2025 Summit Agenda

New Zealand CIO Summit MC:
Ziena Jalil

Ziena Jalil is an award-winning executive leader, keynote speaker and MC with 20+ years’ experience across diplomacy, business, and public sector leadership in Aotearoa and Asia. A former New Zealand diplomat and Trade Commissioner to Singapore, she has held senior roles in New Delhi, Hong Kong and Singapore, receiving multiple international awards for advancing New Zealand’s profile and partnerships in Asia.

Ziena has advised Ministers, Boards and CEOs, led major transformations in complex organisations, driven international trade and education initiatives, and served on numerous public, private and non-profit boards. She is currently Deputy Chief Executive at Te Pūkenga and will join Hato Hone St John in September 2025 as Deputy Chief Executive – Strategy and Executive Operations.

2025 Summit Agenda

Day 1 - 19 Aug

Day 2 - 20 Aug

Day 1 - 19 Aug

Project Implementation Showcase

8:30	Registration and coffee
9:00	Mihi Whakatau
9:10	Opening of CIO Summit 2025
9:25	Keynote: Completing The Agentic Journey A critical next step as enterprises transition from the AI pivot to AI alignment with the business is the enablement of functions with agentic AI across the organisation. Rick Villars, IDC’s GVP, Worldwide Research will provide IDC’s latest views on how Agentic AI will influence enterprises’ IT spending plans in the next several years. He will also provide guidance on three critical developments that will make or break the agentic transition. Rick Villars, Group Vice President Worldwide Research, IDC (United States)
10:00	The IDC NZ CIO Interview Louise Francis, Country Manager NZ and AP Public Sector Research Lead, IDC (New Zealand) Linus Lai, Chief Analyst - Australia and New Zealand, IDC (Australia) Rick Villars, Group Vice President Worldwide Research, IDC (United States)
10:30	Morning Break
11:00	NZ at a crossroads: AI and our economic future Discover how AI will revolutionise organisational operations and empower New Zealand businesses to adapt and evolve. Learn directly from Trade Me, NZ’s largest online marketplace, as they share their transformative journey using Agentic AI. Buzzy Busby, Field CTO, Google Cloud Paolo Ragone, CTO, Trade Me
11:30	The geopolitical and economic update: The current economic trading conditions and its implications for technology Understanding the current geopolitical environment and how this impacts technology in Aotearoa New Zealand The effect of policy reforms that are transforming technology services Charles Edel, Senior Advisor & Australian Chair Center of for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
12:00	Innovation Leaders Panel: Technology First - Lessons from the ground floor Creating a technology as an enabler mindset Unrelenting pursuit of customer experience and meeting the needs of the market Staying abreast of the latest in technology innovation and building teams poised to take advantage of next-gen technology How can CIO’s leverage the start up ecosystem to access cutting edge tech solutions Balancing experimentation with long term sustainability and function Jonathan Good, CEO, Scentian Bio Nichola Selway, Principal Research Scientist, Pyper Vision David Kennedy, River Guide and Start-up Ecosystem Mentor
12:45	Lunch
1.30	Roundtables Independently facilitated by technology experts, attendees get to personalise their CIO experience by booking in on a topic that suits their needs. Topics will be released closer to the time of the event. Round 1: 1.30pm - 2.15pm Round 2: 2.20pm - 3.05pm
2:15	Project Implementation Showcase This series of presentations will provide a spotlight on the practical learnings and elements of technology projects as they are brought from ideation through to fruition. Anna Campbell, Chief Support Services Officer, Whakarongorau Aotearoa Nicholas Fourie, Vice President of ICT, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Alex Smart, Chief Technology Officer, Southern Cross Travel Insurance Bronwyn Scott, General Manager, Digital Future Aotearoa
3.40	Afternoon Break
4.10	Leading with Trust, Vision, and Difference Dan Goldsmith, Regional Director - APAC, Halo Service Solutions
4.40	Spoiler alert: It’s better when no one’s a d. Pass it on.* Let’s face it: the workplace can be a minefield of WTF moments. From the colleague who schedules meetings to hear themselves talk, to the manager who’s mastered the art of passive-aggression, dysfunction is everywhere—and it’s exhausting. Join Steve Griffin for a quick guide to spotting, understanding, and surviving the maddening behaviours that turn professional environments into pressure cookers. Through eye-opening case studies and real-life anecdotes, this talk unpacks the chaotic world of workplace dysfunction. From game-playing and office politics to full-blown Dark Triad personalities (narcissists, Machiavellians, and psychopaths, oh my!), I will help you make sense of the madness. But this isn’t solely about addressing bad behaviour. It’s about grasping the true cost of incivility and bullying on well-being, productivity, and the workplace culture we all share. With wit, wisdom, and plenty of ‘I’ve been there’ moments, this talk provides practical tools to identify dysfunction, safeguard your sanity, and perhaps even inspire a bit of change. Steve Griffin, Leadership Trainer, Author and Coach
5:30	Closing remarks from the MC
5:30	Networking function
7:00	CIO Gala Dinner & Awards

Day 2 - 20 Aug

9.00	Opening of Day 2 of the NZ CIO Summit 2025
9.05	Securing the Digital Alliance – NATO’s Journey Toward Integrated Cyber and ICT Resilience How NATO is building digital and cyber resilience across 50+ civil and military entities Embedding cybersecurity into core ICT systems to enable mission assurance at scale Leveraging AI to detect, correlate, and respond to emerging cyber threats Navigating geopolitical complexity while aligning 32 nations on digital strategy Enabling secure interoperability and real-time collaboration across the Alliance Leading transformation through influence, trust, and multi-stakeholder governance Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer, Chief Information Officer, NATO (Brussels)
10.00	The impact of the AI era on the role of CIOs Troy Gerber, CTO: Conversational AI & Copilot, Fusion5 Jonathan Rickard, CTO - Microsoft CX, Fusion5
10:30	Morning Break
11.00	NZ CIO SUMMT SUB EVENT Emerging Leaders' Forum What does it take to be a CIO? For more information or to register your interest please visit here
11.00	Panel Discussion: Confronting 2025: Navigating AI, Threats, and Geopolitical Tensions in the Public Sector Sean Audain, Strategic Planning Manager, Wellington City Council Jan Sheppard, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, ESR - Science for Communities Stuart Wakefield, Chief Information Officer, Ministry of Education Moderated by: Louise Francis, IDC
11.30	CIO leaders Panel: Bridging the gap Between IT and business for seamless collaboration The evolving role of CIOs in enterprise governance and risk management Aligning business and IT culture: bridging silos to drive organisational success Nurturing IT talent with career pathways and leadership pipelines The leadership skills required to navigate next gen transformation via AI powered technology Scott Pyles, Chief Technology Officer, Fonterra Alix Clark, Chief Information Officer, NZ Red Cross
12.00	Do More with Less: Utilising the Technology Business Management (TBM) framework to accelerate your innovation strategy Matt Pinter, APAC Field CTO, Apptio, an IBM Company
12.15	Beyond the Licence Fee: Unlocking Hidden ROI What if your software licence fee could work harder—much harder? Over the past 14 years, Fulton Hogan and the team at UiRev have transformed a business employing 9,000 people from manual, paper-heavy processes into a thriving digital ecosystem powered by the Salesforce Platform API. Leveraging native mobile applications, and a unique approach to licence costs, we’ve found ways to unlock unexpected returns, scaled operations across dozens of departments, and solved unique business challenges along the way. In this session, discover how to spot hidden ROI in your existing platforms, the strategies we used to deliver compounding value, practical lessons from 14 years of scaling digital solutions and learn how we found ways to maximise the value of our platform spend. Brani Mead, Digital Design Director, UiRev Chris Strydom, Digital Enterprise Architect, Fulton Hogan
12:30	Lunch
1.30	Leveraging quantum technology to improve innovation opportunities Quantum Technology Roadmap and threat for Information Security Cybersecurity & Post-Quantum Resilience - Developing quantum-safe cryptography and quantum key distribution, utilising entanglement to detect interference and protect sensitive data Integrating Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence to address Cyber Vulnerabilities Building quantum-ready skills and infrastructure via collaboration across universities, SMEs, government and global partners Prof. Muhammad Usman, Head of Quantum Systems and Principal Research Staff Member, CSIRO’s Data61 (Australia)
2.15	Empowering Ethical AI: Practical Strategies for Tech Leaders Tech leaders today must balance innovation with ethical and compliance responsibilities around data. This session explores actionable approaches for CIOs and executives to promote the safe and ethical use of AI across their organizations. Discover practical ways to engage stakeholders at every level—from the board to senior leadership—to foster a culture where innovation thrives alongside good data stewardship for responsible AI adoption. Kate Kolich, Innovation, Data, Digital and Technology Transformation Leader
3.00	Summary remarks and end of summit

International Keynotes

Learn from global ICT leaders

The CIO Summit brings together globally renowned tech leaders and visionaries. Gain insights from the best minds shaping the future of technology, all in one place. Network with industry peers and share ideas, but also learn from international expertise directly applicable to the New Zealand market. It's your chance to bridge the gap and propel your tech strategy forward.

Meet the 2024 international keynote speakers.