Accenture senior leaders to present at inaugural Sydney SXSW

Being held for its first ever time outside of the US, the Sydney edition of the famed SXSW festival is due to kick off next week, with a number of Accenture senior leaders among the scheduled speakers.

Professional services firm Accenture will descend on next week’s SXSW festival in full force as an AI and Robotics track sponsor of the inaugural local edition in Sydney, led by a top-calibre line-up of speakers.

Among those scheduled to make an appearance are global AI solutions head Noelle Russel and Accenture Song CEO David Droga, alongside local industry and function leaders Fay Cranmer, Kelly Brough and Jacqui Kernot.

After a months-long build-up including a public voting round to help shape its Sessions Select series, South by Southwest is due to take place from the 15th to 22nd of October for the first time outside of its Austin base in the storied festival’s 36-year history, with 100,000 people expected to attend the more than 1,000 thought and culture events on offer. The conference portion alone will feature 400-plus keynotes, presentations, panels, and workshops.

Among the headliners is Noelle Russel, Accenture’s Global AI solutions lead since the end of last year, with the firm having since committed a massive $3 billion over three years into developing its AI capabilities. Flying in from her base in Miami, Russel will deliver a keynote address on the latest innovations in the rapidly evolving generative AI landscape, while also delving into its ethical concerns and the heightened potential for misuse.

Continuing with the AI and ethical development theme, Accenture’s A/NZ applied intelligence lead Kelly Brough will be joined by Jacquie Kernot, A/NZ security director, for a discussion on how to unleash the groundbreaking potential of AI while also building the necessary guardrails to ensure its responsible use. Both have joined Accenture from Ernst & Young’s partnership over the past two years; Brough previously serving as APAC Customer lead.

Meanwhile, David Droga, the NSW-born founder of Accenture acquisition Droga5 and now head of Accenture Song, will explore the future of tech-powered creativity alongside Accenture senior advisor Sunita Gloster. Described as the world’s most awarded creative leader, Droga will discuss the specifics on how the creative marketing industry and brands will tap AI to create new and bolder ideas, while asking the question; can AI do it alone?

Lastly, Accenture’s Industry X leader for growth markets, Fay Cranmer, will lead a presentation on ‘the robo revolution’ and the establishment of trust between humans and machines through the alignment of robotics innovation with societal values as the growing interaction has an ever greater impact on our daily lives. Across her distinguished career, Cramner has also spent time as a partner at Deloitte, KPMG, and Andersen Consulting.