Calgary CIO Executive Summit

In the time of Industry 4.0, the role of the IT department has shifted from a traditional service provider to a revenue-driving partner within the business. With this comes the need to elevate IT’s role in leveraging new technologies and the business opportunities they provide.  Jennifer Strutt of Canfor will confront the need for IT to reposition itself to the business with a focus on:

• Becoming a trusted advisor within the business
• Developing and executing an innovation strategy to optimize growth
• Being creative in doing more with less to modernize IT

AI, robotics and machine learning provide a multitude of opportunities to bring customer experience to a whole new level. The technology is rapidly changing, and building true intelligence into applications will undoubtedly have a profound impact on business. Join Bruce Richardson, Chief Enterprise Strategist of Salesforce, as he discusses the future of AI and how maintaining a customer-centric strategy can provide the most value to the business. This keynote will explore:

• How to staff and prepare for a shift to AI
• Best practices and methods to implement AI
• Up and coming trends as well as real use cases for AI

What does the inside of your organization’s security framework look like? Is it designed to protect from within or is it focused primarily on threats coming from outside the organization? When it comes to protecting sensitive data, users shouldn’t have access to data you shouldn’t be able to see yet oftentimes that is the case. In this discussion, Dave Lewis will emphasize the need for organizations to move away from traditional perimeter-based security and take a Zero Trust approach to securing data. In this session you will learn:

• How to parse out data through network segmentation
• How to design a framework that limits which users have access to specific data sets
• Up and coming technologies and how their data can be used and abused

In a time when there is a skills shortage in tech, it is imperative to maintain a competitive edge when it comes to retaining digital talent. Organizations must prioritize the up and coming individuals who may eventually move into positions of leadership and ensure they have the resources needed to succeed. In this panel, IT professionals at various stages in their career will discuss:

• Opportunities they would like to see as they progress in their career
• How leadership can provide necessary resources and tools for success
• Which opportunities within their organization keep them engaged

DevOps has a simple goal: shorten the systems development life cycle while allowing for frequent upgrades, additional features and necessary fixes throughout. That agile component has become increasingly attractive as a way for organizations to accelerate its pace of innovation. This interactive peer-to-peer discussion considers:

• How can companies move from working within a sequential, step-by-step structure to working concurrently to increase cross-organizational collaboration?
• Beyond theoretical benefits, how should an organization deal with the compromises of implementing agile?
• For companies already operating in an agile DevOps structure, what steps can take it to the next level?

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 and CISOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: 

Andie Alderette at 971-271-6864 or andrea.alderette@evanta.com

The “things” in the “Internet of Things” have long been available, but new applications, different connectivity options and lower cost of entry make this an exciting time to dream about being connected. While opportunities abound through IoT, a clear roadmap must first be built to unlock its full potential. In this session Mark Speaker of Microsoft and Rick Bilberry of Schneider Electric come together to discuss how IT and OT vendors can join forces on IoT to increase revenue and productivity. This discussion will explore:

• Leading teams through IT/OT convergence
• Delivering real-time insights and operational intelligence from industrial data
• Looking ahead to the future and the possibilities of IoT

Even as security tools become increasingly advanced, the biggest vulnerability in a company continues to be its people. With attacks on the rise, executives must make employee training even more sophisticated. In this boardroom, you’ll:

• Discuss different educational approaches with your peers
• Determine how to evaluate the level of training needed
• Identify key training components and methods of measuring their efficacy

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 and CISOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: 

Andie Alderette at 971-271-6864 or andrea.alderette@evanta.com

Like the spiders sent into space by NASA that found ways to spin their webs without the aid of gravity, we have to find ways to overcome the pitfalls that life places in our path. Drawing on inspiring stories of individuals, organizations and businesses, Todd Hirsch will explore a selection of adaptive traits that can help us not only survive, but thrive, when unwanted change comes our way. Based on Todd's latest book with co-author Rob Roach, it's a timely topic given the recession in Alberta.  Join ATB's Chief Economist Todd Hirsch as he:

• Confronts the effects of a two year recession in Alberta.
• Predicts what’s next for Alberta’s economy and how it will affect Albertans.
• Discusses how to adapt to a harsher environment brought about by unwanted change.