The new era of connectivity and information exchange has significantly increased the need for a proactive business transformation that meets the demands of both the employees and the enterprise.

By embracing unified communications, collaboration tools and mobility in the workplace, organisations promote greater business efficiency and growth, yet questions of security and risk remain top of mind. Suncorp continues to lead in innovation and implementation, making calculated decisions to accelerate into the next generation of corporate computing and business growth. Join Jeff Smith, CEO of Suncorp Business Services, as he candidly discusses their transformation journey to date. Front line leadership perspectives will include Smith’s thoughts on innovations in mobility and agile practices, as well as a discussion of organizational challenges, successes and next steps on the horizon.

The demand for IT services continues to rise dramatically. This is driven by factors such as increased business dependence on IT, continued uptake of internet and mobile services by consumers and business users, accelerating IT security threats, more demanding compliance requirements and corporate restructuring.

The challenge for the modern CIO is supporting this growing demand while maintaining or reducing the proportion of resources allocated to IT within an organisation. This panel session will share the experiences of several CIOs on the strategies and tactics that they and their organisations have pursued to manage IT cost effectiveness.

Session discovery topics:

• The new language of IT cost transparency
• Business integration and strategic planning
• New methodologies for operational efficiency

To drive business growth and innovation in today’s business landscape, CIOs must respond quickly and strategically to transformations in their industry and the global economy. In this presentation, Matt English will explore some of the growing challenges facing organisations and their implications for CIOs. English will share perspectives on the growing power of consumers, the changing landscape of social media and the demand for analytics at the senior management and Board level. He will also highlight some of the important actions for organisations going forward and the pivotal role for the CIO in that conversation.

The reality of IT support is that what we know about our customers, and how we respond to them, has a direct impact on customer satisfaction.

As an IT and business leader, are you harnessing your metrics to get a more complete picture of your customer?

Join Michael Herbert as he reveals how Leighton is leveraging metrics to improve customer experience. Herbert will explore using metrics to drive the right behaviors and invoke an action; matching metrics to organisational maturity; and achieving a balance between quantity and quality metrics.

In a globally competitive industry and a fast growing organisation, IT departments need to empower employees to get the job done. But employees are challenging traditional models, with IT consumers demanding access to corporate information anywhere, anytime on any new device. The desire to meet the needs of the business has impacted technology delivery models, device management and security policies.

Hosted by SAP, join Vito Forte, CIO of Fortescue, in an intimate interview as he candidly discusses the transformative changes to the way IT services are delivered to a global organisation. Forte will address the unique opportunities for IT to impact growth and innovation at Fortescue, the world's fourth largest iron ore producer, as the company strives to triple in size and increase iron ore exports by 180 per cent in the next two years.

With IT becoming an ever more important factor in the success and growth of organizations, CIOs must create collaboration amongst executive stakeholders and position technology to maximize its impact on the business. In this engaging keynote session, Jayne Hrdlicka, Group Executive, Strategy & IT at Qantas will speak candidly about the relationship between IT and the business and share how her team continues to strengthen the alignment of business strategy and technology within Qantas.

Hrdlicka will discuss how leveraging people, process and technology — in that order — is core to moving your organization forward in this recovering economy.

Session discovery topics:

• Empowering partnerships with agile portfolios and governance models
• Selling and executing strategic initiatives that drive growth
• Navigating the road of “influencer” — leadership lessons

Cloud computing promises the benefits of greater velocity, efficiency and improved productivity. So how can you ensure your cloud strategy provides the return you expect? In this session, Tim Whiteley will share his experiences in implementing a cloud service that delivers business results. He will discuss how the evolution of cloud can be utilised to transform business processes and address the questions still blocking the path to implementation in your own organisation.

Session discovery topics:

• Identifying what capabilities are cloud-ready
• Choosing the right service for your needs
• Navigating data security and storage

Cyber crime is making headlines on a near-daily basis. And as organisations move to leverage new technologies — cloud computing, social media, tablets and smartphones — a new set of security risks and challenges are surfacing. So how can today’s CIO introduce these emerging technologies without compromising their organisation’s security?

Join Jonathan Nguyen-duy from Verizon, a company that has investigated more than 1700 data breaches and 900 million compromised records around the world, and hear their recommendations on how you can mitigate risk and keep your data secure.

Each generation has a different set of values, a different perspective on loyalty, leadership and workplace culture.

Each generation also has different expectations of the work environment, their managers and leaders. Understanding those differences and then adapting your management and communication style accordingly, will deliver better engaged employees.