There is increasing pressure on CIOs to do more with fewer resources to transform the business digitally.

How do businesses prioritise to gain value?

CIOs should go beyond the risk profile discussion and take into account, even within a risk profile, what is the commercial outcome which will ultimately determine priority.

Being part of a value chain to gain the desired outcomes is essential and CIOs have a unique perspective across the organisation to enable this for the business and its customers.

In addition to running an efficient IT department, it is also imperative to have efficient business functions driving business growth.

Using your influence to make the right decisions requires understanding pain points, business priorities, and what really matters to the organisation.

The key factors are:

  • building trust and integrity through your ability to deliver faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost
  • using technology as a differentiator
  • viewing ecosystems as a source of value
  • establishing a common framework and prioritising across the organisation
  • considering the strategic vision versus the problems and noise.

In this panel discussion, ADAPT’s Principal Research Analyst Peter Hind, explores practical ways to drive growth and lead innovation with expert insights from Damon Rees – former CEO of Service NSW, Angela Anthony – EGM IT and Digital at Dulux Group and Sami Yalavac, former CIO Bupa Health Services.

 

Key Takeaways

  • Prioritisation is a business issue, not an IT issue. Prioritisation needs to reflect both the business and technology working together to establish key priorities and outputs.
  • Effective prioritisation requires a good relationship with finance. Prioritisation needs to make good business sense and commercial value.
  • Business acumen: Technology teams need to understand the business, the industry and the customers so they can influence the conversation.
Contributors
Peter Hind Principal Research Analyst at ADAPT
Peter Hind has spent the last 25 years as an analyst and commentator on the ICT industry. ​ His primary areas of interest... More

Peter Hind has spent the last 25 years as an analyst and commentator on the ICT industry. ​

His primary areas of interest are the potential of technology to transform the way organisations operate, the change management obstacles executives encounter in realising this potential, as well as the tactics and techniques leaders have deployed to overcome these difficulties.​

Peter now takes on multiple roles within ADAPT including the moderation of private events and roundtables, interviewing business executives about the strategies they are pursuing and assisting with the structuring of delegate surveys.​

He also interrogates and analyses ADAPT’s treasure trove of end-user and C-suite data.​

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Damon Rees Former CEO of ServiceNSW
Damon Rees is a business leader focused on customer centricity, culture, digital enablement, and innovation, with more than twenty years of experience... More

Damon Rees is a business leader focused on customer centricity, culture, digital enablement, and innovation, with more than twenty years of experience driving transformational change, organisational performance, and better customer outcomes.

He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Service NSW, an independent Director at GP Synergy, Australia’s largest training organisation for GPs, and Founder of Better As Usual Pty Ltd, a practitioner-led professional services organisation committed to customer success and positive social impact.

Damon’s experience spans the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors including as the inaugural Government Chief Information and Digital Officer for NSW Government, the Chief Digital Officer for Macquarie Group, the Chief Technology and Interim Chief Information Officer for Woolworths, and the Head of Integrated Delivery for Westpac. He has served as an independent Director of GP Synergy for the last eight years including three years as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk committee, and six years as Chair of the Digital and ICT committee.

Damon was awarded the Sir James Wolfhenson scholarship to study at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2018, completed a Global Executive MBA with the University of Sydney in 2011, and holds a Bachelor of Information Technology from the University of Technology, Sydney.

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Angela Anthony EGM IT and Digital at Dulux Group
Senior Technology Executive with extensive experience in infrastructure , digital and technology strategy development and execution. Recognised ability to align achievements and... More

Senior Technology Executive with extensive experience in infrastructure , digital and technology strategy development and execution. Recognised ability to align achievements and goals with corporate vision.

Highly regarded for delivering strong Transformational and Business Performance Management results based on extensive leadership and business partnering skills in a multitude of “Blue Chip” organisations. Industry sector experience includes Health Services, Financial Services, Aviation and Retail across various geographies, including Asia, USA, Europe and Australia.

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Sami Yalavac Former CIO & MD at BUPA
Sami is a highly experienced technology executive and board adviser with over 35 years experience, and recognised as Australia’s #1 CIO in... More

Sami is a highly experienced technology executive and board adviser with over 35 years experience, and recognised as Australia’s #1 CIO in 2022 (CIO50). With deep expertise in healthcare, digital transformation, and leadership development, Sami combines strategic acumen with a strong focus on people, governance, and long-term impact.

  • Former APAC CIO and interim MD at Bupa, overseeing major healthcare and digital businesses.​
  • Currently serves on boards including HBF Health Insurance and Deakin University’s Cyber Security Advisory Board.​
  • Extensive background in leading complex transformations and digital health innovation.​
  • Actively coaches CIOs, executives, and leadership teams across sectors.​
  • Holds degrees in Computer Engineering, Quality Management, an MBA, and AICD certification.​
  • Trusted adviser on technology strategy, governance, and organisational change.​
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Transformation Modernisation