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

Topic to Be Confirmed

Senior representative - - Informatica
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

DataOps in Practice: Engineering Trust at Speed
- How does DataOps change how we manage and deliver data pipelines?
- What are the first signs of success when implementing DataOps?
- How do we measure DataOps maturity across teams?
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?
12:05

Metadata in Motion: Automating Data Cataloguing and Lineage in Complex Architectures
- How can metadata lineage be reliably captured across hybrid and multi-cloud tech stacks?
- What emerging tools and APIs enable real-time, automated metadata discovery and tracking?
- How can active metadata improve data quality, governance, and team collaboration?
12:30

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?
Speakers:

Maju Nair Master Data Management - Technical Manager GS1 NZ

Stephen Fenwick Chief Enterprise Architect NZ Post
13:05

Lunch
14:05

Modernising Legacy Architecture for a Digital-First World

Gurbani Singh - Senior Platforms Manager – Data - Kiwibank
14:30

Unifying Architectures: Breaking Down Silos for Cross-Functional Insights and Agility
- Overcoming common pain points of siloed data architectures, such as duplicated efforts, inconsistent data, and the inability to share insights across teams or department
- Driving strategies for integrating data across platforms, teams, or departments. Include the role of APIs, microservices, and metadata management
- Highlighting how breaking down silos requires not just technical solutions, but also organisational changes, including collaboration between teams, but are worthwhile endeavours
14:55

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?
15:20

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?
15:55

15-Minute Lightning Session: Building an Enterprise Architecture Business-First

Stephen Fenwick - Chief Enterprise Architect - NZ Post
16:10

Afternoon Coffee and Connect
16:40

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.
17:05

The Seven Sins of Data Migration and How to Avoid Them

Rodrigo Gemin - Lead Delivery Architect - Mitre 10
17:30

Beyond the Hype: Designing Lakehouse Architectures that Actually Work

Neven MacEwan - Enterprise Data Architect - Foodstuffs North Island
17:55

Close of Data Architecture New Zealand 2025

Data Architecture New Zealand schedule

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