Insights from AIB’s Industry Alumni Panels – Shaping our MBA Curriculum 

The Alumni Industry Panels (AIP) were designed to keep AIB’s finger on the pulse of major trends and developments in the business world, ensuring we continue to be the Practical Business School. Our AIPs provide industry-voiced perspectives that shape our MBA curriculum to equip students with the knowledge and skills to address current challenges and anticipate future ones. 

Our recent series of panels brought together industry experts to share invaluable insights in an era of rapid technological advancement and geopolitical shifts. Read below for a summary of the key themes. 

First up – navigating strategic uncertainty 

In a post-digital era defined by VUCA, the General MBA AIP highlighted a path for strategic management that combines resilience and sustainability. 

Geoff Lowe’s (CEO, Proven Products Pty Ltd) framing of the VUCA environment set the stage for understanding how geopolitical volatility disrupts strategy within a business context. He discussed agile leadership, proactive risk management and scenario planning, and the use of ESG frameworks to navigate crises. He urged leaders to embrace such uncertainty with geopolitical literacy and ethical foresight. “VUCA is one of those lovely acronyms that, developed in recent times, was simply to say that the world was volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. And that is something we see developing in different ways, on a daily basis” – Geoff Lowe. 

Precious Ishiguzor (Vice President, African Professionals of Australia Ltd) complemented this by framing sustainability as a strategic imperative, noting that moving from carbon-heavy to greener assets can create long-term value and reduces risks, despite upfront costs. Generative AI can help make this possible by optimising resources, predicting risks and supporting the transition to greener practices. As Precious noted, “Sustainability and ESG integration is not just a meme. It actually has a value proposition. That is, the long-term value it creates for organisations, businesses and key stakeholders”. 

Reimagining strategic HR – where people, culture and AI collide 

Themes in the Human Resource Management AIP revolved around reimagining HR as a strategic partner in digital transformation, challenging outdated playbooks, leveraging AI for personalised development and spotlighting how digital transformation must be driven by people, not platforms. 

Joe Hindmarsh (Principal Strategist, Business Value, APAC/EMEA, Highspot) cut through conventional HR practices, describing quarterly growth plans and casual coaching as “accountability-lite”. Instead, he pushed for AI-powered, adaptive learning along with competency development that focuses on lead indicators, data quality and cultural fit to boost productivity and workforce effectiveness. His caution against blind AI adoption was clear: “Technology and AI will scale good and bad activity if not sanitised with the right queries. For those that get it right and scale what is working, performance will surge!” – Joe Hindmarsh.  

Founder/CEO of GRACEX Pty Ltd, Roland Illyes, emphasised that digital transformation succeeds through people, not just technology, requiring alignment with workplace design and culture. HR should evolve into strategic partners, early adopters and risk advisors. Case studies from Salesforce and Johnson & Johnson demonstrated AI’s potential for career mobility, skill development and workforce planning when combined with empathy. “Digital transformation must begin with workplace design and culture, not tools” – Roland Illyes.  

Simon Ives (Global Principal, HR Technology Strategy & Transformation, BHP) positioned digital transformation as a workforce strategy enabler, starting with people’s needs rather than retrofitting strategies to platforms. He advocated treating change management as a philosophy focused on human potential, with technology serving leadership and employee experiences. He stressed that tech must follow strategy, not dictate it: “An effective Digital Strategy must be a humanistic one. As we shape the future of work with AI, our primary objective should not be mere efficiency but creating the conditions for human flourishing” – Simon Ives.  

Supply chains under pressure 

The Logistics and Supply Chain Management AIP zeroed in on one of the sector’s biggest balancing acts: cutting waste while building resilience. The conversation unpacked how smarter data, AI and cross-functional partnerships are rewriting the rules of logistics and inventory management 

Rob O’Byrne (CEO, Logistics Bureau, Management Consultants) highlighted the challenges of SLOBEX (slow, obsolete and excess inventory) and its impact on working capital and storage efficiency. His playbook for tackling it involves accurate data, inventory segmentation and lifecycle governance, supported by cross-functional alignment. Practical strategies included policy reviews, SKU rationalisation and structured collaboration to reduce excess stock while maintaining service levels. As he put it, “Managing SLOBEX isn’t just about reducing stock – it’s about smarter decisions, better data, and ensuring working capital is invested where it delivers the most value” – Rob O’Byrne. 

Elton Brown (Senior Business Consultant, DMS Pty Ltd) focused on AI, showing how it can be an everyday decision-making engine – from strategic network design and S&OP to operational demand sensing and last-mile routing. He also highlighted AI’s contribution to sustainability by optimising distribution, inventory, cost, service and agility, while improving responsiveness to short-term demand signals. His warning: don’t adopt AI for its own sake – success depends on aligning AI applications with business needs and decision layers. “AI success comes from embedding intelligence across every decision layer – not just at the strategic level” – Elton Brown.  

Blending AI, ethics and authenticity in a phygital world 

The Marketing Management AIP explored future trends, ethical AI applications and the evolving role of marketers in blending technology with human elements for sustainable and authentic strategies. 

AIB’s Marketing and Entrepreneurship Discipline Lead, Dr Svetlana De Vos, provided a forward-looking view on marketing trends, including AI’s growing importance, privacy-focused approaches and experience-driven strategies. Predictions from McKinsey, Gartner, and Deloitte highlighted AI-generated content, hyper-personalisation and phygital (i.e. physical-digital) integrations. “Reflecting on these trends, AI is becoming the backbone of marketing efficiency. Critically, we have to pay attention to ethical use of AI, privacy and sustainability as these are non-negotiable trends. We must devote attention to experiential marketing, take into consideration the rising of metaverse and, obviously, upskilling is critical. It’s a lifelong learning journey for us!” – Dr Svetlana De Vos.  

Sarah Ahmadi (Executive Director, Pro Merita Learning Community) emphasised ethical AI use in marketing, its applications and the need for ongoing learning. The discussion looked at how AI is changing marketers’ roles – encouraging agility, data-led decisions and a balance between AI and intuition. They also examined the integration of UN Sustainable Development Goals, large language models in education, diverse cultural perspectives and the authenticity in campaigns. “We need to embrace a worldview and how we market immersively with other cultures. Marketing is about embracing and accepting the cultural norms or indigenous practices that can help to inform our Western understanding of marketing. We need to open our minds as marketers; we’re in a global economy” – Sarah Ahmadi.  

Entrepreneurship in motion – agility and innovation are must-haves 

The Entrepreneurship Management AIP spotlighted the fast-changing realities of building and scaling business – where adaptability, innovation and shifting business models are now essential skills. 

AIB’s Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Dr Diane Kalendra opened with a forward-looking scan of small business trends for 2025. She covered women in entrepreneurship and the growing use of generative AI to support entrepreneurs, noting the rise of emerging entrepreneurs purchasing businesses from retiring baby boomers. She also explored the growth of social entrepreneurship in the not-for-profit sector, including opportunities for corporate partnerships to reduce reliance on government funding. As she summed up: “From women in entrepreneurship and generative AI adoption, to baby boomer business transitions and social enterprise partnership, emerging trends remind us that the future of business lies in innovation, collaboration and adaptability” – Associate Professor Diane Kalendra. 

Software Engineer and Immigration Tech Entrepreneur, Ali Shahami, brought the message to life with a story of resilience. His AI-driven immigration app was almost wiped out overnight when U.S. administration immigration policies threatened his core business model. Instead of folding, he pivoted to Australia – transforming a regulatory hit into a growth opportunity. His takeaway was crystal clear: “When shifting U.S. immigration policies destroyed our market overnight, we had two choices: give up or pivot. We chose agility. By re-engineering our AI-driven visa app for Australia, we turned a regulatory setback into a growth opportunity. Adaptability isn’t optional for entrepreneurs; it’s survival” – Ali Shahami.  

Digital business – governing innovation wisely 

The Digital Business AIP covered the transformative yet challenging landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity in the post-digital age, exploring how organisations can adopt technology amid the hype and inherent risks. 

Gerard Gan (Director Digital Strategy and Data Governance) discussed the demand for automation in not-for-profit sectors despite low digital maturity and funding constraints. He emphasised starting with governance, including policies, guardrails and restrictions on sensitive data. He also highlighted the importance of education and aligning initiatives with organisational missions. Gerard shared a successful pilot approach with Microsoft Copilot as a contained alternative to unmanaged public tools, while warning against ‘AI-washing’ basic automation. “The appetite for automation is huge, but governance must come first. We’re piloting Copilot inside clear guardrails – fit for purpose and mission – rather than ‘AI-washing’ basic automation” – Gerard Gan. 

Nick Ferguson (Principal Consultant, NFAIQ) addressed the AI hype-impact, noting that many pilots fail to scale due to messy processes, data silos and integration issues. He outlined three common client profiles: those without direction, those with stalled pilots and those seeing clear ROI but hindered by security concerns. Leaders prioritise confidence, efficiency and practicality. “AI is everywhere but impact is nowhere. Pilots stall not because models fail, but because real processes are mess. Leaders want confidence, accuracy and practicality that pass audit” – Nick Ferguson. 

Joshua Oddy (Advisor, National Indigenous Australians Agency) examined how AI intersects with cultural identity. He noted how simulating Indigenous names, dialects, imagery or personas without proper consultation can lead to misrepresentation and harm. Joshua stressed that bias is fundamentally a leadership and governance issue, while advocating for embedded Indigenous consultation, permissions and cultural safety in AI design and deployment. “If you wouldn’t ask a real Elder or artist without permission, it isn’t appropriate to ask AI to generate it. Bias here isn’t just technical; it’s a leadership and governance issue” – Joshua Oddy.  

Professor of Computer Science (Al Akhawayn University), Dr Houssain Kettani surveyed digitalisation in smart cities. While pervasive data collection enables real-time services it also raises concerns around privacy, surveillance and human rights. He used the CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) to frame evolving threats in including cloud jurisdiction issues, deepfakes and over-reliance on generative AI in education and work. Houssain urged for clearer policies and accountability in data usage: “Every convenience we add for users becomes a convenience for attackers. In smart anddata-saturated cities, deepfakes, cloud jurisdiction and the CIA triad turn into urgent policy questions” – Dr Houssain Kettani.  

 Jasmin Ilic, head of the IT firm CYBR, discussed the challenges of managing AI tools without visibility, which makes policies ineffective without monitoring. She recommended mapping actual versus desired AI workflows, deploying SaaS governance and device-trust for insights into usage and data flows. Jasmin also covered defining acceptable data sharing and combining technical controls with education and behaviour change to ensure guardrails effectively support work. “Policies are pointless without visibility. Map real vs desired AI use, use SaaS governance for insight, and pair controls with education – or people will route around the guardrails” – Jasmin Ilic.  

Future-proofing finance and governance – adaptability and leadership in focus  

The Finance AIP highlighted the skillset required for success in a rapidly changing landscape, emphasising adaptability, strategic leadership and continuous learning.  

Sameer Manuskar (Head of Finance, Aquipa Australia & New Zealand) outlined critical skills for finance and governance professionals, blending technical expertise (e.g. AI, data literacy, financial analysis, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance and risk management) with interpersonal skills (e.g. collaboration, integrity, emotional intelligence and stakeholder engagement). He advocates that “continuous learning, critical reflection and adaptability are crucial for sustained success” – Sameer Manuskar.  

Sandra Carreiro (Controller) reinforces this, focusing on research and problem solving, expanding business acumen and strategic leadership. She credits her MBA in enabling her to tackle industry challenges with a commitment to mentoring future leaders. “Since completing my studies, I’ve gained the confidence to recognise and apply a wide range of transferable skills. This growth has not only empowered me to step into unfamiliar spaces with assurance but also deepened my commitment to sharing knowledge and supporting the next generation of leaders” – Sandra Carriero.