In-Person

Benelux CIO Community

Executive Summit

7 October 2025 | Hilton Amsterdam

7 October 2025
Hilton Amsterdam

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Benelux'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:

Modernising The IT Operating Model to Enable Business Agility

Connecting Investments to Business Outcomes Through Strategic Alignment

Building Resilient Cybersecurity Ecosystems for Sustainable Growth

Benelux CIO Governing Body

The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CIOs, For CIOs®.

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 Benelux 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

6 October 2025

7 October 2025

18:00 - 21:00  Governing Body Private Dinner

Governing Body Welcome Reception

 Join this exclusive evening hosted by the Governing Body, this dinner is a can’t-miss opportunity to connect with your peers prior to tomorrow’s Executive Summit.

08:00 - 09:00  Registration & Breakfast

09:00 - 09:45  Keynote

From Uncertainty to Advantage — Redefining IT & Security Leadership for What's Next

Pascal Pauwels headshot

Pascal Pauwels

Group CIO

Colruyt

As digital transformation accelerates and emerging technologies like AI reshape the business landscape, CIOs and CISOs must look beyond the horizon to keep their organisations relevant and resilient. Success now hinges on more than just adopting new technologies—it’s about building future-fit strategies, elevating service management, and nurturing a culture that connects people, purpose, and progress.

Join Pascal Pauwels, Group CIO at Colruyt as he explores how IT & Security leaders can:

  • Build future-fit roadmaps that integrate robust data management to scale innovation with confidence and control
  • Balance transformation, cybersecurity risk mitigation, and business continuity for sustainable growth
  • Foster a culture of shared accountability and continuous improvement to connect people, purpose, and progress

09:45 - 10:00  Break

10:00 - 10:45  Breakout Session

Scrapping Tradition to Improve Security, Transparency, and Trust in Today’s Workplace

Ash Brinsford headshot

Ash Brinsford

Head of EMEA

Island

Stephen Owen headshot

Stephen Owen

Group CISO

IQUW

Bolstering productivity and efficiencies across the enterprise is a primary function in the role of today’s IT leader, which increases reliance on emerging technologies, such as the enterprise browser. According to recent Gartner research, "Enterprise browsers will evolve to become the core platform for almost all of the day-to-day enterprise productivity and security software used by the workforce."

Join this session to discuss:

  • Introduction of innovative possibilities for critical application protection
  • Creating a secure employee experience centered on transparency and trust
  • Reimagining how IT leaders can enable users while creating unique business value

10:00 - 10:45  Executive Boardroom

Accelerating ROI with AI

Greg Smith headshot

Greg Smith

Executive Director, SSG EMEA

Lenovo

Gabriela Popescu headshot

Gabriela Popescu

Global CIO

Versuni

No business leader invests in technology for its own sake—they seek measurable improvements in productivity, agility, and business outcomes. AI is no different, but its rapid evolution can make it difficult to determine where to start and how to scale. The key to unlocking ROI lies in identifying high-impact use cases, optimizing AI adoption, and ensuring teams have the right tools and skills to drive sustainable value.

Join this boardroom to explore:

  • How to choose AI use cases that generate revenue, enhance productivity, and establish clear KPIs for ROI tracking
  • Navigating the evolving AI ecosystem to align technology investments with business priorities
  • Building and educating teams to support AI adoption, streamline implementation, and drive long-term impact

10:45 - 11:50  Networking Break

10:55 - 11:40  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a 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.

11:50 - 12:35  Breakout Session

Securing Our Digital Future — Battle Scars From a Recovering CISO-turned-CIO

Andrea Bergamini headshot

Andrea Bergamini

VP & CIO

Orbia

As digital transformation expands, so does the threat landscape. CIOs face the dual challenge of driving innovation while managing growing cyber risks and tighter budgets. Success now requires risk-based strategies, strong business alignment, and data-driven discussions at the leadership level. Andrea Bergamini, former CISO and now CIO at Orbia, shares how CIOs can lead by integrating security into digital strategy, fostering board-level collaboration, and enabling resilience across the enterprise.

Specifically, Andrea will discuss:

  • Building strong IT-business partnerships and communicating cyber risk with data-driven, business-focused dialogue
  • Creative, risk-driven investment strategies for cybersecurity amid budget constraints
  • Practical lessons in stakeholder alignment, agile security, and the CISO-to-CIO transition

11:50 - 12:35  Executive Boardroom

Blueprint for Success — Transforming Service Delivery with AI and Advanced Analytics

Shobhit Kumar headshot

Shobhit Kumar

Senior Vice President & Europe Head - Consumer, Retail, Travel & Logistics

HCLTech

In response to mounting pressures to innovate faster and deliver value more efficiently, companies are increasingly turning to AI-led product-aligned operating models. This approach leverages the potential of data-driven decision making, powered by intelligent analytics and modeling, to break down silos, track what truly matters, and build supportive systems that accelerate business outcomes. Participate in this boardroom session to delve into:

  • Mastering the art of engineering value at velocity through data-driven insights
  • The reality of AI adoption and the promise of intelligent analytics for the future
  • Typical roadblocks and practical examples of overcoming them with advanced modeling and decision support

11:50 - 12:35  Executive Boardroom

Building Cyber Resilience — From Traps to Milestones

Liz Morton headshot

Liz Morton

Field CISO

Axonius

Paul Davies headshot

Paul Davies

CISO

Harrods

Michel Teuwen headshot

Michel Teuwen

Group Security Manager (CISO)

De Heus

In an era where attacks and threat actors are more sophisticated and traditional security paradigms are less effective, security leaders need to rethink what it means to be cyber resilient, contextualized for their organisation. All that said, it’s not a solo job - buy in from the entire business is key to move from traps to milestones.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Lessons learned from building a business continuity plan for cyber resiliency
  • Which insights truly matter for reporting on the company’s cyber risk in quantifiable terms
  • Technologies to prioritise – and retire - with resilience in mind

12:35 - 13:20  Lunch Service

13:20 - 14:00  Keynote

Zero Trust & AI — Strengthening Security, Reducing Complexity, and Driving Innovation

Businesses stand to benefit from AI in unprecedented ways, but only if IT and security 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 and CISOs 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

14:00 - 14:15  Break

14:15 - 15:00  Breakout Session

From Gatekeepers to Enabling Partners – Aligning Security with Business Value

Ad Krikke headshot

Ad Krikke

Executive Partner

Gartner

Jeroen van Kesteren headshot

Jeroen van Kesteren

CISO & Head of Department Digital Security

De Nederlandsche Bank

As businesses race towards innovation and agility, the role of the CISO is undergoing a transformation from enforcers to enablers. Often seen as the "police officers" of security, CISOs must now align with agile and low-code environments to foster collaboration and drive business value. 

Join this session with Ad Krikke, Sr. Executive Partner, Gartner and Jeroen van Kesteren, CISO & Head of Department Digital Security, De Nederlandsche Bank to explore real life examples of:

  • Transforming into a value-led CISO by aligning security with business objectives
  • Embracing a product-based approach for enhanced agility and innovation
  • Developing adaptive governance to support organisational growth and autonomy

15:00 - 15:30  Networking Break

15:30 - 16:15  Breakout Session

Resilience, Risk and Results — Redesigning IT & Security for the Enterprise Era

Predrag Vuckovic headshot

Predrag Vuckovic

CISO

Booking.com

Richard Ventre headshot

Richard Ventre

Group CIO

SHV

Behind every resilient organisation is a leader who knows how to influence, not just enforce. SHV's CIO Richard Ventre and Booking.com's CISO Predrag Vuckovic will share the intricacies of leadership, collaboration, protection and trust in large-scale enterprise environments. 

Join this interactive fireside chat:

  • Discover strategies for positioning initiatives and energising cross-functional teams around shared goals
  • Explore operating models and risk management approaches tailored to complex, fast moving environments
  • Learn how to cultivate essential skills and break organisational barriers for enhanced performance

15:30 - 16:15  Executive Boardroom

Unlocking Agility Through IT Modernisation

**Exclusively for Gartner ExP Clients**

Legacy systems and outdated architectures are slowing innovation and agility. According to Gartner, 80% of CIOs plan to increase investment in IT modernisation to support resilience and growth. But modernisation isn’t just about technology — it’s a strategic shift that requires alignment, cultural change, and long-term vision.

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Modernising core infrastructure while enabling future-ready platforms
  • Overcoming organisational resistance to accelerate change
  • Aligning IT transformation with business goals to deliver measurable value


16:15 - 16:30  Break

16:30 - 17:15  Gartner Keynote

Five Ways of Building Strong Business Alignment Into Your IT Strategy

Ian Cox headshot

Ian Cox

Sr Director, Analyst

Gartner

Demonstrating alignment between IT and business outcomes starts with a well-crafted strategy. The most effective IT strategies create tangible links between enterprise priorities and IT investments. Yet many fall short — leaving CIOs and CISOs struggling to demonstrate strategic value or gain meaningful influence.

Join Ian Cox, VP Analyst, Gartner as he delves into:

• Common pitfalls that prevent IT strategies from resonating with business priorities
• Why focusing on business outcomes — not just technical execution — is critical
• How to shape a strategy that clearly communicates IT and security's role in enterprise success

17:15 - 18:00  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

18:00 - 21:00  Governing Body Private Dinner

Governing Body Welcome Reception

 Join this exclusive evening hosted by the Governing Body, this dinner is a can’t-miss opportunity to connect with your peers prior to tomorrow’s Executive Summit.

08:00 - 09:00  Registration & Breakfast

09:00 - 09:45  Keynote

From Uncertainty to Advantage — Redefining IT & Security Leadership for What's Next

Pascal Pauwels headshot

Pascal Pauwels

Group CIO

Colruyt

As digital transformation accelerates and emerging technologies like AI reshape the business landscape, CIOs and CISOs must look beyond the horizon to keep their organisations relevant and resilient. Success now hinges on more than just adopting new technologies—it’s about building future-fit strategies, elevating service management, and nurturing a culture that connects people, purpose, and progress.

Join Pascal Pauwels, Group CIO at Colruyt as he explores how IT & Security leaders can:

  • Build future-fit roadmaps that integrate robust data management to scale innovation with confidence and control
  • Balance transformation, cybersecurity risk mitigation, and business continuity for sustainable growth
  • Foster a culture of shared accountability and continuous improvement to connect people, purpose, and progress

09:45 - 10:00  Break

10:00 - 10:45  Breakout Session

Scrapping Tradition to Improve Security, Transparency, and Trust in Today’s Workplace

Ash Brinsford headshot

Ash Brinsford

Head of EMEA

Island

Stephen Owen headshot

Stephen Owen

Group CISO

IQUW

Bolstering productivity and efficiencies across the enterprise is a primary function in the role of today’s IT leader, which increases reliance on emerging technologies, such as the enterprise browser. According to recent Gartner research, "Enterprise browsers will evolve to become the core platform for almost all of the day-to-day enterprise productivity and security software used by the workforce."

Join this session to discuss:

  • Introduction of innovative possibilities for critical application protection
  • Creating a secure employee experience centered on transparency and trust
  • Reimagining how IT leaders can enable users while creating unique business value

10:00 - 10:45  Executive Boardroom

Accelerating ROI with AI

Greg Smith headshot

Greg Smith

Executive Director, SSG EMEA

Lenovo

Gabriela Popescu headshot

Gabriela Popescu

Global CIO

Versuni

No business leader invests in technology for its own sake—they seek measurable improvements in productivity, agility, and business outcomes. AI is no different, but its rapid evolution can make it difficult to determine where to start and how to scale. The key to unlocking ROI lies in identifying high-impact use cases, optimizing AI adoption, and ensuring teams have the right tools and skills to drive sustainable value.

Join this boardroom to explore:

  • How to choose AI use cases that generate revenue, enhance productivity, and establish clear KPIs for ROI tracking
  • Navigating the evolving AI ecosystem to align technology investments with business priorities
  • Building and educating teams to support AI adoption, streamline implementation, and drive long-term impact

10:45 - 11:50  Networking Break

10:55 - 11:40  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a 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.

11:50 - 12:35  Breakout Session

Securing Our Digital Future — Battle Scars From a Recovering CISO-turned-CIO

Andrea Bergamini headshot

Andrea Bergamini

VP & CIO

Orbia

As digital transformation expands, so does the threat landscape. CIOs face the dual challenge of driving innovation while managing growing cyber risks and tighter budgets. Success now requires risk-based strategies, strong business alignment, and data-driven discussions at the leadership level. Andrea Bergamini, former CISO and now CIO at Orbia, shares how CIOs can lead by integrating security into digital strategy, fostering board-level collaboration, and enabling resilience across the enterprise.

Specifically, Andrea will discuss:

  • Building strong IT-business partnerships and communicating cyber risk with data-driven, business-focused dialogue
  • Creative, risk-driven investment strategies for cybersecurity amid budget constraints
  • Practical lessons in stakeholder alignment, agile security, and the CISO-to-CIO transition

11:50 - 12:35  Executive Boardroom

Building Cyber Resilience — From Traps to Milestones

Liz Morton headshot

Liz Morton

Field CISO

Axonius

Paul Davies headshot

Paul Davies

CISO

Harrods

Michel Teuwen headshot

Michel Teuwen

Group Security Manager (CISO)

De Heus

In an era where attacks and threat actors are more sophisticated and traditional security paradigms are less effective, security leaders need to rethink what it means to be cyber resilient, contextualized for their organisation. All that said, it’s not a solo job - buy in from the entire business is key to move from traps to milestones.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Lessons learned from building a business continuity plan for cyber resiliency
  • Which insights truly matter for reporting on the company’s cyber risk in quantifiable terms
  • Technologies to prioritise – and retire - with resilience in mind

12:35 - 13:20  Lunch Service

13:20 - 14:00  Keynote

Zero Trust & AI — Strengthening Security, Reducing Complexity, and Driving Innovation

Businesses stand to benefit from AI in unprecedented ways, but only if IT and security 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 and CISOs 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

14:00 - 14:15  Break

14:15 - 15:00  Breakout Session

From Gatekeepers to Enabling Partners – Aligning Security with Business Value

Ad Krikke headshot

Ad Krikke

Executive Partner

Gartner

Jeroen van Kesteren headshot

Jeroen van Kesteren

CISO & Head of Department Digital Security

De Nederlandsche Bank

As businesses race towards innovation and agility, the role of the CISO is undergoing a transformation from enforcers to enablers. Often seen as the "police officers" of security, CISOs must now align with agile and low-code environments to foster collaboration and drive business value. 

Join this session with Ad Krikke, Sr. Executive Partner, Gartner and Jeroen van Kesteren, CISO & Head of Department Digital Security, De Nederlandsche Bank to explore real life examples of:

  • Transforming into a value-led CISO by aligning security with business objectives
  • Embracing a product-based approach for enhanced agility and innovation
  • Developing adaptive governance to support organisational growth and autonomy

15:00 - 15:30  Networking Break

15:30 - 16:15  Breakout Session

Resilience, Risk and Results — Redesigning IT & Security for the Enterprise Era

Predrag Vuckovic headshot

Predrag Vuckovic

CISO

Booking.com

Richard Ventre headshot

Richard Ventre

Group CIO

SHV

Behind every resilient organisation is a leader who knows how to influence, not just enforce. SHV's CIO Richard Ventre and Booking.com's CISO Predrag Vuckovic will share the intricacies of leadership, collaboration, protection and trust in large-scale enterprise environments. 

Join this interactive fireside chat:

  • Discover strategies for positioning initiatives and energising cross-functional teams around shared goals
  • Explore operating models and risk management approaches tailored to complex, fast moving environments
  • Learn how to cultivate essential skills and break organisational barriers for enhanced performance

15:30 - 16:15  Executive Boardroom

Unlocking Agility Through IT Modernisation

**Exclusively for Gartner ExP Clients**

Legacy systems and outdated architectures are slowing innovation and agility. According to Gartner, 80% of CIOs plan to increase investment in IT modernisation to support resilience and growth. But modernisation isn’t just about technology — it’s a strategic shift that requires alignment, cultural change, and long-term vision.

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Modernising core infrastructure while enabling future-ready platforms
  • Overcoming organisational resistance to accelerate change
  • Aligning IT transformation with business goals to deliver measurable value


16:15 - 16:30  Break

16:30 - 17:15  Gartner Keynote

Five Ways of Building Strong Business Alignment Into Your IT Strategy

Ian Cox headshot

Ian Cox

Sr Director, Analyst

Gartner

Demonstrating alignment between IT and business outcomes starts with a well-crafted strategy. The most effective IT strategies create tangible links between enterprise priorities and IT investments. Yet many fall short — leaving CIOs and CISOs struggling to demonstrate strategic value or gain meaningful influence.

Join Ian Cox, VP Analyst, Gartner as he delves into:

• Common pitfalls that prevent IT strategies from resonating with business priorities
• Why focusing on business outcomes — not just technical execution — is critical
• How to shape a strategy that clearly communicates IT and security's role in enterprise success

17:15 - 18:00  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

6 October 2025

7 October 2025

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming in-person gathering

Gartner cares about the health and safety of our community. If you are feeling unwell, please refrain from attending the conference. At this time, Gartner does not have any health-related requirements in place for attendance. Should this change, we will follow up with updated guidance.

Location

Venue & Accommodation

Hilton Amsterdam

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Amsterdam at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling +31 20 710 6000.

Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of €382 EUR (plus tax) is 15 September 2025.

Your Community Sponsors

Global Thought Leader

CISO Thought Leader

Key Sponsor

Program Sponsors

Community Programme Manager

For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.

Aurélie Anyikoy Ashema

Community Programme Manager

aurelie.anyikoy@gartner.com