The Sovereign CIO with the DoD, ATO, DHA

This panel discussion is framed through three lenses: technological, data, and operational sovereignty. While the Australian Government is investing heavily in technology to build “a future made in Australia”, many CIOs still face resource and funding challenges. Chris Crozier Chief Information Officer & Deputy Secretary at Defence Digital Group of Department of Defence, Mark Sawade, Chief Information Officer at the ATO and Radi Kovacevic, Chief Digital Officer at the Dept of Home Affairs join the panel to explore how sovereignty can be achieved in practice. Chris argues that technological sovereignty is a misnomer. Australia’s advantage lies not in manufacturing chips but in leveraging global hyperscalers while ensuring systems are managed, secured, and developed by Australians. Mark stresses that sovereignty must be balanced with value for money, and that global technology partnerships often deliver unique capabilities unavailable onshore. Radi adds that sovereign firms should focus on niche value rather than “me-too”…