Welcome to TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023
Accelerating the sustainable enterprise
Steering through the next decade of change in a sustainable way will require a culture of innovation and a helping hand from the latest technologies.
And it’s those specific challenges that Asia Pacific’s most senior business and thought leaders are set to debate at the 2023 edition of TCS Summit Asia Pacific in Sydney on the 21st and 22nd November.
9:40 AEDT
The TCS Asia Pacific Summit 2023 continued for its second day with a welcome from our masters of ceremonies, media personality and mathematician Adam Spencer, along with co-host and former Australian football player Amy Duggan. Adam and Amy shared how discussions throughout the day will build on the incredible insights from Day 1 as global leaders prepare for change in their organizations to transition from ‘just in case’ to ‘just in time’ in the race to build a decarbonized economy.
MCs Adam Spencer and Amy Duggan open Day 2 of the TCS Summit.
PANEL DISCUSSION 1
Digitally enabling the energy transition
9:46 AEDT
The first panel on Day 2 explored the role of digital technology in shaping a balanced energy transition and the immediate and actionable steps required for the Asia Pacific region’s energy transition.
We heard from a panel of distinguished business leaders in the energy space about where Australia is sitting in terms of energy transition and decarbonization. We also heard where the nation should sharpen its focus. Moderator Tim Reed, president of the Business Council of Australia, opened the session by noting the crucial role played by investment in new technologies that enable decarbonization and how Australia as a nation is lagging in making an energy transition.
Violette Mouchaileh, the executive general manager for Reform Delivery, AEMO, discussed the crucial role of both the industry and consumers in achieving decarbonization. She noted that consumers are taking firmer control over their destinies by not relying solely on the grid to supply their energy. However, there is another area that requires more attention. “We need to place more importance on policy, regulatory frameworks, and structures; these are required to put the right enablers and signals into the market to make change more timely,” said Mouchaileh.
Marc England, the CEO of Ausgrid, noted that one of Australia’s biggest successes is the introduction of rooftop solar power panels into the market 10-12 years ago, which is now seen as a continuous key enabler for an energy transition. However, Australia is falling behind when it comes to EVs and policy and regulation. The nation must adopt strong policy positions when it comes to EVs, which will be critical to establishing long-term trajectories.
Jeff Dimery, the CEO of Alinta Energy, highlighted that Australia has great capital but said, “We need a conducive policy to help us get the economics rights.” He noted that the nation is lacking when it comes to consumer interfaces, more specifically, the use of digital technology to enhance customer experiences around energy transitions.
The panel also delved into the crucial role of data in driving an energy transition roadmap and the importance of businesses shifting their thinking from being “customer-obsessed” to “data-obsessed”.
Concluding the panel, Guy Chalkley, the CEO of Endeavour Energy, said, “The industry doesn’t change quickly. It’s really hard to regulate something in the past when things are happening.” He noted that the industry needs to become braver, and a cultural change is needed that will allow for regulation changes.
The panel speakers discuss the importance of data and pathways to digitally enable energy transition.
TECH PULSE
“Humans are trainers of machines, handlers of exceptions”
10:26 AEDT
Dr. Harrick Vin, CTO, TCS, in his address on day two, re-emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in solving complex challenges facing businesses. He explained how a combination of different types of AI, including recognition, reasoning, and generative AI, work together. He also highlighted why considering the strengths and weaknesses of large language models (LLMs) is critical to leveraging these technologies effectively.
He emphasized the value of knowing the various uses and benefits of technologies, including how they can assist in knowledge discovery and summarization, optimizing part or whole of activities, and transforming operations by providing new ways of working. “Humans are trainers of machines and handlers of exceptions,” Dr Vin said.
He further spoke on innovating for a resilient future, focusing on why innovation is important and how technology will play a role within that.
The volatility and uncertainty of the world, coupled with a new speed in technological acceleration, means businesses will see continuous redefinition to adapt, and only the dynamic will survive.
He stressed the need for businesses to shift from systems of record (the what) to foundations of intelligence (the how and why) to mine knowledge not just automate work, but to augment it. Businesses need to understand that no one single type of technology will do this, is going to be the solution, but rather a blend of different technologies - and even more critical, knowing which technologies to use for what.
Closing the session, Dr. Vin said businesses need to remember this is a continuous redefinition rather than a one-time action that needs to be treated not as a “tech problem” but a “team sport” that needs collaboration across an entire organization.
Dr. Harrick Vin, the CTO of TCS, in his Tech Pulse address, discusses the importance of AI and other key global tech trends.
Keynote address: Hon. Dr Andrew Charlton, Member of Parliament for Parramatta
10:52 AEDT
The Hon. Dr. Andrew Charlton, Member of Parliament for Parramatta, believes Australia’s relationship with India is the country’s most important bilateral relationship.
Dr. Charlton said that the true power of a strong partnership with India is only partially understood, highlighting India’s digital transformation and the extraordinary growth of its economy.
Dr. Andrew finalized his keynote with a message that if we want to build a strong relationship with India, we need to think about it differently and that the continued strengthening of the connection between both nations would be a “force for good in the world” based on what they can achieve together.
Hon. Dr. Andrew Charlton, MP, at TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023
PANEL DISCUSSION 2
Accelerating the sustainable enterprise
11:00 AEDT
Vikram Singh, the country head for TCS Australia and New Zealand, moderated a panel that unpacked how organizations have adopted emerging digital technologies to embrace change, create agile organizations, and build greater, sustainable futures. Singh set the tone for the panel by calling out three key themes that were popular during the two days of the TCS Summit: Energy and conditional decarbonizations, supply chain regulation, and GenAI.
Sanjeev Gandhi, the CEO of Orica, highlighted that there is no consistent global regulation or ESG alignment. Orica started its journey in the energy transition space. Fortunately for them, they started a few years ahead of the curve and it has given them an advantage—they are confident they will meet their decarbonization targets for Scope 1 and Scope 2.
Gandhi also spoke to the importance of investing in technology and the digitization of data. He stated, “It's all about how you manage the data and baseline your data, so that you can prove that it is real.”
Paul Graham, the CEO of Australia Post, spoke to some of the challenges that his business faces in managing their enormous amount of carbon emissions. Their current focus is to drive efficiency by reducing their carbon footprint by managing their electric vehicle fleet on the road and working with partners such as Qantas to look at alternative aviation fuel to reduce its current aircraft emissions by 40%.
Sophie Moloney, the CEO of Sky New Zealand, ended the panel discussion by highlighting the crucial role of education and the possibilities of how AI can be used. She highlighted that organizations must remain focused on their customers and the customer experience through utilizing digital technologies.
Panelists share a light moment at TCS Summit Asia Pacific, 2023, Sydney.
TECH PULSE
“AI, a ‘genie out of the bottle’ moment”
11:40 AEDT
The unleashing of AI in business has been a “genie out of the bottle’ moment," said Siva Ganesan, the global head for AI.cloud Business Unit at TCS. He discussed the different types of AI usage in business and the important focus on “responsible fair play” of using the technology within an enterprise.
From annotating real-time sports footage into text commentary with the ability to almost completely remove language barriers between countriesthe usage of AI is varied and versatile.
Ganesan also expressed that it’s not only about the quantum of change, it’s the rate of change, and businesses need to understand not only how they can harness that but where it’s most important to place their focus, especially in areas such as ESG.
Siva Ganesan, Global Head, AI. Cloud Business Unit, TCS, sheds light on trends in the world of artificial intelligence.
World Cup game changers
11:52 AEDT
Reflecting on the similarities between sports and business, participants of this fireside chat explored three key areas—building high-performing teams, handling pressure, and nurturing culture.
Talking about her recent experience, Matildas’ star striker, Kyah Simon, reflected on the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup ANZ. She spoke about the “sink or swim” reality of stepping into a high-performing national team and the importance of leadership to success.
The former New Zealand Rugby Union coach, Sir Graham Henry, unpacked his approach to leading a global legacy through creating an environment for connection and continual improvement.
John Eales, the former Australian Rugby Union player and the former captain of the Australian Wallabies, talked about combatting pressure by focusing on “the process” rather than just “the outcome,” highlighting that “all change looks like a failure somewhere in the middle.”
The panel then turned their attention to the importance of culture for both performance and improvement. John said great cultures look different in different environments and that culture should be “culture by design, not culture by default”. Sir Graham said culture should be team-led and should ladder up to having a clear purpose and a shared responsibility toward a common goal. Former Matildas’ player and co-host for the evening, Amy Duggan, shared her experience of being part of a “player-centric culture” and its negative impact when the culture isn’t right.
To build or improve high-performing teams, Amy stressed the importance of feedback and the right delivery to empower teams. John added that it’s less about how feedback is presented and more about the authenticity behind what they are saying.
(L to R) Amy Duggan, John Eales, Kyah Simon, and Sir Graham Henry on the likeness between sports and business in terms of performance, handling pressure, and culture.
Drawing to a close
12:37 AEDT
Hosts Adam Spencer and Amy Duggan thanked the audience on behalf of the TCS leadership, highlighting how the forum had been a fertile ground to build connections and derive value from the explorations around sustainability, digitalization, and generative AI.
Hosts Amy Duggan (left) and Adam Spencer thank the audience on behalf of the TCS leadership as TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023 draws to a close.
Day One: Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Welcome to TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023.
Our theme for this year is Accelerating the Sustainable Enterprise. We’re covering the action from Sydney, Australia, drilling down into a packed but illuminating agenda.
14:30 AEDT
TCS Asia Pacific Summit 2023 commenced with a welcome from our Master(s) of ceremonies, Adam Spencer, and co-host Amy Duggan, who introduced the theme for this year: Accelerating the Sustainable Enterprise. Adam and Amy discussed how the world can harness technology to build a decarbonized economy and make progress toward addressing the challenges we face in business and society.
Masters of ceremonies Adam Spencer and Amy Duggan kickstart TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023.
Welcome address by Girish Ramachandran, President, TCS Asia Pacific
14:45 AEDT
Following an Acknowledgement of Country, led by Rob de Castella, Australian Olympian and Founder of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF), and Joel Etherington, 2023 IMF Squad Member, TCS Asia Pacific President Girish Ramachandran turned the audience’s focus to the next decade of transformation in the Asia Pacific region in his opening address. He set the tone for an inspiring discussion around technology’s potential to accelerate our progress toward becoming a decarbonized economy.
Girish went on to share TCS’ net-zero commitment by 2045, shedding light on key initiatives such as the ESG micro internship designed to introduce the basics of ESG to the next generation of leaders in Australia.
The interaction covered important ground—from the opening call for renewed dialogue to address challenges and transform these into opportunities, to an emphasis on balancing the needs of the enterprise and the planet.
Girish concluded the discussion by grounding the journey in concepts at the heart of TCS: digital adaptation, collaboration, community engagement, and social impact.
Girish Ramachandran, President, TCS Asia Pacific, welcomes the audience at TCS Asia Pacific Summit 2023 in Sydney.
CEO & MD K Krithivasan shares TCS’ vision in his keynote address
14:53 AEDT
K. Krithivasan (Krithi) reflected on the significance of two current mega trends—the sharp rise in generative AI in the past twelve months and the growth in opportunities for clean energy solutions.
Krithi shared TCS’ vision and view on artificial intelligence, stating that our future approach to AI should be industry-first and cloud-led, leveraging an ecosystem of partners and focused on an enterprise-wide strategy to create value in the ‘here and now’ of business.
Delving deeper into the positive potential of AI, he spoke about how it could create millions of jobs in the future. “We must ask, how can this technology be inclusive and create net economic value to people? The power of this technology is limitless in helping us solve the most complex challenges we face, including climate change,” Krithi said.
He also spoke about the efforts that TCS has made in the Asia Pacific region toward boosting technology skills, better preparing our workforces for the future, and deploying the power of technology to serve the communities we operate in.
Krithi highlighted TCS’ extensive partnerships with organizations such as the Indigenous Marathon Foundation, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, SEEd.Lab, and Goondir Health Services. He added that it is all about working together with these partners to take the power of technology to the grassroots.
TCS CEO and Managing Director K. Krithivasan delivers his keynote address at TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023 in Sydney, where he highlighted the limitless potential of artificial intelligence.
Panel discussion 1
The crucial role of the board in driving sustainable business transformation
15:36 AEDT
The first panel explored the responsibility of board members in maximizing and accelerating change to hit the next phase of sustainable growth.
Moderated by Girish Ramachandran, President, TCS Asia Pacific, the audience heard from the panel of established business leaders across industries as they shared insights around building a competitive company while being fit for the future.
Rob Coombe, Executive Chairman, Colonial First State, explained how recent evidence shows investing with an ESG lens delivers better returns for investors in the long term.
Swee Chen Goh, Chairman of Singapore National Arts Council, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Board of Trustees, and Non-Executive Director of Woodside Energy, highlighted how the investor community is actively embracing renewable energy. She stressed the crucial role of the board to ensure a clear and orderly transition. “The board is not there to do the easy jobs—they need to make difficult decisions”. Swee Chen noted that sustainability goals will likely outlast the board, so it’s critical that board members make pragmatic and ethical decisions. “The world we live in is exceedingly complex and dynamic, so it is important to take 5-10-year views on the net zero goal.”
Belinda Hutchinson AC, Chancellor of the University of Sydney and Non-Executive Director Qantas Airways Limited, Australian Philanthropic Services, and Thales Australia, said the airline industry needs to establish clear ESG goals for its sustainable roadmap, putting carbon emissions at the center. “We don’t have the answers now, but it is critical for us to meet the targets we have set. Sustainability should be at the core of an organization’s strategy,” she said.
Belinda and Swee Chen reflected on the crucial role of universities as a hub for future innovation, highlighting how these academic centers provide an avenue for global experts to come together and build meaningful solutions.
Concluding the discussion, the panel agreed that the role of boards will change in the next decade. They added that the skills around the board table would also need to change so that impactful discussions can be had while setting up businesses for long-term sustainability.
Business leaders at a panel discussion on the evolving role of the board member, TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023, Sydney.
Tech Pulse
‘The needle isn’t moving fast enough’
16:14 AEDT
Michele Lemmens, CTO and Head of Business Sustainability, TCS Asia Pacific, believes the needle is not moving fast enough on addressing climate change in the Asia Pacific region.
While geopolitical and inflationary instabilities have slowed the pace of progress, with some governments around the world reconsidering their commitments, we are seeing optimistic signs, Michele said. Singapore, for example, is emerging as a strong leader in the region with a genuine commitment to environmental responsibility.
Despite complex regulatory environments, we are also seeing companies building long-term growth with sustainability at its core. Companies are becoming more transparent to build trust with their customers, partners, and investors. Additionally, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are gaining traction as collaborative efforts between governments and businesses drive sustainable change, Michele added.
Michele Lemmens, CTO and Head of Business Sustainability, TCS Asia Pacific, calls for urgent action to move the needle on climate action in the Asia Pacific region.
Panel discussion 2
‘Asia Pacific’ or ‘Indo Pacific': Mega trends driving a new geopolitical era
16:26 AEDT
Moderated by Haidi Stroud-Watts, Anchor Daybreak Australia, Bloomberg Markets Asia, leaders explored how businesses can anticipate, intercept and embrace geo-political dynamics to build more sustainable businesses.
The discussion opened with a reflection on the trade ties between India and Australia, with both Ambassador Manpreet Vohra, Indian High Commissioner to Australia, and Barry O’Farrell AO, Former Australian High Commissioner to India, reflecting on the mutual benefits of these complementary economies. Ambassador Manpreet highlighted that in the current uncertain geo-political context, “the Indian market is being seen as a bright light for the global economy.”
Martine Letts, Group CEO, Asialink Group added to the discussion by weighing up the risks that come with complementary economies, noting the need for diversification. According to Martine, “we are back in the era of geo-economics”, and it’s crucial for leaders have a deep awareness about the opportunities and risks at the board level. She added that “diversification is absolutely key to hedge against those risks.”
The conversation turned towards how Australian businesses can tap into the digital skills of the broader Asia Pacific region. Barry highlighted that the Asia Pacific region is “a trusted source of tech talent” and spoke to the need for Australian businesses to match this talent with opportunities in enterprises. Building on this, Martine called for greater diversity in the boardroom to bring local perspectives into these decisions.
This panel of diplomats and business leaders discusses the geopolitical dynamics to enable accelerating the sustainable enterprise.
Tech Pulse
“How do we secure new technology solutions?”
17:02 AEDT
Ganesa Subramanian, Global Head of Cybersecurity Business Unit, TCS, dove to the heart of the matter as he examined cybersecurity trends and challenges facing businesses in 2023.
He noted that “by nature, cybersecurity is a necessity” and introduced the audience to two key questions they should be asking when considering the future of cybersecurity in their business. “How do we secure new technology solutions, and how can we best use them?”
Tackling the first question, Ganesa explained that as new technologies emerge to tackle sustainability, the number of endpoints and, with it, the vulnerability risk increases. Businesses must ensure that the security of these technologies is assessed closely, he said.
Ganesa then put forth data as an example and said business leaders are responsible for checking the ‘hygiene’ of their data collection and storage and must promptly address vulnerabilities. Ganesa also discussed the need for emerging sustainability solutions, such as infrastructure, to be “secure by design”.
Addressing the second question he posed, TCS’ cybersecurity head discussed how businesses can tap new technologies to create more robust cybersecurity solutions. He drew upon artificial intelligence as an example to help businesses identify patterns ahead of time and preempt risk.
In conclusion, Ganesa explained that imminent regulation for cybersecurity in Australia means businesses need to review compliance frameworks and ensure these are aligned. He also provided examples of how TCS has supported customers in addressing cybersecurity concerns in close accordance with compliance frameworks.
Ganesa Subramanian, Global Head, Cybersecurity Business Unit, TCS, discusses cybersecurity and decarbonization at TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023, Sydney.
Panel discussion 3
Emerging tech trends we must be ready for
17:14 AEDT
Australia’s technology leaders share how they’re setting up their organizations to be future-fit.
Tracy Deveugle-Frink, Interim CTO, Western Power, spoke about the enormous opportunity to think about how to use our utilities differently. “The trick is to be able to separate out the areas where the organization is willing to take a risk. At the same time, as a critical infrastructure, it is important to be clear on what can’t be changed.” She added that trying to ride the technology wave while driving the business’s core strategic roadmap is a great challenge.
For Julian Delany, CTO, News Corp Australia, being future-fit is about personalizing content. But it’s not easy and remains a challenge for organizations.
John Hunt, CIO and Director of Group Enablement, Woolworths Group, discussed what technology can do and how it enables his company to be future-fit. It starts with how his team interacts within the organization. There’s an incredible opportunity for transformation within the group—from understanding customer behavior, personalization, and self-checkout technology, to using AI to manage inventory. Ultimately, we need to be clear on what we are trying to solve and then work together across the organization to implement the right technology solutions, Hunt said.
Day 1, TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023, Sydney: Technology leaders discuss leveraging tech advancements to become future-fit.
Fireside chat:
Getting adventurous with Peter Hillary
17:48 AEDT
Concluding Day 1 at TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023, Peter Hillary—mountaineer, storyteller, and author—led an insightful fireside discussion as he drew parallels between climbing Mt Everest, the world’s highest peak, and the skills required to thrive in the world of business.
Drawing from his experience across 40 expeditions worldwide, including scaling Mt Everest twice, Peter kicked off with this insight: Mountaineering is largely about skills and psychology—a striking parallel to business leadership.
He followed it up with how mountaineering requires adaptability to respond to sudden challenges and reflected on how the teamwork called for in these scenarios is also applicable to a business setting. “Your team has to come with you. Making sure everyone in the group is aligned in their view of what the objective is and what the challenges are, is a crucial part of it.”
Peter went on to share his learnings around building strong teams with mutual respect and a shared vision for success. “You need to be a tag team in some ways—you can’t be alert and wound up for 365 days of the year,” he explained. “When you have more eyes on the game, it makes you stronger in a dangerous environment—or alert in a rapidly changing environment—as is the case with businesses.”
The conversation concluded with a final message for business leaders on breaking down big goals into smaller steps: “We all need to have a vision for what we want, and an ambition on how we are going to achieve it. Whether your ‘Everest’ is a mountain or a new business you’re setting up, you have to have a vision.”
Mountaineer and author Peter Hillary, in a fireside chat at the TCS Summit Asia Pacific 2023, Sydney, drew strong parallels between scaling a peak and leadership in business.
