Our Speakers

Shankar Vedaraman is a highly versatile leader in the data domain, with a strong foundation in data science and engineering. He is passionate about enabling organisations to harness data efficiently and develop innovative data products that drive meaningful business outcomes.

Shankar excels at building and leading global engineering and analytics teams, envisioning and deploying scalable data solutions, and crafting strategies that lead to measurable impact. His expertise extends to solving complex product and people alignment challenges, fostering innovation, and maintaining a relentless focus on execution.

With deep domain knowledge in marketing, finance, and payments, Shankar specialises in areas such as data architecture, big data batch and stream processing, analytic frameworks, data operations, and enabling experimentation and machine learning. He is committed to building trust across cross-functional teams and driving progress through strategic investments in the data space.

As the CEO of PrivacyCode and a Partner at Privatus Consulting, Michelle Dennedy has over 20 years of experience in advancing the respect for human information. She is renowned for her expertise in privacy engineering, a field that bridges the policy and technology divide with metrics and outcomes. Additionally, Michelle is an author, a podcaster, and a strategic advisor for several technology companies.

Michelle’s mission is to build better technology that matters, promoting quality, integrity, and asset-level possibilities for information assets. She works closely with families, executives, innovators, and dreamers at all stages and in all sectors to support the combination of policy, practice, and tools. She is passionate about creating solutions that enable data privacy and security, as well as social and environmental responsibility.

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.

Accountable for driving Tabcorp forward across revenue, customer experience, productivity, cost and harm minimization through data, insight, AI and automation. 

Marek Kowalkiewicz is a Professor and Chair in Digital Economy at QUT Business School. Listed among the Top 100 Global Thought Leaders in AI by thinkers360, Marek has led global innovation teams in Silicon Valley, was a Global Research Program Lead and Founding Research Manager of SAP’s Machine Learning lab in Singapore, and a Research Fellow at Microsoft Research Asia. His newest book, “The Economy of Algorithms: AI and the Rise of the Digital Minions”, is an international bestseller, recently released as an audiobook.

Suzie has a proven track record in leading digital transformation strategies and new data-led digital products for media organisations. With long experience in digital and data platform development, she has worked for some of Australia’s largest media organisations including Foxtel, News Corp and Nine Entertainment.

In her roles with Foxtel and News Corp, Suzie was responsible for developing new commercial data-driven digital products. At News Corp she launched the industry-first audience segmentation and intelligence platform, Intent Connect.

Currently, in her role as Chief Data, Product & Technology Officer, Enterprise for Nine Entertainment, Suzie is leading the development and implementation of Nine’s data strategy, focusing on building value from Nine’s scaled audience and first party data asset. She is also responsible for developing and implementing Nine’s AI strategy. She leads a team of data technologists, product managers and data scientists.

Richard Fleming is the leader of our Asia-Pacific Advanced Analytics practice. He is also a leader in our Transformation and Change practice.

He has more than 25 years of management consulting experience, advising business leaders on their biggest opportunities and challenges. He has supported clients with business transformation across strategy, customer experience, performance improvement, M&A, operating model design, digital, data and technology. His work is increasingly to support clients transform their businesses with digital, data and technology.

He has deep experience working with financial services clients in banking, insurance, wealth management and payments. Richard has also worked across industries including retail, consumer products, telecommunications, medtech and manufacturing.

He has applied his strategy consulting expertise globally, having served clients in the North America, Australia, the United Kingdom, and across Asia.

Prior to joining us in 2001, Richard worked for two other global consulting firms with a focus on technology.

He earned an MBA from Australian Graduate School of Management and a BA with Honors in physics from Oxford University.

Alan Jacobson is the chief data and analytics officer (CDAO) of Alteryx, driving key data initiatives and accelerating digital business transformation for the Alteryx global customer base. As CDAO, Jacobson leads the company’s data science practice as a best-in-class example of how a company can get maximum leverage out of its data and the insights it contains. He is responsible for data management and governance, product and internal data, and use of the Alteryx Platform to drive continued growth.

Prior to joining Alteryx, Alan held a variety of leadership roles at Ford Motor Company across engineering, marketing, sales and new business development; most recently leading a team of data scientists to drive digital transformation across the enterprise. As an Alteryx evangelist at Ford, Alan spent many years leveraging the Alteryx Platform across the company and witnessed first-hand the impact a culture of analytics can have on the bottom line and what it takes to succeed as a data-driven enterprise. Alan will extend his role as an evangelist to customers, helping data workers and business leaders alike foster a culture of analytics and deepen their investments in digital transformation strategies.

Alan was recognized as a top leader in the global automotive industry as an Automotive Hall of Fame Leadership & Excellence award winner and an Outstanding Engineer of the Year by the Engineering Society of Detroit and works with the National Academy of Engineering and other organizations as an advisor on data science topics.

Alan earned his bachelor’s degrees in engineering from the University of New Hampshire and received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech.

As the Executive General Manager at IAG, one of Australia’s leading insurance providers, I oversee the claims operations and strategy for the personal and commercial lines of business. With over 25 years of industry experience, I have a deep understanding of the insurance market, customer needs, and regulatory requirements.

I am passionate about driving innovation, efficiency, and quality and leveraging my analytical and negotiation skills to deliver optimal outcomes for customers and the business. I have successfully implemented several initiatives to drive simplicity in business operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer enhance. I also value collaboration and communication, and foster a culture of trust, respect, and empowerment among my team and stakeholders. My mission is to make insurance simpler, smarter, and safer for everyone.

Dr. Michael G. Kollo is recognised as an accomplished executive leader and educator within the realm of artificial intelligence’s significance in business strategy and product development across various sectors including financial services, technology, and public services. Holding a portfolio of leadership roles, Michael has contributed his expertise to renowned institutional investors such as Blackrock, Fidelity, Renaissance Asset Management, Axa Investment Managers, and HESTA. Additionally, he served as a non-executive director for Clime Investment Managers, an ASX-listed entity.

In the entrepreneurial sphere, Michael has been involved with AI and software companies, notably as a key figure at Faethm Pty, an Australian AI software company that was acquired by Pearsons in 2021, and at the Blockchain company Clanz. Beyond entrepreneurship, he actively participates in mentoring and supporting fintech and cybertech startup ecosystems in London and Australia.

In the realm of academia, Michael boasts a PhD in Finance from the London School of Economics, coupled with extensive lecturing experience at esteemed institutions such as the LSE and Imperial College. He has also been invited as a speaker at TedX events, focusing on the responsible utilisation of AI. With publications addressing machine learning’s application in investment management and contributions to the World Economic Forum’s AI/Fintech panel, Michael’s expertise is widely recognised. Moreover, he has cultivated a global audience through educational podcasts like “Curious Quant.”

As well as Director of AI at ADAPT, Michael is also the CEO of Evolved AI, a distinguished executive education and software development firm dedicated to empowering individuals through effective and responsible AI usage, thereby fostering resilient, transparent, and rapidly evolving enterprises.

Dr. Damian Brennan is Head of AI at Macquarie Group. He leads Macquarie’s enterprise Generative AI approach, including AI strategy, governance, platforms, solutions, practitioner community, training and adoption. He joined Macquarie in their London Office 6 years ago from IBM, and moved over to Sydney in 2021. He has expertise in AI and Analytics and is the inventor of several patents.

Sonia Boije is the Chief Data Officer at NBN and former Data Officer at Ericsson – a role that is central to the company’s transformation to a truly data-driven organization. The position entails responsibility for setting the overall data strategy for the company and ensuring data usage supports that strategy.

Sonia is driven by the belief that data is a transformative medium; that, when properly governed, understood and made available, can enable unprecedented opportunities to benefit people, business, and society.

A regular speaker at external conferences, board level discussions and a contributor to industry publications, Sonia is also engaged in teaching at Cambridge University.

Kavita Mistry is an accomplished technology leader with expertise in driving transformational change to deliver strategic and commercial objectives. She has more than 20 years’ experience across a variety of technology roles specialising in financial services, including superannuation, investments, digital, data, lending, and corporate applications. 

Prior to AMP Kavita was at AustralianSuper, where she held the roles of co-acting-CTO and Head of Enterprise Technology. There, she established and transformed technology capabilities across investments, member experience, cloud infrastructure, employee experience, data, CRM and enterprise technology assets. Prior to this, Kavita held various senior positions over 14 years at ANZ, including leadership roles within Home and Business lending technology.

Recently won the the iTnews Benchmark Award for Best Industrial Project

Jim is well known in the local market for delivering on his promise and his entire career has been spent connecting the right people at the right time in roles across Europe, China and Australia.

He founded ADAPT to deliver quality outcomes with integrity and now in our 8th year, growth has been consistent. Jim is still positioned across sales and account management where he delivers innovative results and programs and leads by example.

He also runs entrepreneurial product development and the evolution and clear differentiated value of ADAPT’s offerings. As well as a NSW Small Business Excellence nomination, ADAPT were 55th in BRW’s 2014 Top 100 Start Ups – Jim’s 3rd time there – previously as Founder of Strategic Path, an award-winning ICT publisher, he steered the company to make the list in both 2009 and 2010.