In this episode Rushenka chats with Michelle Perera, Chief Product Owner, BFS Platforms, Macquarie Bank to talk about some of the business challenges Macquarie Bank needed to solve by finding the right technology solution, and how innovation has driven positive outcomes for the business.

Macquarie Bank is also a finalist in The Best Run Awards 2021 that recognises leading businesses across Australia and New Zealand that are using SAP products to turn insight into action, drive innovation, and transform their businesses. You can view their submission here.

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Highlights in this episode include:

1:30 - An introduction to Macquarie's Banking and Financial Services Group.
2:40 - Finding the right technology solutions to meet Macquarie Bank's business challenges.
4:20 - Key outcomes achieved through Macquarie Bank's innovation journey.
7:00 - Future technology implementation plans.
8:30 - The importance of an innovative mindset at Macquarie Bank.

In this episode Rushenka speaks with Lizzie Creed, People Manager, NTT DATA Business Solutions, Evan Mantis, Executive General Manager – Consumer, Finance & Service Industries, SAP ANZ and Kylie Preisig-Toro, Head of Enablement for Supplier Services, SAP ANZ on how organisations can best develop and foster an inclusive workplace for LGBTIQ+ employees and what it means for these employees to be well supported by leaders within their business so they can build and develop their careers.

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Highlights in this episode include:

2:15 - The importance of building an inclusive workplace.

4:10 - Diversity and Inclusion strategy at NTT Data.

10:40 - Celebrating 20 Years of Pride@SAP.

13:20 - The coming out journey.

19:00 - Providing a supportive network for the LGBTIQ+ community.

Learn more about diversity and inclusion at SAP

In this episode, Rushenka speaks with Andrew Eddy, CEO, Untapped Group that is a social enterprise focused on developing a neurodiverse employment ecosystem to increase opportunities for autistic individuals. He is joined by Sehida Frawley, Head of Services, SAP ANZ as they discuss the opportunities for employers to start their own neurodiversity program and what needs to be considered.

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Highlights in this episode include:

4:50 - What is Neurodiversity.

8:30 - The positive work experiences with Neurodiversity talent at SAP.

10:50 - Why businesses are recruiting people with neurodiversity backgrounds.

13:30 - The benefits of a neurodiversity program for employers and employees.

18:30 - What is the Neurodiversity hub and how organisations can get involved.

In this special Utilities industry episode Gavin Mooney, Utilities Industry Expert, SAP ANZ speaks with Ivor Frischknecht the former CEO of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency on the state of play of rooftop solar in Australia.

Click here to listen to the episode.

Highlights in this episode include:

2:20 - Why Australia is leading the world in rooftop solar.

8:30 - The benefits to installing rooftop solar.

15:20 - Moving to the grid for electric vehicles.

23:00 - The future of rooftop solar.

In this episode Rushenka speaks with Kate Moonen, Head of Marketing & Digital Experience, Veolia ANZ about the business challenges her organisation faced during the pandemic and what steps were taken to ensure all employees were well supported during these disruptive times.

Steve Bennetts, Head of Growth & Strategy, Employee Experience, Qualtrics explained some of the initiatives that Qualtrics partnered with Veolia on to measure employee sentiment through the use of data insights and what some key employee experience trends he has seen from various organisations pre and post the pandemic.

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Highlights in this episode include:

3:30 - Introduction to Veolia.

7:10 - How technology has met the needs of the business.

12:40 - Key findings from employee feedback.

19:10 - Main employee experience trends with organisations within A/NZ.

21:30 - Outcomes from employee feedback that Veolia implemented.

27:20 - Advice for measuring employee sentiment.

In this episode Rushenka speaks with Fionn Gilmour who is the Delivery Manager, IE Operations at AGL Energy about their recent digital transformation that involved reducing its suite of 50 legacy on-premise ERP applications and engineering 78 business processes to deliver digitally enabled and integrated platforms and processes that support AGL’s growth strategy.

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Highlights from this episode include:

1:00: Introduction to AGL Energy

3:40: The business challenges that AGL Energy needed to solve

4:30: An overview of the digital transformation project at AGL Energy

6:10: Improving the business operations at AGL Energy

9:00: Keys to delivering a successful digital transformation

We speak with the new SAP tennis ambassador and WTA coach Kamau Murray on his journey into professional tennis coaching and who is currently coaching 2017 US Open Champion Sloane Stephens.

Part of the discussion with Kamau is on how Sloane and himself had to adapt last season with the pandemic as the WTA season was heavily disrupted like many other professional sports around the world.

Milan Cerny from SAP Global Sponsorships also explains the technology being used inside the WTA.

Click here to listen.

Highlights from the episode include:

1:00: Getting to know Kamau Murray

6:00: An introduction into professional tennis coaching.

15:00: Preparing for the new WTA season.

20:00: The launch of WTA University.

23:00: How technology is helping both coach and player prepare for matches.

26:00: The technologies being used for WTA coaches and players to access.

32:00: Future partnership plans between SAP and the WTA.

In this episode Rushenka speaks with Dr. Autumn Krauss who is a Principal Scientist in the SAP SuccessFactors Research Team on the importance of well-being and the role it plays with employee engagement.

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Key discussion points include:

0:30: Outline of what is the well-being at work initiative from SAP SuccessFactors.

3:45: How well-being is related to important employee and organisational outcomes.

8:00 - The role that leaders play in influencing the well-being of their teams.

13:10 - How COVID-19 changed the consideration and priority of well-being for workers and organisations.

17:20 - The role that HR technology plays in fostering positive well-being at work.

In this episode Rushenka speaks with the organisers THE IRONMAN GROUP who are behind the running of The Sun-Herald City2Surf event that is in it's 50th running this year. It will also for the very first time be run as a virtual event in which SAP is the official Analytics Innovation Partner. We also speak to an official legend of the event Chris Edwards who has participated in the race every single year since it's inception.

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Talking points in this episode include:

4:25 - How the pandemic has impacted the global endurance event industry.

8:15 - A look back into the history of The Sun-Herald City2Surf.

12:45 - Discovering historical data insights from 49 years of The Sun-Herald City2Surf.

19:25 - Some interesting stats from the data analytics insights of the race.

To learn more about The Sun-Herald City2Surf data project visit SAP.com/australia/city2surf and if you’re inspired to participate in this year’s virtual run there’s still time to register at city2surf.com.au

In this episode Rushenka speaks with Ashley Keber, Vice President, Member Relations, WTA and Milan Cerny, Director of Strategic Partnerships, SAP Global Sponsorships on how the WTA have managed the pandemic this year and supported player welfare with launching an innovative platform called WTA University in partnership with SAP.

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Talking points in this episode include:

3:10 - How the WTA have been managing the pandemic inside their organisation.

4:45 - How SAP has supported the WTA during the pandemic.

7:40 - The thinking behind the launch of WTA University.

14:50 - The culture of innovation at the WTA.

16:10 - The partnership between SAP and the WTA.

In this episode Rushenka speaks to New Zealand sailing champions Blair Tuke and Pete Burling on how these two Olympians have dealt with lockdown during the pandemic and used this time to prepare for the Olympics. We hear how preparation and planning helped them perform in tough times, having the right systems in place to ensure they stay focused and maintain resilience.

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Talking points in this episode include:

1:00 - Blair and Pete's background and sailing achievements.

3:30 - What makes them so resilient during challenging times.

4:50 - Challenges to their training during the pandemic.

9:00 - Using analytics to help them analyse their performances.

10:40 - Adapting to the new challenges of lockdown during the pandemic.

15:20 - Lessons for business executives to achieve personal goals.

In this episode Rushenka speaks with Effect 2020 keynote speaker and ocean advocate Emily Penn to discuss the importance of sustainability, where to start and why it is essential for industry and businesses to be part of the circular economy.

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Talking points of this episode include:

1:00 - Introduction to the eXXpedition project.

5:00 - What is The SHiFT Method in solving some of the world's pressing issues.

7:40 - How businesses can get involved and support the need for a cleaner ocean.

12:50 - What the Circular Economy means for businesses.

21:20 - A preview to Emily's keynote talk at Effect 2020.

In this episode Rushenka speaks with Brad Krauskopf, CEO of Hub Australia and Gina McNamara, CFO, SAP ANZ to discuss how organisations have been managing their workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic and what measures have been put in place by businesses in providing safe work environments as employees return back to office.

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Talking points of this episode include:

(2:00) - How businesses in Australia adjusted their workplaces at the start of the pandemic.

(5:25) - The impacts on SAP ANZ offices and employees during the pandemic.

(7:05) - Major trends and challenges from businesses preparing a return to the workplace.

(10:55) - Further initiatives that organisations are implementing for a safe return to the office.

(13:10) - What the future of the workplace may look like.

(16:50) - How SAP ANZ is preparing their new Sydney office so employee feel safe at the office.

In this episode Rushenka speaks with Chris Peck, Executive General Manager, Public Services, SAP ANZ and Ryan van Leent, Public Sector SME, SAP Institute for Digital Government on how the Australian public sector has responded to recent challenges including raging bushfires to a global pandemic.

Getting Australians back to work has been a key focus since the pandemic outbreak and Chris and Ryan share insights and recommendations from SAP on how data and technology could help drive a bigger and faster economic recovery.

Visit SAP.com/australia/government to download both the Responsive Government Playbook and the Public Policy Paper on Helping Australians Get Back to Work.

Click here to listen to the episode.

Talking points of the episode include:

• (1:40) - Observations on the public sector response to recent challenges.
• (7:30) - Recommendations for helping Australians get back to work.
• (17:20) - The focus on transparency as being key to trust in government.
• (19:50) - How the Responsive Government Playbook be used in practice.

In this episode Rushenka speaks with retail and technology experts to discuss how the retail industry can meet the current business challenges in a post COVID-19 world through innovation.

Guests include Sally Illingworth who is the COO of Elegantly Blatant, Luke Stow who is CEO of Alchemy Solutions and Evan Mantis who is Executive General Manager, Retail & Consumer Service Industries at SAP ANZ.

Click here to listen to the episode

Talking points of the episode include:

• (2:10) - Main challenges in the retail sector during and post COVID-19.
• (6:10) - Gaining Insights from Data to Enhance the Customer and Employee Experience.
• (14:20) - Improving Supply Chains to Meet Customer Expectations.
• (20:20) - Personalisation through the Omni-channel.