Executive Summit

Networking Dinner with Peers

Come along to the Governing Body Hosted Welcome Dinner. This evening is just for Governing Body members, c-level executives, and partners in your community, a great chance to unwind and get to know your peers in a laid-back setting. Enjoy dinner and easygoing conversations as you connect and set the tone for the summit ahead

Location: Trinity House , Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4DH

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

Digital transformation, innovation and technology are advancing at a staggering pace, and organisations need to rapidly adapt and ‘look beyond’ the horizon to remain relevant, productive, and proactive. As the oldest company in the UK, the Royal Mint has undergone rapid transformation to diversify its core offering into collections, jewellery, and investments, along with addressing challenges faced with cybersecurity and AI. Join Richard Hobbs, CIO, The Royal Mint as he shares his insights into:

• How the Royal Mint have diversified beyond coin-making, driven by IT
• How technology fuelled a transition from traditional mentality to diverse thinking and IT-enabled business outcome
• How CIOs should foster a culture of continuous improvement amidst constant change

In the face of constant change and uncertainty, the most enduring element is ourselves. Leaders who cultivate emotional intelligence, embrace courage and vulnerability, and inspire others with sincerity are uniquely positioned to keep their teams motivated and engaged, no matter the circumstances. This session invites CIOs to explore practical approaches for leading authentically during periods of transition, and to reflect on the personal growth that comes from these experiences. Join this session to discuss:

• Practicing transparency to empower and uplift your team
• Building genuine connections and fostering trust within your organisation
• Navigating change and uncertainty with resilience — and emerging stronger

CIOs wanting to communicate IT’s relevance and impact on wider business outcomes must shift the focus of conversations with business partners from what IT does (technical inputs and outputs) to how IT delivers real value to stakeholders’ business priorities. But with conflicting board priorities, changing tech capabilities and ongoing change management, delivering a coherent story with impact is tough. Join this boardroom to discuss:

• Building coherent narratives around IT spend, and it’s impact to deliver value and business growth
• Key metrics that focus on business outcomes, rather than technology itself
• Crafting and telling an impactful business value story to increase influence

Organisations must navigate the unpredictable with a calculated and dynamic mindset. From fast moving technology adoption to rising inflation and increased regulation, IT & Technology leaders must increasingly do more with less and innovate to keep customers. Fast moving technologies like AI are reinventing how leaders drive a culture of innovation, but what are the steps needed to maximise the benefit for your organisation? Join Colin Shenoy, Global CTO at Diageo as he shares his thoughts and insights into:

• How Diageo have accelerated their digital strategy and became keen adopters of technology
• Fostering a culture of innovation and whilst enabling business outcomes
• How to handle the competing demands of a global business in a VUCA world

Appealing to different CxO profiles and sharing digital leadership responsibilities are key to maximising digital investment value and driving better business outcomes from digital. Building and fostering these relationships across the board can be tough, and CIOs must tailor their engagement across leadership profiles to build strong collaboration across the business. Join this Boardroom to discuss:

• Tactics to improve your partnerships with CxOs across the organisation
• Lessons Learned on building trust between IT and other business unites, together with the benefits of a one team mindset
• Improving culture, leadership, process optimisation and talent acquisition, all with a strong foundation of data and AI

The opportunity to reach a cohort of next generation CIOs and provide support, mentorship and guidance can be invaluable to rising IT talent. In contrast, the ideas, fresh thinking and knowledge gained from meeting this cohort can be equally as valuable to gain new perspectives and re-evaluate future strategy. Join this session to meet with members of the ‘Next Generation CIO’ Programme on a one to one basis, providing guidance and sharing a two way flow of ideas that can help shape the future of digital business. You'll have a chance to:

• Connect one-on-one with aspiring tech talent and give back to the community
• Understand what priorities future IT leaders believe they should focus on
• Share your experiences and candid advice to individuals who will be taking on the CIO role of the future

CIOs need to demonstrate value. CFOs need to calculate value. Everyone in the C-Suite needs to collaborate together to CREATE Value. The level of AI spending is so significant that the C-Suite must ensure a rigorous, repeatable approach to the economics of AI initiatives. This is often called financial operations (FinOps) of AI. Join Frances Karamouzis, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner as she shares insights into how CIOs can strengthen their approach to communicating the value of AI, while executing at speed and scale. Specifically, Frances will share:

• Critical Success Factors for AI Leadership
• AI Portfolio Planning: Frameworks for vetting, prioritising and funding AI initiatives
• Value Creation calculation and communication of cost, risks and ROI (Value)