Artificial intelligence is reshaping every part of the retail value chain – from customer experience and merchandising to supply chain, workforce and operations.
The ARC Retail AI Summit 2026 brings together Australia’s most senior retail leaders for a one-day event exploring the opportunities, challenges and practical applications of AI across the retail sector.
Designed for CEOs, Chief Digital Officers, Chief Customer Officers, CIOs and senior decision-makers, the Summit combines strategic insight with real-world case studies to help retailers navigate the next era of transformation.
Whether you’re defining your AI strategy, scaling successful initiatives or exploring where to begin, you’ll leave with practical insights, new connections and actionable ideas.
As places are limited, retail organisations receive priority access to secure their place. Non-retail registrations will be placed on a waitlist.
Attendance is FREE, with limited places available — register early to secure your spot!
FREE attendance (limited places!)
– retailers receive priority access
The retail AI landscape is evolving rapidly. The organisations that succeed will be those that understand where AI creates value – and how to implement it responsibly.
At the ARC Retail AI Summit, you’ll hear directly from Australia’s leading retailers, technology innovators and AI experts.
Hear from Australia’s leading retail executives, AI innovators, global technology companies and industry experts who are shaping the future of retail. Our speaker line-up will feature leaders from across:
Regional Lead (Asia) | Retail & Consumer Goods Industries
Microsoft
Regional Lead (Asia) | Retail and Consumer Goods Industries
Microsoft
Irving Lee leads Microsoft’s Retail and Consumer Goods Industry business across Asia, working with executives to leverage emerging technology to achieve meaningful business transformation. His focus is increasingly on AI: helping leading retailers and consumer brands rethink growth, customer experiences, operations and how work gets done.
Over two decades, Irving has worked across strategy, consulting and technology, advising organisations across multiple industries and markets. At Microsoft, he has built and led regional and global teams, shaped major strategic partnerships and worked with customers across Asia Pacific on complex transformation agendas.
Based in Melbourne, Irving holds an MBA from the University of Melbourne and a BSc (Hons) from Adelaide University.
GM AI & Data
Bunnings
General Manager – Data & AI
Bunnings
Vivek is a Data & AI Engineering Leader with 18+ years in the industry leading Data Engineering and AI teams at Deloitte, KPMG, and Servian. Vicek has led and delivered $65M+ in annual revenue plans for consulting firms; scaled sales & engineering delivery teams, and driven strategic alliances with AWS, Databricks, dbt and Snowflake for shared growth outcomes.
Recognised thought leader in the industry for helping organisations modernise and migrate to cloud Data and AI platforms across all major hyperscaler technologies. In his spare time, he likes to remain reasonably hands-on with tech. Vivek is certified in cloud data platform technologies – Google Cloud Certified Cloud Architect & Data Engineer. Amazon Certified Solution Architect – Associate level.
GM of AI, Analytics & Data Science
Optus
Head of A.I. Solutions & Strategy
Optus
Enterprise AI, technology and digital product executive who builds the teams, platforms, products and operating models required to turn new and emerging technology into scaled business value.
Currently leads the AI, Analytics, Business Intelligence and Data Science function at Optus, with an enterprise mandate to drive the organisation’s AI strategy, AI product and enterprise AI platform delivery, analytics, data science, AI governance, adoption and value realisation, customer experience measurement, enterprise NPS and strategic AI partnerships.
Previously led Emerging Technology and Innovation at the Commonwealth Bank, where his teams designed, built, validated and scaled AI systems, algorithms, digital products, developer experiences and technology platforms for the Bank’s 16 million customers and 49,000 people. He also led the Bank’s strategic investments into frontier technology companies, managed the Bank’s Emerging Technology Fund and shaped its enterprise-wide approach to innovation management.
Jesse’s operating experience also carries into governance roles, where he served as the Commonwealth Bank’s Board Representative for Silicon Quantum Computing, one of Australia’s frontier quantum computing companies, and chaired the Chair Search & Selection and Nomination, Remuneration & Strategy Committees. Through his work with Standards Australia and ISO, he also contributes to international innovation management standards, bringing a systems-level governance lens to innovation, partnerships, intellectual property and strategic intelligence.
Jesse has worked as an executive, board director, committee chair, investor, advisor and mentor across regulated enterprises, deep technology ventures, start-up ecosystems and international standards bodies. He has learned to operate at different speeds, from the discipline and trust required in enterprise, to the pace of venture-backed technology companies, to the consensus-building required in standards and governance environments.
Jesse is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an AFR BOSS Young Executive of the Year. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and a Bachelor of Arts in Media, Culture and Communications from Macquarie University.
Head of Communications
IKEA
Head of Communications
IKEA Australia & New Zealand
Patricia’s career in communications spans over 20 years, including both in-house and agency roles in the UK and Australia. She has led and managed high-profile consumer and corporate brands, including Gumtree, American Express, and Optus. Two of her campaigns have won Cannes Lions awards.
As Head of Communications for IKEA in Australia and New Zealand, Patricia is a member of the executive leadership team, reporting directly to the CEO. She is responsible for brand positioning and reputation, government and stakeholder relations, media and influencer relations, and internal communications. Her team drives trust and positive impact metrics through operational and societal campaigns, with a strong focus on community engagement and industry leading partnership campaigns in domestic and family violence.
Patricia has been with IKEA Australia for almost 10 years, holding several leadership positions within the communications team, including public relations, public affairs, and internal communications.
As a single mother of ‘wonky twins’, Patricia is passionate about empowering women to step into leadership roles despite life’s messiness and complexities. She advocates for normalising the balancebetween personal demands and professional responsibilities, ensuring women earn their well-deserved seats at the table.
Digital Channels & Loyalty Executive
Telstra
Digital Channels & Loyalty Executive
Telstra
Co-Founder & Chief Legal Officer
LeaseR | Artemide Law
Co-Founder & Chief Legal Officer
LeaseR | Artemide Law
Olivia Hitchens is the Founder of Artemide Law, an Australian commercial leasing practice, and Hitch Advisory. With 15 years’ experience in retail and commercial leasing across Australia and New Zealand, Olivia advises some of Australia’s largest retail networks on complex leasing and property matters. She is also Chairperson of the ARA Leasing Committee, bringing extensive industry insight and a strong understanding of the issues shaping Australia’s retail property landscape.
Head of SEO & AI Optimisation
Rocket Agency
Head of SEO & AI Optimisation
Rocket Agency
Joe Alder As Head of SEO and AI Optimisation at Rocket Agency, Australia’s first official OpenAI Services Partner, Joe has developed and scaled organic search strategies for leading brands including Amazon, Coca-Cola, ANZ, RM Williams and Fujitsu.
Joe combines deep technical SEO expertise with content strategy and data analysis to deliver measurable improvements in visibility, traffic and revenue. At Rocket, he has led a team of SEO specialists responsible for executing award-winning campaigns recognised across APAC.
His experience spans enterprise and global SEO, where he focuses on long-term, sustainable growth through continuous optimisation and experimentation. Passionate about innovation, Joe stays at the forefront of industry change, particularly in how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping the future of search and performance marketing.
Professor of Economics
RMIT University
Professor of Economics
RMIT University
Professor Chris Berg is Professor of Economics at RMIT University and a leading authority on technological change, regulation, and the economic impact of emerging technologies.
Chris is an experienced research leader whose work explores how frontier technologies including artificial intelligence and blockchain are reshaping organisations, markets, and public policy.
Chris is the author of 13 books and more than 30 peer-reviewed papers and has contributed extensively to technology policy in Australia and internationally. His most recent book is Artificial Intelligence: A Classical Liberal Approach (Palgrave 2026). He served on the Australian Government’s National Blockchain Roadmap and has appeared before more than 20 government and parliamentary inquiries.
A highly regarded speaker and media commentator, Chris has presented around the world and regularly contributes to public debate on technology, economics, and regulation. His current work examines the rapidly evolving AI landscape and the implications of agentic AI for businesses, institutions, and the economy.
Partner, Consumer Retail
Deloitte
Partner, Consumer Products & Retail
Deloitte
Damien is a recognised specialist in the Consumer Products and Retail sector, working with some of Australia’s most iconic retail and consumer brands to navigate an evolving consumer, competitive and regulatory landscape. He advises organisations across all stages of growth, helping clients address strategic challenges, providing audit and accounting advisory services, and connecting them with Deloitte’s broader capabilities to support their ambitions.
A long-standing leader in Retail, Wholesale and Distribution, Damien has been a contributing author of Deloitte’s annual Retail Report since its inception in 2012, providing insights into the trends, opportunities and challenges shaping the sector.
Explore how retailers and technology partners are leveraging Al to enhance customer experience, strengthen engagement and drive commercial growth. From personalisation and loyalty to search, content and emerging commerce models, this stream focuses on the practical applications delivering measurable results and competitive advantage.
Discover how retailers and technology partners are using Al to optimise forecasting, pricing and operational decision-making. From demand planning and inventory management to margin optimisation and supply chain resilience, this stream focuses on practical applications that are helping retailers improve efficiency, reduce complexity and run smarter.
Explore how retailers are equipping their people to thrive in the age of Al. From workforce capability and change management to copilots, agents and new ways of working, this stream examines how leading organisations are building Al-ready teams, unlocking productivity and embedding Al across the enterprise to drive lasting impact.
Learn how retailers are creating the foundations for responsible and scalable Al adoption. Covering everything from data and systems integration to privacy, cybersecurity and governance, this stream explores the frameworks, safeguards and best practices helping organisations manage risk and build confidence as they accelerate their Al journeys.
Guest arrival, pre-drinks and canapés
Welcome to Country and Yidaki performance
The ARC Retail AI Summit is made possible through the support of our industry partners, bringing together leading technology providers, innovators and retailers to accelerate AI adoption across Australia’s retail sector.
At Deloitte Australia, we see the world not just as it is, but as it could be.
Our purpose is to make an impact that matters. We do this by bringing people, disciplines and solutions together to drive meaningful progress.
We help clients navigate a rapidly changing world, combining deep industry knowledge, cutting-edge technology and unique perspectives to solve their most complex challenges. To shape a better future for all.
In Australia, we’re a team of around 11,000 people who live this purpose every day. Across Asia Pacific, our 68,000 professionals cover 19 geographies. Globally, we’re a network of 400,000 individuals united by a shared goal to be the best at all we do.
To explore how we can make an impact that matters with your organisation, let’s connect.
American Express (NYSE: AXP) is a global payments and premium lifestyle brand powered by technology. Our colleagues around the world back our customers with differentiated products, services and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.
Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, American Express’ brand is built on trust, security, and service, and a rich history of delivering innovation and Membership value for our customers. With over a hundred million merchant locations across our global network, we seek to provide the world’s best customer experience every day to a broad range of consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, and large corporations.
For more information about American Express, visit the websites below
Established in 1988, Rest is one of Australia’s largest profit-to-member superannuation funds, with more than 2 million members and around $105 billion in funds under management.*
We use our size and expertise to deliver competitive long-term investment performance to our members. We’re driven by our purpose to create super our members love and our mission to make the super experience simple.
Rest has worked alongside businesses for over 37 years – providing tools, insights and support to create better member and workplace super experiences. Today, more than 300,000* employers choose to work with us to make super simpler for their team members. Read more here.
We’re Australia’s oldest continually operating organisation. We contribute to Australia’s economic growth and prosperity and reinvest in the community to advance our enterprise purpose: Helping our people, customers and communities deliver a better future. Everyone, Everywhere, Every day.
Afterpay is a buy now, pay later service that helps customers shop with flexibility and supports businesses growth. Shoppers can split their purchase into four interest-free payments made over time, making it easier to budget and buy what they need, when they need it.
Merchants get paid upfront, while Afterpay manages the payment schedule with the customer. Afterpay works both online and in-store and is easy to add to existing checkout systems.Millions of customers actively use Afterpay, giving businesses access to a large and engaged audience. With built-in marketing support and a smooth checkout experience, Afterpay helps brands attract new customers, drive repeat purchases, and stay competitive in today’s retail landscape – creating value for both shoppers and merchants.
Interested in partnering with the ARC Retail AI Summit? Showcase your expertise, connect with senior retail decision-makers and position your organisation at the centre of Australia’s retail AI conversation.
If you’d like to showcase your brand at the forefront of the retail industry and connect directly with senior decision-makers, sponsoring the ARC Retail AI Summit 2026 is the perfect opportunity.
Sponsorship gives you maximum visibility across the event, aligns your brand with the industry’s leading AI conversations, and provides a platform to demonstrate your expertise and leadership in retail innovation.
Connect with us today to explore this opportunity.
Join Australia’s retail leaders for a day of practical insights, executive networking and real-world AI case studies.
Attendees from retail organisations receive priority access to secure their place at the event.
Attendance is FREE, with limited places available.
Retailers currently have priority access to the ARC Retail AI Summit.
As a non-retailer, you can still join the waitlist now to express your interest to attend.
If spots remain once priority access closes, we will notify you. No need to do anything further in the meantime, other than join the waitlist.
