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Agenda

Wed 21 Oct 2026

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8:00AM

Registration, Coffee and Hellos

8:00 AM - 8:55 AM (55 mins)

Settle in, grab a coffee, and meet a few friendly faces before we begin.

8:55AM

Welcome and how to make the most of today

8:55 AM - 9:05 AM (10 mins)

A short welcome, plus a few quick tips to help you connect, share, and get real value from the day. We’ll also run a couple of quick polls to see what everyone’s interested in and what people are working on right now.

9:05AM

Leadership and Skills Scene Setter: Government Direction and Priorities

9:05 AM - 9:15 AM (10 mins)

A short briefing from the Chair to get everyone aligned, comfortable, and ready for a great day of ideas and connection

9:15AM
Ministerial Address

Ministerial Keynote

9:15 AM - 9:25 AM (10 mins)

9:25AM
Keynote

How to Lead Government 3.0: Breaking Silos and Designing for Connected Outcomes

9:25 AM - 9:45 AM (20 mins)

The Hon. Victor Dominello Chief Executive Officer, Future Government Institute

Government 3.0 demands a fundamental shift in how public sector leaders think, operate, and collaborate across systems. That shift in thinking is required from government leaders, reframing digital leadership as an enterprise-wide responsibility, not a technology function. This session will equip you with practical perspectives on leading laterally, aligning policy with delivery, and shaping operating models that enable connected, outcomes-driven government

  • Advance leadership models that enable whole-of-government decision-making
  • Transform siloed structures into connected systems that deliver shared outcomes
  • Optimise the role of digital, data, and AI as enablers of policy execution
  • Bolster accountability and trust while accelerating responsible innovation
9:45AM

Industry Insights

9:45 AM - 10:05 AM (20 mins)

10:05AM
Panel discussion

Leading Through Uncertainty: Navigating Change in an Increasingly Complex World

10:05 AM - 10:40 AM (35 mins)

Government is being asked to move faster, deliver more, and respond to growing expectations—all while managing increasing complexity. At the same time, decision-making is becoming more dynamic, with leaders balancing speed, risk and accountability in real time.

This panel explores how leaders are adapting their approach to decision-making and delivery—strengthening capability across teams, supporting confident decision-making, and leading through uncertainty while continuing to deliver outcomes across government.

  • Embracing uncertainty as a constant, shifting from control to adaptability in leadership approaches
  • Balancing short-term pressures with long-term strategic priorities
  • Supporting confident, effective decision-making and maintaining stability of critical services in fast-moving environments
  • Building resilient teams that can respond, recover and deliver under pressure
  • Leveraging data, foresight and scenario planning to navigate complexity and build trust
  • Strengthening cross-agency collaboration to respond to interconnected challenges
Jaala Hinchcliffe
Secretary, Department of Parliamentary Services
David Hazlehurst
Chief Executive Officer, Services Australia
Chris Crozier
Chief Information Officer, Department of Defence
Elissa Walker
Deputy Secretary, Technology Group, Department of Home Affairs
10:40AM

Morning Tea & Mingling

10:40 AM - 11:20 AM (40 mins)

11:10AM

Industry Insights

11:10 AM - 11:30 AM (20 mins)

11:30AM
Panel discussion

From Silos to Systems: Enabling A More Connected Public Sector

11:30 AM - 12:05 PM (35 mins)

Despite ongoing investment in digital transformation, many government services remain fragmented across agencies, systems and processes. While the ambition for more connected, end-to-end delivery is clear, execution continues to lag—often constrained by siloed structures, fragmented data and misaligned operating models.

This panel brings together leaders from across government to explore how agencies can start to move beyond siloed structures and towards Government 3.0—focusing on the practical steps needed to improve coordination, connect services and deliver more consistent, end-to-end outcomes for citizens.

  • Moving from siloed delivery to end-to-end, life-event-based services
  • Applying system-level thinking to deliver across agencies and functions
  • Enabling data sharing, interoperability and integration across government
  • Aligning governance, funding and operating models to support connected delivery
  • Embedding trust, privacy and accountability into shared systems and platforms
  • Building the capability required to deliver consistently across the system
Lucy Poole
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Strategy, Planning and Performance, Digital Transformation Agency
John Shepherd PSM
First Assistant Secretary, Digital ID and Data Policy Division, Department of Finance
Sajid Hassan
Chief Information Officer, Australian National University
12:05PM
Fireside Chat

Leading the Last Mile: The Change Management Imperative Behind AI-Driven Productivity at Scale

12:05 PM - 12:25 PM (20 mins)

Marek Rucinski Deputy Commissioner, Enterprise Risk, Change, Integration & Evaluation, Australian Taxation Office

AI tools are everywhere, but value is not. Most initiatives stall in the last mile — the messy stretch between deployment and adoption, where culture, capability and leadership decide whether anything actually changes. This keynote unpacks what it takes to lead that transition and turn AI investment into measurable productivity at scale.

  • The last mile is a change problem, not a tech problem
  • Driving adoption: mindset, capability, new operating rhythms
  • Human–machine teaming: redesigning roles and decision rights
  • Sustaining the shift: trust, reinforcement, accountability
12:25PM
Roundtables

Roundtable 1: Leading People Through Digital + AI Change – Building Confidence, Capability and Culture - Facilitated by DLPA

12:25 PM - 1:25 PM (60 mins)

12:25PM
Roundtables

Roundtable 2: From Strategy to Execution: What does effective digital/AI leadership look like in day-to-day decision-making?

12:25 PM - 1:25 PM (60 mins)

Ramsey Beydoun AI Branch Manager, Digital Transformation Agency
12:25PM
Roundtables

Roundtable 3: Responsible Innovation: How do we move fast with emerging technologies without compromising ethics and safeguards?

12:25 PM - 1:25 PM (60 mins)

Andrew Morrison Chief Technology Officer, Digital Transformation Agency
12:25PM
Roundtables

Roundtable 4: Future-Ready Leadership: What skills, behaviours, and mindsets will define high-performing leaders over the next 5–10 years?

12:25 PM - 1:25 PM (60 mins)

Stephen Dryden Assistant Secretary, Digital Delivery, Department of Home Affairs
12:25PM
Roundtables

Roundtable 5: Leading Cultural Change and Workforce Excellence: What practical approaches help support mindsets toward innovation, experimentation and trust?

12:25 PM - 1:25 PM (60 mins)

12:25PM
Roundtables

Roundtable 6: Data and AI as a Strategic Asset: How can leaders unlock value from data and AI while managing privacy, security, and governance risks?

12:25 PM - 1:25 PM (60 mins)

Nandita Sharma Director - Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation Agency
1:25PM

Lunch: Wander, Discover, Connect

1:25 PM - 2:25 PM (60 mins)

Grab lunch, have a wander, and chat with industry partners and peers about practical ideas you can take back to work. Arguably the most important part of the day!

2:25PM

Industry Insights

2:25 PM - 2:45 PM (20 mins)

2:45PM
Panel discussion

AI Literacy: Leveraging Capability for Responsible Use Across Government

2:45 PM - 3:20 PM (35 mins)

As generative AI becomes embedded in everyday workflows, Australia is emerging as a global frontrunner in public sector AI—investing in sovereign capability, shaping responsible-use frameworks, and scaling adoption across government. But sustaining that momentum depends on workforce capability. As access expands across the public service, the gap between ambition and AI literacy is becoming a defining challenge.

This panel explores how departments are building AI literacy as a core capability—equipping public servants to use AI safely, confidently and with judgement, while providing clear guidance, managing risk, and maintaining public trust across government.

  • Why AI literacy is becoming a core capability across the public service—not just a technical skill
  • Enabling safe, guided adoption of generative AI tools at scale
  • Building accountability for AI reliability across the AI innovation value chain
  • Strengthening workforce confidence through practical, hands-on experience
  • Balancing innovation with governance, security and public trust across departments
Ian Oppermann
Commissioner, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission
Alice Linacre
Freedom of Information Commissioner (interim), Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Andrew Watson
Deputy Commissioner and Chief Data Officer, Australian Taxation Office
3:20PM

Closing Remarks: What We Are Taking with Us

3:20 PM - 3:30 PM (10 mins)

We’ll pull out a few highlights from the day, share what’s coming next, and point you to ways to stay connected.

3:30PM

Event Closed

3:30 PM - 3:30 PM (0 mins)

Questions?

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Ready to register?

Registration is free for government

Digital Leadership Day is an event for senior government executives. To request an invitation, please email [email protected] all requests will be subject to approval.