Avanade School of Innovation is a strategic initiative designed to empower our clients with cutting-edge insights and practical applications of AI and emerging technologies. Through expert-led sessions and interactive forums, participants will gain valuable knowledge to drive transformative change within their organizations, fostering innovation and competitive advantage. Join us to connect with global leaders, explore real-world use cases, and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.


Doubling Down on Digital Innovation: How organizations use data and AI for growth and resilience
21st of May - Dr. Nils Fonstad (10 CET, 6pm AEST)

We welcome back Dr. Nils Fonstad, Academic Research Fellow at the MIT Center for Information Systems Research, to discuss why, in these times increasingly marked by technological, geopolitical, economic, and environmental uncertainties, organizations should commit even more to digital innovation, rather than reduce or pause their investments in digital innovation.

Digital innovation is an effort to take an idea that uses digital technologies – most notably data and AI – from inception to impact. Dr. Fonstad has found that organizations realize significantly more impact faster from digital by investing in many digital innovation initiatives (rather than a few big bets) and then leveraging shared resources to help those initiatives that prove their worth to scale and realize value from their innovation. This approach is how organizations evolve from sporadically realizing value from a few digital innovation initiatives to systematically realizing significantly more bottom-line value faster from many initiatives. It also explains how it helps organizations become more resilient to increasingly uncertain conditions.


Unlocking AI Value Across the Marketing Lifecycle: A Framework for Success
27th of May - Mo Cherif (10 CET, 6pm AEST)

Artificial Intelligence promises transformative potential, yet many marketers struggle to realize tangible value from their AI investments. In this session, discover Sitecore's strategic approach to AI integration, underpinned by our unique philosophy of purposeful innovation, ethical governance, and actionable insights. We'll guide you through a clear, step-by-step framework designed to systematically unlock AI-driven value at every stage of your marketing lifecycle—from content creation and personalization to analysis and optimization. Explore how Sitecore Stream's latest AI capabilities enable marketers to seamlessly implement and scale AI initiatives.
Finally, learn how this proven methodology can be broadly applied beyond marketing, empowering diverse teams across your organization to harness AI for maximum business impact.

Mo Cherif
Mo is a Senior Director Gen AI at Sitecore with over 20 years of experience in digital experience, data science, and cloud solutions. Mo's expertise span AI, Employee Experience & Digital Experience and is a 5x Sitecore MVP.


Crossing the Chasm: AI, Bridging the Gap from Experimentation to Implementation
3rd of June - Udaiya Karuppasamy (UD) (9.30 CET, 5.30pm AEST )

Join Udaiya Karuppasamy (UD) for an insightful session on how organisations can successfully transition from AI experimentation to large-scale implementation. Drawing from his extensive leadership experience at Microsoft, UD will break down the latest AI innovations that provide businesses with a competitive edge. Through real-world case studies and storytelling, he will explore how business leaders have effectively scaled AI and realised its value. This session will provide practical guidance on overcoming the challenges of moving from proof of concept to enterprise-wide deployment, ensuring AI initiatives deliver measurable impact. Tailored for C-suite executives, senior leaders, and innovation practitioners, this discussion will equip you with the insights and strategies needed to bridge the gap between AI ambition and execution.

Udaiya Karuppasamy (UD)
UD is a seasoned Sales & Marketing Leader with 17 years of enterprise sales experience across APAC, including Australia and New Zealand. As a senior leader at Microsoft ANZ, he drives Azure Core solution sales, focusing on creating a customer-centric sales force built on trust and digital enablement. He has a proven track record of leading large-scale business units, successfully transitioning businesses from incubation to mainstream by leveraging cross-functional teams across Sales, Marketing, Engineering, and Partners. A highly regarded people leader, UD is known for fostering high-performing teams through empathy and accountability, driving sustainable growth while building diverse experiences across Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance.


Who’s Shaping the Future, and Where? Key Insights for Innovation Leaders
10th of June – Dr. Andrea Ganzaroli (10 CET, 6pm AEST)

This session explores how AI-driven innovation is shaping the twin transition—the shift toward a digital and sustainable economy. Using global patent data, we’ll map key regions, companies, and research hubs leading in AI-for-sustainability and examine cross-sector collaborations driving change.
Key takeaways include identifying emerging opportunities, benchmarking global leaders, aligning innovation portfolios with ESG goals, and anticipating future disruptions—equipping innovation managers with a strategic edge in the evolving landscape.

Dr. Andrea Ganzaroli
Andrea is Associate Professor at the Università degli Studi di Padova, specializing in regional innovation, sustainable business models, and AI-driven transitions. His research applies patent analytics to map innovation ecosystems across sectors and regions. He has published widely on smart cities, innovation policy, and sustainability and developed an AI system to track circular economy patents. As part of GRINS – Green Innovation and Sustainability, he contributes to Spoke 5: Smart Innovations for the Circular Transition. Collaborating with academia and industry, Andrea brings a data-driven approach to innovation management.


AI at Scale: Turning Vision into Value across the Financial Services Sector
17th of June 2025 - Stevie-Ann Dovico (9.30 CET, 5.30pm AEST)

Join Stevie-Ann Dovico for an engaging session on scaling AI in financial services, where she will share insights from her extensive leadership experience in banking and technology. Stevie-Ann will explore the challenges and opportunities of deploying AI at scale, from strategy and implementation to governance and impact measurement. Drawing on her track record of leading large technology teams, managing multi-million-dollar portfolios, and driving enterprise transformation, she will discuss how financial institutions can turn AI ambition into tangible business outcomes. Expect real-world examples, practical frameworks, and actionable takeaways that will help you navigate the complexities of AI adoption while ensuring long-term value creation.

Stevie-Ann Dovico
Stevie-Ann is the Group Executive for Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Beyond Bank. She is a dynamic and visionary Business and Technology leader with over 15 years of experience spanning Banking, Financial Services, Telecommunications, and Consulting. She has held executive roles across some of Australia’s largest organizations, including Group Executive, Chief Information Officer (CIO), Board Director, and Executive General Manager of Technology. Stevie-Ann has successfully led global teams of over 600 employees across technology, digital, strategy, innovation, risk, and enterprise transformation, delivering strong IT performance and managing program portfolios exceeding $200 million. Recognized as a top industry leader, she was named Executive Leader of the Year by Women in Digital in 2022, one of Australia’s top 50 CIOs in 2024, and Technology Leader of the Year in Financial and Professional Services by IT News in 2025.


Navigating AI Pitfalls and Applying Practical Tools to Ensure Value
25th of June - Emilie Colker (10 CET, 6pm AEST)

Join Emilie for an insightful masterclass as part of Avanade's School of Innovation 2025, where she will explore common AI pitfalls and how to build sustainable strategies for yourself and your business to fuel long-term value. This session will provide practical guidance on identifying and avoiding potential traps in AI implementation, ensuring that your AI initiatives are not only effective but also aligned with your organization's values and objectives. You will leave with memorable anecdotes, actionable insights, and practical tools you can begin applying straight away to make better decisions and achieve meaningful results with AI.

Emilie Colker
Emilie is the Chief Design Officer at Avanade, leading early innovation globally, including Emerging Technology R&D and Collective Intelligence. She helps organizations innovate more intentionally by applying creativity and analytical ability to everything. Before joining Avanade, Emilie was a global partner and managing director at IDEO, a global innovation consultancy that pioneered Design Thinking. She is a frequent public speaker and has received numerous awards for innovation, communication, and social impact, including the Cannes Lion Grand Prix.