Leading Through Digital Shifts: Insights from ADAPT’s 2023 Top 10 Community Interviews

Peter Hind has spent the last 25 years as an analyst and commentator on the ICT industry. He says 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 and 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 our delegate surveys and the interrogation and analysis of ADAPT’s treasure trove of end-user and C-level data

Shane Hill is part of ADAPT’s Strategic Research and Advisory team. As Principal Research Analyst, he produces pragmatic insights tailored to the specific needs of technology leaders in Australia and New Zealand.

Hill has worked in technology delivery and market intelligence roles for the past 15 years. His expertise encompasses automation, data science, and machine learning domains. He focuses on how emerging technologies will impact the business models, frameworks, and operations of end-user and vendor organisations.

Formerly of Gartner and with IT services experience across multiple jurisdictions, Shane has led business transformation, technology modernisation, vendor management, and advisory programs for leading consultancies, major corporates, government agencies, and boutique firms.

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.​

Sandip has established a distinguished reputation as a visionary leader, adept at steering organizations towards designing outcome-focused strategies and realizing them through purposeful transformation and focused innovation. As a dynamic c-suite executive, Sandip has an impressive track record of delivering sustainable and agile results, with several industry firsts to his credit. With a breakthrough innovation focus, Sandip’s diverse background in corporate finance, strategy, transformation, digital, infrastructure, research, and operational functions has enabled him to provide unique insights and solutions across domains.

Specialties: Human Rights, Technology, Artificial intelligence, Public Law, Constitutional Law,
Administrative Law, Anti-discrimination Law, Anti-terrorism law.

I am an experienced information security and digital privacy leader with proficiency in building programs, business development, product management, and leading cross-functional teams. I have a strong track record of leading new initiatives to produce measured value, and transforming existing operations to align with stakeholder expectations.

I am passionate about simplifying complex information security and privacy concepts, and coaching technology professionals in communication and organizational alignment.

Named in the top 20 CIOs in Australia in 2018, Rowan is an acknowledged thought leader, innovator and sought-after advisor across the corporate spectrum. Rowan’s current role sees him responsible for providing strategic leadership as well as the delivery of business-focused technology outcomes across the digital landscape and through legacy systems, data analytics, AI and automation and security enabling the Department of Human Services (SA) to supply efficient services to the most vulnerable people in our society.

With a technology career spanning 35 years, Rowan’s reputation for technology leadership is widely recognised across private and public sectors. As business, government and our society become more dependent on technology enablement, automation and artificial intelligence, Rowan is a vigorous proponent of a user centred approach with ethics and security integral as part of the technology DNA.

A people focussed leader, Rowan is keenly aware of the power that cognitive diversity brings to the decision and design table. He believes that it’s an exciting time to be part of the tech industry but with that comes great responsibility for the future.

Prior to this role, Rowan was a Chief Information Officer for the Northern Territory Government, where he was best known for his AI and Wi-Fi innovations. He currently sits on the board of the Melaleuca Refugee Centre, an organisation assisting the survivors of torture and trauma to become part of Australian society.

Chief Information Officer (CIO), responsible for Information Services & Technology, business roadmap planning and delivery across all businesses in the Australia & New Zealand region; Private Health Insurance (PHI), Care Homes, Optometry, Dental, Tele-medical Services, Visa Services, Wellness and all the other Bupa business in the region. Part of the Executive team in the region and the Global IS Leadership team.

An accomplished senior executive leader with 25 years of deep subject matter expertise in digital, marketing and technology within iconic multinational organisations in the financial services, utilities, automotive, retail, travel and education sectors. Diverse experience at transforming organisations into innovative, profitable and market leading digital businesses across the globe.

Strong reputation for leading cross-functional teams that deliver customer focussed outcomes while delivering exceptional business results, with a proven approach of focussing on people and culture first. Recognised for driving significant business growth while revolutionising customer experience by balancing a deep understanding of digital and technology, strong commercial acumen and a transformational leadership style. Able to motivate teams to achieve exceptional performance with an inclusive, lead by example style that fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation and a dedication to excellence. A passion for serving people, solving customer problems, building teams and purpose-led organisations that can thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The current Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government is Victor Dominello since 2 April 2019, having previously served as the Minister for Finance, Services and Property from January 2017 until April 2019. The minister is assisted in that role by Eleni Petinos, the Minister for Fair Trading, appointed with effect from 21 December 2021.

Together, the ministers administer their portfolio through the Customer Service cluster, in particular the Department of Customer Service, Service NSW, the Office of Fair Trading, the State Records Authority, NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Liquor & Gaming NSW, and a range of other government agencies.

With over 20 years’ experience in Australia and Europe in the delivery of major telecommunications and utilities infrastructure projects, in engineering, commercial, sales, and business development roles, I am now working with clients in the data centre and telecommunications sector as Aurecon’s Client Director, Data & Telco.

Some highlights: creating a joint venture to develop an 800MW gas fired power plant in northern Poland (initial equity of 25m euro); acquiring land for a 800MW power plant in the UK (12m GBP) via an option; acquiring tower portfolios for Crown Castle in Australia; leading a team to forecast UK electricity prices for a 1bn euro business case; and leading growth of 75% in annual rent in BA’s site sharing business.

My skills are in commercial management, sales, negotiation, acquisitions, leading teams, project management and business development.

Current clients include Telstra, Amazon, Vodafone NZ, Spark NZ, Singtel Optus, NEXTDC, Equinix.

Steve has been the CIO of the Victorian Department of Health & Human Services since 2014. He leads a team of 220 staff and delivers projects totalling $60-80M p.a. He is a member of the Victorian Governement’s Cybersecurity Strategy Group.

In 2018, Steve was ranked #2 in Australia’s CIO50 list, made a Fellow by IPAA Victoria and Overall Champion in the #TechDiversity Awards (for the Rise at DHHS program).

In 2017, Steve was ranked #7 in Australia’s CIO50 list and State & Local Government CIO of the Year in the ITNews Benchmark Awards.

He was previously the global Chief Analyst Public Sector for the UK-based research and advisory services firm Ovum for 8 years.

Before that he was the Director eGovernment Strategy & Policy and Deputy CIO for the Victorian State government in Melbourne.

Steve had earlier founded and sold an e-commerce company, movinghome.com.au, and worked in a range of executive and consulting roles in the government and utility sectors in Europe and Australasia.

He is a graduate of the ANZSOG Executive Fellows program and the AICD Company Directors course, has a doctorate in Management Studies from the University of Oxford and also a first class honours degree in Commerce from the University of Otago in New Zealand.

Specialties: Steve is a strategy professional, with skills in “seeing the wood from the trees” in the technology landscape. He is an excellent communicator who can engage business and IT audiences. He is insightful, and able to “join the dots” in practical and meaningful ways to reveal trends and define practical strategic choices and directions. In executive roles he has a demonstrated track record in leading digital transformation in large scale complex organisations.