From Army to AI – A personal journey of the transformative impact of technology

Don’t miss the inaugural Young Leaders Program Sundowner for 2025 where Sarah Carney, National Technology Officer, Microsoft ANZ will share:- From Army to AI – A personal journey of the transformative impact of technology. Sarah will speak to how Generative AI is transforming individuals and society, and how the design of new technologies needs to support the diversity of users and community.

As the National Technology Officer for Microsoft, Sarah is responsible for identifying and understanding emerging technical trends, building the technical strategy that will enable Microsoft to leverage these trends, and supporting the company's most significant customers across enterprise and government sectors in their understanding of the risks, implications, and pathways to adoption of cutting-edge technology. In addition to her primary role, Sarah is also the Responsible AI lead for Microsoft in Australia and New Zealand and a member of Microsoft’s regional AI product Red Team.

Prior to Microsoft Sarah served in the Australian army, followed by a decade traveling the world and working across a broad range of industries in both Europe and the Middle East. From supporting Think Tanks to building custom business applications and even attending ballet for a living, Sarah's varied experiences and perspectives bring a unique lens to the way she approaches innovation and the potential of technology.