IN-PERSON

Chicago CIO Executive Summit

May 15, 2024 | Convene at 233 South Wacker

May 15, 2024
Convene at 233 South Wacker

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Chicago'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:

Building trust and reliability in data to enable business growth and optimization

Maintaining a resilient cybersecurity strategy in an ever-evolving threat landscape

Adopting the latest digital technologies and practices to stay relevant and drive innovation

Chicago 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

Rita Fisher

Reynolds Consumer Products
CIO and EVP, Supply Chain

Ron Guerrier

Save the Children
CTO

Rajeev Khanna

Aon Corporation US
Global Chief Technology Officer

Laura Kohl

Morningstar
CIO

Mike Parisi

ITW
VP CIO

Jane Possell

CNA
EVP, Chief Information Officer, Analytics, Operations

Gagan Singh

Ascension
Chief Information Officer

Tom South

Northern Trust
Executive VP & Chief Information 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 Chicago CIO community.

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Evanta's Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

Agenda


May 14, 2024

May 15, 2024

6:00pm - 8:30pm  Governing Body Welcome Reception

Touching Base — Governing Body Welcome Reception at Guaranteed Rate Field

Join the Chicago CIO Governing Body for a night of networking as the Chicago White Sox face the Washington Nationals. Enjoy dinner, drinks and the view from adjoining suites at Guaranteed Rate Field. First pitch is at 6:40pm! 

7:45am - 8:30am  Registration & Breakfast

8:00am - 8:30am  Networking

Rising Together — Empowering Diversity in Technology

Pooja Muttath headshot

Pooja Muttath

Vice President - Enterprise Platform Engineering

Cars.com

Women are vastly underrepresented in the technology field, yet their presence is crucial. Every single one of us has the ability to move this dial, to do our part to have impact in driving change. Together we can empower each other, our communities and create a better future for all of us. Join us in this informal space for women in leadership roles and their allies to freely discuss best practices, key challenges and mission-critical priorities. Come prepared to share ideas and forge new connections that can help empower each other to make an impact in your organizations and communities. 

This session is open to all genders and identities.

8:30am - 9:15am  Keynote

Body Language Secrets for Enhanced Executive Presence

Chris Ulrich headshot

Chris Ulrich

Body Language Expert

Uncovering the mysteries of body language — how people communicate their thoughts and feelings without saying a word — is a decisive first step toward mastering any business and social situation. Top executives know that detecting split-second signals from your team and leadership then taking immediate action is crucial to being a persuasive communicator and problem-solver especially during tricky internal matters or high-level negotiations.

During this session you will learn how to:

  • Move beyond the vacuum of artificial body language to a behavioral approach based on you
  • Strengthen interpersonal relationships, be a more decisive leader and manage your nerves better
  • Uncover the less obvious needs of others and improve your team’s confidence and competence

9:15am - 9:40am  Networking Break

9:40am - 10:25am  Breakout Session

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

Aaron Thomann headshot

Aaron Thomann

Chief IT Transformation Executive

GE Healthcare

Gartner research shows when employees feel connected to their organization’s culture, both performance and retention increase by nearly 40%. How are you working to maintain a thriving workplace culture?

Come ready to share and discuss:

  • Understanding the culture you have
  • Defining the change you want to see
  • How culture is developing in your organization

9:40am - 10:25am  Breakout Session

Unlocking Full Cloud Potential — IT Enhancements for Today’s Enterprise

Scott Montgomery headshot

Scott Montgomery

VP, Strategic Accounts

Island

While the vast majority of infrastructure has been upgraded and modernized to support the shift to the cloud, enterprise IT teams are still missing an equally seamless access method to deliver cloud-native apps and data to their end users. While traditional browsers have become the de-facto access point for the majority of business critical applications, they lack the deep visibility and hyper-granular policy controls enterprises need. This results in IT leaders surrounding their browsers with layers of tech to meet those needs.

Join this session to discover:

  • Why traditional cloud security methods undermine your modernization efforts and end-user experience
  • Embracing technological momentum to adapt to a "more-with-less" IT landscape
  • How enterprise CIOs are using this solution to bolster cloud security

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Operational Excellence to Improve Customer Experience

Heath Newburn headshot

Heath Newburn

Global Field CTO

PagerDuty

Greg Michelini headshot

Greg Michelini

CIO

Athletico

David Todd headshot

David Todd

SVP & Chief Information & Security Officer

White Lodging

Meaningful enhancements in IT operations performance have often been achieved incrementally, demanding intensive attention over long time horizons. Does the rise of AI present an opportunity to make transformative leaps in customer experience or should CIOs wait to assess the results of early adopters?

Join this session to discuss:

  • Differentiating between hype and practical value
  • Communicating the ROI behind quick wins
  • Choosing the right time to invest in AI

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@evanta.com

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

The New Era of CyberSECurity

Kevin Boyd headshot

Kevin Boyd

Associate Vice President and CIO

University of Chicago

Nelson Imana headshot

Nelson Imana

CIO

U.S. Renal Care

Technology leaders are facing an important task as they navigate the SEC’s recently adopted rules designed to improve the disclosure of cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and incidents by public companies. How is your organization adapting to the shift?

Join your peers to discuss:

  • Working with legal to develop your organization's standard of "materiality"
  • Disclosing processes for assessing, identifying and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats
  • Determining where in each executive's reporting structure responsibility ultimately lies

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@evanta.com

10:25am - 11:05am  Networking Break

10:25am - 11:05am  Workshop

Office Hours with Chris Ulrich

Chris Ulrich headshot

Chris Ulrich

Body Language Expert

What does your body language say about you? What shifts might you make to change how others perceive you? Join this special one-on-one session exclusively for Governing Body members with body-language expert Chris Ulrich for candid feedback on your in-person and online body language. Sessions are 20 minutes and pre-registration is required.

 In this unique, private session, you’ll receive:

  • One-on-one consultation with a premier expert
  • Live analysis of your unique body language cues
  • Personalized executive presence improvements 

To reserve your session or join the waitlist, please contact: Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@evanta.com

10:30am - 10:55am  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

11:05am - 11:50am  Breakout Session

10-Minute Wins — AI Use Cases

Paul Niser headshot

Paul Niser

CTO

Walton Street Capital

Kelly Coomer headshot

Kelly Coomer

Chief Information Officer

Sammons Financial Group

Nalini Polavarapu headshot

Nalini Polavarapu

Vice President - Enterprise Analytics and Data Science

Bayer Corporation

Why learn from one peer when you can learn from two? Grab a seat as your fellow community members each take the floor for 10 minutes to share how their organizations are implementing generative AI.

  • Kelly Coomer shares how Sammons Financial Group is scaling its GenAI strategy through organization-wide collaboration and change management
  • Nalini Polavarapu discusses how Bayer Corporation is using GenAI to drive value across the enterprise

11:05am - 11:50am  Breakout Session

Connect the Dots Across the Customer Lifecycle

Jeff Burlin headshot

Jeff Burlin

Senior Director, Executive Engagement Programs

Twilio

Companies have been collecting data on their customers since the dawn of direct marketing, but in today’s digital era, gathering information is only the first step. Truly knowing your customer requires integrating data and insights from all your existing tools — including your CRM, marketing suite, ecommerce platform and contact center — to build an accurate and real-time picture of who they are and what they want.  Only then can you consistently deliver the highly personalized interactions that customers expect and that create value for them and your organization.

Join this session to learn about:

  • Generating actionable insights from an endless sea of customer data
  • Unlocking value and enabling conversions from every conversation
  • Building differentiated engagement without sacrificing consumer data privacy and transparency

11:05am - 11:50am  Executive Boardroom

Turning Operational Complexity into Operational Simplicity

Caitlin Russell headshot

Caitlin Russell

Senior Director, Corporate Communications

Citrix Systems, Inc.

Rajeev Khanna headshot

Rajeev Khanna

Global Chief Technology Officer

Aon Corporation US

Jean Luber headshot

Jean Luber

VP, Information Technology

MYR Group

Hybrid environments offer flexibility for employees, but today's complicated digital environment can lead to increased complexity and reduced efficiency for IT departments. What are innovative strategies for reducing complexity and how can CIOs articulate the value of these impactful initiatives in driving efficiencies and advancing business outcomes?

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Identifying and prioritizing inefficiencies to address across hybrid, cloud and on-prem deployments
  • Defining clear, measurable goals and tracking business outcomes associated with optimization initiatives
  • Preparing your IT environment to harness the power of new technologies without increasing future complexity

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@evanta.com

11:05am - 11:50am  Executive Boardroom

CIO Impact on Digital Business Strategy

Brian Solis headshot

Brian Solis

Head of Global Innovation

ServiceNow

Fares Ghanimah headshot

Fares Ghanimah

CIO | Head of Central Technology

William Blair & Company

Narayanan Krishnan headshot

Narayanan Krishnan

Vice President - Digital

Athletico

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, technology is the driving factor of business strategy and organizational success. But for CIOs to deliver digital, the technology must have a meaningful impact. Otherwise, the dollars are not worth spending.

In this session you'll discuss:

  • Directly correlating technology needs with business objectives
  • Gaining enterprise-wide agreement on AI and tech investment goals
  • Driving successful technology adoption to maximize ROI

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@evanta.com

11:50am - 12:35pm  Lunch Service

12:35pm - 1:10pm  Keynote

Leveraging Emerging Technologies for Cybersecurity Strategy

Sanjit Ganguli headshot

Sanjit Ganguli

CTO in Residence

Zscaler

New, special demands constantly arise for decision-makers who steer the fortunes of companies. Recently, business success has become linked to IT infrastructure. Seamless and secure connectivity is the key to unlocking innovation and accelerating business outcomes. To reach this state, enterprises are transforming their networks and security to a zero trust architecture augmented by AI/ML capabilities, thereby reducing risk, eliminating cost and complexity and increasing agility.

Join this session and learn:

  • How zero trust architecture secures users, workloads, IoT/OT devices, and your business partners by addressing critical security shortcomings of legacy network architecture
  • How to reduce network complexity without exposing your organization to new risks
  • How AI/ML adds defensive and business analytics capabilities that have the power to turn IT into the engine propelling business success forward

1:10pm - 1:35pm  Break

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Breakout Session

Becoming a Board-Ready CIO

Ron Guerrier headshot

Ron Guerrier

CTO

Save the Children

As technology continues to drive business, more organizations are looking for CIOs to join their boards. How can you go from being an expert to a board-ready thought leader?

Join this session as your peers share how you can:

  • Understand the value CIOs bring to the table
  • Increase your visibility for board positions
  • Network in ways that attract board role inquiries

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Breakout Session

Building an AI-Powered and Secure Unstructured Data Strategy

Ravi Malick headshot

Ravi Malick

Global CIO

Box

Jeff Deakins headshot

Jeff Deakins

CISO

The Marmon Group

Your unstructured data holds immense value in the files that define your business. To maximize the potential of this data, it's crucial to establish a comprehensive unstructured data strategy that prioritizes both security and AI integration.

Join this session to learn about:

  • Identifying your valuable unstructured data sources and tools
  • Developing robust security measures for internal and external data use
  • Balancing AI with stringent security and compliance protocols to increase utility

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Executive Boardroom

Governance for Secure and Measured AI

Christine Livingston headshot

Christine Livingston

Managing Director

Protiviti

Sunder Pappu headshot

Sunder Pappu

Senior Vice President, Head of Technology & Strategy

Inland

Jane Possell headshot

Jane Possell

EVP, Chief Information Officer, Analytics, Operations

CNA

As businesses design, deploy and scale AI solutions to improve decision support, customer experience, knowledge management and automation, there is a growing need to make certain these technologies are used responsibly. CIOs must embed AI governance to ensure operational, legal and reputational risk are appropriately addressed and mitigated.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Addressing requirements around transparency and explainability
  • Ensuring the quality, security and privacy of data
  • Navigating the shifting landscape of AI laws and regulations

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@evanta.com

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Executive Boardroom

Driving Transformation Through IT and Business Alignment

Cynthia Stoddard headshot

Cynthia Stoddard

Senior VP & Chief Information Officer

Adobe

Sandeep Pulavarty headshot

Sandeep Pulavarty

CIO

Paper Transport

Arul Sugunakumar headshot

Arul Sugunakumar

CTO

The Pampered Chef

IT is essential for businesses to progress from pilot to powerhouse, especially when undertaking emerging technologies like generative AI. CIOs serve as the vanguard not only in implementing groundbreaking technology, but in fostering organizational readiness and collaboration to deliver next-generation customer experiences. Their teams are at the helm helping navigate the transformative journey toward a future powered by innovation and AI.

Join you peers for an engaging discussion on how:

  • Pioneering tech leaders embrace continuous innovation
  • CIOs can solidify IT’s strategic leadership position and company-wide impact
  • Organizations can empower and equip their teams in the age of AI

2:20pm - 3:00pm  Networking Break

2:20pm - 3:00pm  Workshop

Office Hours with Chris Ulrich

Chris Ulrich headshot

Chris Ulrich

Body Language Expert

What does your body language say about you? What shifts might you make to change how others perceive you? Join this special one-on-one session exclusively for Governing Body members with body-language expert Chris Ulrich for candid feedback on your in-person and online body language. Sessions are 20 minutes and pre-registration is required.

 In this unique, private session, you’ll receive:

  • One-on-one consultation with a premier expert
  • Live analysis of your unique body language cues
  • Personalized executive presence improvements

To reserve your session or join the waitlist, please contact: Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@evanta.com

2:25pm - 2:50pm  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Breakout Session

A Data & Analytics Dialogue

Patrick Chew headshot

Patrick Chew

Global Head Data Enablement

AIT Worldwide Logistics

As organizations collect more and more data, it’s crucial for leaders to empower the enterprise to use that data to ensure better business outcomes. How are you creating an effective D&A strategy that enables the entire organization for growth and innovation?

Join this interactive session to discuss:

  • Utilizing analytics to drive business decision making
  • Balancing the benefits of data control with data democratization
  • Building a foundation for successful AI implementation

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Breakout Session

Not Your Grandfather’s Enterprise Architecture

Erik Bakstad headshot

Erik Bakstad

CEO and Co-Founder

Ardoq

CIOs need a new approach to their enterprise architecture strategy — one aimed at decreasing costs, increasing value and reducing risk. With a forward-thinking approach to achieving concrete business outcomes, CIOs must reimagine their enterprise architecture as it holds the key to unlocking potential and staying ahead of the competition.

Join this insightful session to learn about:

  • Outlining clear business outcomes and value realization
  • Prioritizing incremental value over complicated frameworks and standards
  • Analyzing use case examples and real-world insights

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Executive Boardroom

Steady Modernization to Optimize Legacy Technology

Ken Gonzalez headshot

Ken Gonzalez

Head of Analyst Relations

Freshworks

Shawn Ellis headshot

Shawn Ellis

International CIO

TransUnion

Raj Sampoornam headshot

Raj Sampoornam

SVP & CIO

Byline Bank

As digital enterprises evolve to stay competitive, continuous modernization is imperative to minimize cost, risk and impact of legacy technology. Leveraging new technologies and innovation can become a challenge in legacy environments. What is the CIO’s best path forward to successfully allow legacy systems to coexist with new digital products?

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Keeping legacy systems agile to meet business needs
  • Prioritizing which legacy systems to modernize
  • Balancing a legacy environment with the business need to leverage AI

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@evanta.com

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Executive Boardroom

Perfect Timing — Investing in Emerging Technologies

Corrado Azzarita headshot

Corrado Azzarita

Global CIO

The Kraft Heinz Company

Jonny LeRoy headshot

Jonny LeRoy

CTO

Grainger

As the GenAI hype continues, CIOs know they must be strategic in their investments — prioritizing prevalent and impactful use cases that deliver real value. The next question on the list? Determining when to invest.

Join your fellow CIOs to discuss:

  • Learning from over-enthusiasm and unrealistic projections of innovation
  • Anticipating sustainable growth over quick wins
  • Evaluating business impact and choosing when to invest

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@evanta.com

3:45pm - 4:10pm  Break

4:10pm - 4:45pm  Keynote

What CIOs Can Learn from High Growth Companies

David Furlonger headshot

David Furlonger

Distinguished VP Analyst

Gartner

How are you growing your business in 2024? Gartner Analyst David Furlonger breaks down 2023 Gartner research which reveals new insights about executive leader intentions for business growth and how high-growth companies do things differently.

Grab a seat as David discusses:

  • Main growth levers
  • Leadership strategy for growth
  • The use of advanced technologies as growth catalysts

4:45pm - 5:00pm  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

May 14, 2024

May 15, 2024

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


Evanta cares about the health and safety of our community. Please review the following recommendations prior to attending the gathering.

Location


Venue & Accommodation

Convene at 233 South Wacker
MORE INFORMATION

Your Community Partners


Global Thought Leaders
CIO Thought Leader
Key Partners
HOST PARTNER

Community Program Manager


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

Katherine Williams

Senior Community Program Manager

katherine.williams@evanta.com