Data Architecture New Zealand

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08:30

Register; grab a coffee. Mix, mingle and say hello to peers old and new.
Welcome from Corinium and the Chairperson

Xanthe Sulzberger - Head of Data - Operational Excellence - Fonterra
09:10

Speed Networking – Making new connections!

In this 10-minute networking session, the goal is to connect with three new people. Let the questions on the screen spark your conversation. Enjoy the opportunity to expand your network!
09:20

Pragmatic Data Architecture for Public Sector Realities: Enabling Secure, Scalable Analytics and AI in Healthcare and Beyond

Ibrahim Shafiu - Head of Data Engineering - Te Whatu Ora, Waikato
09:45

Is Your Data AI-Ready? Build Accurate AI with Your Unstructured and Structured Data

Krishnan Narayana Swamy - Field CTO-DataStax - IBM
- Join me to discuss how organisations can ingest structured and unstructured to create a unified, scalable data foundation with the highest-quality data that can be used to fuel the creation of a strong AI ecosystem
- Learn how our customers deliver reliable, real-time performance across petabyte-scale workloads
- Explore architectures, innovative capabilities like integrated vector search and agentic workflows, and discuss how to streamline development, enhance security, and accelerate AI-driven outcomes
10:10

AI-Ready Architectures: Designing for Intelligence at Scale

Sandhya Palepu - Service Group Owner DPAI – Technology - Westpac
- What changes are required in our data stack to support generative AI?
- How do we balance explainability with performance in AI-enabled systems?
- Where do data engineers and AI teams need tighter collaboration?
10:35

Morning Coffee and Connect
11:05

Accelerate AI Adoption with Data & AI Governance

Anand Ramamoorthy - APAC Data Governance Sales Specialist - Informatica

While enthusiasm and investment in AI continue to surge, many initiatives face significant roadblocks or are abandoned due to data-related challenges. According to our CDO Insights 2025 report, over two-thirds of Chief Data Officers reported being unable to transition even half of their GenAI pilots into production.

In this session, Anand Ramamoorthy will delve into the critical role of AI Lifecycle Governance, highlighting how effective governance frameworks, supported by robust data governance practices, can enable organisations to successfully scale and operationalise AI initiatives. Discover how technology can streamline AI governance, turning pilot projects into impactful production deployments.
11:30

Building Future-Ready Data Architectures by Blending Modernisation, Governance and Sustainable Growth

Indrajeet Singh - Associate Director, Data and Analytics Engineering - University of Auckland
- How can data leaders modernise architecture without disrupting existing operations or compliance?
- What governance strategies support agility and innovation in evolving data environments?
- How do you design for sustainable growth across cloud, hybrid and AI-enabled ecosystems?
11:55

Modernising Legacy Architecture for a Digital-First World

Gurbani Singh - Senior Platforms Manager – Data - Kiwibank
12:20

Panel: Will AI Automate the Art of Data Architecture or Redefine It Completely?
- Which aspects of data architecture are most ripe for automation through AI, and which still require human judgment and design thinking?
- How is AI influencing architectural best practices, from data modelling to pipeline orchestration and governance?
- What does the future data architect look like in an AI-augmented environment - will the role evolve or disappear?
Moderator:

Xanthe Sulzberger Head of Data - Operational Excellence Fonterra

Speakers:

Maju Nair Master Data Management - Technical Manager GS1 NZ

Stephen Fenwick Chief Enterprise Architect NZ Post

Armon Petrossian CEO & Co-Founder Coalesce.io
12:55

Lunch
13:55

Engineering for the Now: Architecting Real-Time Data Pipelines That Scale

Nick Davies - Principal - Data Architecture & Engineering - Fidelity Life Assurance
- How do you balance speed, accuracy, and cost when designing real-time data architectures at scale?
- What are the biggest traps teams fall into when moving from batch to real-time processing—and how can they be avoided?
- How do you future-proof a real-time data pipeline amid evolving tools—particularly AI—rising data volumes, and shifting business expectations?
- What are the real outcomes that you can expect on the business with real time data engineering?
14:20

Making AI Useful: The Data Foundations Powering Real Enterprise Impact

Darryl Munro - Head of Architecture - Silver Fern Farms
- What types of data architectures and platforms are proving most effective in enabling scalable, secure, and useful AI applications?
- How can organisations structure their data to support both traditional analytics and modern AI workloads without duplication or bottlenecks?
- As AI advances, what’s the enterprise reality—where are we seeing actual benefit versus just potential, and how can architecture leaders prepare accordingly?
14:45

Building an Enterprise Architecture Business-First

Stephen Fenwick - Chief Enterprise Architect - NZ Post
15:10

Unlocking Customer Value: How Mitre10 Uses Data to Build Better Customer Experiences and Boost Sales

Rodrigo Gemin - Lead Delivery Architect - Mitre 10
15:35

Afternoon Coffee and Connect
16:05

AI and Automation in Data Workflows: From Concept to Execution

Eric Leung - Product/Platform Manager - Restaurant Brands Limited

This session will focus on how organisations can leverage AI and automation to streamline data operations, drawing from practical examples in supply chain digital transformation, IoT platform development, and real-time AI applications.
16:30

Beyond the Hype: Designing Lakehouse Architectures that Actually Work

Neven MacEwan - Enterprise Data Architect - Foodstuffs North Island
17:00

Close of Data Architecture New Zealand 2025

Data Architecture New Zealand schedule

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