Global Leadership in an Age of Disruption
Location: Melbourne Business School, Carlton, Melbourne Date: Friday 16 October, 5.30 pm – Sunday 18 October 2026, 1.30 pm Cost: $3,000 (20% discount for MBS Alumni and Financial Times Subscribers)
Australia’s place in a changing world.
A leadership weekend from Melbourne Business School and the Financial Times.
Global Leadership in an Age of Disruption
Step away from the day-to-day and join a select group of senior leaders for a weekend of informed perspective, candid discussion and connection.
Developed jointly by Melbourne Business School and the Financial Times, this immersive experience examines the geopolitical, technological and demographic forces reshaping Australia’s future - and what they mean for enterprise strategy, resilience and growth.
Why This Conversation Matters Now
Australia’s choices are becoming more consequential. Trade relationships and supply chains are being redrawn. Artificial intelligence is reshaping productivity, competition and business models.
Ageing populations and changing expectations are transforming the workforce. At the same time, economic growth, capital and innovation are shifting across the Indo-Pacific. This weekend asks how Australian organisations can interpret these changes early, manage the risks and position themselves to compete, contribute and grow.
The Weekend Experience
Questions The Weekend Will Explore
Australia’s Strategic Position
Demography, Talent And The Future Of Work
Geopolitics And Strategic Resilience
Technology And Competitive Advantage
Not a conference and not a conventional short course
The weekend combines Financial Times journalism, Melbourne Business School expertise, senior business and policy voices, and candid peer dialogue.
Discussions under the Chatham House Rule - and without FT or external media coverage - create the conditions for frank exchange, reflection and connection among a highly engaged senior cohort.
Who Should Attend Global Leadership in an Age of Disruption?
Senior Executives, Business Leaders and Emerging C-suite
- Senior executives, business leaders and emerging C-suite decision-makers responsible for enterprise-level strategy across Australia and Asia. The weekend will be particularly relevant for leaders accountable for strategy, risk, international growth, technology, workforce or organisational transformation.
Global Leadership in an Age of Disruption Key Takeaways
Participants Will Leave With
- A clearer perspective on the forces reshaping Australia and the global economy
- A tested view of the implications for their organisation.
- Practical priorities for resilience, competitiveness and growth.
- New connections with peers facing comparable strategic choices.
Global Leadership in an Age of Disruption Speakers
Learn from Financial Times journalists, international and Australian experts, senior business and policy leaders, and Melbourne Business School faculty.
Joe Leahy
Beijing bureau chief, Financial Times
Joe Leahy is the Financial Times’ Beijing bureau chief. Based in China, he reports on the country’s economy, politics and international relationships, bringing an on-the-ground perspective on how China’s choices are reshaping business, trade and geopolitics across the Indo-Pacific.
Nic Fildes
Australia and Pacific correspondent, Financial Times
Nic Fildes covers Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific for the Financial Times. Based in Sydney, he reports on the business, policy and regional developments shaping Australia’s economy and international position. He previously served as the FT’s telecommunications and UK technology correspondent in London.
Danielle Wood
Chair, Productivity Commission
Danielle Wood has chaired the Productivity Commission since November 2023. Previously Chief Executive Officer of the Grattan Institute, she is one of Australia’s leading voices on productivity, economic reform and public policy, with earlier senior roles at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and NERA Economic Consulting.
Nuno Matos
Chief Executive Officer, ANZ
Nuno Matos is Chief Executive Officer of ANZ. An international banker with leadership experience across multiple markets, he brings a global perspective on financial services, organisational transformation and the strategic choices facing Australian businesses in a changing regional economy.
Sanjeev Gandhi
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Orica
Sanjeev Gandhi has served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Orica since April 2021. Previously an Executive Director of BASF SE, he held senior business leadership roles across Asia Pacific and global chemicals. He also chairs the Centre for Australia-India Relations CEO Network.
Professor Nick Bisley
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Professor of International Relations, La Trobe University
Nick Bisley is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Professor of International Relations at La Trobe University. A leading expert on Asia’s international relations and Indo-Pacific security, he co-chairs the Australian Member Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific and formerly edited the Australian Journal of International Affairs.
Dr Sanjeev Khagram
Distinguished Research Fellow, Hoover Institution; Foundation Professor, Thunderbird School of Global Management
Sanjeev Khagram is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he leads the Global Resilience, Intelligence Platform and Partnership. He is also Foundation Professor at Thunderbird School of Global Management and previously served as its Chief Executive Officer, Director-General and Dean.
Rachel Thompson
Chief Executive Officer, Asialink
Rachel Thompson is Chief Executive Officer of Asialink, Australia's national centre for Asia engagement. She brings more than two decades of experience in economic policy, international development finance and regional diplomacy, having previously served on the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank and as Senior Treasury Representative at the Australian Embassy in Beijing. Her career has focused on strengthening Australia's economic and strategic partnerships across Asia and the Pacific, bringing deep regional expertise and leadership to Australia's engagement with the Indo-Pacific
Associate Professor Vivek Chaudhri
Associate Professor of Strategy, Melbourne Business School
Vivek Chaudhri is Associate Professor of Strategy at Melbourne Business School. His research and teaching span policy, strategy and organisational performance. He has held academic and research roles at Yale, UCLA, Monash University and the Productivity Commission, and previously advised the Chief Executive Officer of CSL.
Professor Nicole Gillespie
Chair of Trust and Professor of Management, Melbourne Business School
Nicole Gillespie is Chair of Trust and Professor of Management at Melbourne Business School and the University of Melbourne. An internationally recognised expert on trust in organisations and technology, she examines how leaders can build trustworthy institutions and adopt artificial intelligence responsibly.
Professor Jon Whittle
Professorial Fellow, Institute for Digital Innovation & AI, Melbourne Business School
Jon Whittle is a Professorial Fellow at Melbourne Business School’s Institute for Digital Innovation & AI. A former technical lead at NASA, director of CSIRO’s AI capability and founder of Australia’s National AI Centre, he helps organisations translate AI into responsible, human-centred business impact.
Professor Ujwal Kayande
Professor and Inaugural Director, Institute for Digital Innovation & AI, Melbourne Business School
Ujwal Kayande is Professor and Inaugural Director of Melbourne Business School’s Institute for Digital Innovation & AI. A globally recognised expert in marketing analytics, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, he works closely with organisations to address the opportunities and challenges of the digital age.
A Powerful Partnership
Melbourne Business School
Melbourne Business School brings deep expertise in leadership, strategy and organisational transformation, together with a long history of developing leaders for Australia and the region.
Financial Times
The Financial Times brings independent global reporting, analysis and an international network of journalists who help leaders understand how developments across markets, industries and societies connect.
Together, MBS and the FT create a distinctive leadership experience: global intelligence grounded in Australia’s strategic context, enriched by academic insight, business experience and candid peer conversation.
