About the Speaker:

Dr. Mahendra Samarawickrama,
Director, The Centre for Sustainable AI,
The Centre for Sustainable AI.

Dr. Mahendra Samarawickrama (GAICD, MBA, SMIEEE, ACS(CP)) is the ACS ICT Professional of the Year 2022. He is a highly accomplished leader having an impressive track record of driving visions, technology innovations and transformation towards humanity, social justice, and sustainability. He is extremely passionate about empowering people, innovations, and creativity to enhance the businesses and customer experience. His experience spans across conceptualising, building and managing a variety of AI and data science teams, systems and processes. He is a Director of The Centre for Sustainable AI. He leads the Australian AI and data-science strategy while building capabilities for social justice and sustainability with diversity, equity and inclusion in AI and data science by mobilising the power of humanity.

He is an author, inventor, mentor and regular speaker in various tech forums, conferences and events worldwide. He holds a PhD in computer science with double masters in business administration (MBA) and project management (MPM). He is an industry collaborator who actively leads technology innovation-and-transformation initiatives and partnerships toward humanity, social justice and sustainability. In this perspective, he is an Advisory Council Member in Harvard Business Review (HBR), an Expert in AI ethics and governance at Global AI Ethics Institute, an industry Mentor in the UNSW business school, a senior member of IEEE (SMIEEE), an honorary visiting scholar at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), an Advisor for Data Science and Ai Association of Australia (DSAi), and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

He developed the Australian Red Cross AI governance and strategy framework crucial to the business’ successful deployment of Data Science and AI capabilities to mobilise the power of humanity. He built the Volunteer Data Science and Analytics team from the ground up, supporting the Australian Red Cross’s strategic goals. He helped the business for personalised engagement of customers for disaster resilience in the demanding times of pandemics, natural disasters, and global conflicts. He was also a co-author of the IFRC data playbook and contributed to the data science and emerging technology chapter for AI governance, ethics, and literacy. In all these processes, he valued diversity, equity and inclusion. In recognition of this, his team became finalists in 1) the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Action Award in the 2021 IoT Awards, 2) the Best Use of Technology to Revolutionise CX Award in the 2021 Ashton Media CX Awards, 3) the Service Transformation for the Digital Consumer for Not-for-Profit/NGO in 2022 ACS Digital Disruptors Awards, and contributed to winning the CX Team of the Year Award in 2021 Ashton Media CX Awards. All of these awards are prestigious national awards.