Directors On Digital Podcast Series

Listen to the latest directors on digital podcast series

Episode 1: From surviving to thriving: maintaining innovation momentum

Join Alan Kohler as he speaks with Catherine Livingstone, chairman of the Commonwealth Bank, and David Thodey, chair of CSIRO, Tyro and Xero.

Join Alan Kohler as he speaks with Catherine Livingstone,chairman of the Commonwealth Bank, and David Thodey, chair of CSIRO, Tyro and Xero.

Over just a few short months, Australian businesses saw years’ worth of digital transformation. If digitalisation was gathering pace in the decade leading up to 2020, the global pandemic accelerated it dramatically, unlocking remarkable examples of innovation.

The question is now, how do directors maintain the momentum,build on the digital confidence gained and seize the huge opportunity that digital technology presents? In this episode, we explore the challenges for board directors moving their businesses from survival mode to seize the huge opportunity that digital technology presents.

Guest 1: Catherine Livingstone, AO FAICD chairman of the Commonwealth Bank

Guest 2: David Thodey, AO FAICD chair of CSIRO, Tyro and Xero

Episode 2: Why leadership matters more than ever: balancing wellbeing, empathy, purpose and performance

Join Alan Kohler as he speaks with Steven Worrall, managing director Microsoft Australia, Peter Fuda, leadership adviser, and John Mullen, chair of Telstra and Brambles.

Alan Kohler AM delves into the world of leadership in conversation with Steven Worrall, managing director Microsoft Australia, Dr Peter Fuda, leadership adviser, author and professor of management, and John Mullen, chair of Telstra and Brambles in Episode 2 of Directors on Digital, brought to you by Microsoft and Company Director, the member magazine of the AICD

In a post-pandemic world, the quality and type of leadership matters more than ever. So how can boards and directors adopt new mindsets and practices that deliver the right kind of leadership to maintain the positive momentum many businesses have grasped? In this episode, we look at how trust is at the core of good leadership, explore the challenges of ensuring employee wellbeing and performance, and how directors can get up to speed in understanding and delivering innovation and transformation across their businesses.

Guest 1: Steven Worrall, managing director Microsoft Australia

Guest 2: Peter Fuda, leadership adviser, author and professor of management

Guest 3: John Mullen, chair Telstra and Brambles

Episode 3: Collaboration: the key to unlocking innovation

Join Alan Kohler as he speaks with Josephine Sukkar,founder and principal of Buildcorp, and Deanne Stewart, CEO ofAware Super.

Collaboration is core to value creation as Alan Kohler AM reveals. He speaks with Josephine Sukkar AM AAICD, founder and principal of Buildcorp, director of Washington H Soul Pattinson and chair of the Australian Sports Commission, and Deanne Stewart GAICD, CEO of Australia’s second-largest industry super fund, Aware Super, in Episode 3 of Directors on Digital, brought to you by Microsoft and Company Director, the member magazine of the AICD, we explore how boards can embark on new partnerships and reposition their business as part of the broader ecosystem — and how they transform engagements among internal and external stakeholders.

Guest 1: Deanne Stewart, GAICD CEO of Aware Super

Guest 2: Josephine Sukkar, AM AAICD founder and principal of Buildcorp, director of Washington H Soul Pattinson and chair of Australian Sports Commission

Episode 4: Leveraging data for value creation

Join Alan Kohler as he speaks with Yasmin Allen, chair of the Digital Skills Organisation, Tim Reed, president of the Business Council of Australia, and Lee Hickin, chief technology officer, Microsoft Australia.

Alan Kohler AM explores the world of data with Yasmin Allen FAICD, chair of the Digital Skills Organisation and work futures platform Faethm.ai, and non-executive director at ASX, Cochlear and Santos, Tim Reed, president of the Business Council of Australia, and Lee Hickin, chief technology officer, Microsoft Australia, in Episode 4 of Directors on Digital, brought to you by Microsoft and Company Director, the member magazine of the AICD. Smart digital transformation offers significant opportunities for gathering valuable data about the organisation and the customer.

In this episode, we look at security and privacy concerns, the biases that can underpin AI algorithms, and how boards need to ensure their organisations use data responsibly and understand how to unlock the potential value for their businesses.

Guest 1: Yasmin Allen FAICD, chair of the federally funded Digital Skills Organisation, work futures platform Faethm.ai, and non-executive director at ASX, Cochlear and Santos

Guest 2: Tim Reed, president of the Business Council of Australia

Guest 3: Lee Hickin, chief technology officer, Microsoft Australia

Episode 5: We need to talk about risk

Join Alan Kohler as he speaks with Siobhan McKenna, director of Woolworths and Nova Entertainment, and Peeyush Gupta, director of NAB, SBS and Link Group, in Episode 5 of Directors on Digital.

How’s your appetite for risk, asks Alan Kohler AM. He speaks with Siobhan McKenna, director of Woolworths and Nova Entertainment, executive chair of Foxtel, Fox Sports and Sky News, and Peeyush Gupta AM FAICD, director of NAB, SBS and Link Group, and chair of Charter Hall Long WALE REIT, in Episode 5 of Directors on Digital, brought to you by Microsoft and Company Director, the member magazine of the AICD In the wake of the pandemic, boards have a much more acute awareness of long-term risks. In this episode, we look at how boards are reassessing the risks required to create value in the digital world and how they can better negotiate the issues.

Guest 1: Siobhan McKenna, director of Woolworths and Nova Entertainment, executive chair of Foxtel, Fox Sports and Sky News

Guest 2: Peeyush Gupta, non-executive director of NAB, SBS and Link Group, and chair of Charter Hall Long WALE REIT.

BONUS EPISODE: An insider’s guide to data governance, AI and turtle surveillance(bonus episode)

HOST: Narelle Hooper, Editor in Chief of Company Director magazine

A bonus episode of Directors on Digital sharing theextended conversation with Microsoft Australia’s national chieftechnology officer, Lee Hickin, with introduction by Narelle Hooper,Editor in Chief of Company Director magazine.

This episode will deepen directors’ understanding of why correct digital hygiene and management is the engine of successful digital transformation. Lee Hickin outlines the importance of getting the basics of good data governance right ‒ what's vital to protect and how to do that well. To wrap up, he also shares his favourite examples of where artificial intelligence is being used successfully and what responsible use of AI really requires.

Guest 1: Lee Hickin, Chief Technology Officer Microsoft Australia

Episode 6: Moving up the digital maturity curve

Join Alan Kohler as he speaks with Diane Smith-Gander, AO FAICD,chair, ZipCo Limited, and Wendy Stops, non-executive director ColesGroup, Blackmores Ltd and NFP Fitted for Work, in Episode 6 of Directorson Digital.

Alan Kohler explores how boards can deepen innovative capability over time. He speaks with Diane Smith-Gander, AO FAICD, chair, ZipCo Limited; non-executive director, AGL Energy, HBF Health, Keystart Home Loan and Safe Work Australia, Wendy Stops GAICD, non-executive director Coles Group, Blackmores and NFP Fitted for Work and Omar Abbosh Microsoft vice president, Cross-Industry Solutions, in Episode 6 of Directors on Digital, brought to you by Microsoft and Company Director, the member magazine of the AICD.

They invite directors to reflect on the current and hoped-for future states of their organisation and what’s needed to adapt. They also discuss what directors can do to expand their own learning.

Guest 1: Diane Smith-Gander AO FAICD, chair ZipCo, non-executive director AGL Energy, HBF Health, and Safe Work Australia.

Guest 2: Wendy Stops GAICD, non-executive director Coles Group, Blackmores and NFP Fitted for Work.

Guest 3 Omar Abbosh, Corporate Vice President, Industry Solutions at Microsoft and non-executive board member Zuora.