ACS Leadership Breakfast: Empowering productivity through leadership
Delivering trust, scale & impact through emerging technologies while empowering productivity through leadership. This panel session brings together senior leaders and cyber security experts to explore how AI, quantum computing, advanced robotics, and cyber security are reshaping productivity, service delivery, and workforce capability.
Member $75.00
Member-Concessional $75.00
Non-Member $95.00
Contact Event Organiser
About this event
Delivering trust, scale & impact through emerging technologies.
Empowering productivity through leadership unites senior leaders and cyber security experts from the public and private sectors to explore how emerging technologies—such as AI, quantum computing, advanced robotics, and cyber security—are transforming productivity, service delivery, and workforce capability. Discover practical strategies, hear real success stories, and learn how to lead with trust, resilience, and confidence in an increasingly digital and security-conscious world.
Through engaging discussions and case studies, this event provides actionable leadership insights, showing how leaders across sectors are enhancing cyber resilience, driving productivity, improving services, and fostering trust in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Key themes:
- Investing wisely in technology – directing funding towards initiatives that deliver measurable business and security outcomes
- Building alignment across the organisation – securing buy-in from leaders and teams beyond ICT and cyber security
- Raising capability and confidence – empowering people to understand and work with new and emerging technologies
- Leading with trust and transparency – ensuring the responsible, secure, and inclusive adoption of innovation
- Learning from real success stories – insights from leaders who are successfully navigating change, transformation, and cyber challenges
- Charles McHardie, Chief Information and Digital Officer, A/c CEO, Services Australia
- Kylie Watson, Head of Cyber Security, DXC Technology
Whether you're shaping strategy, influencing decisions, or seeking to understand the impacts of emerging technologies, this event will provide the knowledge, inspiration, and connections to lead with confidence.
Table Package:
Purchase a table of 8 at a discounted rate of $584 and enjoy the added benefit of having your company name and logo displayed on the table (Enter promo code: ACSLD25 before checking out)
Photos: Please note: this event will be photographed. Some of these photos may be used to promote future events and programs. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let the event coordinator know on the day.
Speakers
Kylie is a CISO, former Big 4 Partner, and international Managing Director in the Information Technology Infrastructure, Applications and Services industry, with responsibility across ANZ, ASEAN, Japan, India, China, Taiwan, the Middle East and Africa. She specialises in Cybersecurity, AI (including AI ethics), Data Risk and Human Behaviour.
With over 25 years of executive leadership experience, Kylie has led large-scale business and technology transformations, combining expertise in security, change management and behavioural economics. She excels at leading multi-disciplinary teams across regions, building market-ready capabilities, and forging partnerships and alliances to address complex client challenges.
Kylie has worked across industries including government, retail, mining, energy, utilities, health and financial services, and maintains strong relationships with C-suite leaders. She is recognised for driving cultural change and advancing diversity and inclusion, with awards for coaching, mentoring and innovation.
Her technical expertise spans cybersecurity and technology stacks (on-premises, cloud and hybrid), alongside qualifications in Cybersecurity, Data, AI, Cloud and Change Management. She also leads incident response teams across APJ and MEA, is an AI ethicist, and has training in Quantum technologies.
Kylie is also a keynote speaker, media spokesperson and author on technology topics, and advises universities and government agencies on cyber, technology research and education.
In his role as CIDO, Charles is responsible for driving digital and technology transformation within Services Australia, and delivering whole-of-government transformation programs. He oversees significant investment in programs for Centrelink, Medicare, Child Support and myGov.
Charles led the delivery of technology and business solutions that positioned the Australian government to be able to respond rapidly to the global pandemic. He brings extensive knowledge of Services Australia’s systems from his previous roles as Deputy CEO of the Transformation Projects Group, Chief Transformation Officer, and as Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer with the agency’s predecessor, the Department of Human Services.
Prior to joining Services Australia, Charles was the Deputy Secretary of Transformation and Enabling Services for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, where he led the transformation of services to veterans and their families under the Veteran Centric Reform program.
Charles joined the Australian public service in 2015 after a long and distinguished career in the Royal Australian Navy where he held IT, intelligence and operational postings. Charles was deployed three times to the Middle East in Australia’s contribution to Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom as well as operations in East Timor. In 2011 Charles was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to Naval Warfare, and in 2014 was awarded a commendation for distinguished service for his command of naval Combined Task Force 150.
Charles holds a Master of Science in Information Technology and a Master of Systems Engineering from the University of New South Wales, a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from Deakin University and studied Applied Science at the Royal Australian Naval College.
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Event Terms & Conditions
Registration
- Payment in full is required the time of booking in order for the registration to be valid.
- To avoid disappointment, ensure you pay for your booking(s) before the registration closing date. Anyone that has not received a confirmation email will not be on the event attendance list and therefore will not be admitted to the event.
- Online registration ends at the time stated on the event details page.
Cancellation and Refund
All cancellations must be processed through the website, a refund will only be considered if it is at least 3 working days prior to the event.
Disclaimer
- ACS reserves the right to change the program at any time. Every effort will be made to ensure a program of equivalent standard and members are updated with changes.
- All dietary requirements are considered, however we cannot guarantee a 100% allergen free environment.
- ACS reserves the right to prohibit entry or eject any person from an ACS event based on behaviour deemed inappropriate by ACS staff, its agents and/or others working under its authority.
- Filming or streaming by attendees is not permitted. If an attendee is found to be doing so they will be asked to leave the event immediately and further action may be taken.
- Photography and/or filming may take place during this event, by accepting these terms you consent to this. Please let a member of ACS know if you do not want your picture taken.
COVID-19 Event Attendance Compliance
By registering to attend an ACS in person event you are agreeing to the below terms and conditions
- If an attendee is displaying flu or cold like symptoms in the days leading up to the event and therefore is not able to attend, ACS will refund the registration fee.
- If an attendee comes to an event and is displaying flu or cold like symptoms they will be asked to leave
- We ask all ACS members to respect the social distancing guidelines, if an attendee repeatedly disregards these guidelines, they may be asked to leave
- ACS reserves the right to cancel the event within 24 hours' notice if either the speaker or the event host has advised us that they are exhibiting flu or cold like symptoms
- All attendees must provide a valid phone number and email address to be contacted on if there is reason to notify about a possible COVID-19 exposure
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