By invitation only
Exclusive invitation: Inaugural Thoughtworks Digital Leaders Forum
5:30pm arrival for a 6:00pm start. Concluding at 10:00pm.
140 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney
Thoughtworks, in partnership with Connect Media, has formed the Digital Leaders Forum – to explore the challenges leaders face in the disruptive digital age. This inaugural event brings together a select group of courageous executives, who share in their desire to build organisational resilience while pushing the envelope of what's possible in their industries.
As the spectre of a recession hovers over our economy, executives must now weigh cutting costs and minimising risk, against supporting innovation-enabled growth.
How you emerge from this next phase of disruption will depend on your ongoing relevance in the marketplace. Playing it safe may be shortsighted, but walking the tightrope between breaking new ground and fulfilling day-to-day business priorities is no easy feat. Is it even possible for a business to excel at both at once? One thing is clear, the precarious balancing act is leading to a sense of ‘innovation fatigue’.
Future-focused business leaders should attend the Digital Leaders Forum to:
- Discuss business challenges and opportunities associated with the current economic downturn.
- Explore sustainable approaches to driving innovation that creates future value.
- Gain and share valuable insights related to driving ROI from digital and technology investments.
- Network and build strong connections with senior business executives.
- Gain greater insight into the forces that will shape technology and business in the future.
Do you have a colleague or peer who may be interested in attending the Digital Leaders Forum?
Keeping in mind that this event is for senior business executives only – you're welcome to share this registration page with your colleagues or peers who may be interested to attend the Digital Leaders Forum.


In a hyper-competitive and uncertain global environment, businesses must excel at everyday operations while also pushing the envelope. Our speakers will explore how to do both well.
Agenda
Keynote presentation
Morris Misel - Global Thinker, Foresight Strategist, Business Futurist
With uncertainty, comes headwinds of opportunity – opportunities to grow, reflect, continue and cease... the onus is on executives to find and embrace these possibilities chances to invent, innovate and evolve. And the decisions you make today, will have lasting consequences for your organisation's ability to compete in years to come.
Morris Misel finds opportunities in the constraints and describes how they can be turned into profitable strategies. At the Digital Leaders Forum, he will share his take on the industries poised to experience a growth in opportunity – as well as where lost opportunities are likely to occur.
Panel discussion
Moderated by Kathryn Heffernan - Portfolio Director, Strategic Accounts at Thoughtworks Australia
Prioritising innovation today is the key to unlocking future growth. But when we're preoccupied with responses to more immediate challenges – like inflation, supply chain bottlenecks or the struggle for talent – expanding your organisation’s horizons can seem like a luxury.
Entrenched bureaucracies, lack of coordination and shortages of funding or strategic vision can all conspire to trap us in ‘keeping the lights on’ mode. The good news is that innovation can take place in different ways and along different horizons, making it sustainable even in periods of great uncertainty.
Our panel will explore sustainable approaches for creating future value – even in highly uncertain times.
Meet our speakers
The futurist: Morris Misel - Global Thinker, Foresight Strategist, Business Futurisit
"The challenging economic environment we now face presents a plethora of opportunities, and the onus is on executives to find and embrace these chances to innovate.”
The visionary: Cathryn Arnold – Chief Technology Officer at Jetstar
“Yes people fly on aeroplanes every day on Jetstar and that’s synonymous with our brand but we sell a lot more than just flights, we sell experiences”
The technologist: Eglantine Etiemble - Chief Technology Officer at PEXA
“Technology implementation requires clear strategic direction and a strong change management approach to be impactful; without these elements it can become a particularly expensive exercise with limited value.”
The innovator: Andy Nolan - Director of Emerging Technology at Thoughtworks Australia
"Instead of exclusively pursuing big-picture, transformative innovations, building a portfolio of initiatives that span different innovation ‘horizons’ is often the path to becoming more competitive and delivering better outcomes."


Morris Misel - Global Thinker, Foresight Strategist, Business Futurisit


Cathryn Arnold - Chief Technology Officer at Jetstar


Eglantine Etiemble – Chief Technology Officer at PEXA


Andy Nolan - Director of Emerging Technology at Thoughtworks
Related content

Perpectives Edition #21: Breaking through innovation fatigue
This Digital Leaders Forum is aligned to the topic of Thoughtworks recent Perspectives edition, which explores the organisational challenges leaders face when called on to excel at everyday operations while creating space for innovation to achieve future growth.
Register for the Digital Leaders Forum
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