How Telstra Fixed 80 Fragmented Data Systems to Scale Enterprise AI
In this episode of Executive Conversations, we speak with Dayle Stevens, Executive for AI at Telstra, about how one of Australia's largest telecommunications companies is navigating enterprise-scale AI transformation, modernising complex data ecosystems, and establishing deep digital trust.
Scaling enterprise AI requires far more than just deploying technology. Telstra navigated a legacy landscape featuring over 80 fragmented data platforms and multiple CRM systems while generative and agentic AI exploded around them. Dayle shares why "going slow to go fast" and saying no to shiny pilots is critical to building robust foundations, how fixing "crimes against data" unlocks agentic workflows, and why human trust, transparency, and workforce mindset, rather than regulatory compliance alone, are the true keys to AI adoption.
Dayle Stevens is Executive for AI at Telstra, where she's leading the business's transformation. Before Telstra, Dayle held senior leadership roles at AGL Energy and National Australia Bank, giving her deep, hands-on experience driving large-scale technology change across major Australian enterprises.