Tech leaders share 2024 upskilling priorities and industry insights
Senior technology leaders from RMIT Online, SevenRooms, Accenture ANZ, Anni, Wunderkind and Solera share their insights with Digital Nation on their top areas for upskilling in 2024.
Will Calvert, director for technology and enablement at RMIT Online told Digital Nation staying informed across the cyber security landscape is “paramount for all organisations”.
He said last year saw a “returned focus on privacy, security and data” at the university, noting a “huge uptake from businesses looking to enrol individuals and teams in our cyber resilience short courses.”
“As we get more and more connected digitally, the prevalence and sophistication of cyber-attacks grow in tandem.
"In this complex and uncertain landscape, staying informed about cyber security governance, risk management frameworksand prevention strategies and techniques has emerged as paramount for all organisations,” Calvert said.
He said the “rapidly evolving nature of the digital landscape” requires constant monitoring and protection as “hackers are gaining momentum in finding new ways to fight defences.”
“Furthermore, the massive surge of AI and the large datasets required for any chosen AI solution, means we must be at the forefront of ethical data use in AU, aligned with the latest privacy legislations while finding new ways to protect our data,” Calvert added.
“This frontier has opened up a new attack surface that all CTOs need to manage. Effective leadership is crucial to security initiatives, as well as taking staff along on the journey to ensure greater alignment across the board.
"After all, cyber security is everyone’s responsibility," Calvert added.
Calvert explained that if a role forms part of an organisation's digital communication, data storage, classified information or even an internet connection, “good cyber governance is 100 percent your responsibility.”
“Remaining competitive means having the skills to foster a secure digital environment, apply and communicate a cyber security strategy to team members and organisational-wide stakeholdersand - if necessary - respond to incidents in an orderly and efficient manner,” he said.
Calvert said RMIT has seen ongoing investment in those taking part in the upskilling programs, with people continuing to invest in development opportunities holding an "added advantage of greater resilience to changing trends.”
Paul Hadida, general manager for the APAC at restaurant technology company, SevenRooms, said to Digital Nation that soft skills will be a focus over 2024 rather than hard skills.
“Upskilling is an always-on process, so just as it has been for me every year - and in every role I’ve held - it’ll be a big focus again in 2024,” Hadida said.
“For me, I’ll be focusing more on soft skills than hard skills and specifically those related to leadership.
“It’s a common misconception that those in leadership positions have learnt all they need to know about leadership, but I disagree.
“There is no one-size-fits-all answer to leadership, so constantly honing that muscle and thought process is important for me,” Hadida added.
Hadida said much of his colleagues and the company's success “is driven by a willingness to leave our comfort zones and learn new skills”.
“Soft skills are key, but if there’s one hard skill we’ll be investigating closely, it’s AI. It became so pervasive in 2023and we see no signs of that slowing in 2024.
"Having people who aren’t just competent but expert in AI within our team will enable us to grow, improve operationally and better serve our customers,” Hadida concluded.
Matt Coates, technology lead at Accenture ANZ said the likes of data, AI, generative AI and automation are “only part of the picture”.
"The real upskilling for technology organisations is in increasing the level of understanding about how these innovations will change the work we are doing – how we are operating, how we respond to client problemsand how the products we work with are changed themselves,” Coates said.
He said the impacts of emerging technologies go “far beyond just learning about ‘how they work’” but also “understanding ‘how we work’ alongside them, to maximise the value they offer.”
“The other area we are applying our focus is in reimagining the roles of our people, as they begin to be freed from tasks that can now be automated,” he said.
“Accenture research shows that up to 44 percent of working hours are now within the scope of automation, so how do we take that saving of time and upskill our people to take on higher value work in their roles? How do we help them augment their performance, using these tools to unleash their creativity?
“We need to invest in our people to reinvent work. That is where the true potential lies in this revolution” Coates said.
Anna Lee-Renwick, co-founder and chief product officer at advice platform, Anni, said, “Leading a business in the current age of digital transformation and economic uncertainty comes with an enormous demand to stay across the tools, technologies and trends that can impact your business.”
“You’re not only pulled in so many directions but you’re required to split your energy across long-term strategies and goals without losing sight of the short-term objectives,” Lee-Renwick said.
Lee-Renwick said being able to have “one eye down on the here and now and one eye up towards the future means constantly re-evaluating the best ways to invest your time.”
“Across my career, I’ve learnt it doesn't matter the size or scale of your business, or your seniority within the organisation, time management is a constant evolution. It’s a skill in and of itself that requires continual upskilling.”
Lee-Renwick added, “Continually reflecting on how your time is best spent when the list of ‘to-dos’ is ever growing, also necessities being able to identify when and where the job is better done in collaboration with highly specialised partners, agencies or contractors.”
"Having respect for my own time - and for these highly specialised skill sets - means reaping the benefits of learning from the wealth of experience, knowledge and opinions we simply wouldn’t have access to otherwise,” Lee-Renwick said.
Jamie Hoey, Australian country manager for software company, Wunderkind, said, “When a new hammer comes out, everything looks like a nail.”
“Boasting promises of increased efficiency and higher revenue, it’s no surprise marketers are rapidly increasing their AI usage,” Hoey said.
“But understanding the type of AI you need to invest in - generative AI, service AI or machine learning - will change how you upskill and evolve your understanding alongside the new technologies you’re looking to implement.”
Hoey said generative AI can assist with content creation, copywriting, data analysis, predictive text and automating conversations with customers with chatbots or virtual assistants.
“On an individual level, generative AI is taking some of the manual work out of idea generation and distilling large quantities of information.
“Service AI offerings, such as automated styling tools where customers can virtually try on clothing or visualise furniture in their homes before making a purchase are also becoming more commonplace.
According to Hoey, Amazon recently announced four AI-powered innovations designed to provide customers with personalised size recommendations, review highlights, re-imagined size chartsand fit insights.
“While not as shiny as generative AI or as interesting as some of the newer service AI offerings, the highest impact - particularly for marketers - is going to come from machine learning,” Hoey said.
“With vast amounts of data at our disposal, machine learning can act on this to boost customer satisfaction, minimise returns and deliver a richer, more immersive experience to customers.”
Hoey said, “This may include recommendation engines, product and customer similarity AI, or propensity models where the customer benefits from an improved experience and brands can simultaneously upsell and cross-sell complementary products.”
“Investing in ML and AI solutions that can do part of the heavy lifting will go part of the way towards correctly leveraging AI.
“During this process, ensure to choose a partner with vast amounts of historical data and a proven track record of turning this data into revenue and results.
"However, upskilling and filling in the gaps in your team’s AI proficiency will also ensure the price tag goes towards performance and outcomes,” Hoey said.
Chris Iacovou, APAC Managing Director at vehicle lifecycle management software-as-a-service, dataand services company, Solera, told Digital Nation 2024 is the year “real strides” are made in perceptions around climate-related issues.
Iacovou said, “With climate-reporting financial disclosure obligations set to be enforced by the Australian Government in July, large Australian companies will soon be required to report on their climate-related plans, financial risksand opportunities.”
“However, despite a growing awareness of sustainability and demand for eco-friendly practices, there remains a notable number of companies that perceive it as a mere 'checkbox' requirement rather than an integral component of sound business management,” Iacovou said.
“2024 is the year we'll see real strides forward with regards to these perceptions shifting and business leaders across the entire C-suite prioritising sustainability.
“This is being driven by two factors: consumer demand and regulatory pressure,” Iacovou explained.
He said Solera's research reveals data is one of the biggest obstacles for businesses moving forward with sustainability efforts.
“In short, reducing your carbon emissions won’t be possible if you don’t understand them in the first place.”
Solera said, “Understanding the emissions generated from the whole supply chain and using AI to make better sustainable choices will transform almost every industry.
“In automotive for example, by using AI to assess vehicle damage remotely rather than driving to a body shop, technicians will be able to diagnose and repair vehicles more quickly and without incurring the emissions from driving back and forth to the shop for assessments,” Solera concluded.
This appeared in Digital Nation Australia on January 31, 2024.
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