Agenda
Tuesday, 22 July 2025
“Taming Hybrid, Mastering FinOps & Building Future-Ready Infrastructure for AI at Scale”
Please note that 1:1 meetings will be running throughout the day.
Registration & Check-In
Welcome to the 13th annual Cloud & Infrastructure Edge
Jim Berry - CEO & Founder
Australia’s leading CTOs, infrastructure, and data centre professionals face immense pressure to cut costs while accelerating digital initiatives.
Facing the challenges of hybrid and multi-cloud environments, soaring compute demands, and the need for sustainable AI and data pipelines – debate will focus on workload optimisation, FinOps best practices, and next-generation data centre and edge computing strategies.
To tackle this, we gather the nation’s leaders and proudly bring you Australia’s top Cloud & Infrastructure Strategy event – with a focus on outcome based ideas you will remember and be able to action after the day. Learn how to build a secure, resilient foundation for the high-performance computing, analytics, and AI that will power Australia’s economic future.
ADAPT Insights: The State of Digital Infrastructure & Resilience in A/NZ Enterprise
Matt Boon - Senior Research Director at ADAPT
ADAPT’s Research and Advisory team reveal the latest data-driven insights from over 1000 local surveys from regional Heads of IT, digital, security and finance enabling companies responsible for over 60% of Australia’s GDP.
Assessing digital infrastructure and finops maturity, performance, capital allocation, and the unique challenges facing Australian Heads of Cloud and Infrastructure. Also revealing ADAPT’s 2025 Cloud Migration study – running since 2018.
Helping you to benchmark and validate your priorities and thinking, ADAPT reveal the core findings distilled from your aggregated pre-event surveys and examine which tactics have the biggest impact – and how best to scale that success.
Get an Edge: Making the Most of Your Day
Tenar Larsen - Head of People & Performance, Executive Programs
The State of the Data Centre 2025
Bill Kleyman - CEO & Co-Founder at Apolo
Drawing from the new AFCOM State of the Data Centre 2025 Report, Bill will explore recent advancements in DC technology, covering key topics such as data centre growth, power and cooling challenges, cloud trends, infrastructure threats, and budget trends.
He’ll discuss how over 100 megawatts of new construction have been added monthly since late 2021, the doubling of the U.S. colocation market, and the rise in DCIM adoption to 69% – all framed for Australian relevance.
Addressing:
- The significant increase in rack density from 7 kW/rack in 2021 to 16 kW/rack in 2024 due to AI and high-performance workloads.
- Cloud repatriation driven by rising costs
- The adoption of FinOps, and the impact of outages, with over half of respondents reporting losses exceeding $100,000.
- AI’s influence on operations, liquid cooling advancements, and security challenges.
With a future-forward outlook, Bill’s address will inform and inspire, providing a comprehensive glimpse into the ongoing innovation and exciting prospects in the data centre industry – and expected impact on Australia. Join us to stay at the forefront of data centre trends and technologies, with expert analysis on vital industry concerns and future directions.
Bill Kleyman is an award-winning data centre, cloud, and digital infrastructure leader with a 20-year career at the forefront of technology. Ranked globally by Onalytica as one of the leading executives in cloud computing and data security, Bill is focused on advising organisations, training young talent, and educating global audiences around AI, machine learning, sustainable data centre design, colocation architecture, cybersecurity, DevOps, and more.
Today, Bill is the CEO of Apolo, an AI platform and infrastructure company. He is the Chair of the Education Committee at Infrastructure Masons and the AFCOM Data Center World Program Chair. Bill is also a regular guest lecturer at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering for graduate and undergraduate courses.
Building Cloud Security Programs That Can Shift Left
Matt Preswick - Principal Solutions Engineer at Wiz Edwin Kwan - Head of Product Security at Domain Group

For organisations born in the cloud or seeking to adopt modern technologies like containers, Kubernetes, and Serverless architectures, shifting security left is foundational. It empowers engineering teams to collaborate effectively with security teams, and effectively prevent common risks associated with the cloud. But how can this be achieved when security and engineering teams often have transactional relationships?
Join this session for real-world examples of how Australian organisations are bringing DevSecOps together with practical guidance from Australian Security leader, Edwin Kwan, Head of Product Security at Domain Group.
Morning Break
Refreshments, Snacks & Connections
Cloud & AI Panel: From Hybrid Chaos to AI-Driven Innovation: The New Cloud Operating Model
Peter Hind - Principal Research Analyst at ADAPT Dr. Patrick Maes - former CIO of Credit Suisse and CTO of ANZ, currently consulting at Qantas Nam Je Cho - Director of Solutions Architecture at AWS


Organisations are grappling with the complexities of hybrid and multi-cloud environments, rising compute and storage costs for AI workloads, and the need to streamline data pipelines.
Based on feedback from Advisors and ADAPT community, this panel of Australian experts will explore strategies for orchestrating hybrid cloud infrastructures effectively, managing multi-cloud data compliance, optimising workload placement, enabling rapid AI experimentation, and leveraging serverless architectures.
Also asking the role of Infrastructure leaders in code transformation enabled by Agentic AI – using AI as tooling to mitigate the legacy code case, code generate to modernise into the Cloud.
Gain a holistic view of how to align cloud operations with business imperatives while controlling costs, ensuring security, and scaling AI capabilities.
- Orchestration & Hybrid Cloud Value
- Multi-Cloud Governance & Security
- Workload Optimisation & Agentic AI role in code generation
- Rapid AI Enablement & Experimentation
- Data at Scale & Serverless Architectures
Embracing AI and GenAI for Sustainable Hybrid IT Infrastructure
Mark Deguara - General Manager of Data Centres at Schneider Electric
Discover how AI and GenAI are transforming hybrid IT infrastructure by improving efficiency, boosting competitiveness, maximising value, ensuring resilience, and meeting sustainability goals. Learn from Schneider Electric’s expertise in sustainable AI solutions for hybrid IT enterprises. This session will focus on three main areas: confidently embracing AI, building secure and modular AI-ready IT infrastructure, and using AI to enhance business sustainability
The Wireless Infrastructure of Resilience: How Private 5G, Wireless WAN and Edge AI is Future-Proofing Australia’s Organisations
John Hopping - CTO APAC at Ericsson Enterprise Wireless
In an era defined by climate extremes, cyber threats, and accelerating digital disruption, Australian organisations must fundamentally rethink how they build operational resilience. In this discussion with John Hopping, CTO APAC for Enterprise Wireless Solutions at Ericsson, we will explore how Private 5G , wireless WNA and Edge AI are transforming traditional infrastructure into intelligent, adaptive systems capable of real-time decision-making and ultimate resiliency.
During the discussion we will share how industries such as mining, logistics, retail, utilities, and emergency services sectors are already leveraging next-generation wireless to reduce downtime, improve safety, and meet evolving regulatory and sustainability demands. John will share global use cases and local insights that illustrate how wireless is no longer just a connectivity tool—but a foundational pillar for mission-critical operations.
ADAPT Executive Insight Roundtables
Attend your pre-selected roundtable to participate in a peer discussion with confidence under Chatham House Rules moderated by an ADAPT analyst with subject matter experts.
Peer Networking Seated Lunch
ADAPT Executive Insight Roundtables
Attend your pre-selected roundtable to participate in a peer discussion with confidence under Chatham House Rules moderated by an ADAPT analyst with subject matter experts.
Afternoon Break
Refreshments, Snacks & Connections
Panel: Scaling Data Centres for AI and High-Performance Computing: Building Smarter, Resilient Infrastructure
Peter Alexander - CTO, Defence Digital Group at the Department of Defence Matt Gurr - Senior Director of Design Management APAC at NTT Global Data Centres (formerly AECOM, AWS, Aurecon)

Modern data centres face unprecedented pressures – from the explosive rise of AI and HPC workloads to the growing importance of sustainability and edge architectures.
This expert panel explores how to build next-generation data centre environments that unite high-performance computing, cloud-native concepts, and robust operational management. Debating how to collaborate on a more robust, future-ready foundation for AI and high-performance computing while ensuring resilience, cost-efficiency, and sustainability – all while meeting ever-increasing business demands.
- AI & HPC Readiness: Balancing performance, scalability, and cooling requirements for advanced workloads.
- Edge & Distributed Architecture: Applying cloud-native principles across on-premises and edge environments for seamless, low-latency operations.
- Sustainability & Power Efficiency: Integrating renewable energy and innovative cooling solutions to meet ESG goals and optimise costs.
- Infrastructure Modernisation: Automating and standardising hybrid data centre platforms to enable agility and consistent governance.
- Facility Management & Collaboration: Roles, responsibilities, and skill sets to run modern data centres effectively with IT, facilities, and engineering.
Why GenAI Tool Adoption Is An Endurance Event, Not A Sprint
Wayne Vest - Senior Expert at McKinsey & Company
The GenAI conversation often swings from breathless excitement to one of considered scepticism. But the value from GenAI tools is less a rush of “What can we do right now?” but “What foundation are we setting now to reap value over time?”
This means developing clear map of the opportunity, staying the course, and persisting with incremental gains that will pay off over the long run.
Wayne Vest, Senior Expert at McKinsey will speak to why getting ahead on the value from GenAI for Cloud and Infrastructure leaders is matter of endurance, not a sprint.
Embracing Our Adaptive Intelligence
Andrea Clarke - Work Futurist & Author at FutureFit
Great leaders & learners are defined by one trait: the ability to understand what is changing around them and adapt. Andrea shares the new, expanded role of adaptability for modern leaders, and three practical ways to get started on building your AQ to shift from reacting & responding to change – to anticipating & shaping it. This will be of specific value to IT leaders to help deal with the unique challenges of the role.
Andrea is a Work Futurist who encourages people to adapt to change more effectively so they can be ‘future fit’ for their work/life.
One year before the pandemic, Andrea released her first award-winning book, ‘Future Fit: How to Stay Relevant and Competitive in the Future of Work’ – winner of the Australian Business Book of the Year 2019 and finalist in the UK Business Book Awards 2020.
She founded Future Fit Learning in 2012 – a small business that builds leaders who drive innovation, growth and cultural change by accelerating the ‘real skills’ needed to lead with impact. Through her programs, Andrea and her team have helped major organisations develop leaders at all levels.
Her 2nd book, “”Adapt”” is out now.
Cloud & Infrastructure Edge 2025: Insights summary
with ADAPT's Research & Advisory TeamSummarising the day’s core findings into actionable insights to take back to your job.
ADAPT proudly host the "2025 Infrastructure Masons Australian Chapter Networking Event"
Hilton Zeta Bar – private hire to meet and network with your industry peers over drinks and canapes.
ADAPT helped the local launch of the global Infrastructure Masons in March 2020, and proudly partner their 5th annual local chapter meeting. All attendees are invited to attend – and each can apply for a free iMasons annual membership.
Established in 2016 in the US, Infrastructure Masons is where technical professionals connect, grow and give back.
End User Members are IT and facilities professionals who are directly responsible to design, build and/or operate the physical and logical structures for a company that provides infrastructure services primarily to their internal customers.
The iM Australia Chapter provides a forum for members to connect and engage in meaningful discussion with their industry peers. As a Member, you are invited to ‘leave your company at the door’ and take advantage of the opportunity to build new connections, gain new knowledge, and generate contributions to the iMasons scholarship fund.