Masters of ceremonies: Adam Spencer and Amy Duggan
As they introduced the theme for The Accelerators at TCS Asia Pacific Summit 2023—innovating for a sustainable enterprise—Adam Spencer and Amy Duggan encouraged leaders to become accelerators in a world where change is the only certainty.
Girish Ramachandran, President, TCS Asia Pacific, welcomes guests
The official program began with an Acknowledgement of Country to honor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by Indigenous Marathon Project Graduate Joel Etherington.
In his welcome address, Girish Ramachandran, President of TCS Asia Pacific, emphasized circularity—the renewal and regeneration of products and services—as a central driver in TCS’ commitments to net-zero emissions by 2030 and helping Australian businesses through the transition to sustainable energy.
Dr. Harrick Vin on the importance of AI
Dr. Harrick Vin, CTO of TCS, explained how various artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities including recognition, reasoning, and generative intelligence will converge to solve complex challenges faced by enterprises in 2023 and beyond. Critical to their usefulness is understanding how each can be exploited to optimize activities and transform operations. Effectively leveraging large language models (LLMs), for instance, requires thoughtful consideration of their strengths and weaknesses. He concluded by affirming the necessary role people continue to play in any AI project: “Humans are trainers of machines and handlers of exceptions.”
Breakout session 1
Pivoting the experience economy
Technology alone is no longer the competitive advantage - everyone's got the technology. It's how you use that technology to deliver a customer experience that counts. In many ways, experience is becoming the product. These were the key takeaway for delegates attending the interactive workshop delving into the art and science of experience convergence.
PANEL DISCUSSION 1
Pivoting the experience economy using digital and innovation
With a focus on the pivot to an experience economy, the first panel session asked each of its participants to explain what “experience” means to them.
Mark Macduffie, CEO and co-founder of the home-buying platform Downsizer, picked up on the theme of empathetic connections with clients and the importance of putting people first with customer-centric design and values. The company’s platform has helped address the Austrialian housing crisis by helping customers sell properties. “Our platform exists because humans exist,” he said. “Human-centered design is an empathetic connection and understanding from day zero, continually evolving on two sides of the marketplace.”
Michele Lemmens, CTO and Head of Business Sustainability, TCS Asia Pacific, shared insights about bringing a sustainability lens to every touch point of a business. This includes considering how employees perform in their unique roles as well as the kinds of materials businesses use. She also noted that customers expect transparency and emphasized the importance of empowering customers to make choices about their environmental footprint.
Claudia Odello, general manager for marketing and fundraising for Meals on Wheels, a meal delivery service for older Australians, explained how volunteers are trained to prioritize the overall wellness of clients by delivering a holistic customer experience. They’ve been able to create brand recognition with the next generation of volunteers through an innovative mobile app and school programs targeted at younger Australians.
The panel closed with a final remark from Lemmens, who noted that “our success is based on our customers’ success. They trust us to deliver the best solutions we can.”
Breakout session 2
Rethinking business models beyond traditional boundaries
Creating better business models is partly a matter of perspective, according to insights developed in this session, with the agreed starting point being a thorough, nuanced understanding of the ecosystem. Incorporating diverse viewpoints, thought patterns and problem-solving approaches, including neurodiverse perspectives, encourages a holistic mindset and empathetic decision-making.
PANEL DISCUSSION 2
Rethinking business models beyond traditional boundaries
For the second panel, moderator Joanne Patroni, Engagement Manager at TCS, urged the audience and panelists to explore their imaginations in a discussion on rethinking business models. From the impacts of advancing technologies, improved decision-making based on data analysis, and expectations of customers, organizations need to continue to innovate like never before.
Floyd Leedie, CEO of Goondir Health Services, which assists with government grant submissions, guided the audience through a visualization of their business model. Leedie highlighted the impact of the pandemic on healthcare business models and reflected on how telehealth and virtual services have begun pushing the boundaries of traditional healthcare.
Shanthy Thurailingam, VP of Customer Success for Deputy, addressed how, as a start-up, Deputy needs to prioritize its investments. To help with this, data is at the center of every decision they make.
Kirsten Andrews, Vice Principal for External Relations at the University of Sydney, reflected on the rapid pivot towards remote learning at the onset of the pandemic. This transformed their business model almost overnight. Kirsten discussed how virtual learning environments are now a fixture at educational institutions and how this is making leaders in the industry rethink their business models. “The traditional lecture is gone forever, but we need to help build relationships with teachers,” she said.
Owen Coppage, Non-executive Director at Transpower, spoke about how business models are driven by what people think. He believes we need to think about customers at the center of everything—they look to businesses to create something of value for them. New opportunities will be driven by what customers want, which will change the way companies operate and innovate.
The panel concluded with a closing remark from Andrews on the importance of considering how artificial intelligence will transform our business models in the future. “AI won’t make us all unemployable,” she remarked. “It will allow some people to replace other people.”
PANEL DISCUSSION 3
Conquering TCS New York City Marathon: Celebrating resilience and achievement
Returning from breakout sessions where experts from both panels took a deep dive into practical steps that can enhance customer experiences while evaluating business models, the third panel of the day focused on what marathons can teach us about innovation and resilience.
Joel Etherington, 2023 IMP squad member, reflected on his training ahead of the TCS New York City Marathon. He overcame challenges during his training while having fun, which are all hallmarks of good leadership.
Rob de Castella, Australian Olympian and founder of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation, reflected on his journey training for the first four First Nations runners back in 2010 and how our greatest strengths are uncovered when we are challenged. ”Good leadership takes courage,” he said. “We are all leaders and we can all have an impact on the lives of others for good.”
Anne Templeman-Jones, Non-executive Director and CBA at Worley, shared her thoughts on what training for marathons can teach about successful business leadership, including committing to a plan, welcoming advice from others, staying focused, and building a growth mindset. “Marathons have taught me to break challenges into smaller increments, find ways around roadblocks when things don’t go to plan, and most importantly, seek advice from others,” Templeman-Jones said. “It’s something we don’t do enough in work environments, but storing and sharing lessons in our ‘kit bag’ will help us all face challenges in the future”.
Returning from breakout sessions where experts from both panels took a deep dive into practical steps that can enhance customer experiences while evaluating business models, the third panel of the day focused on what marathons can teach us about innovation and resilience.