Trans - Tasman Business Circle

Building on insights from the Australian Banking Association (ABA) and Trans - Tasman Business Circle Annual Economic Forecast event in February, we were delighted to host a private roundtable discussion to explore the of the key themes shaping the banking industry in 2025 on Friday last week. With expert perspectives from Vanessa Beggs (Deputy CEO, Australian Banking Association) and Bruce Speirs (COO, Bendigo & Adelaide Bank), senior leaders explored the challenges and opportunities shaping the financial sector in 2025.   As 2025 unfolds, success will depend on adaptability, technology-driven strategies, and a people-first approach. While economic uncertainties persist, forecasts suggest a stronger year ahead. Banks must balance cost control, customer engagement, and digital innovation to maintain a competitive edge. AI is enhancing efficiency and personalisation, but challenges like legacy systems, regulatory barriers, and talent shortages continue to slow large-scale adoption.   With rapid digital transformation, cybersecurity and customer trust remain top priorities, requiring stronger fraud prevention and data protection. Fintechs are drawing top talent, pushing banks to invest in leadership, engagement, and workplace flexibility. Collaboration between banks, fintechs, and regulators will be essential for driving innovation, improving customer experiences, and ensuring industry resilience.   On behalf of the Trans - Tasman Business Circle, our moderator Dora Beara and our partner Verizon Business, and our hosts, PwC we would like to thank our speakers and to all our participants for an insightful and forward-thinking discussion, which we hope to continue!   #transtasmanbusinesscircle #thecircle #banking2025 #leadership #digitaltransformation #futureoffinance

On behalf of the Trans - Tasman Business Circle and our Partner IBM, we were delighted yesterday in Melbourne to host a CEO Executive Roundtable Discussion. Australia’s clean energy transition is accelerating. The future of energy, utilities and advanced manufacturing depends on bold leadership, AI-driven innovation, and a commitment to sustainability. Our guests engaged candidly, and IBM lead a forward-looking conversation around “Shaping Australia’s Future with AI, Innovation, and Sustainability”. Represented by several industry verticals, this exclusive platform for CEOs and Senior Executives allowed for a candid dialogue on AI-powered transformation, the future of clean energy and collaboration as a competitive advantage. Immense gratitude to our two visionary leaders on the most pressing challenges and opportunities in AI, energy, and sustainability. Mark Collette, Managing Director, Energy Australia, thank you for sharing your insights and experiences across the energy sector. We are deeply humbled and extremely grateful. Jonathan Adashek, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, IBM, thank you for bringing a global perspective to the local market and equally sharing IBM’s own journey and real use cases in action leveraging the adoption of AI. Moderated by Cath Gullo, Account Executive, Trans-Tasman Business Circle, together with our guests, we explored how industries are leveraging AI to drive innovation and transformation, mitigating the potential risks or unintended consequences of relying on AI in decision-making processes, customer-centric sustainability, collaboration across industries, positioning Australia globally, the significant challenges faced in implementing AI-driven initiatives and how EnergyAustralia is at the forefront of Australia’s clean energy transition. Thank you also to Ravi Kumar Mandalika and David Ellis for your insightful contributions on the day. A heartfelt thank you to our amazing Partner IBM for your collaboration and ongoing support. To our wonderful team at the Circle, Renee Woodward, Cerise Devaux, Dora Beara and Karina Gannon for bringing the magic to life in partnership with IBM. To our esteemed guests, thank you for your active engagement and contributions.   Tanya Oziel, Johnny Weiss, Emily Boyle, Sharron Lloyd

Technology as a Catalyst for Retail Transformation, cultural shifts required to embed technology at scale, the key drivers, the challenges. Customer-Centric Omni-Channel Experiences, the customer journey. Operational Efficiency and Innovation, innovative technology streamlining operations. AI, Analytics and Data Driven Insights, best practices, the challenges. Cybersecurity and Data Integrity, maintaining trust in a digitally connected retail ecosystem. Talent and Culture, fostering a collaborative culture, one that attracts, develops, and retains the skills imperative for the future of retail tech.   Key themes we explored together last Friday during the Retail Dialogue 2025. Immense gratitude to our host partner DLA Piper, our major partner Fujitsu and our supporting partners Adobe and Dynatrace. Your partnership, collaboration and engagement brought the magic of the Circle to life. To our 3 esteemed panellists, John Cox, Genevieve Elliott and Frank De Sa. Your combined experiences across many of our favourite Brands in the Australian market, as well as your practical and straight talk insights allowed for a highly interactive and engaged discussion. Bringing this platform together to engage with peers across the industry would not have been possible without your thought leadership and authenticity. On behalf of the Trans - Tasman Business Circle, we are deeply honoured and extremely grateful.   To our attending guests and those clients who participated during our Private Boardroom morning session in addition to the luncheon panel, we are incredibly humbled that you dedicated this time to spend with your peers across the Retail Industry. A platform for learning from one another, a platform for engaging with one another, a platform to share openly and with trust.   #RetailDialogue2025 #learningtogether #buildingcommunities   Tanya Oziel, Johnny Weiss, Francisco Paiva, Karina Gannon, Cerise Devaux, Sharron Lloyd, Emily Boyle, Dora Beara, 🚀 Erin T., Noa Oziel  

What a conversation! A huge thank you to Anna Bligh, CEO, Australian Banking Association (ABA) and Andrew Irvine, Group CEO & Managing Director of NAB and Chair of the ABA, for an incredibly engaging and candid discussion at the ABA & Circle Economic Forecast 2025. In a week packed with rate cuts, economic forecasts, and pre-election chatter, Andrew and Anna didn’t shy away from the big questions: 🏡 Lack of Homes & Affordability – The housing squeeze isn’t just about supply; it’s about unlocking the right solutions to support renters, buyers, and businesses alike. 💼 Productivity & Workforce – From cyber to manufacturing, Australia has world-class talent—but are we leveraging it effectively? Immigration, skills development, and industry collaboration are key. 🗳️ Post-Election Realities – What does the economic outlook mean for everyday Australians? How will policies shift, and what role will the banking sector play in ensuring stability and opportunity for all? The audience Q&A was as sharp as ever, and we’re grateful for the insights shared. It’s clear that economic resilience, financial inclusion, and industry transformation will be front and centre in 2025. A huge thank you to our host, KPMG, for providing a stunning venue, and to our partners — Kyndryl, Adobe, IBM, and Infosys — for their unwavering support in making these vital conversations possible. Thank you again, Anna and Andrew, for your time, perspective, and energy — we look forward to continuing these critical discussions!

In partnership with our long-term partner IBM, the Trans - Tasman Business Circle and the Singapore Business Circle were delighted as part of IBM's Executive Insights Series, to host a private roundtable dialogue over dinner in Singapore last night, discussing 'Scaling Responsible AI: Balancing Productivity and Trust in the Age of GenAI.' Focused on the transformative power of AI, as the world accelerates towards harnessing Gen AI's potential, moderated by Cath Gullo, we explored how CFOs can maximise AI productivity without compromising trust and integrity. Together we explored how trust and security is maintained within financial data for AI-Driven Decision Making, how AI is being leveraged for Smarter Financial Planning and Agile Decision Making and, building Trust and ensuring Governance in AI Transformation.Creating a platform for collaboration. Learning from one another. Exchanging and sharing ideas. To Justin Holloway, Naomi Hill, Kitman Cheung and Patrick Bruinsma thank you for your inspiring thought leadership and pragmatic, authentic thoughts throughout the dialogue. To our customers, immense gratitude for selecting to spend the evening with the Trans-Tasman Business Circle and IBM. To Brooke Byrne and the team at IBM, incredibly grateful for our ongoing partnership built on trust, openness and delivering the best for our customers together. #TheCircle #thenetworkeffect #relationships #insights #collaboration #leadership #innovation #inspiration

🌍✨ What do you want to grow in 2025? Embark on a Journey of a Lifetime! ✈️📚 🚀 Elevate your learning experience and broaden your horizons with The Circle’s Study Tours! Our immersive trips offer unparalleled opportunities to explore new cultures, gain firsthand knowledge, and build relationships with likeminded professionals. 🚀 🌟 Don't just study the world—experience it! We have upcoming Study Tours to Singapore in February (for Women Leaders) and Silicon Valley (open to all). 🌟 🚀 Women Leaders by the Circle | Singapore Inaugural TechConnect Immersion Programme  ‘Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders: Innovation, Purpose, and Collaboration’ Monday, 24 February - Thursday 27 February 2025 The Inaugural Women Leaders by the Circle TechConnect 2025 in Singapore is an exclusive immersion programme that brings together visionary female tech leaders from Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. This premier event is crafted for CTOs, CIOs, CDOs, and women in tech and ESG leadership roles who are ready to shape the future through collaboration, purpose-driven innovation, and expanding impactful relationships. 🚀 The AU/NZ Executive Leadership Study Tour | Silicon Valley Explore the Future. Innovate Boldly. Lead with Vision. Saturday, 15 March – Friday, 21 March 2025 The programme is tailored for senior leaders from Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore who seek to immerse themselves in Silicon Valley's culture of innovation, gain critical insights into global digital trends, and build connections that drive strategic growth. We’ve curated a programme that includes visits to and briefings with some of Silicon Valley’s most influential companies, including Google, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Microsoft and many more. Enrol in a Study Tour today and unlock new perspectives that will enrich your personal and professional growth. #StudyTour #EducationAbroad #LearningJourney #Travel #CulturalExchange #StudentLife 👉 Ready to take the plunge? Visit our website for more details and embark on a transformational adventure or contact admin@buscircle.com for details. https://lnkd.in/gkb28-F4

What a fantastic way to kick off our 2025 Australian events calendar! We were proud to partner with Infosys to host an engaging CMO breakfast at the MCG on Australia Day, where inspiring conversation empowered like-minded marketing professionals to lead the way into the future with AI. Our 2025 events calendar is packed with incredible opportunities to grow relationships, profile, insights and business knowledge. We look forward to connecting with you soon! #TheCircle #thenetworkeffect #Relationships #Insights #Collaboration #Leadership #Innovation #Inspiration

Great to see this unique group of Corporate Affairs leaders come together to close out the 2024 Leadership Briefing Series! Yesterday’s session, Rethinking Engagement in the Age of Information Overload, featured dynamic conversations on fostering credibility, enhancing board and C-suite collaboration, and building a positive, purpose-driven profile. We’re proud to facilitate these conversations that go beyond the day-to-day and focus on lasting impact—supporting the next generation, establishing strong industry standards, and creating an ecosystem of Corporate Affairs leaders. Thank you to all our speakers, attendees, and partners who made this series a success. Looking forward to what we’ll accomplish together in 2025! #CorporateAffairs #LeadershipSeries #TheCircle #ProfessionalGrowth #CommunicationsLeadership Tracy Jennings Vanessa Liell Anne Wickham Nicholas Booth Anthea Cudworth, FCSCE Boxing Clever (Australia) Orizontas Nick Stravs Openly

👏 Proud to have hosted another impactful session in our 2024 Corporate Affairs Leadership Briefing Series! Last week’s discussion on Resilient Leadership: Equipping Corporate Affairs Leaders for Sustainability during Economic Downturns was a powerful reminder of the critical role corporate affairs plays in addressing strategic risk, navigating the challenges of cybersecurity, AI, regulation, and driving ethical leadership.