Registration & Breakfast

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Speakers:
Tom Zehren

Systematically Improve IT: The Seven Secrets of Successful CIOs

Speakers:
Geoff Nielson, SVP Brand & Reach at Info-Tech Research Group

Rethinking App Dev Security in the Age of Gen AI

Speakers:
Josh Lemos, CISO at GitLab

Systematically Improve IT: The View From Our Members

Speakers:
Matt Mandich, SVP at Info-Tech Research Group (moderator)

Ken Piddington, CIO, US Silica
Jonathan Strong, CTO at Harvard Business School
Bob Leek, CIO at County of Clark Nevada
Dr. Curt Carver, CIO at University of Alabama in Burmingham

Networking Break

Launch Your AI Proof of Value

In this interactive workshop, we'll review how to assess the technical feasibility and business or organizational value of your AI initiatives before you make a significant investment.

Speakers:
Jeremy Roberts
Austin Wagar

Demonstrate Organizational Alignment With a Strategic Goals Cascade

In this session, our expert analysts will help you craft a "goals cascade" for use in your IT strategy document. We will quickly work through the process of gathering enough business context and details of new and existing IT initiatives to demonstrate how to achieve alignment.

Speakers:
Manish Jain
Anubhav Sharma

Build a Business-Aligned Security Roadmap

Common security frameworks focus on operational controls, not business or organizational value. Join this informative session to learn how to tailor your security program to what makes your organization unique. Participate in a practical exercise with our security analysts who will show you how to quickly produce a high-quality security strategy.

Speakers:
Petar Hristov
Cameron Smith

Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in Financial Services & Insurance

The trajectory of technology is accelerating. IT leaders need to adopt an Exponential IT mindset to champion innovation, guide their organizations through technology-driven transformations, and improve operational efficiencies. Join this panel and roundtable discussion to learn from Info-Tech and your peers how Exponential IT will play a pivotal role in transformation and how you can lead change within your IT organization.

Speakers:
Christine West
Yasemin Sezer
Elizabeth Smith
Christine Brick
Brian Mulcahey, CIO at Sunflower Bank
Ann Mengelson, VP of Technology at Kuvare US Holding
David Costa, CTO at Kubota Credit

Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in Government

The trajectory of technology is accelerating. IT leaders need to adopt an Exponential IT mindset to champion innovation, guide their organizations through technology-driven transformations, and improve operational efficiencies. Join this panel and roundtable discussion to learn from Info-Tech and your peers how Exponential IT will play a pivotal role in transformation and how you can lead change within your IT organization.

Speakers:
Patrick Spencer
Alia Mendonsa
Gordon MacMaster

Scott West, CIO at Washington State Department of Ecology
Chris Pailma, CDO at Los Angeles County
Nick Stowe, Chief Enterprise Architect at Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech)
Tony Daye, Chief Digital Officer at Government of New Brunswick

PiLog Group Session: Conversational AI-Driven Data Quality and Governance

PiLog's Lean Data Governance, a cutting-edge solution, integrates quality and governance rules directly into the Conversational AI (AI Lens). This all-in-one SaaS platform streamlines data ingestion, assessment, governance, and analytics, leveraging industry best practices and standards and harnessing the power of data science.

Speakers:
Dr Imad Syed, CO-CEO at PiLog Group

Build an Autonomous Security Delivery Roadmap

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the game for information security leaders. AI offers the promise of autonomous cybersecurity capabilities that make real-time decisions about risk mitigation and defense, aligned to the organization’s risk tolerances. Join this session to learn how to build a progressive, increasingly autonomous information security program.

Speakers:
Fred Chagnon
Kate Wood

Reimagining Case Management in Government – Part 1

Cases are at the center of all government work. Modernizing case management and delivering it as a service will help to reimagine how end-user services are ultimately being delivered.

Speakers:
Scott Porter

Building Strategic Relationships: The CIO's Most Critical Role

Business or organizational satisfaction is IT’s most important measure of success. Aligning the organization’s expectations of IT and delivering on that mandate is key to satisfaction.​ This insightful keynote explores the pivotal role of the CIO in aligning IT objectives with organizational expectations, ensuring that technology serves as a cornerstone of business/organizational strategy. Discover the art of building, nurturing, and sustaining critical relationships across the C-suite, transcending the traditional boundaries between technical and non-technical domains.

Speakers:
Brittany Lutes

Getting to Operational Automation at Scale With Benjamin Linares From Starbucks

Don't miss this panel discussion featuring Ben Linares from Starbucks and Info-Tech's Sandi Conrad. They'll discuss the key steps to creating a large-scale FinOps operation.

Speakers:
Sandi Conrad
Ben Linares - Product Manager, Starbucks

Bridging the Divide: Business Relationship Management for IT Leaders

Tired of business-IT silos? Explore how IT leaders leverage business relationship management (BRM) to foster stronger connections with the business as they deliver impactful technology solutions.
Our panel will delve into the challenges and successes experienced by IT organizations on their BRM journeys.
Attendees will gain actionable insights and strategies to demonstrate that IT and the business are not separate groups and discuss how they can perform as one.

Speakers:
Allison Straker
Hillory Courtney

Doug Miller, Executive Director, IT Security, Governance, Risk & Compliance at Baylor College of Medicine

So, You Want to Be a CISO?

Aspiring to be a CISO? Join us for a panel discussion on what it takes to reach this pivotal role. We'll look at a step-by-step approach to getting yourself promoted to that prestigious CISO position.

Speakers:
Erik Avakian
Hendra Hendrawan

Ernest Solomon, CIO and CISO at Soroc Technology
Martin Szydlowski, Manager, IT Security & Governance at FortisAlberta Inc
Jeff Aguilar, CISO at Los Angeles County
Steve Hodges, CISO at State of Georgia

Exponential IT: Build an Exponential IT Product Practice That Drives Enterprise Results

In this keynote session, we'll explore how your product practice can help meet the needs of an exponential future. Learn about the practices ranging from product ownership through solution delivery that are required to drive your product and applications teams to success in an Exponential IT future.

Speakers:
Ari Glaizel

AI Marketplace Insights: Explore the Value of Off-the-Shelf AI

Get expert insights in this mainstage keynote. Learn how off-the-shelf AI solutions can be used to scale the business, mitigate risk, wow your clients, and more!

Speakers:
Rob Garmaise

The Six Million Dollar (Plus) Project: How to Build a Better, Faster, Stronger Approach to Working With Technology Giants!

Are you struggling to get the most out of your contracts with big tech and services vendors? Join Managing Partner Cole Cioran to explore the ins and outs of building a successful partnership with technology and consulting giants like Microsoft, Oracle, Google, AWS, Deloitte, Accenture, KPMG, and more!

Speakers:
Cole Cioran

Build a Data-Driven Workforce Plan

Every organization embarks on some degree of workforce planning – but few are successful. A workforce plan is successful when three criteria are met:

1. Value Demonstrated: You have no difficulty getting required roles/skills approved for hire.
2. Future Focused: Your plan is based on the capabilities and skills you'll need in the future.
3. Ready Workforce: Your next generation of candidates are actively identified and trained, and you have a strong pipeline for all key positions.

In this talk, we'll walk through the key data and practices you need to achieve these three criteria.

Speakers:
Carlene McCubbin

The Impact of AI on the Enterprise Architecture Role

Focus your EA skill set to maximize the positive impacts of AI on your role.

Speakers:
Ben Abrishami-Shirazi

Embrace Automation Capabilities to Revolutionize IT Operations

AI features and initiatives can be overwhelming, and if not prioritized, they may become counterproductive.

Speakers:
Mahmoud Ramin

Understanding How DevOps, DataOps, MLOps, and/or AIOps Ignite Your Exponential Business Growth

Rapid decision-making based upon data: DevOps, DataOps, MLOps, and AIOps make it possible to obtain information that is both highly accurate and in real time.

Speakers:
Kevin Tucker

Should You Trust a Gen AI Chatbot With Your Customers?

Human-in-the-loop is imperative for using Gen AI customer-facing chatbots.

Speakers:
Thomas Randall

Local IT: “Cylinders of Excellence” or “Splendid Silos of Isolation”?

IT is a team sport and adversarial relationships between central and local IT are unproductive. I will look at opportunities for focusing on the positive.

Speakers:
Mark Roman

Spinnaker Session: Fund Your Modernization and AI Initiatives With Third-Party Software Support

Digital transformation and AI projects demand significant investment, often stretching company budgets thin. Uncovering cost-effective strategies can free up resources for innovation. Join our session to learn how third-party software support for Oracle, SAP, and VMware can transform your IT operations and position you as the IT hero of your organization. Lead your IT team with confidence, leveraging faster, more responsive support with proactive security measures that meet compliance requirements, and secure your organization’s success with Spinnaker Support.

Speakers:
Sree Sakamuri, Director of Solution Consulting at Spinnaker Support

Is Your Product Practice Ready for Exponential IT?

Learn about the product management and delivery practices required to drive an Exponential IT future in this informative session. Join us to understand if your organization has what it takes to be ready, and find out where and how you should get started.

Speakers:
Andrew Kum-Seun
Ari Glaizel

Manage and Improve Core IT Capabilities

The foundation of any well-run IT shop is its core processes. Move past basic services to advanced processes that create real organizational value. In this breakout, we'll dive into the new Info-Tech framework for improving core IT processes.

Speakers:
Cole Cioran
Carlene McCubbin

Reimagining Case Management in Government – Part 2

Cases are at the center of all government work. Modernizing case management and delivering it as a service will help to reimagine how end-user services are ultimately being delivered.

Speakers:
Scott Porter
Frank Sweeney, CIO at Arizona Department of Child Safety
Mike Toland, CISO at State of Oklahoma

Exponential IT: Elevate IT Financial Management

Pave the way for exponential technologies with a modern IT financial management (ITFM) approach. In this session, we'll explore how organizations can reinvent their ITFM practice to achieve the agility and flexibility needed to invest in new technologies and opportunities as they arise.

Speakers:
Ashwin Kalkar

Fauxtomation and Microwork: The Digital Sweatshops That Power AI

Behind the gleaming surface of AI automation frequently stand millions of workers, often in the Global South, who are manually processing data in "digital sweatshops." In this informational talk, we lift the hood on how large platforms (such as AWS) are actually training their algorithms that power AI functionality – namely, via online crowdworking shops. Importantly, it is this often hidden form of poorly paid and tedious labor that is fueling the AI moment. This talk concludes with some thoughts on how organizations can be more aware of their social responsibilities regarding their use of AI and how to effectively engage with large platform providers on this topic.

Speakers:
Thomas Randall

Give Your Enterprise Content the Retail Experience: Use Retail Marketing Concepts to Design Intuitive ECM

Everyone knows where to find the milk and eggs, don’t they? Join Claudia Mamros, "space planner" extraordinaire, process improvement pundit, and taxonomy specialist, as she provides real-world examples of how retail marketing principles offer practical tactics for the visualization and design of taxonomy constructs. Claudia shares her life lessons in using retail concepts to create intuitive ECM solutions.

Speakers:
Claudia Mamros

Success by Design: Effective Project Assurance

Guarantee the success of your IT projects. Critical projects often face elevated risks due to complexity, funding, and stakeholder involvement. Join this session to learn how to take a proactive and effective approach to assuring the success of your projects.

Speakers:
Travis Duncan

Emphasize Response in Incident Response

The importance of running tabletop exercises in addition to having an incident response plan.

Speakers:
Hendra Hendrawan

The Implementation Partner Is More Important Than the Software

Speakers:
Robert Fayle

The State of Quantum Resistant Cryptography

There are risks associated with moving to quantum-resistant cryptography as well as risks with staying with conventional algorithms. The big insight is choosing when to make the move.

Speakers:
Jon Nelson

Volume of Information: Streamline the Information Lifecycle

Recognize the value of data and information, but streamline its lifecycle. Address the overwhelming volume with effective retention, architecture, and other strategies.

Speakers:
Ibrahim Abdel-Kader

Using Chaos Theory to Appreciate Generative AI

Understand the basic ideas behind chaos theory and how it might influence your use of generative AI.

Speakers:
Justin St-Maurice

Ardoq Session: Data-Driven Architecture: Transforming Fast Food Operations with Clear Insights and Bold Decisions

Join us for an enlightening fireside chat with Fred Hennige, Director of Enterprise Architecture at Jack in the Box, as he shares how data-driven enterprise architecture is revolutionizing decision-making and operations across two major fast-food brands. Learn how visualizing complex business capabilities and technology landscapes has enabled Jack in the Box to navigate exponential change, from digital transformation initiatives to their merger with Del Taco. Fred will discuss how leveraging Ardoq's platform has empowered his team to:
• Gain clear insights into duplicative systems and processes across merged brands
• Make bold, informed decisions on technology investments and organizational structure
• Align IT initiatives with business outcomes, improving stakeholder communication
• Rapidly model and compare scenarios to assess the impact of regulatory changes
• Transform from a tactical to a strategic approach in fast food operations
Discover how enterprise architecture is evolving from an IT-centric practice to a crucial business tool, driving data-informed decision-making across multiple domains including strategy, financial management, and service planning. This session will provide valuable insights for leaders looking to harness the power of enterprise architecture to navigate change and drive tangible business outcomes in today's fast-paced technological landscape.

Speakers:
Fred Hennige, Director of Enterprise Architecture at Jack in the Box

Licensing Data Solutions Session: Staying Ahead – Proactive Strategies for Addressing Recent Changes in Software Licensing and Compliance for VMware/Broadcom, Java, and SAP

In the rapidly evolving landscape of software licensing and compliance, staying informed and prepared is not just essential but compulsory. Join us for an insightful session led by industry expert and former software licensing auditor Mark Thaver, who has been at the forefront of hundreds of VMware/Broadcom, Java, and SAP audits. He will unravel the latest changes in licensing policies and compliance requirements for these critical platforms.

Speakers:
Mark Thaver, CEO at Licensing Data Solutions

Exponential IT: Elevate IT Financial Management

Pave the way for exponential technologies with a modern IT financial management (ITFM) approach. In this breakout session, we'll take a closer look at how organizations can reinvent their ITFM practice to achieve the agility and flexibility needed to invest in new technologies and opportunities as they arise.

Speakers:
Ashwin Kalkar

The CIO/IT Leader of the Future: Thriving in an Age of Exponential Change

The role of the CIO has transcended simply managing technology. This panel discussion features successful CIOs who are redefining IT leadership in this era of exponential change. They'll delve into the expanded skill set required of future CIOs, including fostering innovation, driving digital transformation across the organization, and collaborating with business/organizational leaders to shape strategic initiatives. Join us for an insightful exploration of how IT leaders can navigate the ever-evolving tech landscape and lead the way toward a future-proof organization.

Speakers:
Angela Diop
Deb Anderson, CIO at Endeavor Health
Hector Molina, CIO at Fayetteville State University
Isaac Abbs, CIO at Pima Community College
Torri Martin, CIO at Atlanta Housing

Train and Develop Your IT Leaders and Team

In the age of new technologies like generative AI, training and development is crucial as IT leaders must navigate the evolving landscape of exponential change. Join us in this breakout session as we explore strategies and resources to equip IT leaders and their teams with the skills needed to communicate effectively, drive cultural change, and foster innovation.

Speakers:
Cole Cioran
Carlene McCubbin

Address Security Implications of Enterprise Gen AI Deployments

As organizations adopt generative AI use cases, they are confronted with important security and privacy risks. By determining which risks apply to you and implementing effective processes to govern and manage them, you can limit the most pressing issues and plan to address larger, systemic issues with your information security program. Join this informative session to learn more!

Speakers:
Jon Nelson
Jai Hebel
Carlos Rivera

Why Master Data Is Critical to the Successful Application of AI

Understand the crucial role of master data in AI success. In this session, we'll examine how master data serves as the foundation for effective AI solutions and explore best practices in master data management for an exponential technology landscape.

Speakers:
Igor Ikonnikov
Kevin Tucker

Exponential IT: Transform IT Vendor Management for the Future

As your organization engages with more tech vendors, IT vendor management needs to enable faster, data-driven decisions. While autonomous vendor management doesn't remove human involvement, it enhances organizational autonomy with new tech. Join us as we explore the critical role of vendor management in driving organizational success and innovation, and learn strategies for leveraging emerging technologies to enhance your VMI.

Speakers:
Trisha Kent
Frank Sewell

Implementing an AI Risk Management Framework

The growth of AI is creating significant opportunity while generating an equally significant number of new, novel risks. The scope and impact of these risks is driving an increased need for risk practices that can address the unique, unknowable, and integrated risks that AI may generate. This session will help organizations understand the key elements of an AI risk management framework and what is required to effectively adopt/implement it.

Speakers:
Valence Howden

Go Beyond Digital Strategy to Build a Truly Digital Organization

In a world where today's customer delight is tomorrow's expectation, organizations still struggle to orchestrate their technology adoption cohesively and achieve strategic business or organizational objectives. Organizations need to leverage their digital strategy as the compass guiding their organization to navigate this new terrain.
Join us in this keynote to learn how to stay on track while traversing the digital journey from digitization, digitalization, and digital modernization to digital transformation. Let’s get inspired by real-world exemplars and actionable insights, challenge your perceptions of the digital journey toward organizational transformation, and discover the art of turning digital strategy into tangible results by building a dynamic, future-ready organization.

Speakers:
Youssef Kamar

Project Benefits Realization: Ensure Optimal Value

Join this informative discussion on how to ensure optimal value through effective project benefits realization. We'll cover key strategies and best practices to enhance your project's impact.

Speakers:
Elvis Celic

How to Show the Value of the Security Program

Learn how to show the value of the security program, combining cybersecurity metrics into meaningful key performance indicators that resonate with the board and tell a story about current and leading risk that supports and aligns with the business/organization.

Speakers:
Erik Avakian

Security Strategy: The Art of Saying No!

Speakers:
Hendra Hendrawan

EU AI Act: What It Is and Why It Matters

Speakers:
Safayat Moahamad

Hope Is Not a Strategy: Why the Organization Needs IT Leaders to Have a Formal IT Strategy

Many IT leaders fly by the seat of their pants, take orders from the business, or keep their strategy in their heads. None of this positions them as strategic partners and visionary IT leaders, nor does it help their teams understand what they should be focused on. I will talk about the why and point you to the how.

Speakers:
Sarah Pletcher

Combating Social Engineering Attacks

Cyberattackers don't need to use new tricks because the old tricks are still working. Social engineering is one of those tried-and-true attack vectors that seems to be at the core of many high-profile security breaches.
Don't assume you couldn't fall victim to a social engineering attack. Take these steps to ensure your frontline workers will be resilient against social engineering.

Speakers:
Cameron Smith

Lunch

Healthcare Lunch

Government Lunch

Beyond Resilience: A New Path to a Strong Culture

As the world emerges from the pandemic, organizations everywhere are reexamining their operations and rethinking their priorities. What do they stand for? How should they navigate what comes next? And how might they build cultures where people can do their best work and be their best selves?
In this provocative and practical presentation, #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink offers a fresh set of strategies. Pink will draw on an unprecedented two-year study of our most misunderstood emotion: regret. He will show that ignoring or rejecting regrets is a colossal mistake. Instead, confronting regrets systematically can deliver an array of organizational benefits. It can sharpen leaders’ decisions, speed learning and development, and boost individual and team performance.
In particular, he will show how the four core regrets shared by people around world contain the seeds of a reimagined and more powerful corporate culture. By understanding what people regret the most, we can learn what they value the most – and that can help organizations of every kind attract top talent, deepen employee engagement, and strengthen loyalty and commitment.
With Pink’s trademark blend of big ideas and smart takeaways, compelling stories and sharp humor, this presentation provides an urgent and inspiring map for flourishing in unpredictable times.
You will learn:
How to anticipate – and avoid – the most significant organizational regrets,
How to transform existing regrets into a positive force and a coherent culture,
Why regrets of inaction outnumber regrets of action – and how to enlist that insight to spark innovation,
Why doing the right thing is more important to employees than most C-Suite executives understand – and why, in this fraught moment, being a good organization can pave the way to becoming a great organization.

Speakers:
Daniel Pink, Chief Insight Officer and Bestselling Author

Shaping Global AI Policy One Walkout at a Time

Speakers:
Bill Wong, Research Fellow at Info-Tech Research Group (moderator)
Rob Meikle, IT Evangelist at Info-Tech Research Group


Meredith Whittaker, President at Signal Foundation

Networking Break

Build a Scalable AI Deployment Plan

Join this hands-on interactive session where we'll walk you through what is needed to build an AI implementation plan that is aligned with your current AI strategy.

Speakers:
Andrew Kum-Seun
Ryan Brunet

From Doing to Leading: Transitioning to Strategic Delegation

As you advance in your organization, using your time strategically becomes essential. This hands-on session will help you shift your mindset to focus on the work critical at your leadership level and transition from hands-on tasks to empowering and coaching others. Effective delegation involves preparing and supporting your team. Get practical tools and learn how to create a template for strategic delegation.

Speakers:
Amanda Mathieson

Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in Education

The trajectory of technology is accelerating. IT leaders need to adopt an Exponential IT mindset to champion innovation, guide their organizations through technology-driven transformations, and improve operational efficiencies. Join this panel and roundtable discussion to learn from Info-Tech and your peers how Exponential IT will play a pivotal role in transformation and how you can lead change within your IT organization.

Speakers:
Mark Maby
Mark Roman
Ron Solomon, CIO at Baton Rouge Community College
Jonathan Fozard, CIO at Florida State University
Russell Kaufman, CIO at Palm Beach State College
Elizabeth Freas, Assistant Superintendent at Erie 1 BOCES
Dr. Curt Carver, CIO at University of Alabama in Burmingham

Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in Professional Services & Technology

The trajectory of technology is accelerating. IT leaders need to adopt an Exponential IT mindset to champion innovation, guide their organizations through technology-driven transformations, and improve operational efficiencies. Join this panel and roundtable discussion to learn from Info-Tech and your peers how Exponential IT will play a pivotal role in transformation and how you can lead change within your IT organization.

Speakers:
Justin St-Maurice
Neil de Ridder

Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in Healthcare Insurance

The trajectory of technology is accelerating. IT leaders need to adopt an Exponential IT mindset to champion innovation, guide their organizations through technology-driven transformations, and improve operational efficiencies. Join this panel and roundtable discussion to learn from Info-Tech and your peers how Exponential IT will play a pivotal role in transformation and how you can lead change within your IT organization.

Speakers:
Clayton Gillett
Sharon Auma-Ebanyat

Gary Boyd, Vice President Enterprise Business Solutions and Digital Transformation at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Robert Redding, CTO at Hawaii Medical Service Association
Ted Bredikin, CIO at UnitedHealth Group
Justin Lahullier, CIO at Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut

Arcserve Session

Leverage AIOps to Improve IT Operations

Organizations are enthusiastic about embracing AI and automation to improve their IT operations, but achieving success proves to be challenging. Join this session to learn about common use cases for AI in IT operations and techniques to assess value and feasibility for your organization.

Speakers:
Andrew Sharp
Mahmoud Ramin

Developing a Strategy to Execute: A Case Study of Implementing OKRs at Mark Anthony

Interview with Mark Anthony Group (MAG): a case study of their journey developing a transformation strategy leveraging Info-Tech’s research, surveys, and benchmarks. The process resulted in the definition and implementation of objectives and key results (OKRs) – a key milestone enabling MAG to move higher on the IT maturity ladder.

Speakers:
Micah Harkin
Rob Croston, Chief of Staff, Mark Anthony Group

Manage Mission-Critical Projects

Discover key strategies for managing mission-critical projects successfully. In this session, we'll explore how you can ensure your high-stakes projects are delivered on time, within budget, and most importantly, yield the expected outcomes and value.

Speakers:
Travis Duncan
Jack Hakimian

Exponential IT: Steering Through the Tech Surge With Governance in IT Vendor Management

Join this interactive session where we will dive into the evolving landscape of vendor management amid the influx of emerging technologies. We'll discuss the growing roster of IT vendors, their impact on the organization, and the crucial role of governance. Leave the conversation with clear strategies for assessing VMI practices in this dynamic field.

Speakers:
Trisha Kent
Frank Sewell

Responsible Deployment of Copilot: Here Be Dragons

Microsoft has released several Copilots as part of its AI strategy. The promise is that these tools can be helpful in summarizing, generating, and predicting certain outcomes.
When it comes to deploying Copilot responsibly, there is a whole range of questions that emerges. For example, how do I operationalize Copilot against my responsible AI principles? Additionally, what risk does the technology introduce? To be clear, the intent is not to eliminate Copilot, but rather to be judicious in its use and implementation.
Join our discussion on what has and has not worked as organizations have deployed Copilot. Participation in this discussion will require you to share your experience without disclosing proprietary information. The goal is to learn from each other. What you will learn:
Frustrations and delights with Copilot business value delivery; How to operationalize Copilot against responsible AI principles; and governance, risk assessment, and compliance for Copilot.

Speakers:
Altaz Valani

Activating Networks for Personal Growth

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on how to create powerful professional networks. In today’s interconnected world, a robust network is essential for personal and professional growth. We will discuss strategies for building and maintaining meaningful connections, what you need from a network, overcoming networking challenges, and how to leverage opportunities from a well-developed network.

Speakers:
Angelina Atkins
Christine Shook, Director of Enterprise Architecture at Consumers Energy
Ellen Wiegand, CIO at VCU Health
Kevin Gray, CTO at Southern California Regional Rail Authority

Exponential IT: Build a FinOps Strategy to Enable Dynamic Cloud Cost Management

In an increasingly cloud-centric world, cost management can be a competitive differentiator. FinOps allows savvy CIOs to align strategic cloud cost management with business or organizational objectives. In this session, you will learn how to kick-start your FinOps with best practices that lead to significantly improved operational efficiency and higher contribution to strategic outcomes.

Speakers:
Nabeel Sherif

2025 AI Trends: What to Expect Next Year

Discover the trends we're seeing in AI for next year in a keynote session you won't want to miss. Using data and information collected from a variety of sources, our deep subject matter experts will synthesize and analyze the trends.

Speakers:
Bill Wong

The Critical Importance of the Product Owner Role in Successful Agile

Don't miss this informative technology keynote as we explore why selecting the right product owner can mean the difference between the success or failure of your Agile project. Understand the key traits and characteristics to look for in your product owners.

Speakers:
Alex Ciraco

AI Mind Reading Is Not Coming: It Is Already Here

Brain-machine interfaces and neuroprosthetics have been here for over a decade, but just this year AI Mind Reading became a technology trend, mostly due to Neuralink's announcement that their first human trials have been successful. If you would like to understand how we got here and where we are going in this space, join Dr. Caroline Dias Alencar, and get up to speed in five minutes.

Speakers:
Matt Edwards

Stop Pretending AI Won't Take People's Jobs!

As managers, we like to reassure our staff. AI companies promise that AI will augment human capabilities and enhance the work we do. But the reality is that, if it works correctly – as we expect it to – AI will upend the labor market even more than it already has. In other words, it is coming for your job. The important question, then, is what can you do about it? How can you thrive – and coach your people to thrive – in a world where all of your assumptions about skills development and career growth have been tossed out the window?

Speakers:
Jeremy Roberts

AI Use Cases Across Customer Experience

This talk explores the myriad use cases that Info-Tech analysts are observing for AI functionality, specific to the customer experience context. From content personalization to customer service, this talk outlines which use cases are providing organizations with exponential value.

Speakers:
Austin Wagar

Cyber Insurance: Making Risk-Aware Decisions About Contractual Language and Operational Expectations

Speakers:
Fritz Jean-Louis

Create VIP Services for Everyone!

Create a VIP service that relies on good process rather than heroic efforts, and use those lessons learned to improve support for everyone.

Speakers:
Sandi Conrad

Rimini Street Session: Know Your Options – Technical Debt and Effects on IT Investment Decisions

Technology is coming at the organization at a record pace, and there are looming fears of getting left behind or, even worse, picking the wrong technology path for the future. IT leaders must understand technology choices and ensure positive impact on the business. They must also recognize that the wrong IT decisions can create technical debt and hinder future strategic moves. In this session, you will hear about real options for frameworks to evaluate IT investments to ensure alignment with business objectives.

Speakers:
Scott Hays, Sr. Director, Product Marketing at Rimini Street

Maximizing the Frontline Experience With Public Safety Technology – Part 1

Join us as we explore the landscape of technology for Public Safety. Our panelists will discuss use cases for maximizing the front-line user experiences and keeping our public safety staff safe.

Speakers:
Cole Cioran
Scott Porter

Build FinOps Reporting That Reflects Your Priorities

In an increasingly cloud-centric world, cost management can be a competitive differentiator. FinOps allows savvy CIOs to align strategic cloud cost management and organizational objectives. In this session, you will learn how to kick-start your
strategy for metrics selection to improve visibility into cloud costs and prepare for benchmarking.

Speakers:
Nabeel Sherif
Sandi Conrad
Mahmoud Ramin

Right-Size Risk Spending & Tolerance

Risk is unavoidable. Join us to explore strategies for optimizing your risk management investments and aligning them with your organization's risk tolerance. We'll explore how to tailor your risk management approach to your unique organizational needs.

Speakers:
Valence Howden

Promote Data Literacy in Your Organization

In today's world of new and emerging technologies like Gen AI, data is everything. Join this insightful session to learn how you can leverage data literacy to bridge the data knowledge gap and foster a data-driven culture.

Speakers:
Ibrahim Abdel-Kader
Andrea Malick

Building Smart(er) Communities With GIS – Part 1

GIS is the overlooked strategic platform for building smarter communities. We will discuss GIS’s potential and hear use cases from organizations that are innovating with GIS.

Speakers:
Jerry Driessen
Jing Wu

Data Strategy: Beyond Insights to Impact

Discover how to turn valuable data insights into tangible organizational impact in this session on data strategies. Join us to unlock the full potential of your data and propel your organization forward in a landscape of exponential technologies.

Speakers:
Crystal Singh
Igor Ikonnikov
Kevin Tucker

Key Insights to Drive Successful Deals With Mega-Vendors: Vendor Contract & Cost Optimization – Part 2

Gain critical insights for negotiating and optimizing contracts with large vendors in this second of a three-part expert panel discussion. We'll cover the strategies, techniques, and best practices you need to get the best deals and outcomes in your largest vendor partnerships.

Speakers:
Josh Mori
Travis Hillpot
Jeff Elliott
Scott Bickley

Exponential IT: Transform PPM to Optimize Value From Every Investment

The PPM landscape is on the verge of a major transformation due to emerging technologies. As leaders adapt to market volatility and rapid tech advancements, automating PPM is essential. This keynote will highlight the disruptive trends in PPM and provide a strategic roadmap for leaders. Learn how to adopt new technologies effectively, avoiding vendor hype and overcommitment. Equip yourself to transform PPM practices and keep your organization agile and competitive.

Speakers:
Matt Burton

AI in CX: Exploring AI Use Cases Across Customer Experience

This panel explores the myriad use cases that Info-Tech analysts are observing for AI functionality in customer experience contexts. Join us to hear which use cases are providing organizations with exponential value and which software providers can help enable those use cases.

Speakers:
Thomas Randall
Austin Wagar

Backlog Change Management Using a Tiered Approach

Effective backlog management is fundamental to Agile’s ability to accommodate continuous changes in scope. In this session, we’ll examine how to use a tiered backlog approach to efficiently manage change and ensure you are always working on the most important things first.

Speakers:
Alex Ciraco

Innovation Is Not Enough: Adopt a Culture of Intrapreneurship

Foster an intrapreneurial culture in your organization.

Speakers:
Manish Jain

Where Are They Now? Blockchain Edition!

We heard so much about blockchain tech the past few years, but it's mostly fallen off the radar. In this talk, we'll uncover the truth behind blockchain's precipitous rise and fall as an enterprise technology and the lessons you can apply to other similarly frothy technologies.

Speakers:
Jeremy Roberts

Are We There Yet? The Importance of a Clear Guiding Star for Your Team

As we continue to evolve toward Exponential IT, leaders in IT need to create a driving message or mission to align their team and their stakeholders in the journey to move to the next level.

Speakers:
Youssef Kamar

Geopolitics and Privacy: The TikTok Tussle

The TikTok ban situation in the US is a microcosm of the larger tensions between privacy, national security, and global commerce in the digital age. While it’s easy to focus on the geopolitical aspects, at its core, this is a privacy issue that affects all internet users, regardless of nationality. The real challenge is not about one company or one country, but about how we navigate the complex and often contradictory demands of privacy, security, and innovation in a globally connected world. We should support the development and implementation of comprehensive federal privacy legislation. This could provide a clear framework for data practices and reduce the influence of geopolitical tensions on individual companies.

Speakers:
Safayat Moahamad

Don’t Look Past What Drives Your Organization’s Success – Integrate Customer/Constituent Opinion Into Your AI

Using only behavioral/internal sources of data can ignore what your customers/constituents truly want. Connect all your data sources for more powerful insights.

Speakers:
Rob Redford

Verkada Session

Join our exhibitors as they demonstrate how their products provide value to IT organizations.

Speakers:
Not Assigned

Maximizing the Frontline Experience With Public Safety Technology – Part 2

Join us as we explore the landscape of technology for Public Safety. Our panelists will discuss use cases for maximizing the front-line user experiences and keeping our public safety staff safe.

Speakers:
Cole Cioran
Scott Porter

Vijay Panati, CIO at Los Angeles County Probation
Tony Ventura, CIO at Peel Regional Police

Select the Ideal Infrastructure for Your AI Workload

Since the release of ChatGPT, we can say one thing for sure: generative AI can be expensive. Production-scale AI training and inference often require significant investments in non-standard infrastructure (e.g. AI accelerators and high-throughput networking). Attend this session to learn about Info-Tech's approach to selecting the right AI infrastructure for your use cases.

Speakers:
Andrew Sharp
Mahmoud Ramin

Exponential IT: Reimagining Project & Portfolio Management

The project portfolio management (PPM) space is on the verge of being disrupted by emerging technologies. Indeed, as organizational leaders look to reinvent their current operating models to ensure viability in the face of market volatility and technological innovation, projects and PPM are top areas of focus for automation improvements. This session takes a practical look at the game plan PPM leaders need to transform practices in a way that meets leadership’s expectations for adopting these technologies, without simply buying into vendor-driven hype and biting off more than you can chew in the near term.

Speakers:
Matt Burton
Travis Duncan

Keeping Ahead of Change in the M365/Azure Ecosystem

In this informative breakout session, we'll examine strategies for navigating the ever-changing M365/Azure ecosystem.

Speakers:
Nabeel Sherif

The Secret to Successfully Measuring Technology & Vendor Effectiveness​

Organizations are spending more resources (time and money) on technology vendors than ever before but most lack a strategic and organized approach to technology selection and management. This results in bloated technology spend and a wasteful and disorganized portfolio of applications. In fact, our research indicates that less than one-third of the applications in portfolios are considered both important and effective.
In this presentation, we will tackle solutions to this problem by exploring two key elements: how do organizations ensure they have the right technology and technology partners in their portfolios, and how do they measure if they were effective in selecting those partners?

Speakers:
Ben Dickie

Oracle Java License Metric Change to Cost Companies Millions

Join us to understand the changes in Oracle Java licensing and their potential financial implications for organizations. This session will help you navigate these changes and protect your organization's bottom line.

Speakers:
Scott Bickley

Building Smart(er) Communities With GIS – Part 2

GIS is the overlooked strategic platform for building smarter communities. We will discuss GIS’s potential and hear use cases from organizations that are innovating with GIS.

Speakers:
Jerry Driessen
Jing Wu
Cindy Post, CIO at City of Leduc

Leading in Uncertainty: Navigating the Glass Cliff

This client panel is geared to everyone and goes beyond the glass ceiling and explores the "glass cliff." We'll explore unique challenges faced by our panel of Black leaders in IT, particularly when promoted during times of crisis and uncertainty. Hear their stories of navigating the "glass cliff" phenomenon and discover strategies to thrive in high-pressure situations.

Speakers:
Allison Straker
Sandra Perry, CIO at Shelby County Government
Fara Francis, CIO at Center for Creative Leadership
Maurice Ferrell, CIO at University of North Carolina System
Kimberly Jones, CIO at Morehouse College

AI Strategy x AI Governance: What Comes First?

In many organizations, elements of governance and strategy are often used interchangeably when describing a company’s direction. Yet they are very different. This panel will discuss governance and strategy related to AI, which comes first – and why it matters.

Speakers:
Valence Howden
Tony Denford
Bill Wong
Greg Sanker

Exponential IT: Enhance Infrastructure and Operations With an Advanced FinOps Strategy

In an increasingly cloud-centric world, cost management can be a competitive differentiator. FinOps allows savvy CIOs to align strategic cloud cost management and business objectives. In this session, you will learn how to kick-start your FinOps with best practices that lead to significantly improved operational efficiency and higher contribution to strategic outcomes.

Speakers:
Sandi Conrad

Vendict: Modern Solutions for Modern Problems – Gen AI in TPRM

Technology is coming at the organization at a record pace, and there are looming fears of getting left behind or, even worse, picking the wrong technology path for the future. IT leaders must understand technology choices and ensure positive impact on the business. They must also recognize that the wrong IT decisions can create technical debt and hinder future strategic moves. In this session, you will hear about real options for frameworks to evaluate IT investments to ensure alignment with business objectives.

Speakers:
Sean O'Leary, VP of Sales at Vendict

Codeium: Lightning Round

Speakers:
Not Assigned

Exafunction: Lightning Round

Speakers:
Not Assigned

Allganize: Lightning Round

Speakers:
Not Assigned

Leadership Summit: The Ultimate Onboarding Experience

Don't miss this keynote session to learn about Info-Tech's Leadership Summit. The goal of the Leadership Summit is to provide the ultimate onboarding experience tailored to accelerate member value. This includes building an enterprise CKIP, 8 secrets to CIO leadership, systematically improving IT in 12 steps, and networking opportunities with peers and Info-Tech leaders.

Speakers:
Becca Mackey

Ignorance Is NOT Bliss in an Exponential World

You have to make time to stay on top of the exponential advancement of technology – book it in the calendar.

Speakers:
Mark Tauschek

Accelerating Enterprise Digital Services in the Public Sector ... and Why It Matters in the Age of Exponential IT

The road to meeting the public's expectations of services will get ever steeper with Exponential IT. What can IT leaders in the public sector do to address this?

Speakers:
Matt Bourne

Imagine, Create, Innovate: Unleashing Digital Possibilities With LLM/GPT Prompt Engineering

Generative AI and the democratization of digital product creation

Speakers:
Brian Clark

Exponential Phishing With Generative AI

Speakers:
Jon Nelson

Literacy – You're in IT and None of the Business Managers Understand What You're Saying

Commit to changing the culture and language so all parts of the organization can work more effectively together.

Speakers:
Andrea Malick

M&G 2.0: Modernizing Info-Tech’s Core IT Process Framework

Speakers:
Jack Hakimian, SVP Research Development at Info-Tech Research Group

General Reception

Manufacturing Reception

Registration & Breakfast

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Speakers:
Tom Zehren

Cultivating the Next Generation of IT Leaders

You can’t do everything yourself. Having a team you can depend on is critical to your success. In the face of rapidly evolving technology landscapes, the demand for skilled IT leaders who can bridge new technologies with business outcomes has never been higher. With the challenge of filling IT leadership roles escalating, the 2024 Info-Tech and McLean & Company surveys highlight a critical gap in leadership skills within IT and a pressing need for leadership skills prioritization. This keynote delves into the shifting paradigm where the focus increasingly moves toward people leadership and business acumen over technical expertise alone.

Speakers:
Carlene McCubbin, AVP Research Development at Info-Tech Research Group

Reduce the Potential Negative Impacts of AI and the Risks of LLMs

Speakers:
Timnit Gebru, Founder and Executive Director at The Distributed AI Research Institute

Advanced Progressive Leadership: How IT Leadership Needs to Adapt to Exponential IT

Speakers:
irin on a panel at
Maureen Cahill, Senior Managing Partner at McLean & Company

Shirin Hamid, CIO, International Monetary Fund
Steve Breece, CIO at Phoenix Suns

Networking Break

Enhance Security Risk Assessments With AI

Assessing security risks requires specialized skills, making it a difficult exercise to democratize. In this session, you will learn how to harness the power of generative AI to identify and assess threats against systems. This will reduce the need for risk assessors to be cybersecurity professionals, allowing you to empower other IT and business teams to conduct their own security threat risk assessments.

Speakers:
Kate Wood
Jon Nelson

Leading the People Side of Change

Leading people through change is one of the most critical leadership skills required for the future. In this interactive session, we share four key reactions people have to change, how to recognize them, and more importantly, tactics to support and build a resilient team in a world where change is the norm. Leave with a plan to coach your employees through uncertainty that leads to opportunity.​

Speakers:
Amanda Mathieson

Get the Most Out of Your Info-Tech Membership

Get ready to discover the wide range of products and services included in your Info-Tech membership. In this informative session, we’ll help you unlock the power of your membership to boost the value to your organization.

Speakers:
Matt Mandich
Isaac Abbs, CIO at Pima County Community College
Jason Frame, CIO at Southern Nevada Health District

Leverage Gen AI to Improve Your Test Automation Strategy

The struggle with the “Test Squeeze” is real! Having a test automation strategy informs how you make decisions around what level of test coverage you need. Yet it’s still not enough. Join this session to learn how you can integrate AI-enhanced testing practices into your quality assurance program.

Speakers:
Vince Mirabelli

Data Governance: We Dislike It, but It’s Foundational to Trusted Data

Data governance is critically important – especially in the accelerated era of generative AI/ML. Don't miss this session as we discuss why and how to adopt a formal approach to governing data in your organization.

Speakers:
Crystal Singh

De-Accelerate the Erosion Over Time of Your Security Maturity With These Tips

Achieving an appropriate maturity in your security posture is difficult and expensive, but maintaining static good maturity is a myth. As an off-shoot to Moore’s Law, research shows that ongoing maturity degradation occurs related to ongoing improvements in technology – “If you’re standing still, you’re going backwards.” Don't miss this panel discussion to learn some of the key approaches for slowing this degradation and allowing your strategic initiatives roadmap to keep pace with the corresponding changes in the threat landscape.

Speakers:
Bob Smock
Stacey Wallace, CISO at Arizona Department of Revenue
Jamie Giroux, CISO at Platinum Equity

How to Deliver Digital Government Capabilities at Scale – Part 1

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations quickly expanded their digital tools to keep up with new demands. Now, with funding decreasing, state and local governments are trying to manage their budgets without lowering the quality of their services. This session looks at the new challenges for government IT organizations and how they need to adapt to continue providing effective digital services as technology rapidly advances.

Speakers:
Alia Mendonsa

AI Talent Debate: Should AI Skills Be Built Internally or Bought Externally?

Today, the need for AI skills generally prompts the need for human AI talent, which raises the question of IT talent sourcing. Should we build our AI resources internally through employee learning & development? Or is it better to buy talent through the recruitment of qualified AI experts in the labor market? Debaters will present both perspectives by using Info-Tech research, insights, and programs to support their positions and argue why you should build or buy AI talent.
Moderator: Tracy-Lynn Reid
Debaters:
Isabelle Hertanto – arguing the build position.
Maureen Cahill – arguing the buy position.

Speakers:
Tracy-Lynn Reid
Isabelle Hertanto
Maureen Cahill

AI Influence and Impact on Enterprise Integration

Join us as we delve into how AI is revolutionizing enterprise integration through automation, workflow optimization, and rapid decision-making processes. You'll learn how AI drives innovation, data quality, process automation, secure transactions, compliance, collaboration, and real-time analytics enablement supported by IoT.

Speakers:
Wayne Cain

Should the CIO Be the Only Technology Leader?

In a technology-first enterprise where a large percentage of the staff are engaged in IT-related work, can the organization rely on just one IT leader in the C-suite? Exponential growth of technology is forcing organizations to value multi-dimensional investments in IT, and the elevation of CSIOs, CTOs, CAIOs, and CDOs to the highest levels of the organization is diluting the role of the traditional CIO. Should the CIO be an overarching leader of technology with umbrella leadership over all related roles, or is there an emerging model for multiple technology leaders to steer an autonomized organization? Join us as we explore the answers to these questions in this expert panel discussion.

Speakers:
Mark Roman
Daren Hubbard, Vice President of Information Technology at Princeton University
Bharath Prabhakaran, Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at University of Cincinnati
Derek Bierman, CIO at Doane University

Success Stories: Achievements in Enterprise Architecture

Attend this engaging panel to hear from some of our largest clients as they share their experiences and achievements in building their Enterprise Architecture practices.

Speakers:
Reddy Doddipalli
Ben Abrishami-Shirazi

Elmar Els, Enterprise and Integration Architect at Coke-Cola Bottling of South Africa
Christina Haymes, Digital Transformation Systems Engineer at NASA (Andy N)

The New CIO: Leading IT Into the Future

In this must-attend keynote presentation, we'll explore the evolving role of the CIO and what it takes to lead in the rapidly changing IT landscape. This session will highlight the skills, strategies, and mindset required for the modern CIO to balance technological advancements with strategic leadership.

Speakers:
Heather Leier-Murray

A Guide to Operationalizing Explainable AI (XAI)

Many organizations are embracing AI today. Responsible AI principles drive organizations to deploy AI ethically. Among these principles is explainability. Explainable AI (XAI) aims to operationalize this principle. XAI is important for many reasons including compliance, audit, security, and privacy. Being able to understand how the AI came up with an answer can help us create better feedback loops and promote greater transparency.

In this panel discussion, we will discuss ways that you can operationalize XAI.

What you will learn:
- Skills and quality controls needed for XAI
- Regulations and implementation of XAI
- Emerging trends for XAI

Speakers:
Altaz Valani
Ryan Brunet
Martin Bufi

Enterprise Application Change: It's All About Business Capabilities

Stop thinking about requirements and start thinking about business capabilities instead. By focusing on the outcomes of business processes, you will be able to find the software that multiplies your capabilities. Attend this insightful keynote to learn more!

Speakers:
Robert Fayle

Beyond the Perimeter: Securing Your Network With Zero Trust and Zero Standing Privileges

Join this insightful keynote as we examine zero trust security. The success of most attacks is tied to denial of service, data exfiltration, and ransom. A shift from focusing on the attack surface to the protect surface will help organizations implement an inside-out architecture that protects critical infrastructure, prevents the success of any attack, makes it difficult to gain access, and links directly to business goals. Zero trust principles aid that shift across several pillars (Identity, Device, Application, Network, and Data) that make up a typical infrastructure; hence, the need for a zero trust roadmap to accomplish what we desire for our organization.

Speakers:
Cameron Smith

Using M365 as a Catalyst to Rationalize Your Application Portfolio

Speakers:
Scott Houle

Discover Shadow IT & Reduce SaaS Risks

Look to SaaS management tools to discover, analyze, and automate provisioning and deprovisioning.

Speakers:
Sandi Conrad

Balancing Act: Counting the Cost of AI Integration in IT Staffing and Spend

Take charge: How are you investing in your AI solutions for IT compared to your peers?

Speakers:
Tom Larson

Evaluate M365 Solutions to Rationalize Your Application Portfolio

In this breakout session, we'll explore how to streamline your application portfolio with Microsoft 365 solutions. We'll review M365 subscription (E3 vs E5) and provide insights on addressing application sprawl with a more MS-centric ecosystem.

Speakers:
Scott Houle

From Silos to Synergy: Create Marketing & IT Alignment

Today, an excellent partnership between Marketing and Tech is key to the success of B2B tech companies. Both IT leaders and Marketing leaders agree on this. Our research has found that there are two key areas that both leaders feel needs to be addressed:
1. Marketing support for new tech announcements and product releases.
2. Preventing software bloat by increased coordination for the marketing tech stack.
Hear from our expert panel as they discuss the importance of bridging the gap between Marketing and IT and focusing on common goals that align to organizational objectives of customer satisfaction and revenue growth.

Speakers:
Shashi Bellamkonda
Jim Williams

Brian C Reed, Senior VP GTM, Appdome

How to Deliver Digital Government Capabilities at Scale – Part 2

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations quickly expanded their digital tools to keep up with new demands. Now, with funding decreasing, state and local governments are trying to manage their budgets without lowering the quality of their services. This session looks at the new challenges for government IT organizations and how they need to adapt to continue providing effective digital services as technology rapidly advances.

Speakers:
Alia Mendonsa
Ryan Murray, CISO at State of Arizona
Tim Galluzi, CIO at State of Nevada
Mirian S. Avalos, General Manager of IT at Los Angeles County Internal Services Department

The Real Cost of "Manual" Data Management

Join us as we explore the true costs of "manual" data management. We'll discuss the financial and operational impacts and propose strategies for modernizing your data practice.

Speakers:
Igor Ikonnikov
Andy Neill
Aaron Shum
Thomas Randall

Build Resilience Against Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware criminals continue to innovate and evolve their attacks to circumvent the latest defenses. While prevention remains an important goal for CISOs, it will never be enough. Resilience is key to rapid recovery from these threats. Join this session to learn about the latest trends in ransomware and how you can build resilience against them.

Speakers:
Fred Chagnon
Carlos Rivera

Grow Your Own PPM Solution

Join us for a practical session on how to leverage Info-Tech's templates in Microsoft Excel and Power BI to deploy an engaging project portfolio management reporting solution. Get a glimpse into how you can work with citizen developers in your organization to deliver a functional, low-cost, entry-level PPM solution for your organization.

Speakers:
Elvis Celic

How to Select Your AI Vendors

What are the most important attributes to consider when selecting your AI vendor? How can you compare small AI vendors with larger software companies? In this session, you'll learn how to select vendors with confidence using our best-practice methodology.

Speakers:
Rob Garmaise

Harnessing M&A in the Age of Technological Disruption

Discover the role of CIOs in spearheading M&A initiatives, from identifying opportunities aligned with tech advancements to leading successful technology integrations. Our panel will share insights on M&A trends, strategic considerations for CIOs, and best practices for maximizing integration value.

Speakers:
Anubhav Sharma
Mark Roman
Nora Fisher
Frank Sewell

Key Insights to Drive Successful Deals With Mega-Vendors: Vendor Contract & Cost Optimization – Part 3

Gain critical insights for negotiating and optimizing contracts with large vendors in this final part of a three-part expert panel discussion. We'll cover the strategies, techniques, and best practices you need to get the best deals and outcomes in your largest vendor partnerships.

Speakers:
Josh Mori
Travis Hillpot
Jeff Elliott
Scott Bickley

How IT Leaders Should Celebrate Successes and Share the Value of IT With the Rest of the Organization

Join us for an insightful discussion on promoting the value of IT to the organization. This panel focuses on ensuring that business/organizational leaders understand the strategic importance of IT and its direct impact on achieving organizational goals.

Speakers:
Sallie Wright
Tim Moody, CTO at City of Savannah
Vishal Bedi, CIO at JAS Worldwide
Paula Wagner, CIO at Mansfield Energy
Denise Cornish, Interim COO at Western University of Health Sciences.

Exponential IT: Define a Data Practice Strategy to Power the Autonomous Enterprise

With Exponential IT, the role of data will shift from being a support tool for internal decisions to becoming a driving force behind your core business strategy. Attend this technology keynote to learn about what your data practice strategy will need to embrace this new role for data in your organization.

Speakers:
Gordon MacMaster

Data Strategy x AI Strategy

AI and data are intimately connected. An AI strategy includes a good data strategy to ensure accuracy. Conversely, a good data strategy includes AI use cases to unlock value from the data.
In this panel discussion, we will discuss tactical strategies for rolling out both an AI strategy and a Data strategy. We will discuss how the principles of security and privacy by design make their way into the roadmap. Our discussion will include how to rightsize the staffing capabilities as you gradually strengthen both AI and Data capabilities.
What you will learn:

- How to connect the two strategic initiatives

- The role of governance in AI initiatives

- Complying with security and privacy policies

Speakers:
Altaz Valani
Kevin Tucker
Marc Perrella

Radically Change the Way You Work With Service Management

Discover how to radically transform your service management approach. This session will explore what to automate to improve infrastructure, services support, and customer experience, such as digital experience (DEX) and embedded learning solutions to help users learn new systems, the service request catalog, and more.

Speakers:
Sandi Conrad

You May Think You're Good at Multitasking, but Are You Really?

Attention works like a spotlight focusing on a stage. There is only so much light available. You can spread and dim the light or you can focus it, but you can't do both.

Speakers:
Kevin Tucker

Is Storytelling Dead?

Storytelling is an important way to relate our technology problems/opportunities and to gain business/organizational understanding.

Speakers:
Allison Straker

The AI Customer Service Revolution is Underway

Speakers:
Terra Higginson

Lamenting Leadership Styles: True IT Leaders Are No Longer Embracing Outdated and Irrelevant Leadership Styles

Embrace leadership for the modern IT organization by ignoring outdated leadership styles.

Speakers:
Brittany Lutes

Automate IT Asset Data Collection to Support Exponential IT

Good asset data can inform every important IT decision you have to make. It's impossible to get good data without effective automation and process.

Speakers:
Andrew Sharp

The AI Advantage for Smarter Marketing – Easier Said Than Done

Smart marketers have used AI for many years. The use has been focused on analytical and predictive Al to find answers and overlooked revenue opportunities and affect conversion rates. With generative Al becoming a household name, there is confusion on which Al projects need to be prioritized. Don't miss this session where we explore case studies and discuss challenges, best practices, and future directions that will help marketers navigate this landscape and make informed decisions about where to allocate resources

Speakers:
Shashi Bellamkonda

CIO Priorities & Challenges

Don't miss this guided discussion on CIO priorities and challenges. Share your experiences with your peers and learn from others who have been in your shoes.

Speakers:
Hannes Scheidegger

Define a Data Practice Strategy to Power the Autonomous Enterprise

Exponential technologies demand a new data practice approach. In this informative session, you'll learn about what you need to effectively create an AI strategy to both maximize your return and mitigate risks with your AI investments.

Speakers:
Gordon MacMaster

Take a Foundational IT Approach to Accelerate AI

Join this session to hear from some of your fellow small and medium organization members on how they are enabling an Exponential IT approach to establish the foundations for successful AI. Topics to be covered include maturing areas such as security and data to enable AI as well as how IT can champion AI with their CFO and CEO.

Speakers:
Michele Steele
Elizabeth Adcock, CIO at MAC Federal Credit Union
Tom O’Connor, VP Technology Operations at Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union
Vimal Vyas, Vice President of Data, Security, and Digital Innovation at visitRaleigh
Sai Ravichandran, IT Director at The Morton Arboretum

AI Prompt Creation: Getting the Best Results From GPT Models