Agenda

Day One | Monday | 23 March 2026

8:10

Registration & Morning Refreshments   

8:30

Opening Karakia  

8:50

Chairperson’s Opening Address 

Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Provident Insurance Limited

9:00

Opening keynote: How SCTI rebuilt at speed under economic pressure & what NZ CIOs can learn

Unpacking how SCTI rebuilt a core platform at speed despite budget cuts and time pressure
Sharing the leadership and cultural levers that enabled rapid delivery under constraint
Highlighting practical lessons CIOs can apply to achieve transformation in cost-tight environments

Alexandra Smart, Chief Technology Officer, Southern Cross Travel Insurance

10:00

Panel: Cloud cost optimisation & modernisation to balance spending, agility & risk

How can FinOps practices rein in cloud spend while still maximising business value?
What’s the right balance between on-premise and cloud to deliver agility without overspend?
How can CIOs modernise legacy systems safely while reducing technical debt and staying compliant?

Moderator: Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Provident Insurance Limited

Panellists:

Rohit Kashikar, Group Head of Technology, Delta Insurance Group

Alistair Vickers, Chief Information Officer, Horizon Energy

Thiagu Anandakrishan, Head of Technology, Woolworths New Zealand

Peter Radich, Group Chief Digital Officer, New Zealand Health Group

10.40 Presentation: The 5% Club: How Southbase Proved AI Can Deliver Real ROI

This session showcases how AI directly impacts frontline workers in construction, beyond the backend systems
While 95% of AI projects fail to deliver ROI, see how Southbase Construction joined the group that's driving measurable value and real-world impact
Watch a live demo of AI-powered voice reporting that transformed health and safety compliance from a cumbersome app to a quick phone call
Learn how IT leaders can champion technology that genuinely changes how people work on the ground in various industries, and not just in the office

Lem Prestage, Group IT Manager, Southbase Construction

John Deeb, Field Chief Technology Officer, Workato

11:00

Morning Tea

11:30

Case study: Securing the gateway: Cyber resilience in digital modernisation at Auckland Airport

Learn how Auckland Airport is embedding cybersecurity into every layer of its digital modernisation
See how cloud-first and IoT-driven systems can be secured to support resilience and compliance
Discover practical lessons for safeguarding critical infrastructure while driving speed and innovation

Richard Wilkinson, Chief Digital Officer, Auckland Airport

12:20

Panel: Data as a business advantage: Balancing growth with governance & ethics

How can organisations turn data governance from a compliance exercise into a true growth and trust-building strategy?
What are the most effective ways to treat data as a business asset that reduces risk, drives profitability, and upholds ethical responsibility?
How does governance-enabled agility give enterprises a competitive edge in fast-changing markets while ensuring decisions are transparent and inclusive?

Moderator: Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Provident Insurance Limited

Panellists:

Wayne Kingi, Head of Operational Data Services, Westpac NZ

Xanthe Sulzberger, Head of Data-Operational Excellence, Fonterra

Kari Jones, Executive Director Transformation and Operational Delivery, Financial Markets Authority (FMA) – Te Mana Tātai Hokohoko

Andrew Goodin, Chief Information Officer, Classic Group

1:05

Networking Lunch

2:00

Interactive Breakouts:

During this session, attendees will have the opportunity to attend 2 x 30-minute interactive breakout sessions of their choice

Breakout A: Beyond cost-cutting: The CIO’s blueprint for turning tech investment into real business value

Kevin Robinson, Partner, ARA Digital, Ex-Chief Information Officer, NZ Health

Zahid Arain, General Manager, Technology Business Management Council APAC, TBM Council, Ex-Finance Executive, eHealth and Transport for NSW

Alistair Mascarenhas, Partner – Ara Digital, Ara Digital Limited

Breakout B: Beyond the AI POC graveyard – from experiments to enterprise value

Frank Handerhan, Engagement director, Data & AI, HSO, ANZ

Breakout C: From AI pilots to production: The integration gap that’s stalling your AI ROI

John Deeb, Field Chief Technology Officer, Workato10

Lem Prestage, Group IT Manager, Southbase Construction

Breakout D: From POCs to Production: Turning AI experiments into real business value

Raji Haththotuwegama, National Solutions Advisor – Data, AI and Apps, Canon Business Service

Breakout E: The hidden cost of tool sprawl: Simplifying IT without losing capability

Pablo Muñoz, Marketing Director, NinjaOne

Breakout F: The necessary evil: Why staff avoid process mapping and SOPs

Sean Wallace, VP Sales and Community, Flowingly

3:00

Afternoon Tea

3:30

Case study: AI, data sovereignty & cultural preservation with a purpose

Why indigenous data sovereignty is central to trust, equity, and ethical AI
How AI can be a force for cultural preservation, not just automation
The importance of benchmarking, authorship, and authenticity in building tools for underrepresented languages
How technology can unlock environmental knowledge and resilience carried through indigenous languages

Peter-Lucas Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Te Hiku Media

4:00

Fireside chat: Future in the making: CIO’s & emerging leaders share the journey

How did each of you arrive at your role, and what key moments shaped your journey?
From your perspectives, how has the CIO role changed over time?
What lessons can emerging leaders learn from today’s CIOs, and vice versa?
How can both generations prepare for a future dominated by AI, data, and digital-first models?

Moderator: Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Provident Insurance Limited

Panellists:

Ange Nash, Chief Information Officer, AA Insurance Limited

Fiona Millar, Digital Transformation Manager, Christchurch International Airport

4:40

Chairperson’s closing address

Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Provident Insurance Limited

5.00 Networking drinks & end of summit day one

Day Two | Tuesday | 24 March 2026

8:20

Registration and Morning Refreshments

8:50

Chairperson’s Opening Address 

Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Provident Insurance Limited

9:00

Keynote: Building a future-ready tech workforce: The Xero Story

Embedding continuous learning to keep pace with AI and new technology trends
Lessons from Xero’s journey: where challenges and missteps shaped stronger outcomes
Turning inclusion, culture, and people-first leadership into Xero’s competitive advantage
How CIOs can balance technology adoption with workforce transformation to deliver long-term value

Fred Laury, Executive General Manager of Enterprise Technology, Xero

9.30 Agentic AI in practice-2025 lessons, 2026 roadmap

What new agentic AI capabilities are on the horizon?
How can CIOs prepare their teams, data, and operating models for the next wave?
What practical steps will ensure AI investments deliver ROI, resilience, and responsible outcomes?

Fraser Paine, Head of AI, HSO, ANZ

9:50

Panel: Redefining the Chief Information Officer as the Chief Value Officer

How can CIOs prove business value today while preparing for the role of tomorrow?
What shifts are needed to move IT from cost centre to growth engine?
Looking ahead, will the CIO of the future be defined more by technology leadership or by business strategy?

Moderator: Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Provident Insurance Limited

Panellists:

Angela Henderson, Chief Information & Delivery Officer, Fidelity Life

Jeremy Rooke, Group Chief Digital Officer, Turners Automotive Group

Amanda White, Chief Information Officer, Open Country Dairy

Tighe Wall, Chief Technology Officer, Contact Energy

Craig Lauchlan, Chief Information Officer & Executive General Manager, NZ Technology, Suncorp Group

10:50

Morning Tea

Converged CIO & CISO Leadership Summit

11:20

Fireside chat: CIO & CISO in practice: Healthy tension, shared accountability:

How do you tell real artificial intelligence risks from hype, and decide when to adopt or hold back on new technologies?
When your priorities clash on budgets, innovation speed, or risk appetite, how do you resolve disagreements while keeping trust?
What works best when presenting technology and cyber risks to the Board in business terms they understand?
Why is credibility so important, and how do you avoid sounding like you are crying wolf with Executives?
How do you balance culture and awareness with the technical controls needed for resilience?

Moderator: Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Provident Insurance Limited

Panellists:

Roxanne Salton, Chief Information & Digital Officer, TSB New Zealand

Tony Arnold, Chief Information Security Officer, TSB New Zealand

12:00

Presentation: Ctrl + Alt + Culture: How security & digital fluency fuel business transformation

Positioning IT and security not as back-office functions but as enablers of enterprise-wide business transformation
Recruiting beyond traditional IT pipelines and developing talent from across the business to create diverse, high-performing teams
How working closely with cybersecurity has strengthened trust and credibility across the wider business

Nicholas Fourie, Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

12:50

Lunch & Networking

1:50

Unconference Sessions: Peer-Led Roundtable Discussions

Delegates will split into peer-led groups to discuss key challenges within the digital and security world under Chatham-House rule

Topic A: Making data work for people, AI & business

Caroline Wishart, Head of Information Management, Fonterra

Topic B: Finetuning your cyber response & building crisis leadership across the executive & board

Laura Jury, Resilience Business Consultant, Air New Zealand

Topic C: Embedding security culture – turning awareness into a strategic asset

Alan Fraser, Team Lead – Security Awareness & Education, Xero

Topic D: Modernising legacy systems by turning technical debt into a platform for innovation

Trevor Delany, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer, The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand

Topic E: Building future-ready teams – upskilling as the engine of transformation

Tanya Dednam, Head of Digital, Centreport

Topic F: Positioning security as a strategic business enabler & securing buy-in from the board

Alastair Miller, General Manager Network & Security, Genesis Energy

Topic G: Harnessing international lessons to prepare for emerging cyber regulation

Steve Smith, Chief Security Officer, Transpower NZ

2:40

Presentation: Positioning security as a strategic enabler

Translating technical metrics into narratives boards can act on
Determining “what's enough” for your organisation without overspending or under-serving risk
How CIOs and CISOs can ensure security priorities don’t get lost across organisational layers
Positioning security not just as a defence mechanism but as a strategic lever that enables transformation and confidence

Jenni McNeil, Head of Security and Infrastructure, Contact Energy

3:10

Afternoon tea & networking

3:30

Fireside chat: Lessons from the frontline: Leading through a cyber attack

Hear first-hand experiences of CIOs and CISOs who have led their organisations through major cyber incidents
Unpack the toughest lessons from restoring operations, managing stakeholders, and rebuilding trust under pressure
Explore practical steps leaders can take now to strengthen preparedness and turn crises into catalysts for resilience

Moderator: Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Provident Insurance Limited

Panellists:

Andrew Ramsay, Chief Information Officer, T&G Global

Sonny Taite, Director of Innovation & AI, Former CIO, Te Whatu Ora Health

4:00

Peer-to-peer reflection: Turning summit lessons into a roadmap

Delegates break into small peer groups to distil the day’s content into action. What will you implement in the next 6 months? What’s achievable in 12 months? Facilitators will capture key themes, creating a “community playbook” that ensures the summit drives tangible change beyond the room

Moderator: Paul Natac, Chief Information Officer & Deputy CEO, Provident Insurance Limited

Agenda

Day One | Monday | 23 March 2026

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​

8:10

Registration & Morning Refreshments

​

8:30

Opening Karakia

​

8:50

Chairperson’s Opening Address

​

9:00

Opening keynote: How SCTI rebuilt at speed under economic pressure & what NZ CIOs can learn

​

10:00

Panel: Cloud cost optimisation & modernisation to balance spending, agility & risk

​

10.40

Presentation: The 5% Club: How Southbase Proved AI Can Deliver Real ROI

​

11:00

Morning Tea

​

11:30

Case study: Securing the gateway: Cyber resilience in digital modernisation at Auckland Airport

​

12:20

Panel: Data as a business advantage: Balancing growth with governance & ethics

​

1:05

Networking Lunch

​

2:00

Interactive Breakouts:

​

3:00

Afternoon Tea

​

3:30

Case study: AI, data sovereignty & cultural preservation with a purpose

​

4:00

Fireside chat: Future in the making: CIO’s & emerging leaders share the journey

​

4:40

Chairperson’s closing address

​

5.00

Networking drinks & end of summit day one

Registration & Morning Refreshments   

Opening Karakia  

Chairperson’s Opening Address 