Episodes 

From Systems to Agents : Rethinking Enterprise Architecture in the Age of AI - with Gautam Nadkarni

In this episode, Saumitra Kalikar speaks with Gautam Nadkarni (Chief Technologist & Head of Tech Advisory & Architecture Services at Wipro) about how agentic systems are reshaping the fundamentals of enterprise architecture. From deterministic systems to autonomous decision-making ecosystems, this conversation explores what it really means to architect in the age of AI.

Reimagining Data Functions in the AI Era: Fixing Ownership, Governance, and Trust

In this episode, Saumitra Kalikar speaks with Surit Sethi, Senior Technology Executive with deep expertise in managing data functions. They discuss what it really takes to build and manage a modern data function.
This conversation goes beyond technology and explores the structural and leadership challenges that prevent data from delivering business outcomes. From shifting executive expectations to the growing tension between data as an asset and a liability, this episode provides a grounded perspective on what needs to change.
Key themes explored in this episode include:
- How organisations should think about data ownership,
- Why governance must be embedded into delivery,
- How operating models are shifting towards outcome-driven teams,
- Why data literacy across the business is becoming a critical capability.

Beyond ITSM: The Rise of Enterprise Service Management - with Rakesh Kumar

In this episode, host Saumitra Kalikar speaks with Rakesh Kumar, Head of Advisory at InMorphis, about how Enterprise Service Management (ESM) is transforming modern enterprise operations. They explore how organisations are moving beyond traditional IT Service Management to unify services across HR, finance, and other business functions — creating a single, seamless service experience for employees.
This episode covers:
- What Enterprise Service Management really means
- Why organisations are breaking down functional silos
- The business case: productivity, cost optimisation, compliance
- ESM as a platform for enterprise-wide workflows and data
- Challenges in adoption and organisational change
- The role of AI in shaping the future of service management

Beyond the MarTech Stack : How Leaders Should Rethink MarTech Strategy - with Jon Goh

In this episode, host Saumitra Kalikar speaks with Jon Goh, Head of MarTech at Medibank, about the evolving discipline of MarTech Operations. The conversation explores:
• What MarTech Operations really means today
• Why many organisations struggle to realise ROI from their MarTech investments
• The leadership and cultural capabilities required to make MarTech work
• How AI is reshaping marketing technology ecosystems
• How organisations can manage stack complexity, integration challenges and data silos

Jon also shares insights from his white paper “Thinking Beyond the Stack,” which argues that the biggest barrier to MarTech success is not technology — but leadership.
https://themartechweekly.com/tmw-236-guest-white-paper-thinking-beyond-the-stack/

Data Governance in the Age of AI : From Compliance Burden to Strategic Enabler - with Nicola Askham

Saumitra Kalikar sits down with internationally recognised data governance expert Nicola Askham, author of Effective Data Governance: Design a Framework That Works for Your Organisation.
As enterprises accelerate AI adoption, data governance is back on the executive agenda. But this time, it’s not about compliance checklists. In this conversation, we explore:

- Why past governance initiatives failed
- How AI is forcing organisations to rethink data foundations
- The shift from centralised governance to federated ownership models
- AI governance vs data governance — should they be separate?
- Designing guardrails instead of governance gates
- Measuring governance success beyond maturity models

AI Sovereignty: Who Controls the Intelligence Layer of Australia’s Digital Future?

In this solo episode, Saumitra Kalikar explores one of the most critical questions facing Australian enterprises and policymakers in 2026: Under whose control does our AI operate? This episode covers:
• Why AI is now critical infrastructure
• The four pillars of Sovereign AI
• Geopolitical concentration risk and hyperscaler dependency
• Sectoral priorities: Defence, Healthcare, Financial Services & Critical Infrastructure
• The concept of “Sovereign Inferencing”
• Practical guidance for boards and executive leaders

Digital Sovereignty for Australian Enterprises : From Compliance to Enterprise Resilience

In this episode, host Saumitra Kalikar unpacks what digital sovereignty really means for Australian enterprises, cutting through common misconceptions around data residency and explaining where sovereignty expectations are explicit, implicit, and increasingly unavoidable. This episode covers:

- Why digital supply chains are no longer insulated from geopolitics
- The difference between data residency and true digital sovereignty
- The three layers of sovereignty: legal, operational, and technical control
- What Australian law does — and does not — mandate
- How sovereignty becomes enforceable in critical infrastructure, financial services, govt supply chains
- Why Indigenous Data Sovereignty is a uniquely Australian governance consideration
- The architectural patterns enterprises are using to balance innovation with control
- Why organisations are shifting from “cloud first” to “cloud smart”
- A practical roadmap for CIOs and enterprise leaders to strengthen sovereignty and resilience

Weaponisation of AI - A New Battlefield for Enterprise Risk

In this episode, host Saumitra Kalikar is joined by David Luchi, Head of Information Security at Flybuys, for a deep, practical conversation on how AI is being weaponised by global actors — and what this means for modern enterprises. Together, they explore why organisations are no longer bystanders in geopolitical and cyber conflict, but increasingly the battlefield itself.
In this episode, we cover:
- What “weaponisation of AI” really means — beyond autonomous weapons and hype
- How AI is transforming cyberattacks, social engineering, and disinformation
- Why enterprises are becoming proxy targets in global and economic conflict
- The growing risks to identity, trust, and executive credibility
- Where organisations are most exposed: data, AI models, platforms, and supply chains
- Why traditional security and governance models are struggling to keep up
- What CISOs, CIOs, architects, and boards must do to prepare for a hostile AI environment

Rethinking Enterprise Architecture Through the Customer Lens - with Hareesh Karra

In this episode of Enterprise Tech Talk, host Saumitra Kalikar is joined by Hareesh Karra, Senior Enterprise Architect, to explore what customer-centric enterprise architecture really means — and why so many organisations struggle to achieve it despite years of investment. In this conversation, we cover:
- Why most organisations think they are customer-centric — and why their architecture tells a different story
- The shift enterprise architects must make from technology standards to customer outcomes
- How customer journeys and value streams turn capability models into actionable investment decisions
- The role of customer data platforms and API-led architectures in enabling omnichannel experiences
- Moving beyond NPS: the metrics that actually reflect customer effort, trust, and resolution
- How AI and agent-based automation can improve customer experience and frontline productivity

Cultivating Security Culture across the Enterprise - with Daisy Wong

In this episode, Saumitra Kalikar speaks with Daisy Wong, Head of Security Culture and Awareness at Medibank, about what it really takes to cultivate security culture across an enterprise. They explore why cybersecurity is as much a people and culture challenge as it is a technical one, how organisations can move beyond checkbox training to meaningful behavior change, and why executive leadership, psychological safety, and risk-aligned awareness programs are critical to building a more resilient organisation.

Strategic Imperatives for Australian Technology Industry - 2026

In the latest Enterprise Tech Talk episode, Saumitra Kalikar unpacks the strategic agenda confronting Australian CIOs for 2026 to manage key headwinds around inflation, talent shortfall and new regulations.
The episodes discusses four strategic imperatives for CIOs and technology leaders for 2026:
🤖 Industrialising Agentic AI: Moving beyond pilots to measurable business outcomes
☁️ Architecting for Sovereignty & Resilience: To manage geopolitical risk and regulatory pressure
🛡️ Cyber Defense Models : Shifting from reactive security to Zero Trust, autonomous, AI-driven protection
📜 Strengthening Governance & Compliance: Ahead of immovable 2026 regulatory deadlines

Enterprise Automation : The New Strategic Differentiator - with Richard Davies

Enterprise Automation is no longer about scripting tasks or bolting on bots. It’s evolving into a strategic capability — powered by AI — that promises to improve customer experience, operational resilience, compliance, and even the way organisations design work.
In this episode, Richard Davies (APAC CTO, OutSystems) shares some key insights on current state of Enterprise Automation and emerging trends.
Watch this explore to understand what’s changing in Enterprise Automation, what’s the hype vs reality, what delivers real value, and what leaders need to do now to stay ahead.

Strategic AI Investment for the Enterprise — with Apurv Baviskar

In this episode, we dive deep into the strategic considerations for AI investment in modern enterprises to cover topics such as AI Governance, ethical considerations, data and technology foundations, emerging skills and organisational roles and shift towards Agentic AI.

Composable Enterprise - A new business paradigm

In this episode, we discuss adopting modern architecture practices to transition to composable business. we attempt to explain this paradigm, its building blocks, key benefits and the shifts required to transition to a composable business.

Safe and Scalable AI Adoption for the Enterprise

In this episode, we unpack the RoI framework, architectural, and governance mandates required to transition from GenAI pilots to trusted, autonomous Agentic AI systems.