
Atlanta CIO Community
Executive Summit
June 4, 2025 | Westin Atlanta Perimeter North
June 4, 2025
Westin Atlanta Perimeter North
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Atlanta'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:
Leveraging C-Suite Collaboration to Enable Technology Innovation and Efficiency
Navigating an Evolving Cybersecurity, Risk, and Governance Landscape
Leveraging Data & Analytics to Improve Business Outcomes
Atlanta 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

Guy Brassard
Shaw Industries
Vice President & Chief Information Officer

Curtis Carver Jr.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Vice President and CIO

Raghu Sagi
Carter's
EVP, Chief Information & Technology Officer

Grant Shih
Vestis
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
What to Expect
Agenda
8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
We Are All Technologists Now — How AGCO is Democratizing AI
Hosted by Netskope

Viren Shah
Chief Digital and Information Officer
AGCO Corporation

Ivory Harris
CHRO
AGCO Corporation
Unlocking the full value of AI demands more than just technology expertise – it requires an intentional focus to federating technology across the organization. Through trusted collaboration and partnership in the C-Suite, AGCO is harvesting the power of AI solutions to provide best-in-class tools, up-level employee experience, and re-imagining how work gets accomplished unlocking further efficiencies.
Join Viren Shah, Chief Digital and Information Officer, and Ivory Harris, CHRO, as they pull back the curtain on:
- Democratization of AI fostering innovation
- Collaboration across the organization to capture AI value
- Re-imagining ways of working with AI & Automation
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Building a Secure and Compliant AI-First Business
Hosted by Box

Heather Ceylan
SVP & CISO
Box
AI is quickly changing business landscapes and demanding a new way to secure your enterprise. AI agents have become integral members of the workforce and are accelerating content creation and collaboration, creating new threats and challenges for security teams. Building on a secure framework enables your organization to fully embrace AI-powered advancements while preserving trust, privacy, and content security.
Join this session to learn about:
- Establishing a trusted AI environment to combat threats like shadow AI and data leakage
- Managing generated content risks through permissions frameworks and guardrails
- Using AI to empower security teams through automating tasks and contextual insights
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Chaos of Connectivity ― Strategies for Agility, Productivity, and Compliance
Hosted by IBM

Ernie Denninger
webMethods and Streamsets Brand Sales Director, North America
IBM

DeWayne Griffin
Chief Digital & Information Officer
Insight Global

Harold Shannon
VP, Technology and CIO
CoreCivic
In today's digital landscape, enterprises manage an ever-growing array of technologies across multiple clouds, with the average organization using 1,000 applications and thousands of physical assets. Generative AI is set to boost developer productivity by nearly 40%, leading to a surge in AI-embedded applications. This complexity can cause inefficiencies and vulnerabilities.
Join this session to learn how to:
- Create visibility across disparate systems for informed decision-making
- Streamlining integrations to increase productivity and accelerate delivery
- Maintain compliance by managing integrations centrally to prevent shadow IT
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
AI in Action — Identifying High-Impact Use Cases to Accelerate Value
Hosted by OutSystems

Carlos Alves
Co-Founder & Chief Client Partner
OutSystems

John Adamson
EVP & CIO
Floor & Decor

Kevin Brooks
CIO
Quikrete Companies
The pressure is mounting to embed AI across the business to maintain a competitive edge, and capitalize on efficiency gains. Many executive teams are eager to rush into implementation and the pressure is on CIOs to deliver value from these investments quickly. In a world where AI is becoming easier to implement and the velocity of change keeps increasing, how can CIOs ensure they deliver engaging AI-powered solutions to maximize ROI without losing control of AI?
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Developing a clear AI strategy aligned with business goals with a focus on high-impact use cases with measurable value
- Seamlessly integrating AI into existing workflows to drive organizational change
- Identifying key investments that can accelerate the value of AI, such as low-code platforms
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Secure and Compliant Data Protection in Changing Times
Hosted by Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Brian Stone
Senior Director
Zerto, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company

Jay Ferro
EVP, Chief Information Officer, Technology & Product Officer
Clario
Data is readily known to organizations as its most critical asset. Yet traditional data protection methods were not designed to handle the demands of today's distributed applications and data, especially in the context of modern cyber threats. To ensure business continuity, organizations must adopt robust data protection strategies and improve preparedness to respond and recover quickly from disruptions. By modernizing data protection across hybrid cloud, organizations can protect their most critical asset and maintain operational viability in a complex digital landscape.
Join this session to discuss:
- Implementing advanced data protection strategies to counter modern and traditional cyber threats effectively
- Ensuring uninterrupted efficiency and availability of data-powered applications
- Providing robust, modern data protection solutions that help ensure business continuity, secure critical data, and support future innovation
10:25am - 11:10am Networking Break
10:35am - 11:00am Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Gartner C-Level Community’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
11:10am - 11:55am Breakout Session
Enabling Distributed Teams to Drive Optimal Business Outcomes
Hosted by HP Inc.

Alfredo Ramirez
CEO, Vyopta
HP Inc.
Hybrid workforce communication and collaboration remains at an all-time high, placing emphasis on the importance of a best-in-class IT environment to enable innovation and drive business performance. However, without proper insight and visibility, enabling high levels of employee experience, productivity, and engagement can be challenging for CIOs and their IT teams.
Join this session to explore:
- Gaining visibility of user experience and engagement
- Leveraging insights to optimize utilization of in-office and virtual technology
- Measuring the impact of collaborative workforce experience on business outcomes
11:10am - 11:55am Breakout Session
Scalable Innovation — Enterprise-Wide Agentic AI
Hosted by Leena AI

Adit Jain
Co-Founder & CEO
Leena AI
As enterprise platforms roll out their own embedded AI assistants, organizations risk ending up with fragmented, siloed intelligence across their tech stacks. CIOs are uniquely positioned to empower business outcomes and innovation by integrating unified agentic AI into strategic IT planning.
Join this session to:
- Explore the architectural approach behind a unified agentic AI layer
- Identify use cases across business functions
- Abstract complexity, drive efficiencies, and enhance business outcomes
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
The Future of ERP — Shifting the IT Operating Model
Hosted by Rimini Street

Keith Siegfried
GVP, Unified Service Experience
Rimini Street

Matt Ausman
Chief Information Officer
Zebra Technologies

Alok Gupta
Chief Information Officer
Artera Services
AI, hyperautomation, and unified user experiences are reshaping how we work and compete. Are these transformations valuable, necessary, or feasible? Engage with peers to explore strategies for funding and accelerating prioritized transformations while maximizing returns on existing software investments.
Join this session to discuss:
- Modernizing applications through composable and adaptive ERP strategies
- Building digital agility to adapt to evolving business needs and minimize disruptions
- Enhancing IT systems to improve user experiences and boost operational efficiency
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Accelerating ROI with AI
Hosted by Lenovo

John Encizo
Field CTO - Americas Infrastructure Group
Lenovo

Konstantin Cvetanov
Solution Architect Lead
NVIDIA

Samata Tummala
Head of Technology (U.S & Canada)
Beazley

Joe Zemel
Chief Information Officer
Tokio Marine HCC
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
11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Atlanta CIO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Westin Atlanta Perimeter NorthParking Information
Hotel does not offer valet parking. Self- Park in the Concourse lot directly across from The Westin will be hosted by Evanta. Please make sure to show your parking pass at registration.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 888-627-8407. Please mention Gartner Atlanta Executive Summit to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $199 USD (plus tax) is May 12, 2025.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.