Global trends in automation, artificial intelligence, big data, and the threat of cyber-attacks — not to mention the rapid transition to remote work — have increased global demand for digital skills.

As a result, we are now faced with a looming digital skills gap that transcends industries and occupations, and is pushing Australia towards a critical shortage of more than 370,000 digital expert and digitally enabled workers by 2026.

How you approach digital transformation will define your organisation’s success in the next decade — so it’s important to equip yourself, and your workforce, with the right tools and knowledge to succeed.

The Navigating Digital Transformation Breakfast Panel Discussion brings together a seasoned group of leaders who will share the latest insights and best practice on digital trends, opportunities, considerations and ways to build a digital mindset and skillset for your workforce.

Our panel includes:

Dr Nina James – General Manager of Professional and Continuing Education (Panel Moderator)
Professor Simon Lucey – Director, Australian Institute of Machine Learning
Jo Beaumont – Change Director, People First Bank
Dr Emily Kirkpatrick – Managing Director, EKology Health

This is a must-attend event for C-suite executives, workforce and technology strategists and senior people leaders, with discussion topics applicable across all industries.

What to expect:

7.30 - 8am: Check-in, coffee and light breakfast.
8 - 9am: Panel discussion
9 - 9.30am: Networking

There are limited places available for this free event, register today to ensure you don’t miss out. For any queries, or to let us know if you are unable to attend, please email Richard Wortley, Manager Business Development - Workforce Capability at Professional and Continuing Education.

Meet the panel:

Dr Nina James – General Manager of Professional and Continuing Education and Panel Moderator

Dr Nina James is General Manager of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Adelaide. She is a strategic leader in lifelong learning with extensive experience across organisational development, vocational education and higher education sectors. Her unique capabilities and experience across policy, pedagogy, stakeholder engagement and product development position her as a solutions-focused thought leader in the nexus between education and workforce development.

At the University of Adelaide, Nina has played a critical role in the establishment of microcredential frameworks and products, working with industry to address skills gaps through flexible and accessible education. Nina creates space for the conceptualisation of new ideas and creative solutions to address complex problems.

Professor Simon Lucey – Director, Australian Institute of Machine Learning

Simon Lucey PhD is the director of the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) and a professor in the University of Adelaide's School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences.

Before joining AIML in 2020 he was an associate research professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, in Pittsburgh, Pa. Professor Lucey has received various career awards, including an ARC Future Fellowship (2009-2013). His research interests span computer vision, machine learning, and robotics. He enjoys drawing inspiration from AI researchers of the past to attempt to unlock computational and mathematical models that underlie the processes of visual perception.

Jo Beaumont – Change Director, People First Bank

Jo is a highly respected senior leader and change professional with 25 years’ experience in leadership and strategic transformational change. In her current role as Change Director - Merger Program at People First Bank, Jo is responsible for leading the change program for the merger of Peoples Choice Credit Union and Heritage Bank. Prior to joining People’s Choice in 2022, Jo was Change Director and Senior Change Manager at Westpac, where she oversaw the Customer Service Hub Project, Westpac’s largest transformation program.

Driven to make a difference through strong values, customer insights, and developing people and relationships, Jo is known for taking inherent ownership to deliver positive business outcomes, using best practice service design and delivery, process and change management and bringing together cross functional teams for a common goal.

Dr Emily Kirkpatrick – Managing Director, EKology Health

Dr Emily Kirkpatrick is a Healthcare Executive and General Practitioner. For nearly three years she led the South Australian COVID-19 community response during the pandemic, working as the Deputy Chief Public Health Officer and more recently as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Executive Director of Community and Primary Care Partnerships for the Department for Health and Wellbeing and working for a private healthcare start-up. This year, Dr Kirkpatrick established a management consulting firm, EKology Health, that focuses on tackling the challenges of the healthcare ecosystem. She is currently supporting the Women’s and Children’s Health Network to establish a new Research, Innovation and Digital Health division. She partakes in a number of clinical advisory roles nationally, is a senior clinical lecturer at AIML and is a board member of Southern Adelaide Local Health Network.

Dr Kirkpatrick has become an advocate for delivering care at the right place, at the right time and by the right clinician. To do this, she firmly believes sustainability comes from creating a value-based healthcare ecosystem and leveraging virtual care delivery models. Her most recent research was focused on the Virtual Hospital of the Future and the opportunities to create safer systems with the support of AI and Machine Learning.