Agenda

Jim founded ADAPT with a vision to help Australia thrive commercially, now and for the future.  To enable that, Jim leads ADAPT’s mission to connect, inform and equip our local business and tech leaders.

Leading the development of ADAPTs agenda’s and content strategy whilst also advising executive leadership teams from global technology service providers, Jim is uniquely experienced to be the voice of the end-user, the customer and the vendor.

Bringing his deep knowledge of the local market, Jim regularly presents “Know your Customer” webinars and guides the world’s largest vendors with their G-T-M and content strategies.

Through entrepreneurial product development and a servant leader mentality with his team and clients, ADAPT grows annually with clearly differentiated value for all stakeholders.

Gabby’s primary role is managing ADAPT’s overall strategy for Data Analytics. He has extensive experience in using data to identify trends in technology that help shape Australian organisations. Utilising modern Data Science techniques, he provides ADAPT and their customers with confidence in the accuracy and validity of the information used for ADAPT’s Research, Advisory, and Events.​

With a passion for creating stories with data, Gabby is consistently rated as one of the top speakers at ADAPT Events. In round table discussions, he specialises in using statistics to initiate thought-provoking discussions. Gabby is effective in translating information into insights, enabling ADAPT’s customers to become more data-driven.​

Gabby’s primary areas of expertise are: ​

• Advanced AI and ML practices, including AI ethics.​
• Building models to benchmark and predict IT performance.​
• End-user behaviour and human-centred design.​
• Cross-functional team design and value, such as DevSecOps.​

Peter Weill’s work centers on the role, value, and governance of digitization in enterprises. Weill joined the MIT Sloan faculty in 2000 to become director of MIT Sloan’s Center for Information Systems Research (CISR).

MIT CISR is funded by approximately 100 corporate sponsors and patrons, and undertakes practical research on how firms generate business value from Information Technology (IT). As chair, Weill focuses on globalizing the center’s research and delivery. In 2008, Ziff Davis recognized Weill as #24 of The Top 100 Most Influential People in IT, the highest-ranked academic. In Dec 2019, his 2015 MIT SMR article Thriving in an Increasingly Digital Era was recognized as one of The Best 10 SMR Articles in the 2010s.

Peter has worked on digitization issues with the Executive Committees and Boards of more than 40 companies globally. He conducts workshops for key conferences, including the CEO Summits for Microsoft, IBM, and SAP, and the International Monetary Conference.

Peter Weill’s work centers on the role, value, and governance of digitization in enterprises. Weill joined the MIT Sloan faculty in 2000 to become director of MIT Sloan’s Center for Information Systems Research (CISR).

MIT CISR is funded by approximately 100 corporate sponsors and patrons, and undertakes practical research on how firms generate business value from Information Technology (IT). As chair, Weill focuses on globalizing the center’s research and delivery. In 2008, Ziff Davis recognized Weill as #24 of The Top 100 Most Influential People in IT, the highest-ranked academic. In Dec 2019, his 2015 MIT SMR article Thriving in an Increasingly Digital Era was recognized as one of The Best 10 SMR Articles in the 2010s.

Peter has worked on digitization issues with the Executive Committees and Boards of more than 40 companies globally. He conducts workshops for key conferences, including the CEO Summits for Microsoft, IBM, and SAP, and the International Monetary Conference.

I am a senior technology executive, with broad capital markets experience on both the Buy- and Sell-side of the business. I enjoy the challenge and evolving nature of working in financial markets, and the demand this sector has on technology and innovation.

I have lived and worked in several countries around the world which has given me the opportunity to experience the diversity of different ways of working, cultures and people.

Experienced at managing teams and technology platforms front-to-back, defining technology strategy, and driving innovation and efficiency. I have experience with designing, implementing and running cross-functional delivery teams and onshore/offshore business aligned delivery models, and am comfortable adapting and changing to suit the needs of the organisation.

Nathan is the Strategy & Transformation executive for Telstra’s Product & Technology division which includes Software Engineering, Asset Management and Data & Artificial Intelligence. He also sits on the board of muru-d, Telstra’s startup incubation portfolio. Prior to his current role, he’s had several other executive positions at Telstra spanning Digital Media, Sports and Streaming, Wholesale and Retail Energy and Fixed broadband with notable products including Telstra TV, AFL and NRL Live Pass and world-first partnerships with Xbox.

Nathan is based out of Canberra, given its perfect proximity to Australia’s snowy-mountains and the NSW south coast. He’s served in the NSW Rural Fire Service as a volunteer firefighter for over 10 years, supporting the community through some of Australia’s most significant natural disasters.

Channa Seneviratne is the Executive – Technology Engagement & Advancement in Telstra Global Networks & Technology (GN&T). In this role he contributes to the continuing evolution of Telstra network differentiation and ensures our engineering teams continue our drive for technology leadership through world and Australian first’s.

He will help grow Telstra’s reputation locally and internationally in network leadership and superiority through thought leadership and influence in the telco industry globally via his role in GSMA, ORAN Alliance and other industry bodies. He has accountability for network sustainability and energy resilience & optimisation for GN&T and to drive greater advocacy and engagement with our customers and our segment teams including Regional Australia.

Channa has extensive experience in telecommunications networks having worked in both Operations and Engineering across both fixed and wireless technologies. During his time in Telstra, Channa has played key engineering design, support and operational roles as Telstra moved from being a start up in wireless through the evolutions of 2G, CDMA, 3G, 4G ,5G and now towards 5G Advanced. Channa led the launch of the world’s first commercial gigabit LTE network, the activation of Australia’s largest IoT footprint through our Cat M1 and Narrowband IoT technology and the launch of our 5G network. More recently he has been engaged in the increasing AI based automation of networks as applied to increased resource optimisation, service optimisation balanced
with better energy efficiency.

Channa has a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Queensland specialising in Telecommunications.

Away from work Channa enjoys travel, sport, wildlife photography and spending time with his family.

Mr Chris Crozier was recently appointed Chief Information Officer, leading the Defence Digital Group at Defence.

Prior to joining Defence, Mr Crozier was the Group Chief Information Officer for Orica International, the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of explosives for mining and civil construction.

As the Group Chief Information Officer, Mr Crozier was accountable for global digital technology strategies and operations across a footprint of the organisation spanning 120 countries, covering Business (IT), Customer (IoT) and Manufacturing (OT) systems, including the governance of Orica’s digital ecosystems, architecture, data, and cyber posture.

Prior to this, Mr Crozier held executive roles within Orica as Vice President of AusPac (60% of Orica’s global EBIT), Chief Digital Officer and Global Vice President Supply Chain; and BHP as Global Chief Information Officer and Global Chief Procurement Officer.

As a 35-year veteran of the Mining and Resources Sector, having commenced his professional life with Rio Tinto as a Research Engineer, Mr Crozier has experienced the highs and lows of the commodity cycle.

Mr Crozier has a Chemical Engineering Degree (Honours First Class) and Master of Business Administration.

In his spare time, Mr Crozier enjoys endurance sports, including cycling, running and swimming.

David Walker was appointed Westpac Group’s Chief Technology Officer in August 2019. Since then, he is leading Westpac through its technology transformation – simplifying and merging the bank, building 4th gen cloud-native applications, establishing and operating evergreen platforms, leading Westpac’s AI technology, and building a culture of passionate and forward-thinking tech and emerging talent.

David began his technology career in 1987 as a software engineer, focusing on coding complex systems. After a decade of evolving his software engineering craft, David founded a data science consulting. Over the following decade, it became the number one expert data insights company in Australia and Southeast Asia.

For the last 15 years, David has held executive roles in large, complex organisations across the APAC region. Prior to joining Westpac, David was part of the leadership team of Singaporean bank, DBS. In his ten years there, David helped transform DBS from a traditional bricks and mortar bank with little brand presence or recognition outside Singapore, to being recognised as the ‘Best Bank in the World’ and the ‘Best Digital Bank in the World’ by leading global financial publication Euromoney.

Loren is the Chief Information Officer of The Lottery Corporation, an ASX50 company that ranks as one of the highest-performing lottery operators in the world. She is accountable for end-to-end lottery platforms, Keno platforms and charitable gaming, as well as infrastructure, cyber security and corporate systems. Loren is a also Director of the 50-50 Foundation Limited and was named in CIO Magazine’s Top 50 CIO list for 2021 and is recognized widely as a collaborative and engaging ICT and digital specialist. A curious and passionate leader, Loren has a strong focus on customer experience, innovation and team culture.  

Prior to joining The Lottery Corporation, Loren’s career spanned multiple industries and geographies, ranging from digital strategy and transformation to IT delivery, operations and advisory services, including holding senior technology leadership positions at Youi, Rio Tinto and Gartner.

Matthew Barratt is the Principal Customer Success Manager for WalkMe in APAC, where he helps enterprise organisations scale digital adoption programs and unlock tangible ROI from their technology investments. He specialises in building internal capability, driving program governance, and embedding digital adoption into transformation strategy.

With a background in customer experience improvement and a focus on AI-powered enablement, Matt partners with executives and program leaders to reduce digital friction, accelerate user adoption, and turn technology use into a measurable business asset. 

As a fractional presales consultant, I specialise in helping cybersecurity start-ups, scale-ups and established firms enhance their presales strategies, particularly within Identity and Access Management (IAM) and broader cybersecurity solutions. With experience in presales enablement, I support companies in achieving product-market fit, problem-market fit and scaling their sales efforts.

By offering flexible, fractional services, I empower businesses to access expert-level presales support without the overhead of full-time hires, ensuring they can focus on closing deals and growing their business. My approach covers discovery calls, technical demos, proof of concepts, and sales enablement training, helping you move prospects through the pipeline effectively.”

Melissa Bischoping is a dedicated security advocate who blends an academic background in human psychology with extensive technical expertise to address complex technical challenges for businesses and individuals. Melissa’s research focuses on creative ways to leverage telemetry and technology to improve responses to emerging threats and vulnerability trends. She excels in leveraging data-driven insights to enhance threat mitigation strategies, optimize risk and vulnerability management, and excel in digital forensics and incident response methodologies.