider’s IT strategy, and the importance of having fun at work.
Raul Caceres, Executive Director Operations, Canteen
Executive Director of Operations at Canteen, Raul Caceres, on how the non-profit has developed a donor prediction model, why it is exploring using GenAI to help give teens with cancer more access to information, and plans Canteen has to offer services to other non-profits to support their data and tech strategies.
Linus Lai, Chief Analyst ANZ, IDC
IDC's Chief Analyst for Australia and New Zealand Linus Lai discusses how spending on digital business technologies in 2024 is predicted to grow, what the new phase for the public cloud market looks like, the appetite and preparedness for AI/GenAI in the enterprise in region, and other emerging areas that CIOs should keeps tabs on.
Peter Gasparovic, Former General Manager IT, Dunbrae Group
Peter Gasparovic talks about how leaving the police force for a role in technology was one of the best career decisions he’s ever made, why CIOs should embrace shadow IT, how the role of CIO has changed, and what he’s looking for in his next IT leadership role.
Suzanne Hall, Chief Information Officer, Baptcare
Baptcare CIO Suzanne Hall on the rewards of working in the aged care sector, how the team is driving innovation in the organisation while also addressing tech debt, and the benefits a cybersecurity education programme can have for employees in their work life and home life.
Noel Toal, Chief Information Officer, DPV Health
DPV Health CIO Noel Toal on the most significant challenges faced by IT leaders in the healthcare sector today, why he believes cybersecurity should have a separate budget to IT, and what’s a top priority for the team in 2024.
Michael Fagan, Chief Transformation Officer, Village Roadshow
Village Roadshow Chief Transformation Officer Michael Fagan on why CIOs should ‘kill their darlings’ and say no more often, the importance of an innovative culture, and how the company is furthering team training with a new skill guild model in partnership with AWS.
Will Everitt, Director of Product Solutions, Seven West Media
Seven West Media’s Will Everitt on how the broadcaster has amped up personalisation features with AI and machine learning, the importance of user experience, what’s valuable when dealing with partners, and what the future of streaming might look like.
Naren Gangavarapu, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Northern Beaches Council
Northern Beaches Council’s Naren Gangavarapu on delivering services ‘from the cradle to the grave’ for his community, how technology initiatives are driving sustainability on a local level and reducing emissions, and his advice to CIOs working with constrained budgets.
David Hogarth, Chief Information Officer, Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia CIO David Hogarth on the innovative customer experiences that saw the airline win Team of the Year - Customer Value at the CIO50 Awards, how the company recovered after the impact of the pandemic on the industry, and how he keeps morale up in uncertain times.
Angela Coble, CIO50 Hall of Fame 2023 Inductee
CIO50 Hall of Famer Angela Coble reflects on her career in IT and what she learned as a CIO, her doctoral research on women in leadership, how to influence the exec and the board, and the leadership traits CIOs of the future will need.
Peter Ratcliffe, head of technology at RM Williams
Host David Binning talks with Peter Ratcliffe, head of technology at iconic fashion brand RM Williams, about current achievements around a recent customer experience project.
Juan Perez, Global CIO at Salesforce
Host David Binning talks with Juan Perez, Global CIO at Salesforce, about his career journey at UPS, and how he's applying career lessons learned to his new role at Salesforce.
Pushapwant Sandhu, CIO, Museum Applied Arts and Sciences
CIO Pushapwant Sandhu talks with host David Binning about the challenges he faced moving into his role, setting priorities and working with his team to meet the museum's deliverables.
Nick Eshkenazi, Chief Digital Officer, Prezzee
Digital retail veteran, Nick Eshkenazi on his move from Woolworths to now helping Prezzee become the 'Amazon' of speciality gifts online.
Jorge Silveira, chief digital health officer, Virtus Health
Jorge Silveira, Chief Digital Health Officer at Virtus Health and a CIO50 honoree, joins David to discuss how his experiences in the health sector have informed his digital healthcare principles and more.
Dr. Steve Hodgkinson, Chief Digital Officer at Victoria Police
Victoria Police Chief Digital Officer Steve Hodgkinson on his decision to take the top tech job at Australia's largest police force, where he is deploying the platform+agile approach that proved critical in transforming Vic Health and Human Services, while coming to grips with "law enforcement" culture and how to better utilise an utterly huge armory of digital assets to track and catch the bad gu
