Atlanta CIO Community
Executive Summit
November 19, 2025 | Westin Atlanta Perimeter North
November 19, 2025
Westin Atlanta Perimeter North
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Atlanta's top CIOs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CIOs today:
Optimizing Technology Strategy to Empower Business Outcomes
Defining Strategic AI Use Cases to Deliver Business Value
Leading the Enterprise Through Disruption and Uncertainty
Atlanta CIO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CIOs, For CIOs®.
Governing Body Co-Chairs
Guy Brassard
Shaw Industries
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Curtis Carver Jr.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Vice President and CIO
Raghu Sagi
Carter's
EVP, Chief Information & Technology Officer
Grant Shih
Vestis
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
What to Expect
Interactive Sessions
Hear from CIO practitioners and thought leaders on how they're solving critical challenges impacting your role today in Keynote sessions, and join smaller, interactive discussions with your peers in Breakout and Boardroom sessions.
Community Networking
Make new connections and catch up with old friends in casual conversations during dedicated time for networking designed to better acquaint you with your Atlanta CIO community.
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
Agenda
Keynote Sessions
Rethinking Risk — Security as a Catalyst for Innovation
In the race for innovation, there is a common misconception that security only stifles the pace. As CIOs lead their organizations through unprecedented advancements in technology, aligning IT and security into strategic lockstep is crucial for driving business innovation.
Join this session to explore:
- Challenging common misconceptions surrounding security's role in innovation
- Enabling early integration of security and technology to improve efficiency
- Building strategic alignment across IT, security, and the broader business
Zero Trust & AI — Strengthening Security, Reducing Complexity, and Driving Innovation
Businesses stand to benefit from AI in unprecedented ways, but only if IT leaders overcome transformation challenges. This includes implementing a modern zero trust architecture to protect data and users, embracing AI while managing its risks, and handling the technical and financial implications of ever-expanding environments. A risk-based approach to security ensures CIOs deliver a secure, phased transformation.
Join this session to:
- Understand how zero trust and AI together, unlike firewalls, provide the strongest cyber defense by stopping threat actors from lateral movement within networks
- Learn strategies for protecting AI applications developed in data centers and the cloud, while preventing data leaks from public AI applications
- Discover how eliminating costly legacy hardware simplifies environments while cutting network and security costs
Executive Boardroom Sessions
Prepared to Pivot — Strategic Planning Amid Volatility
Gartner reports that 64% of CIOs and technology executives anticipate a moderate or significant shift to outcomes in 2026, echoing 2025 when 82% made midyear pivots. Executives that proactively adapt to these shifts will be best positioned to navigate uncertainty and deliver sustained business value.
Join Bob Trotter, Senior Executive Partner at Gartner, to discuss:
- Anticipating disruption and building agility into your IT Strategy
- Proactive planning for budget and performance pressures amid global uncertainty
- Demonstrating forward-thinking and business-driven leadership to build influence, trust, and credibility
Data First, AI Second
Gartner research predicts that 30% of generative AI projects through 2026 will be abandoned after proof of concept, due in part, to poor data quality. CIOs play a critical role in ensuring data is AI-ready and the business is poised for innovation.
Join this session to discuss:
- Emphasizing data quality and maturity as a keystone of AI innovation
- Aligning data strategy with business objectives to maximize AI impact
- Collaborating with data management leaders and cross-functional stakeholders
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Atlanta CIO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Westin Atlanta Perimeter NorthParking Information
Hotel valet - $35/car
Self- Park in the Concourse lot directly across from The Westin at a discounted rate of $5/day
Your Community Sponsors
Global Thought Leader
Key Sponsors
Program Sponsor
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.
