Directors On Digital

A bonus episode of Directors on Digital sharing the extended conversation with Microsoft Australia’s national chief technology 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. 

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, corporate vice president, Industry Solutions at Microsoft and non-executive board member Zuora, 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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

Join Alan Kohler AM as he speaks with Catherine Livingstone AO FAICD, chairman of the Commonwealth Bank, and David Thodey AO FAICD, chair of CSIRO, Tyro and Xero in Episode 1 of Directors on Digital, brought to you by Microsoft and Company Director, the member magazine of the AICD.

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.

Directors on Digital is a podcast from Microsoft and Company Director magazine. Across six episodes, join host Alan Kohler as he sits down with Australia’s leading company directors to discover their experiences and insights in driving digital innovation on their boards. Hear fascinating, in-depth conversations with the likes of CSIRO Chair David Thodey, CommBank Chairman Catherine Livingstone, ZipCo chair Diane Smith-Gander and many others.