Emerging tech
Bringing tech-led business changes into focus
By invitation only
Digital Leaders Forum: Leading and driving tech-enabled growth
Spark the extraordinary impact of your tech leadership, with Cheryl Quirion, Director of Engineering at Airbnb (formerly at Twitter (X) and Spotify)
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time: 5:30pm to 9:00pm AEDT
Venue: W Hotel Melbourne
Address: 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000 (Google maps)
In celebration of International Women's Day, this event will feature trailblazing leaders and offer a unique opportunity to explore the experience of leading and driving tech-enabled business growth in an era of rapid change.
Join us at the first Digital Leaders Forum of 2025 for a dynamic discussion on the strategies, challenges, and leadership approaches shaping the future of business. Gain insights into navigating disruption, aligning technology with business objectives, and leading high-impact digital transformation.
This event is also a premier networking opportunity—connect with industry leaders, share experiences, and build relationships that will drive meaningful change in your organization and beyond.
Agenda
5:30pm to 6:00pm
Networking and canapés
6:30pm
Welcome
7:00pm
Leading and driving tech-enabled growth
‘In discussion’ with Eglantine Etiemble, CTO at PEXA and Brigid O’Brien, Transformation Partner at Thoughtworks
In this candid discussion, Eglantine Etiemble and Brigid O'Brien will explore what it takes to lead in today’s fast-moving digital landscape. From building high-performing teams and making strategic technology decisions to navigating career growth as a tech executive, this conversation will offer fresh insights, real-world lessons, and strategies for driving impact at scale.
7:30pm
Mains served
Connecting over conversation
8:00pm
Keynote: Surprising truths about leading product & technology in the world’s fastest-moving companies
Cheryl Quirion, Director of Engineering at Airbnb
Cheryl Quirion, a seasoned tech and product leader with Director-level experience at global tech giants like Airbnb, Twitter (X), Spotify (as well as Australian tech leaders REA Group and Lonely Planet) shares hard-won insights from some of the world’s most competitive and high-pressure environments.
Cheryl's keynote will challenge common assumptions about success in the digital age, covering topics such as:
Building and sustaining high-performing teams in complex, fast-paced environments.
Balancing tech debt, innovation, and long-term strategic vision.
Making deliberate decisions about adopting emerging technologies, such as agentic AI.
Navigating rapid change and surprise challenges with resilience.
Leveraging storytelling to align teams and drive high performance.
Through these perspectives, she will offer a rare glimpse into what it takes to lead at the highest levels of the tech industry.
9:00pm
Formalities conclude | Dessert served
9:00pm to 10:00pm
Networking and drinks
Cheryl Quirion
Keynote speakerCheryl Quirion is a global technology leader specializing in software development, high-performance teams, and technology strategy. As Director of Engineering at Airbnb, she leads teams driving core Hosting tools for Airbnb’s marketplace. Previously, she held leadership roles at Twitter, overseeing global content moderation, and at Spotify, launching key marketplace products. With a career spanning multiple continents, including a decade in Australia (REA Group, Lonely Planet, Sensis), Cheryl has also founded two startups in Australia and Argentina. She blends technical expertise, leadership, and business insight to navigate the evolving tech landscape.
Eglantine Etiemble
Chief Technology Officer, PEXA
Eglantine Etiemble is a seasoned global executive with a proven track record of leading complex transformations across 20 countries in consulting and manufacturing. She specializes in driving large-scale business and technology change, including ERP implementations, mergers, and the adoption of Agile and flexible work practices. A strategic and people-centric leader, Eglantine partners with executives to align IT and business objectives, ensuring organizations adapt and thrive in an evolving digital landscape. Her clear vision, cross-cultural expertise, and ability to lead teams through change make her a trusted catalyst for innovation and growth.
Brigid O'Brien
Transformation Partner, Thoughtworks
Brigid O'Brien is an accomplished technology leader with three decades of experience driving transformation across Australia, Asia, and Europe. Her career spans startups, scaleups, and multi-country enterprises, including not-for-profits and banking. Over the past decade at Thoughtworks, Brigid has partnered with executives and senior leadership teams to accelerate change and navigate the evolution of their organizations. She is passionate about modernizing businesses by harnessing both human and technological potential, ensuring they thrive in an era of rapid innovation.
Natalie Tanner (Host)
Executive Concierge, Thoughtworks
With over 30 years in the technology industry, Natalie Tanner has led high-performing teams across IT services, consulting, SaaS, government entrepreneur programs, and startups. She has a strong track record in executive sales leadership and COO roles, successfully building and managing commercial sales and technical pre- and post-sales teams. A three-time returning Thoughtworker, Natalie now supports the SEAANZ portfolio, strengthening executive relationships and driving regional growth. Her expertise in strategy, leadership, and innovation positions her as a key force in scaling businesses and navigating the ever-evolving tech landscape.
Thoughtworks is a leading global technology consultancy that integrates strategy, design and software engineering to enable enterprises and technology disruptors across the globe to thrive as modern digital businesses.
Founded in 1993, we’ve grown from a small team in Chicago to a leading technology consultancy of more than 11,000 Thoughtworkers across 51 offices in 18 countries. Our cross-functional teams of strategists, developers, data engineers and designers bring more than 30 years of global experience to every partnership.
6 Degrees Media was founded by Angela Horvat, former Editor and Publisher of award-winning publications including Computerworld, Information Age, The Who’s Who of Financial Services and Founder of FST Media; and Emma Charter, one of Australia’s most connected and respected media and events strategists with more than 15 years’ experience in delivering C-Level engagement strategies for clients in Australia and the UK. Together, they are a powerhouse team that leads Australia’s most talented and driven conference producers, technology and business journalists and event managers to create content-driven experiences across C-level roundtables, custom events and large-scale conferences.