Podcast
CIO Leadership Live: Australia
Hosted by Foundry · EN
Host Cathy O'Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief APAC - CIO & CSO brands, interviews IT leaders throughout Australia for in-depth interviews focused on leadership, innovation and business strategy.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ram Kalyanasundaram, Technology & Digital Transformation Director, Lion
Mar 900:39:48Tap to summarizeLion's Director of Technology & Digital Transformation, Ram Kalyanasundaram, shares how one of Australia's leading beverage companies is rethinking its approach to enterprise IT. In this conversation with CIO Editorial Director Cathy O'Sullivan, Ram unpacks the "clean core" principle - what it means in practice, why it matters for long-term agility, and how Lion is applying it across a complex, multi-system technology landscape. He also dives into the discipline of doing the basics brilliantly: the unglamorous foundational work that makes everything else possible. At the centre of it all? People. Ram explains how Lion puts customer and employee experience at the heart of every transformation decision — and why that human focus is what separates successful change programs from ones that stall.
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Tanya Graham, Group Executive - Digital & Transformation, icare
Nov 2000:30:33Tap to summarizeicare Group Executive for Digital & Transformation Tanya Graham discusses leading the organisation’s transformation program, the power of shared goals when working with technology partners, and how technology is helping icare better support vulnerable people on their recovery journey.
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Connie Beck, Group Director - Transformation & Digital, Urbis
Nov 600:18:08Tap to summarizeUrbis Group Director for Transformation & Digital Connie Beck on developing the organisation’s GenAI platform, the importance of uplifting digital literacy, how they prioritise career development, and the skillsets she thinks will be most needed headed into 2026.
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Mark Opitz, Group Head of ICT, Acciona Australia
Jul 1400:20:24Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CIO Leadership Live, Cathy O’Sullivan speaks with Mark Opitz, Group Head of ICT at Acciona Australia. Mark shares insights from his career journey, details Acciona’s digital transformation, and highlights impactful innovations like the Linksite tool and early adoption of AI and large language models. He also discusses his approach to change management, building vs. buying tech, and fostering innovation across a diverse business.
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Adam Wrightson, Chief Technology Officer, HOYTS
Jun 2400:30:47Tap to summarizeIn this CIO Leadership Live interview, HOYTS Chief Technology Officer Adam Wrightson sits down with Cathy O’Sullivan to explore how digital transformation is reshaping the cinema experience - from behind-the-scenes infrastructure to the palm of your hand. With nearly three decades at HOYTS, Adam shares how his team leads everything from traditional IT and cybersecurity to cinema projection, sound systems, and custom software development. Learn how HOYTS:- Built a scalable digital architecture using Azure and Kubernetes- Took a mobile-first approach to engage 80%+ of customers- Optimised performance during peak traffic (rainy public holidays!)- Modernised networks with quad-redundant infrastructure- Integrated Shopify to transform digital retail and gift card sales
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Nick Sone, Chief Customer Officer, Brennan
Jun 1700:20:20Tap to summarizeIn today’s global tech landscape, local capability is becoming a strategic advantage for CIOs. In this CIO Leadership Live interview - in partnership with Brennan - Nick Sone, Chief Customer Officer at Brennan, explores why more Australian CIOs are turning to trusted, local partners who can deliver global capability - without the complexity and red tape of offshore integrators. As Brennan sets its sights on becoming Australia’s first truly global systems integrator, Nick shares how the company is backing that ambition with deep local expertise, sovereign service delivery, and customer intimacy that global players often struggle to match. He unpacks how CIOs across government and enterprise are balancing AI pressure, cybersecurity risk, and digital transformation priorities - and why having immediate access to local decision-makers and context-aware teams can be a game-changer in driving outcomes.
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Sanjeev Gupta, Chief Information & Transformation Officer, HBF Health
May 20, 202500:23:04Tap to summarizeHBF Health’s Sanjeev Gupta on how the organisation’s transformation programme has delivered benefits to members and staff, what he would have done differently, and how AI can be a force for good.
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Dr Rachna Gandhi, Group Chief Digital Officer, Ramsay Health Care
Apr 28, 202500:29:50Tap to summarizeRamsay Health Care’s Chief Digital and Data Officer Dr Rachna Gandhi on enhancing people-centred care through technology, creating a single source of truth for the organisation’s data, and overcoming technical debt to accelerate benefits for patients and staff.
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Datacom CISO Collin Penman on AI-powered threats and cyber fatigue
Apr 8, 202500:24:23Tap to summarizeDatacom CISO Collin Penman talks about the growing gap between leadership and employees when it comes to cybersecurity, how cyber fatigue is leaving businesses in Australia and New Zealand more exposed, and why AI-powered threats are now keeping security leaders up at night.Speaking to CIO's Cathy O'Sullivan, Penman dug into Datacom's State of Cybersecurity Index findings, and the reality is sobering. The data shows: AI-driven attacks now top the threat list for security leaders Security teams are burning out - 61% in NZ and 58% in AU report cyber fatigue Leadership thinks staff are cyber-ready; most employees disagree 40% use AI tools like ChatGPT, yet only 1 in 4 have read their company's AI policies Penman cut through the hype, emphasizing: Generic annual security training doesn't work - role-specific, short modules do AI governance is lagging behind adoption, creating real vulnerabilities Security teams are still fighting the "Department of No" perception The most telling point? The disconnect between what leadership believes about security readiness versus what's happening on the ground with employees.
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Nicola Dorling, Group CIO, Downer
Feb 19, 202500:22:25Tap to summarizeDowner Group CIO Nicola Dorling on utilising AI to improve safety on sites and for predictive asset maintenance, the importance of balancing legacy tech with innovation, and fostering a strong team culture through the ‘Downer Difference’.
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