Chicago CIO Executive Summit

Lisa Thompson is a high-altitude mountaineer and former healthcare executive who beat cancer months before standing on the summit of Everest. Lisa later became the first all-American woman to summit K2, which is considered the deadliest mountain in the world. In her talks and book, “Finding Elevation,” Lisa shares the experience of climbing the toughest mountains in the world and the importance of teamwork, resilience and defining boundaries.

Join this keynote session as Lisa discusses:

• Embracing change and overcoming challenges
• Creating a supportive environment inside and outside the office
• Defining clear roles and goals to build a strong, communicative team

Communications technology is a vital component in the IT ecosystem that CIOs must prioritize for safeguarding. Adopting a comprehensive approach to security, compliance and privacy minimizes risks associated with business communications and helps maintain trust and integrity in your critical systems.

Join this session to discuss:

• Strengthening organizational security through robust data protection measures
• Achieving compliance by aligning with key regulatory standards
• Enhancing data privacy by protecting and managing user data responsibly

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

As digital business priorities touch every part of the enterprise, the collaboration between CFOs and CIOs is indispensable for optimizing technology investments and spurring innovation. Effective partnership is key to synchronizing financial strategies with technological progress and maximum business impact.

Join this session to discuss:

• Fortifying the CFO-CIO alliance to facilitate data-driven IT ROI decisions
• Align IT investments with financial strategies and implementing projects with measurable business outcomes
• Bridging business and technology priorities to support, optimize, and transform for enterprise-wide success

Technology is increasingly intertwined with organizational performance, making it more important than ever for CIOs to define and demonstrate IT’s activities in terms of business outcomes.

Join this boardroom session to discuss:

• Aligning IT strategy with business goals and objectives
• Positioning technology as a business value driver, not a cost center
• Measuring and communicating value to stakeholders

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.

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.

The future of business is rapidly evolving — a future where AI agents are part of the workforce, almost any process or workflow can be automated, and customers expect better, more intelligent experiences across their unstructured data. Whether that means automating loans or onboarding employees faster, applying intelligence to your unstructured data can be a pathway to stay ahead of the competition.

Join this interactive session to explore:

• Practical approaches to building an unstructured data strategy
• Robust content workflows and use cases for AI-first businesses
• Tips for optimizing while balancing your AI and security strategies

Finish the day sharing lessons learned with your peers over light fare and drinks at this closing reception hosted by your governing body members.