Welcome to the perpetually adaptable enterprise
18-19 November | Sydney, Australia
TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2024
The perpetually adaptable enterprise. Readiness in the era of AI and continuous change.
TCS Summit Asia Pacific is an exclusive, invite-only event that brings together Asia Pacific’s most distinguished C-suite, board members, and senior executives. This exclusive two-day event is a platform to connect with global influencers and leaders in politics, sports, and business.
SPEAKERS
Connect directly with leaders and influencers from across the Asia Pacific region.
Michael Miller
Executive Chairman, News Corp Australasia
Michael Miller has been executive chairman of News Corp Australasia since November 2015, with three decades of experience working in senior executive roles in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia in the broadcasting, radio, digital marketing, out-of-home, sports rights, and publishing categories. Prior to this role, he was the CEO of the publicly listed APN News and Media (now ARN). Michael is a director of the Foxtel Group, Australia’s largest sports, news, and entertainment subscription broadcaster, and a director of the REA Group, which is an investor in leading property portals in Australia, southeast Asia, and India. News Corp is the major shareholder of both companies. Michael is a former CMO of News Limited and a previous director of Sky Television NZ, Fox Sports, INMA, and Waratahs Rugby.
Nicola Dorling
Group CIO, Downer
Nicola Dorling is the Group CIO of Downer EDI and a lecturer at AGSM in Digital Transformation. Nicola has held a number of roles that drive strategic transformation enabled by technology. Nicola has worked in both Consulting and industry roles recently as a Partner for Deloitte in Enterprise Technology and also as the Technology Director at Sydney Trains implementing the Enterprise Asset Management SAP system. Nicola has a strong finance and technology transformation background, as a chartered accountant and has held positions as divisional CFO, and Chief Digital Officer for Cardno Engineering. Over the years Nicola’s clients have been in both government and private sector and Nicola has been a key advisor on their business transformations. Nicola was previously the Chairman of the CIO Executive council and is passionate about enabling strategic change with the use of emerging technology. Nicola holds memberships as a fellow of the Association of Chartered Accountants. FCCA and an MBA in International Finance
Damien Nicks
MD & CEO, AGL
Damien Nicks is MD and CEO at AGL, one of Australia’s leading energy companies with a commitment to deliver one of the most significant decarbonisation initiatives in the country. His vision will deliver value for AGL's customers and shareholders and position the company for future growth. Damien is responsible for driving a once-in-a-generation transformation of AGL’s generation and retail portfolios to an integrated energy leader, with an ambition to add 12 GW of new renewable generation and firming capacity by the end of 2035 while helping 4.5 million customers decarbonise and electrify the way they live, move and work. Prior to becoming MD and CEO in January 2023, Damien held several senior executive finance positions at AGL before joining its Executive Team as Chief Financial Officer in August 2018. With more than 10 years’ experience in the energy industry, Damien is also Chair of the Australian Energy Council and is a strong advocate for diversity and gender equality as a founding member of the Champions of Change Coalition Energy Group. Damien’s significant leadership and project delivery experience in complex and large multinational organisations spans more than 28 years across a number of other sectors, including logistics, industrial and professional services.
David Koczkar
CEO, Medibank Group
David Koczkar was appointed CEO of Medibank in May 2021. He commenced at Medibank in 2014, holding the roles of Chief Operating Officer from March 2014 and then Group Executive – Chief Customer Officer from September 2016, where he was responsible for the performance of the Medibank and ahm Health Insurance and Diversified financial portfolios and led the start-up of the Live Better program. David was also appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer between April 2016 and June 2016. Prior to joining Medibank, David was Group Chief Commercial Officer at Jetstar where he was responsible for growing and sustaining the business and leading its customer-facing functions across Asia Pacific, having joined as part of the start-up team, and served as a Director of Jetstar Pacific (Vietnam), Jetstar Hong Kong and NewStar (Singapore) JV airlines. David has more than 25 years of strategy, innovation, commercial and operational experience, including previous experience in the consulting and financial services industries. David is a Member of the Council of Management for the International Federation of Health Plans.
Adam Campbell
CFO, Flight Centre Travel Group
Adam Campbell joined FCTG as Chief Financial Officer in August 2015, previously serving as Australian CFO. His tenure has been marked by significant strategic and financial initiatives, alongside a period of cultural and environmental shifts within the company. Adam is committed to the evolving role of finance in corporate governance and innovation and is a strong believer in the art of storytelling both in finance and leadership more broadly.
Matt Cheney
Executive Manager Energy Transition, Western Power
Matt is Executive Manager of Western Power's Energy Transition & Sustainability. His team is responsible for spearheading sustainability and enabling customer decarbonisation through network transmission enhancement and the integration of distributed energy resources into the distribution network within the South West Interconnected System. Since joining Western Power in 2009, Matt has initiated and led industry-changing projects that shaped and laid the foundations for the way Western Power operates and manages Western Australia’s main electricity network now and in the future. This includes implementation of the innovative Grid Transformation Engine, the roll-out of stand-alone power systems, and the modular grid strategy. Most recently, Matt was the Western Power executive responsible for the award-winning virtual power plant pilot, project Symphony. Western Power was the lead agency for the ARENA funded project jointly delivered with Synergy, the Australian Energy Market Operator and Energy Policy Western Australia. With more than 20 years’ experience in technology, business and management systems, planning, operations and service delivery, his work at Western Power follows previous roles in defence and manufacturing. Matt holds a BEng (Aerospace Avionics) from the Queensland University of Technology.
Alex Jones
CIO, Citipower, Powercor, and United Energy
Alex Jones, Chief Information Officer at Citipower, Powercor and United Energy in Melbourne, Australia. Alex has been CIO at Victoria’s largest electricity distribution organisation since 2018, with executive responsibility for IT, OT, and cyber security. He leads an extensive technology strategy and operation driving innovation in network control systems, data analytics and field operations. Alex has previously been CIO at the Victorian State Government in Melbourne and at Synergy, the electricity gentailer in Western Australia. He has served on the Curtin University Council in Perth, and held senior IT leadership positions at Foster’s Group in Melbourne and at the Walt Disney Company in Hong Kong and Los Angeles.
Mirella Robinson
CTO, MLC Life Insurance
Mirella is the chief technology officer at MLC Life Insurance, responsible for information security, data, and technology capabilities, enabling a business-wide delivery of customer and people experiences. Mirella has extensive experience in delivering business solutions and technology and digital capabilities that enable engaging experiences. With over 20 years of professional experience, she has built and led business and technology teams across a range of industries, including education, telco and media, retail energy, gambling, and financial services (insurance, banking, and superannuation). Before joining MLC, Mirella was the inaugural chief information and technology officer at Cbus, significantly evolving its technology and data strategy to leverage machine learning and AI practices. Her career includes implementing start-up technology capabilities, leading online/internet banking, ATM networks, and cash operations teams alongside large digital transformation and delivery. Mirella holds a BSc (Hons.) in mathematical statistics from Monash University, an MBA from the Swinburn University of Technology, and an executive certificate in digital models, leadership, and practices from MIT, Boston.
Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof
SVP, Project, Delivery, and Technology, PETRONAS
Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof was appointed senior vice president of project, delivery, and technology (PD&T) at PETRONAS in January 2024. Ir Yusri holds a BSc degree in chemical engineering from Oklahoma State University, USA, and has completed the advanced management programme at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA. He is a registered professional engineer with the Board of Engineers Malaysia and a fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. With a career spanning about 35 years in the energy industry, Ir Yusri has held diverse leadership roles, including, notably, as senior vice president and MD/CEO of PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad, where he led its expansion into specialty chemicals. He was also the vice president of Refining and Trading and CEO of PETRONAS Chemicals Olefins, Glycols, and Derivatives, among others. Ir Yusri is responsible for leading PD&T in stewarding the portfolios of project delivery, technology, digital, and engineering for PETRONAS.
Melanie Evans
CEO, ING Australia
Melanie Evans is CEO of ING Australia. Melanie joined ING in 2017 to lead the Retail Bank for ING Australia. She was appointed country CEO in November 2020. Melanie has spent her career in financial services. Starting out with a St George Bank cadetship in 1995, she later joined Westpac’s equities business in 2000. After a move to the BT Financial Group in 2003, she spent a decade in product, brand, marketing, superannuation, platforms, and investments leadership roles. Returning to banking within the Westpac Group as Chief of Staff, she then went on to lead business units across mortgages, transformation, and business banking. In 2017, she moved to ING, leading its retail growth and diversification agenda. Melanie is a board member and deputy chair of the Australian Banking Association, chair of the Business Council of Australia’s Women’s Workforce Participation Committee and is also a board member of the European Australian Business Council.
Song Hoi See
Founder and CEO, Plaza Premium Group
Song Hoi-see is the founder and CEO of the Plaza Premium Group (PPG). He launched the world’s first independent airport lounge concept in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong in 1998. Under his leadership over the past 26 years, PPG transformed the global airport hospitality industry by making its mission to make travel better. In doing so, PPG created a unique niche in the travel space, taking care of passengers when at the airport, a part of the journey often overlooked. Today, PPG is an airport hospitality service provider embracing innovation and technology to offer 360-degree award-winning airport experiences, including lounges, airport terminal hotels, dining concepts, concierge services, a membership program, and a travel experience digital platform. It currently has over 1,600 touchpoints across 80 airports and 30 countries, with 13 brands under its portfolio. PPG has won over 80 accolades, demonstrating its exceptional achievements and commitment to service excellence. Notably, the group has received the prestigious World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge award at the World Airline Awards by Skytrax for eight consecutive years from 2016 to 2024. TTG Asia also recognised the group as the Best Airport Lounge Operator in 2018, 2019, and 2023. Song has also received numerous personal awards, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Master Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Malaysia, Business Excellence Person of the Year at the Sin Chew Business Excellence Awards 2017, the DHL/SCMP Hong Kong Business Awards, and the Grand Winner of the Male Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Star Outstanding Business Awards. In 2024, he was awarded the Malaysia-China Outstanding Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award, co-presented by KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific, Malaysia-China Business Council, and China Daily. In addition, Song is the chairman of the board of Vinculum Solutions Private Limited; has served the World Economics Committee of Airport Councils International (2010-14); was the former president of the Rotary Club of Shatin, Hong Kong (2015-16); the chairman of Hong Kong Airport Manager Association; and is a founding member and the vice chairman of the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong and Macau).
Mel V Velarde
Chairman and CEO, NOW Telecom
Mel V Velarde is the chairman and CEO of NOW Telecom. He is also the chairman of the board of directors, NOW Corporation. NOW Telecom, formerly Nextel Communications Philippines Inc. (NCPI), is a telecommunications service license holder in the Philippines, with nationwide congressional franchise (RA 10972), valid until 2043. Mel, with his multinational team, negotiated with Nextel International Inc. (NII), based in Virginia, USA, and engineered the buy-out of NCPI, a $250 million investment of NII. NOW Telecom is one among four mobile telephony system license holders (the others being SMART-PLDT, Globe Telecom, and Dito Telecommunity). The company has the license to construct, establish, operate, and maintain mobile telecommunications systems, fixed wireless telecommunications systems, international and domestic gateways, fibre optic systems, satellite systems, electronic communications networks, and electronic communications services. In a significant development in November 2022, the US Government recognized NOW Telecom, an affiliate of NOW Corp, as its partner in deploying 5G technologies and establishing a secure nationwide broadband network across the Philippines. It is the prime mover of the Trusted Network Alliance for the Indo-Pacific region. Prior to NOW Telecom, Mel was chairman, Velarde Inc.; founder of NowPlanet.TV; chairman, News and Entertainment Network Corporation; News Director, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Company (1988); and co-founder, executive vice president, and general manager, Sky Cable, in the Philippines. Mel is also chairman of the board of trustees, Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, was the Philippine Commissioner to UNESCO (2003-2010), and was the chairman of the UNESCO Philippine Science and Technology Committee
Melissa Irwin
Data, People, and Sustainability, Endeavour Energy
Melissa is the chief data, people, and sustainability officer at Endeavour Energy. She is a highly successful human resources executive with more than 20 years of experience in organisational development, workforce planning, remuneration and benefits, inclusion and diversity, and industrial relations. During Melissa’s career, her strategic yet pragmatic approach has seen her lead workforce optimisation, cultural transformation, and employee experience strategies, which have resulted in operational efficiencies, cultural change, and improved employee engagement. Melissa’s passion lies in transforming organisations through people and leadership and she is a champion for inclusion and diversity. With a collaborative and inclusive leadership style focused on developing and empowering all team members, her strength lies in her ability to create an environment where people are free to think creatively and challenge and improve the way things are done. Prior to joining Endeavour Energy, Melissa held numerous consulting roles, working with a large variety of organisations and sectors within Australia and New Zealand.
Melanie Van De Merwe
Executive GM, IT and Digital, TPG Telecom
Melanie Van De Merwe is the executive general manager, IT and Digital, for TPG Telecom. Melanie has been in the telecommunications industry and IT vertical for more than 30 years, leading and managing large transformation programmes and various IT organisations. Melanie is passionate about using technology to solve customer pain points in daily business operations and designing solutions that enhance customer experience and user satisfaction.
Dr Rachna Gandhi
Group Chief, Transformation, Digital, Ramsay Health
Dr Rachna Gandhi (PhD) is group chief transformation and digital officer for Ramsay Health. Rachna is an experienced multi-industry and multi-sector executive. She has held executive positions across strategy, operations, and digital, and has a track record in delivering transformations that achieve world-class customer experience and growth in highly regulated and complex environments. Rachna currently leads Ramsay’s global digital and transformation agenda. She is responsible for progressing a compelling, well-defined strategy and transformation program to enable Ramsay’s vision to be the patient-centric, digitally enabled, integrated healthcare provider of the future. Rachna’s career includes senior executive positions at Westpac, Suncorp, and the NSW public sector. Her experience extends to time as CEO of Service NSW, which radically transformed NSW government service delivery and is regarded as global best practice in transformation. Rachna has a bachelor’s degree in business and a PhD, as well as qualifications in leadership and strategic change from Stanford University.
Anne Templeman-Jones
Non-executive Board Director
Anne is an experienced listed company director with substantial financial, operational risk, regulatory, governance, and strategy experience across a number of industry sectors, banking and financial services, engineering services in the energy sector, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing. Anne brings insights from exposure to sectors managing transformation on ESG in the energy sector, changing business models with consumers, operational risk, and cyber security. During her 30-year executive career, Anne held a number of leadership positions in corporate and private banking with domestic and offshore banks, including Westpac Banking Corporation, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd, and Bank of Singapore. Anne is the former Chairman of Commonwealth Bank’s financial advice companies and has also served on the boards of Worley Ltd, Blackmores Ltd, GUD Holdings Limited, the Citadel Group Ltd, Cuscal Ltd, HT&E Limited, Pioneer Credit Ltd, TAL Superannuation Fund, and HBF’s private and general insurance companies. Anne is a non-executive director of Trifork AG, Metals Acquisition Limited, the Cyber Security Research Centre Limited, New South Wales Treasury Corporation, and Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Office Limited (trading as Supply Nation). Anne is also a director of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce New South Wales Division.
Deepa Sita
Group CFO, Metcash
Deepa joined Metcash as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in January 2024. She has extensive finance and industry experience spanning over 20 years. In addition to finance, Deepa has significant senior leadership experience across strategy, mergers and acquisitions, digital, information technology, and integration. Most recently, Deepa held the position of CFO of the largest FMCG company in Africa, Tiger Consumer Brands Limited. Prior to this, Deepa held senior leadership roles with Walmart’s South Africa-based subsidiary Massmart. These roles included Interim CEO of Masscash, Finance and Commercial Director of Masswarehouse, Chief Strategy and Integration Officer of Massmart Wholesale, and CFO of Makro SA, all divisions of Massmart. She also held senior finance roles with Mondelēz International and Samsung Electronics South Africa.
Clive van Horen
Group CEO, Colonial First State
Clive joined Colonial First State (CFS) as Group CEO in January 2024. Before joining CFS, Clive was CEO of Suncorp Bank from 2020 and prior to that spent 10 years at CBA, where he held a variety of leadership roles in retail, business banking, and risk. Earlier in his career, Clive worked in financial services, consulting, and public policy in South Africa, including Nedbank and the South African National Treasury. Clive is a chartered accountant and holds a PhD in Economics. He served on the board of Tour de Cure, a leading cancer charity, from 2020 to 2024, as well as other not-for-profit organisations.
Alex Heath
Head of Climate & Energy, Commonwealth Treasury
Alex Heath is currently the Head of the Climate and Energy Division. She came to Treasury, on secondment from the RBA in August 2022 to join the Employment Taskforce. At the RBA, Alex held a number of senior management positions in the Economic Group and Financial Markets groups after she returned from her secondment to the Bank for International Settlements in Basel Switzerland in 2008. She has worked on a variety of topic areas including macroeconomic forecasting, labour market dynamics, the impact of financial regulation on financial markets, global imbalances and the foreign exchange market. Alex holds a PhD and MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and a BEc (Hons) from the University of Sydney.
Gordon Dunsford
Executive GM Digital, AEMO
Gordon was appointed in January 2022 to operate the digital technologies that underpin both east and west coast electricity grids, markets as well as gas, and enable these with technology to improve outcomes for both internal and external stakeholders. He has more than 25 years’ experience in business and digital technology roles across a range of industry sectors both in Australia and overseas. Prior to joining AEMO, Gordon was Chief Information and Technology Officer and Executive Director Digital Technology and Innovation at NSW Police Force, where he developed and successfully delivered a significant modernisation and uplift in digital technologies, methods, and culture. Gordon made the CIO Top 10 on two occasions as named by CIO Magazine Australia during his time at NSW Police Force. Gordon has also held Chief Technology roles with WaterNSW, Airservices Australia, Integral Energy and TransGrid. He was the Chief Technology Officer for IBM across Asia Pacific and Japan and has held leadership and delivery roles with Westpac and Commonwealth Bank. He holds an MBA and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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Celebrity speakers
Cathy Freeman OAM
Olympic legend and speaker
Cathy Freeman is a proud Kuku Yalanji, Magarr-Magarr Warra, and Birri Gubba woman. She is also an Australian Indigenous Olympic champion. She ran her first race when she was five and realised that she loved the way racing made her feel. Cathy Freeman was a member of the gold medal-winning 4x100 m relay team at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games, and in so doing became the first female Australian Aboriginal to win a gold medal at an International athletics event. She was awarded Young Australian of the Year in 1991 and a year later in Barcelona became the first Australian Aboriginal to represent Australia at an Olympic Games. Two years later, Cathy won gold in both the 200 m and 400 m at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. At the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, she won silver with a personal best time of 48.63 s in the 400 m. She was crowned World Champion in the same event at the World Athletic Championships the following year, was awarded Australian of the Year in 1998, and was again World Champion in the 400 m in 1999. Cathy’s most notable achievement, however, came in 2000 at the Olympic Games in Sydney. Her image was beamed into millions of homes around the world when she became the first competing athlete to be invited to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony. She then went on to win the gold medal in the 400 m, realising a life-long dream.
Wayne Larden
Race Director, TCS Sydney Marathon, and CEO, Pont3
Wayne Larden is the CEO of Pont3 and Race Director of the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, a role he has had since 2005. Prior to this, Wayne was sponsorship manager for AMP and delivered some of their biggest sponsorship programs, including the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Torch Relay Community Cauldron program, managed the Torch Relay Ignite the Dream Tour, and drove their international sponsorship strategy post Sydney 2000. He was an accomplished athlete, representing Australia at four World Cross Country Championships, and placed third in the Australian Marathon Championships in 1995 with a debut performance of 2.16.04. He won the Australian Cross Country Championships and placed second in the Australian 10,000 m track championships. Wayne has grown the TCS Sydney Marathon from humble beginnings with just 980 participants in 2005 to becoming an Abbott World Marathon Majors Candidate Race in 2022. With 5,300 finishers in 2022, he has overseen incredible growth to 16,800 entrants in 2023 and 24,500 in 2024. The event has evolved significantly during the World Marathon Majors Candidacy Period.
Tim Franklin
Speaker & Endurance Athlete, Tim Runs the World
Born and bred in Brisbane, Australia, Tim grew up living a healthy, active lifestyle like most Aussie kids. But in his adolescence, the road to good health became an uphill battle, and before long, faced with a multitude of health issues, suddenly good health seemed out of reach. At his darkest hour, weighing in at 120 kg, Tim realised his lifestyle—fuelled by poor diet, alcohol, corporate life, and partying—was likely to send him to an early grave. The pivotal moment came while practising law, when Tim came across a quote in a case he was working, written by a parent that had lost their child. The quote read, “The hardest thing a parent has to do is bury their own child.” At this point, it dawned on him that his bad choices could potentially lead his parents to be doing the same. It was time to stop and make change. The fire within began to burn at this point—there was no turning back. If not for him, he was changing his life for the people he loved. The next day, putting his best foot forward, Tim embarked on what he thought was the impossible: lacing up and running a very slow and extremely painful 2.2 km. It was the hardest 28 minutes of his life, but there was no looking back: the old Tim was 2.2 km behind him, and he realised at that point that his future possibilities would be endless if he was just willing to keep on moving. In that moment, something within him had changed forever and since that day, he has only become stronger and more determined. To date, Tim has achieved countless feats of mental and physical endurance and today he is one of Australia’s leading amateur ultra-endurance athletes and has travelled the globe competing in countless multidiscipline events. Tim’s story of poor choices and waning health throughout his adolescence is not unfamiliar to many, but the choices he made to turn his life around will today play a role in helping people at their lowest of lows reframe their narrative and to write their new chapter. For Tim, it is about changing the health of the world, one step at a time. It is the story of an average guy doing big things to inspire others to make big changes just by putting their best foot forward every day.
Kurt Fearnley
Paralympian & Disability Rights Advocate
Kurt Fearnley AO is a three-time Paralympic gold medallist with a can-do attitude that makes the impossible possible. At the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, he won gold and silver medals and was chosen as Australian Flag Bearer for the Closing Ceremony. Kurt’s determination and never-say-die attitude have rewarded him with the highest accolades in disability sport. Kurt is also active in advocacy work. He has been an ambassador for the Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign, was a 2010 International Day of People with Disability Ambassador and has contributed to the debate surrounding funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). In June 2018, Kurt Fearnley was given the Honour of being named an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). In 2020 Kurt began hosting the interview program Kurt Fearnley’s One Plus One. A gifted keynote speaker, Kurt’s infectious energy and passion for life inspires and motivates audiences across age groups and industries.
TCS SPEAKERS
K. Krithivasan
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, TCS
K. Krithivasan is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT solutions and consulting firm. In FY23, TCS generated US $27.9 billion in revenues with over 600,000 associates across 50 countries.In his prior role, Krithi was the Global Head of Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) Bu siness Group and played a key role in building deep customer relationships and mindshare as well as market positioning across geographies. He has been with TCS for over 3 decades helping customers with their growth and transformation journeys and technology strategies.
Priti Ambani
Country Head, TCS New Zealand
An environmental engineer by education, a strategic business technologist, and an evangelist for women in business and technology, Priti has over 20 years of global experience across engineering, business, innovation, education, strategy, and consulting and has been a part of several global teams and start-up ventures in Asia, North America, and Europe. Priti joined TCS in New Zealand in 2020 as Director, New Business and Innovation, to grow the TCS footprint and leverage our global capability for New Zealand businesses, communities, and the environment. During this time, she was part of the core team that launched the Asia Pacific Digital Sustainability Index to measure how corporations are leveraging digital technologies for sustainability outcomes. In her role as Country Head, TCS New Zealand, she has expanded our footprint to several key accounts in the country and built relationships with high-tech start-ups in New Zealand, introducing them to the TCS COIN™ framework. Priti sits on the boards of the Auckland Business Chamber and Super-diverse Women and is an advisor to the Strategic CIO program at the University of Auckland and Tech Futures Lab. She engages extensively in thought leadership in diverse areas, appearing in several media publications across the US, Asia, and ANZ geographies and participates in various fora as keynote speaker and panel member. In September 2024, Priti was recognised as a Rockstar Leader in the ISG Women in Digital Awards APAC and India.
Frank Diana
Managing Partner & Principal Futurist, TCS
Frank is a recognized futurist, thought leader, and frequent keynote speaker. He has served in various executive roles and has over 30 years of leadership experience. At TCS, he is a thought leader and advisor in the context of business, societal, and economic evolution. Speaking to chief innovation officers and other senior executives to help Fortune 500 companies prepare for the next decades, he blends a futurist perspective with a pragmatic, actionable approach—leveraging horizon scanning and storytelling to see possible futures. His leadership experience obtained through various executive roles connects practical realities with the need to focus on an emerging future filled with complexity and change. Frank has written and presented extensively on a full range of topics including ecosystem transformation, techno-optimism, digital twins, synthetic biology, AI, and more. Across these diverse topics, Frank aims to explore the human impact and potential for positive outcomes.
Girish Ramachandran
President, Growth Markets, TCS
Girish Ramachandran is President – Growth Markets at TCS overseeing a USD2.5 Billion business in a dynamic region covering 12 countries and over 50,000 employees. A result-oriented Technology and Sustainability Champion, Girish is responsible for the growth, strategy and business results, with a dual focus on driving digital transformation and accelerating growth for TCS' customers, and being a trusted partner for businesses, governments and society-at-large. Girish believes in harnessing the power of technology and innovation to catalyse and drive sustainable business outcomes. He contributes actively to the wider business community, helming the role of Chair of Confederation of Indian Industry – India Business Forum (CII-IBF) ASEAN and Oceania chapters, and serving on the Supervisory board of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the pioneer in sustainability reporting standards, among other appointments.
Dr Harrick Vin
Chief Technology Officer, TCS
Dr. Harrick Vin is the Chief Technology Officer for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). He is a TCS Fellow, a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) and a Distinguished Alumnus of IIT Bombay. Prior to his current role, he was the Chief Services Innovation Officer, where he led innovations into the future of work. In 2015, he founded Digitate, a TCS Venture. At Digitate, from 2015-19, he led the strategy, innovation and design of ignio™, world’s first cognitive automation product for enterprise IT. Prior to that, he was the Vice President and Chief Scientist of the Tata Research Development and Design Centre (TRDDC) at TCS, as well as the global head of innovation and transformation for TCS IT Infrastructure Services.
Siva Ganesan
Global Head AI.Cloud Business Unit, TCS
Siva Ganesan is with TCS’ AI.Cloud Business Unit. Building on our award-winning partnerships with hyperscalers and AI partners, the unit brings together the power of Cloud, Data and AI / ML, including Generative AI to our customers. Prior to this, Siva was with TCS’ Microsoft Business Unit, Travel, Transportation and Hospitality Business Unit and the Assurance Services Unit. With TCS for over 33 years, he has played leadership roles in sales, solutions, delivery and operations, program management and account management.
Vikram Singh
Country Head Australia & New Zealand, TCS
Vikram has more than two decades of global experience in information technology, strategy and business development. As the Country Head for TCS in Australia and New Zealand, he is responsible for sales and operations across both markets. Recently, TCS partnered with the University of Auckland Business School to launch its Asia Pacific Digital Sustainability Index, which Vikram pioneered to help businesses better understand how businesses can add a sustainability lens to their digital transformations. Vikram assumed his current role in 2019 after a decade running TCS operations in the Philippines, during which time the company was named Technology Company of the Year at the Asia CEO Awards. He previously worked in business development roles in North America and corporate sales in the company’s home market.
Hosts and moderators
Adam Spencer
Math Geek, Comedian, Author
With 25 years of experience in television, radio and events, Adam loves curating challenging and thought-provoking conversations. He has interviewed prime ministers, Hollywood stars, Fortune 500 CEOs, Nobel Prize-winning scientists and Australians of the Year. And he was also the first to interview our legendary Thai cave rescuers.
Amy Duggan
Television Host & Board Director
Amy Duggan, a renowned television host and board director in the sports industry, has made significant contributions as a change agent and advocate for women's sports. She has an impressive background, having played football for the Matilda's and was the Host of the biggest and best Women’s World Cup in 2023. Amy's journey in sports began at a young age when she represented Australia at just 13 years old. She made her senior debut for the Matilda's at 17 and was part of the team that achieved success in the Oceania World Cup Qualifiers and participated in the 1999 World Cup. Amy also played in Australia’s WNSL, had stints in the US W-league, and was an alternate for the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. Following her retirement from international sport in 2005, Amy entered the media industry. Over the past 20 years, she has established herself as a skilled newsreader, journalist, and host and analyst for various news and sporting outlets across Australia. She has covered significant events such as Australia's AFC win in 2010 and has hosted and commented on W-league, Matildas, and Socceroos games until 2020, and was also a host for the 2019 Women's World Cup. In her role as a board director for Venues NSW and Football Australia, she brings valuable strategic expertise and has made a substantial impact on both organisations. Amy's unwavering passion for sports and her dedicated advocacy for women's sports have garnered significant media coverage, establishing her as a prominent figure in the industry.
Haidi Stroud-Watts
Anchor, Bloomberg: The Asia Trade
Haidi Stroud-Watts is the anchor of ‘Bloomberg: The Asia Trade’, airing weekdays from 7 am-9 am HKT. Haidi has conducted in-depth interviews with many leading business, financial, and corporate newsmakers, including former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan, Nobel Laureate for Economics Angus Deaton, former World Bank Managing Director Bertrand Badre, and the founders of China’s largest conglomerate, Fosun. She has also reported live from major events, most recently China’s 19th Party Congress in Beijing. Haidi joined Bloomberg in 2015 as an anchor for Bloomberg Television in Hong Kong. Prior to this, she was the Senior Business Anchor for Channel NewsAsia in Singapore. She began her career as a lawyer in Melbourne before making the switch to journalism as a Business Anchor with CCTV News in Beijing, and subsequently to Fox Business Network as its Asia Markets Reporter. Fluent in Mandarin and English, Haidi graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, History, and Political Science, and a Bachelor of Law degree.
Hayley Pymont
Indigenous Marathon Foundation
Wiradjuri woman Hayley Pymont is the 127th graduate of the Indigenous Marathon Project and the Indigenous Running Ambassador for TCS Sydney Marathon 2024. She uses her platform to champion causes that resonate not only with her but also with her community. Hayley believes that running is more than a sport—it is a powerful tool for healing, reflection, and empowerment. Her journey as a marathon runner has shown her the strength and resilience that we can find within ourselves, even in the face of life’s toughest challenges. Hayley actively supports Talk2mebro, a charity dedicated to suicide awareness and prevention. This cause is deeply personal to Hayley, as she has seen firsthand the devastating impact of suicide in the community. Supporting Talk2mebro helps ensure that no one feels they have to face their struggles alone. Recently, Hayley started an after-school run club at the PCYC for young people in her local community. This initiative aims to provide a healthy outlet and show the value of self-reflection, dedication, and leadership to young people, using running as a vehicle for positive change. It is Hayley’s hope that this program will provide a safe space for reflection and growth, helping young people build the resilience they need to navigate life’s challenges. Hayley’s life has been touched by the very issues she advocates for, issues that disproportionately affect too many indigenous communities. Through running, she strives to raise awareness, foster dialogue, and inspire action. She believes that together we can create a future where our communities are stronger, healthier, and more connected. Let us run towards a better tomorrow.
