— A Closed-Door Leadership Exchange Luncheon —
When Every Minute Counts:
Why Cloud Resilience Matters in Financial Services
Moderator:
Kenny Yeo
Director
Frost & Sullivan
Wednesday, 1 April 2026
11:30 AM – 2:30 PM AEDT
George Room, QT Sydney,
49-51 Market Street, Sydney,
NSW 2000, Australia
For financial organisations, cloud resilience is no longer a technical consideration — it is a business and regulatory imperative.
While 94% of executives say resilience is critical, the reality tells a different story: 60% of organisations have experienced downtime in the last two years. For financial services leaders, downtime is not merely an inconvenience—it exposes organisations to operational disruption, regulatory scrutiny, financial loss, and erosion of customer trust.
As financial organisations increasingly look to move mission-critical workloads to the cloud, they must ask harder questions about the true resilience of their cloud environments.
This invitation-only luncheon, held under Chatham House Rules, brings senior technology leaders in financial services together for a candid discussion on:
How are organisations really designing cloud architectures today to protect mission-critical workloads and where are they finding it hardest to balance business requirements with regulatory expectations?
Why has cloud resilience become a prerequisite for AI adoption in practice and how can organisations determine if their infrastructure is truly AI-ready?
How do leading cloud providers perform on uptime and reliability in Australia in real-world conditions and how are leaders using independent data to validate or challenge vendor claims?
The discussion will be grounded in recent Frost & Sullivan research on cloud resilience in Australia, providing data-driven context around downtime risk, resilience planning, and key operational trade-offs. These insights are designed to support practical, executive-level decision-making for leaders responsible for always-on financial services.
Hear from industry leaders, including Kenny Yeo, Director, Frost & Sullivan; Simon Davies, General Manager Core Banking, Commonwealth Bank of Australia; Jamie Simon, Director of Financial Services, AWS; and Dave Coombes, Director of Solutions Architecture, Financial Services, AWS. Together with peers, participants will exchange real-world experiences, share lessons learned, and connect in a trusted, off-the-record environment.
Participants
Venkat Kothakonda
Snr Security Architect
Insignia Financial
Tony Mills
Principal – Infrastructure
AMP
Simon Davies
General Manager Core Banking
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Mark Pottier
Head of Enterprise Services
Aware Super
May Lam
Chief Information Officer
Australian Payments Plus
Pawan Banduni
Snr. Information Security Officer
Bravura Solutions
Sean Woodward
Enterprise Architect
ASX
Dinesh Singh
Head of Technology
Westpac Banking Corporation
Craig Edwards
Principal Enterprise Architect
Macquarie Group
Joe Varkey
Security Practice Manager
AIA
Nigel Doodt
Manager, Cyber and Information Security
CareSuper
Rod Greenaway
Associate Director, Core Platform Services
Auto & General
Santanu Lodh
Chief Information Security Officer
OFX
Jamie Simon
Director of Financial Services
AWS ANZ
Krish De
Principal, FSI Governance Risk & Compliance
AWS ANZ
FAQ
What is an Executive Think Tank Lunch?
Why should I participate?
- Share & Learn Best Practices: Engage in strategic conversations with your peers. The open, candid discussions you have will spark creative thinking and help you formulate new ideas for implementation.
- Increase Your Peer-to-Peer Network: Connect with other senior level leaders in your industry on a more intimate level.
- Get Access to a Frost & Sullivan Analyst: Engage with our industry experts to gain additional insights and ask them your questions.
Will you accommodate my dietary restrictions?
Yes! We understand the importance of dietary restrictions and allergies and want to ensure that all participants feel comfortable and have an enjoyable experience.
What is the location of the event?
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