The exclusive executive luncheon featured Charles McHardie AM, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Services Australia, who shared insights into the strategic priorities shaping the Australian Government’s largest in-house technology group. Drawing on more than 30 years of leadership across the public service and military, Charles discussed the intersection of digital innovation, service delivery and resilience in an era of accelerating change.

The conversation explored the challenges of delivering whole-of-government digital transformation across Centrelink, Medicare, Child Support and myGov, with a focus on citizen-centric service design, technology-enabled resilience and the future of government platforms. Participants also discussed cybersecurity, digital trust and inclusion, alongside the importance of balancing innovation with operational reliability and accessibility.

The off-the-record dialogue provided senior executives with a direct opportunity to exchange perspectives on strategic technology leadership, systems thinking and building resilient, trusted digital services capable of meeting the evolving needs of millions of Australians.