HCLTech assembles tech leaders to reshape ANZ digital

HCLTech has convened senior executives from global technology firms in Sydney for a closed-door strategy forum on the future of the digital economy in Australia and New Zealand.

The 2025 Sydney Partner Advisory Council gathered at the Sofitel Darling Harbour. The event was invitation-only and included leaders from OpenAI, Oracle, Salesforce, Google, AWS, SAP, Dell and ServiceNow, among others.

HCLTech positioned the council as both a review of the year and a forward-looking discussion on market change in the region. Organisers said the conversations reflected rising demand from customers for clearer value, faster delivery and stronger coordination across partners.

The session took place behind closed doors. Attendees discussed shifts in customer buying behaviour and changing expectations of systems integrators. They also examined new partnership models and the need for more coordinated delivery across cloud and enterprise platforms.

Participants described the current period as decisive for the technology landscape in Australia and New Zealand. They cited a need for more transparency and strategic focus in joint work with customers.

Customer demands

Sonia Eland, Executive Vice President and Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand at HCLTech, opened the main session. She highlighted the growing pressure on technology partners in the region.

"Organisations in ANZ are dealing with significant change and are looking for clarity and consistency from their partners. They expect progress to be delivered quickly and reliably. Collaboration and trust are fundamental to how we support our customers," said Eland, Executive Vice President and Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, HCLTech.

Eland said clients were changing how they frame their requirements and how they judge outcomes.

"Clients are becoming more direct in their expectations and increasingly focused on outcomes rather than theoretical innovation. They want solutions that integrate with their core systems and deliver productivity improvements immediately," said Eland.

Her comments aligned with the main theme identified by participants. They said organisations in the region want speed, clarity and practical results. They described complexity as a growing point of friction in digital programmes.

Outcome-driven partnerships

HCLTech used the council to set out its view on the next phase of partner engagement. The company framed the event as a signal of how it plans to work with cloud and software vendors across the region.

Cassandra Ashworth, Head of Ecosystem Sales and Partnerships for Australia and New Zealand at HCLTech, said the emphasis on measurable results is changing partnership structures.

"Sonia's strategy is firmly centred on customer success, and as Agentic AI accelerates, real impact will come from strategic partnerships that move in lockstep. That's why launching our first Partner Advisory Council was so important. it sets the tone for how we innovate together," said Ashworth.

The discussions covered sectors including financial services, the public sector, utilities, retail and telecommunications. Executives said many organisations are moving away from fragmented approaches and towards integrated models based on stable partnerships and consistent execution.

Ecosystem alignment

After the formal council, HCLTech hosted an Executive Networking Summit. This session aimed at more open dialogue between industry leaders before the company's End-of-Year Celebration, co-hosted with AWS and SAP.

Australian cricket figure Glenn McGrath joined the evening programme. He took part in a live question-and-answer session on leadership, resilience and sustained performance. Many executives in attendance linked these themes with pressures in the technology market.

A fireside chat with senior representatives from HCLTech, SAP and AWS formed a core part of the summit. Speakers examined pressure on technology investment in Australia and New Zealand and discussed the need for more disciplined collaboration among vendors and integrators.

Other partners said the advisory council format encouraged more direct conversations. They said it created a setting away from standard sales and marketing activity.

Angela Fox, Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Dell Technologies ANZ, said the structure allowed leaders to focus on core customer issues.

"Events like this cut through the noise. It is important for technology leaders to step back and engage in frank, practical conversation about what customers really need and how we can better collaborate," said Fox.

Chris Willcock, Head of Enterprise Cloud at SAP, said the meeting underlined a consistent message from customers.

"The Partner Advisory Council underscored a simple truth: whether it's in relation to cloud transformation or AI, customers want speed, clarity and real outcomes, not complexity. When all partners align and show up as one, we give organisations the confidence to modernise faster and unlock the productivity gains they urgently need," said Willcock.

Next steps

HCLTech said it plans to expand its engineering and cloud work in the region. It also plans to enhance its AI Force platform and deepen joint delivery with partners such as AWS and SAP.

The company described the end-of-year events as a snapshot of a fast-changing market and an ecosystem in closer alignment. It said the Sydney council had laid foundations for its regional strategy into 2026.