EMPOWERING SHARED SERVICES AS A STRATEGIC FORCE
12th– 14th May 2025
| Marvel Stadium, VIC
Main Conference - SSOW ANZ - Day Two - Wednesday 14th May 2025
SSOW ANZ 2025 WELCOME
8:50 am - 9:00 am
Welcome to SSOW Conference Day Two
Melissa Guy -
Finance Strategy & Improvement Lead - Group Finance,
Woolworths
DATA DRIVEN INSIGHTS & DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Take Risks, Aim High, and Learn. ALWAYS
9:00 am - 9:25 am
AI-Powered Analytics: Transforming Data into Actionable Insights
Sharmini Krishnan -
Head of PMI Business Solutions (Philippines),
Philip Morris International
- Using AI to analyze vast amounts of data and identify trends.
- How predictive analytics can improve decision-making in shared services.
- Practical applications of AI in financial, HR, and procurement functions.
9:25 am - 9:50 am
Data-Driven Productivity: Unlocking Potential in Shared Services
Khiv Sewad -
Country Manager, Americas,
ProHance
- Identifying Hidden Capacity: Learn how organizations and leaders can pinpoint latent capacity within their shared services.
- Simple, Effective Interventions: Discover how minor adjustments, without the need for extensive change management, can significantly enhance efficiency and productivity.
- Effort vs. Output Correlation: Gain insights into the relationship between team effort and output, and how to leverage this understanding.
- Unlocking Opportunities: Recognize substantial hidden opportunities that can drive a 20% improvement in productivity, even before embarking on complex initiatives like process mining, RPA, and automation.
9:50 am - 10:15 am
Expanding Shared Services and the Need to Build Cyber Resilience
Peter Tow -
Chief Digital Resilience Officer,
Western Sydney University
- Cyber resilience today, preparation and planning
- Managing cybersecurity risk in multi-vendor environments
- Strategies for ensuring continuous improvement
10:15 am - 10:30 am
SSOW ANZ Top Tips Trade-Off
An interactive session where attendees exchange their best practices, innovative ideas, and proven strategies to tackle shared services and outsourcing challenges while driving success. Tips are shared in 2 minute speed round and could be based around challenges including
- Process Optimization
- Technology Integration
- Cost Management
- Workforce Management
- Scalability Strategies
- Vendor Collaboration
- Data-Driven Decisions
PROCESS REDEFINED
10:30 am - 11:15 am
Panel Discussion: Elevating Excellence – Process Improvement and Service Delivery Redefined
Rachel Anderson -
Head of Business Connect (Shared Services),
Sydney Water
Kirsty Bunfield - General Manager, Financial and Shared Services, Department of Industry, Science and Resources
- How can organisations identify high-impact areas for process improvement to drive efficiency and service quality?
- What innovative approaches can leaders use to enhance service delivery and meet rising customer expectations?
- How do you measure the success of process improvements and ensure their sustainability over time?
Kirsty Bunfield
General Manager, Financial and Shared ServicesDepartment of Industry, Science and Resources
11:15 am - 11:50 am
Morning Break and Industry Connection
Refuel and Connect! Enjoy a refreshing morning break while building valuable industry connections with fellow attendees and experts.
OUTSOURCING PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES
11:50 am - 12:15 pm
Fireside chat: Maximizing Value Through Performance-Based Outsourcing Contracts
Kate Wadwell -
Manager Finance Operations & Director BPO,
BlueScope
- Argument for and against decentralised and centralised strategies.
- Defining clear performance metrics and accountability mechanisms.
- Effectively managing remote workers.
- Balancing autonomy and oversight in hybrid organisational structures
REDEFINING SERVICE EXPERIENCE, EXCELLENCE & RESULTS
12:15 pm - 12:40 pm
Customer-Centric Shared Services: Delivering Excellence at Scale
Adrian Hudson -
General Manager,
Queensland Shared Services - Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business
- Operating at scale.
- Leveraging workforce capability and culture.
- Understanding the needs and priorities of your customers.
- Balancing the needs and competing priorities of the “many” within a shared services context.
Adrian Hudson
General ManagerQueensland Shared Services - Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business
12:40 pm - 1:10 pm
Panel Discussion: Customer Experience Transformation
Melissa Hankinson -
Chief Information Officer,
University of Canberra
Janelle Annis-Brown - Program Director Corporate Operations, Life Without Barriers
Shakira Snowdon - Country Head, Philippines, Pepper Group Limited
- Learn how to leverage customer insights to design responsive, error-free and personalised service models
- Explore strategies for innovating service delivery to exceed rising customer expectations
- Understand the role of shared services in enhancing the overall customer experience across business units
1:10 pm - 2:10 pm
Lunch Break and Industry Connection
Refuel and Connect! Enjoy a refreshing morning break while building valuable industry connections with fellow attendees and experts.
WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: Building a Workforce for AI Driven Shared Services: Upskilling and Fostering a Change Mindset
Siva Halasya Subramania -
Head of AI and Automation,
Telstra
Michelle Carter - Director Shared Services - People & Culture, Swinburne University of Technology
Anuj Saraogi - Executive Branch Manager, ACT Government
- Identifying the need and skills needed for an AI-enabled workforce
- Reskilling and upskilling in the age of automation
- Fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation and change
Michelle Carter
Director Shared Services - People & CultureSwinburne University of Technology
2:40 pm - 3:00 pm
Future-Ready Shared Services: Adapting to the New Workforce Landscape
Dr Kym Davis -
Researcher,
Shared Services Researcher & Consultant
- Understanding the Gen-Z Workforce: What motivates them, their expectations, and how to integrate their values into shared services environments.
- Operational Leanness: Strategies for optimizing resources while maintaining productivity and quality.
- Navigating Shrinking Discretionary Effort: Tactics for fostering engagement and maximizing employee contribution.
- Career Path Evolution: How to design career development opportunities that resonate with a modern workforce.
- Building High-Impact Teams: Tools and techniques to develop lean teams that are agile, effective, and aligned with business goals
