In his CIO Edge presentation, David Walker, Former Group Chief Technology Officer at Westpac and DBS, shares how CIOs move past pilots by resetting skills, process, governance.

He explains that CIOs must think like futurists as technology shifts at extreme speed.

He highlights that AI is only one part of a wider transformation.

Trends such as conversational interfaces, agents, and looming quantum‑computing risks all reshape how organisations operate.

He notes that internet traffic patterns are already changing as users stay inside AI ecosystems, forcing CIOs to rethink digital strategy.

David warns that organisations continue to struggle with scaling AI.

Fewer than one in ten companies move beyond pilots, and most are not ready for the constant change AI brings.

According to ADAPT data, half of AI pilots lack formal governance frameworks and 62% of data leaders report minimal or basic data controls, leaving lineage, traceability and model evaluation unclear.

David argues that the biggest barriers are not technical but organisational.

Success depends on preparing people, redesigning processes, re‑engineering skills at scale and giving teams permission to innovate.

He stresses that companies must reimagine workflows rather than simply sprinkle AI on top of old processes.

CIOs must rethink technology, delivery and risk.

David urges leaders to define target states based on characteristics, not specific platforms and to prepare for a future filled with millions of agents.

CIOs should note that AI is a general‑purpose technology, not just another tool.

Getting hands‑on with agents is essential for credible leadership. He warns that Australia’s productivity is flat and says scaling AI effectively is critical to lifting national performance.

 

Key takeaways:

  • AI only delivers value when organisations are ready to change and most are not yet prepared to scale beyond pilots due to people, process and organisational barriers.
  • CIOs must lead both technology and enterprise transformation, rethinking skills, re‑engineering processes and redesigning operating models to incorporate agents at scale.
  • Hands‑on AI fluency is essential, as AI becomes a general‑purpose technology critical to lifting productivity and maintaining competitiveness in Australia.
Contributors
David Walker Chief Technology Officer at Westpac Group
David Walker was appointed Westpac Group’s Chief Technology Officer in August 2019. Since then, he is leading Westpac through its technology transformation... More

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.

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leadership skills transformation