CDAO Perth schedule

During this 10-minute networking session, the aim of the game is to go and meet three people you don't already know. Have fun!

• Exploring how modern CDOs are shaping strategy, innovation, and value creation.
• The rise of agentic AI, its impact on governance, and the future of human-machine collaboration.
• The CDAO’s role in fostering a culture of responsible data use across organisations.

Unlock the transformative potential of AI Agents in this presentation designed to provide you with a 12-month roadmap. Discover what AI Agents are and how their advanced architecture can revolutionise data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency. Learn how to prepare your data to unleash the full power of these intelligent systems and explore the wide-reaching impact AI Agents can have across your organisation—empowering you to lead innovation and influence everything.

• Understanding different types of data prototypes and how your intent shapes design and success metrics.
• Why rough, early-stage prototypes are powerful tools for alignment, learning, and low-risk failure.
• A toddler’s guide to prototyping – A practical framework for building data prototypes fast, testing often, and learning through iteration.
• How prototyping encourages a more collaborative, curious, and experimental data culture across teams.

One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that data-driven insights are not just understood but acted upon at the highest levels of leadership. How can data leaders effectively communicate the value of analytics, gain executive buy-in, and ensure data initiatives align with broader business objectives?

• Addressing executive resistance to data-driven decision-making.
• Creating a unified ‘single source of truth’ for data outputs in organisations for high-quality growth enablement.
• Bridging the gap between governance, risk and innovation and exploring the shift of data leaders from tech enforcers to strategic advisors.

Moderator 

Alex Jenkins Director WA Data Science Innovation Hub (WADSIH) 

Panellists

Paul Hunt Head of Data and Analytics Australian Motoring Services

Vahid Golkar Data and Analytics Manager Topdrill

Vaibhav Agrawal Advisory Board – Centre for Business Data Analytics University of Western Australia

•  Turn unstructured data into competitive advantage by discovering how enterprises are unlocking 90% of their untapped data to power more accurate AI.
• Learn how hybrid, open architectures like IBM watsonx.data + DataStax simplify access, enrichment, and governance across structured and unstructured data.
• Hear how industry innovators are scaling trustworthy GenAI applications that cut costs, accelerate insights, and transform customer experiences.

• Translating complex data into clear, compelling narratives that drive executive understanding and action.
• Using strategic communication to demonstrate business value and secure leadership buy-in for data initiatives.
• Framing data discussions around business impact, risk, and revenue.

Bobby Patel GM Data and Analytics RAC WA

Piyush Lalwani Data Engineering Manager RAC WA 

• Transforming data into a business asset through enterprise-wide cataloguing and ownership.
• The real investment: ongoing data literacy, stewardship, and change management.
• Scaling analytics and AI readiness with a robust, self-serve data catalogue.

• The role of AI agents in the corporate world.
• Unstructured/Semi-Structured data concerns.
• Data Governance - Behind, Ahead or Alongside of AI initiatives?
• Shortfalls of current practices.
• There is a solution!

• WA’s evolving data protection policies, the Privacy Act reforms, PRIS 2026 and global trends (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) are shaping compliance requirements.
• Ensuring compliance with sovereign data requirements while maintaining global data operations.
•  How automation can streamline compliance reporting, audit readiness, and regulatory adherence.

Moderator

Yulia Merril Perth Branch President DAMA 

Panellists

Ivy Isack Manager, Governance, Analysis and Improvement Fortescue

Dr. Mohammad Bilal Shaikh Artificial Intelligence Software Engineer Molycop

Ross Campbell Manager – Data & Analytics and Privacy Officer The Perth Mint

• Securing replication environments to prevent leakage, duplication risk, and shadow data.
• Building integration layers that preserve lineage, metadata, and access control across platforms.
• Safeguarding sensitive datasets in AI/ML workflows without limiting performance or agility.
• Aligning with governance frameworks to ensure ethical, compliant AI adoption from the start.

• What makes a good decision, and when should I look to data to drive?
• Why embed analytics into culture: The limitations of process.
• How can I champion data-driven decisions in my organisation?

A fireside chat discussing how to unlock team productivity, leverage unstructured data, access enterprise-wide knowledge to improve productivity, reduce risk, increase compliance and security, Discover how Glean is being utilised to help teams with AI-powered contextual and permission aware assistance for search, answers, and so much more!

Moderator

Thomas McDade CEO KeyData

Speakers

Dave Keys Founder KeyData

Dr. Devon Biggerstaff Principal Data and AI Consultant KeyData

Ian Morris Regional Partner Manager Glean

• Build scalable infrastructure to handle complex data challenges.

• Deliver tangible outcomes that customers can see and use.

• Demonstrate value beyond technical capability to unlock the platform effect.

• Shift perception from cost centre to value enabler.

Natalie Pollard Head of Digital Enterprise Platforms Woodside Energy

Rohan Davies Data Technology Platform Lead Woodside Energy

• Enabling collaboration across engineering, QA, and operations through unified insights.
• Identifying gaps in defect tracking and the challenges that inspired TrackDefectX.
• Leverage analytics, AI, and automation to enhance accuracy and speed
• Demonstrate measurable impact and achieve industry recognition

Data leaders are grappling with a talent crisis - demand is surging, yet hiring alone is not a sustainable solution. The real challenge is transforming the workforce pipeline to meet evolving business needs.

• Why traditional incentives are failing and how to align compensation, purpose, and flexibility to keep top talent.
• How partnerships with universities, internal development programs, and alternative career pathways can create a steady flow of skilled professionals.
• Evaluating when to invest in upskilling existing teams in BI and AI versus bringing in external hires for specialised roles.
• Exploring the role of data leaders in workforce strategy and cultivating the next generation of CDOs.

Moderator

Douglas Robertson Director & Principal Consultant DR Analytics Recruitment

Panellists 

Rutuparna Ayachit Manager - Information Management Services CITIC Pacific Mining

Hannah Jachmann Head of Data and Insights Fremantle Dockers

Brendon Chai National Manager - Digital and Data Leading Food Services Company 

Abhi Raguraman Technology, Data, Analytics and Integration Lead INPEX Australia

Get ready to challenge assumptions, defend your stance, and shift perspectives.

In this high-energy, interactive debate panel, senior data leaders won’t just share insights. They’ll take sides. With live audience polling, provocative prompts, and no safe middle ground, this session invites attendees to vote, question, and engage in real-time. Expect lively discussions, surprising consensus, and a candid look at the questions shaping the future of data leadership in WA.

Facilitator

Jong (JJ) Jung Head of Market Intelligence Ramsay Health Care

Debaters

Dr. Ryan Behdad Head  of AI and Data CashConverters

Matthew Curnow Head of Digital, DataOps and AI Wood

Krista Bell Director - Data and Information Governance Curtin University
Harpreet Khalsa Chief Data Officer Edith Cowan University