AI Summit Sydney 2025

Wholesale Investor & Main Beach Advisors Present:

The AI Mandate: Your Role, Your Company, Your Future.

The AI Mandate: Your Role, Your

Company, Your Future.

November 14, 2025

Sofitel Darling Harbour, Sydney

250+ Industry Leaders

Event Starts In

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

01 : 04 : 17 : 21

A Strategic Summit for Australian Leaders Navigating the AI Tipping Point. Your business survival guide for the new competitive era.

Secure Your Spot Now

Limited seats available

See Agenda

Sponsored By

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Learn more

The Inflection Point is Here.

The shift from AI experimentation to scaled implementation is accelerating. Globally, 65% of organisations now regularly use generative AI, a number that has nearly doubled in a year.

For Australian leaders, the message is clear: AI is the new competitive infrastructure. The decisions you make in the next 12 months will define your organisation's trajectory for the next decade.

This is the moment to lead the charge.

The shift from AI experimentation to scaled implementation is accelerating. Globally, 65% of organisations now regularly use generative AI, a number that has nearly doubled in a year.

For Australian leaders, the message is clear: AI is the new competitive infrastructure. The decisions you make in the next 12 months will define your organisation's trajectory for the next decade.

This is the moment to lead the charge.

The shift from AI experimentation to scaled implementation is accelerating. Globally, 65% of organisations now regularly use generative AI, a number that has nearly doubled in a year.

For Australian leaders, the message is clear: AI is the new competitive infrastructure. The decisions you make in the next 12 months will define your organisation's trajectory for the next decade.

This is the moment to lead the charge.

The Executive Dilemma: A Career-Defining Choice

A quiet question is being asked in boardrooms and leadership teams across Australia: Who will lead our AI transformation?

And the unspoken follow-up: Who will be left behind?

Failing to build a clear AI strategy is no longer a strategic option. It is a critical business risk and a direct threat to your career. Your competitors are moving. Your board is asking questions. Your team is looking to you for a plan.

This summit provides that plan. It is designed to equip you with the practical, boardroom-ready insights needed to protect your position and drive your company forward.

A quiet question is being asked in boardrooms and leadership teams across Australia: Who will lead our AI transformation?

And the unspoken follow-up: Who will be left behind?

This summit provides that plan. It is designed to equip you with the practical, boardroom-ready insights needed to protect your position and drive your company forward.

A quiet question is being asked in boardrooms and leadership teams across Australia: Who will lead our AI transformation?

And the unspoken follow-up: Who will be left behind?

This summit provides that plan. It is designed to equip you with the practical, boardroom-ready insights needed to protect your position and drive your company forward.

Secure Your Spot Now

Your Strategic Playbook for AI Adoption and Execution

This full-day summit delivers a comprehensive framework for action across the five critical domains of AI leadership

Extend your impact before, during, and after the summit. CapitalHQ is the engine that converts event exposure into a qualified pipeline.

Enterprise AI Strategy: FromVision to Value

The greatest bottom-line impact from AI comes from redesigning core workflows. Move beyond isolated pilot projects and learn to embed AI into your organisation's DNA. We provide the C-suite-led plan to align AI investment with your core business objectives.

AI Governance: Building Trust at Scale

Trust is the currency of the AI era. With public trust fragile, a robust governance framework is a prerequisite for ROI. We will deliver an actionable guide based on Australia's 8 AI Ethics Principles to help you deploy AI with confidence and integrity.

ROI Measurement: Proving the Value

A staggering 93% of Australian organisations are unable to effectively measure the return on their AI initiatives. This ROI paradox is the single biggest barrier to scaling. You will leave with a sophisticated framework to track value, build the business case, and secure funding for your AI program.

Workforce & Skills: The Human-Centric Future

AI will augment, not automate, the future of work. It will change the traditional organisation chart, as humans become managers of AI Agents. Yet Australia faces a projected shortfall of 60,000 AI professionals by 2027. Learn how to address this critical skills gap, redesign roles for the AI era, and build a culture that empowers your people to thrive.

AI Agents: The Next Frontier

Autonomous AI agents are here, promising to act as a force multiplier that could double and triple workforce capacity. Understand this emerging technology, its profound opportunities, and the new governance required to manage its risks.

Who Should Attend

This summit is exclusively for senior decision-makers responsible for strategy, growth, and transformation.

ASX C-Suite

CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, CTOs, Chairmen, and Directors.

Private Enterprise Leaders

Business Owners and Senior Executives from Private companies

Scale-up Founders

Leaders of high-growth companies at the frontier of AI adoption.

Professional Services & Advisors

Partners and Directors from consulting, legal, and accounting firms.

The Investment Community

VCs, Family Offices, and Institutional Investors.

Featured Speakers

Industry experts and thought leaders sharing cutting-edge insights

Interested in presenting? Learn more

Tim Trumper

Author, Chairman & Advisor

Tim Trumper is a former Chair of the NRMA (National Roads and Motorists Association), an advisor and a founding shareholder in Quantium Australia's largest data and AI enterprise.

Matt Barrie

Chief Executive, Freelancer

Matt Barrie is Chief Executive of Freelancer (ASX:FLN), the world's largest freelancing marketplace with over 80 million users, and CEO of Escrow.com, processing over US$8 billion in secure transactions. He's also Executive Chairman of Loadshift, Australia's largest freight marketplace. Learn more

Ken Shaw Jr.

Managing Director, Main Beach Advisors

Ken is a 2 x CEO and Founder having founded, built and sold two software companies in California. Ken has extensive experience in Private Equity, M&A and buy-outs, and now runs Main Beach Advisors, a boutique advisory firm helping investment firms, and large companies adopt AI for meaningful productivity gains and OpEx reduction. Ken is also the co-author of the Five Forces Enterprise AI Model.

Steve Torso

Show Runner, CEO of Wholesale Investor

Steve is the CEO of Wholesale Investor, connecting innovative companies with sophisticated investors globally.

Carly Martin

CEO, Venture Bench & Venture GC

Carly founded Venture Bench to help businesses scale pre-sale. Formerly leading Amazon’s global expansion programs, she now helps Australian companies grow overseas. She champions curiosity and smart risk-taking as drivers of innovation, and will share frameworks for repeatable growth and building advisory boards that lift exit valuations.

Stephen Wu

Senior Leader in Technology, Transformation, Innovation, Strategy, and Execution

Steve Wu is an experienced software executive who has helped build several global, award-winning cloud products. In the AI era, he co-authored the Five Forces of Enterprise AI model, guiding individuals and organizations to assess their AI maturity and achieve significant productivity and gains.

Lel Smits

Managing Director, The Stock Network

Lel Smits is an award-winning entrepreneur, former Wall Street journalist, and co-founder of The Capital Network. She launched The Stock Network, reaching 50,000+ investors, and has coached over 1,000 executives.

Yash Varma

Venture Capitalist, High Performance Coach (HPL)

Yash Varma is the General Partner of Empress Capital, Australia's only dedicated AI venture capital fund, with a unique position at the forefront of AI innovation as an early investor in Anthropic and Mary Technology. With over 20 years building and scaling technology. Learn more

Nimisha Tailor

Author and Founder- E-nomics

Nimisha Tailor is a competition and regulation specialist with international experience. She has advised large tech companies, central banks and international organisations in the areas of digital finance, digital trade and e-commerce. Previously, she worked at competition authorities in United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore... Learn more

Kate Cooper

CEO OKX Australia

Kate is a transformational leader with over 20 years of global experience at the intersection of technology, strategy, and leadership. She has a proven track record of helping organizations navigate paradigm shifts, first with the rise of Web 2.0, where she played a pivotal… Learn more

Den Burykin

Director Vivanti Consulting

He builds companies at the frontier of technology, where human progress and commercial durability intersect.

From data-driven consulting to open-banking rails, sovereign manufacturing to bio-printing bone implants, his career has been defined by turning ambitious ideas into… Learn more

Mark Dando

CEO and Co-Founder ProxyTwin

Mark has a vision to help people and organisations shape their fullest future.As CEO, founder of and investor in ProxyTwin, Mark leads the use AI to help amplify the world's experts.

He is also CEO and founder of the RAL group which acts as a media agency for the world's highest… Learn more

Dror Ben-Naim

Chief AI Investment Strategist - Empress Capital

I’ve spent a career blending research, design, and venture building to create innovative solutions - and I’m not done yet. These days, you’ll find me scouting for visionary founders at Empress Capital while secretly experimenting with fresh concepts and technologies of my own. It’s R&D, but make it venture.

Guillaume Ang

Co-founder upflowy

Guillaume Ang is a tech entrepreneur and CEO of Upflowy (now evolving into Psyke), where he’s pioneering AI-powered marketing and user experience automation. He combines deep technical insight with product vision to apply AI, neuroscience, and data-driven design—helping teams craft smarter, higher-converting digital experiences at scale.

Shane Muller

Founder & Chairman, Secure My Digital - Paladin AI Ventures

With over four decades of entrepreneurial leadership managing businesses across four continents, Shane Muller has become a strategist and advisor on four prestigious boards locally and internationally. He has consulted to over 300 businesses worldwide and having a vision to make inventiveness a reality, he has been… Learn more

Conference Agenda

This is not a technology conference. It is a one-day strategic immersion for leaders, designed to provide a boardroom-ready action plan for the new competitive era.

Nov 14, 2025

9:00 AM - 9:20 AM

Welcome & Framing the Day

Steve Torso, Wholesale Investor & CapitalHQ

An opening briefing on why AI has shifted from a technical advantage to the core infrastructure of modern business, setting the strategic context for the day

9:20 AM - 9:50 AM

OPENING KEYNOTE: The Transformation Imperative

Tim Trumper – Author, Chairman & Advisor

From Experimentation to Market Dominance: The era of AI experimentation is over. In this keynote, CEOs will learn how to transform AI from a critical business risk into their greatest competitive advantage. Tim Trumper will deliver the strategic framework for winning in an era where market leadership is being completely redefined.

9:50 AM - 10:15 AM

Agentic AI and the Future of Work

Matt Barrie – Chief Executive, Freelancer

10:15 AM - 10:35 AM

THE BOARDROOM PLAYBOOK: Mastering Enterprise AI Strategy

Ken Shaw – Managing Director, Main Beach Advisors

Go beyond isolated pilots. This session delivers a C-suite-led framework for embedding AI into your core business model—from redesigning workflows to building a bankable investment case.

10:35 AM - 11:00 AM

Applied Intelligence: How Smart Leaders Stay Human at the Edge of AI

Kate Cooper – Author of “EDGE: A field guide for adapting.” . Performing and leading on the edge of tech-driven change and CEO of OKX Australia

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Networking Morning Break

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Panel Session: The Next Frontier: Harnessing AI Agents as a Force Multiplier

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

The Future of Work – AI’s impact on your future.

Ken Shaw – Main Beach Advisors

No discussion of leadership, strategy or performance can happen in 2025 without AI being central. AI is reshaping the global workforce more rapidly and profoundly than anything that has come before. Hear from an AI builder who's in-the-trenches helping orgs ranging from the Fortune 500 to Middle Eastern governments face this new frontier. Hear what others around the world are doing and get advice on how you as leaders, investors or executives can stay ahead of the curve.

12:30PM - 1:00PM

Panel Session: The Governance Mandate: Navigating AI Risk & Building Trust at Scale

1:00PM - 2:00PM

Networking Lunch Break

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

EXECUTIVE PANEL: The First 90 Days—An AI Roadmap from Leaders in the Trenches

A panel of Australian executives and founders share candid, real-world lessons from their AI adoption journey—what worked, what failed, and what they would do differently.

2:00 PM - 2:50 PM

THE TALENT ROADMAP: Building Your AI-Augmented Workforce

Steve Torso, Wholesale Investor & CapitalHQ

With a projected 60,000-person AI skills gap, talent is the biggest barrier to execution. This session provides a practical plan to redesign roles, upskill your teams, and win the war for AI talent.

2:50 PM - 3:00 PM

Innovation Showcase

ProxyTwin, Scriptsee

3:00PM - 3:20PM

The Talent Roadmap: The 5 Forces of AI in Enterprise

Stephen Wu – Fractional Consultant, Main Beach Advisors

3:20 PM - 3:50 PM

Fireside Chat: AI Investment Trends

Yash Varma – Venture Capitalist, High Performance Coach (HPL)

3:50 PM - 5:00 PM

Wrap-Up & Networking Drinks

Secure Your Spot Now

Last tickets remaining - Final chance to register

Secure Your Place

Choose the pass that aligns with your strategic objectives.

General Admission

$295

Few Tickets Left

Full-day access to all keynotes and panel sessions.

Networking lunch and breaks.

Post-event summary report

Secure Your Executive Pass

Executive VIP All-Access Pass

$1,295

Recommended

All General Admission Pass benefits.

The Speakers & Advisors Dinner: An exclusive, private dinner the night before the summit, providing unparalleled access to our keynote speakers and advisory panel.

The VIP Executive Lounge: A dedicated space on the day for private meetings, refreshments, and high-level networking away from the crowds.

The VIP Concierge Service: We guarantee a higher ROI on your time. You tell us who you want to meet, and our dedicated team will personally facilitate warm introductions for you in the lounge.

The Post-Summit AI Strategy Debrief: An invitation to an exclusive virtual roundtable with me two weeks after the summit, focused on turning the day's insights into your 90-day action plan.

Secure Your Executive Pass

What Our Clients Say About Our Events

See how our past events transformed connections, ideas, and businesses.

These events are fantastic at bringing out really incredible people with fantastic experiences

Carly Martin

Founder of Venture Bench

It's my second time attending in wholesaleinvestor event, but it's the first time sponsoring...I'm so impressed... Everything that's beencommunicated about the event has lived up to its promises. It's been very clear what the content and the speakers are going to be talking about... It's attracted all the right kind of people.

Ryan Johnson-Hunt

Co-Founder & CEO

Conference Venue

Bringing together decision-makers across industries to explore the future of work

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, 12 Darling Dr, Sydney NSW 2000

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, 12 Darling Dr, Sydney NSW 2000

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, 12 Darling Dr, Sydney NSW 2000

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, 12 Darling Dr, Sydney NSW 2000

Situated in the vibrant Darling Harbour precinct, Sofitel Sydney offers a perfect setting for world-class events and conferences. Elegant design, state-of-the-art facilities, and exceptional service ensure a memorable experience for every guest.

Premier Venue

Elegant spaces with harbour views

Central Location

Next to ICC Sydney & CBD

Dining Excellence

Five restaurants and bars

Tech Ready

Modern event technology

Get Direction

Accommodation

Special accommodation rates will be available for conference attendees at the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour. Details will be provided upon registration.

Discounted Rates

Exclusive rates for registered attendees

Convenient Stay

Maximize networking by staying onsite

Getting There

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour is easily accessible from Sydney Airport and all major transportation hubs.

From Sydney Airport

25 minutes by taxi or 35 minutes by train

Public Transit

Convention Centre Light Rail stop is a 3-minute walk

Parking

Valet parking available for guests

Explore Sydney

Extend your stay and enjoy all that Sydney has to offer. From iconic landmarks to world-class dining, Sydney provides the perfect backdrop for your conference experience.

Sydney Opera House Tour

15 min by taxi

Darling Harbour

10 min walk

Circular Quay

15 min walk

The Rocks

20 min walk

AI Summit 2025

AI Summit 2025 - Sydney

November 14, 2025
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, 12 Darling Dr, Sydney NSW 2000

AI Summit 2025 - Sydney