
Calgary CIO Community
Executive Summit
June 18, 2024 | BMO Centre at Stampede Park
June 18, 2024
BMO Centre at Stampede Park
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Calgary'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:
Increasing operational efficiencies and productivity within cybersecurity strategies
Making data-driven decisions to move digital business priorities forward
Using AI to improve processes and efficiencies while keeping up with the changing landscape
Calgary 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

Ross Ballendine
Trimac Transportation
Vice President Information Technology

Jan Bradley
City of Calgary
Chief Information Technology Officer

Shaun Guthrie
Peavey Industries
SVP Peavey Technology & eCommerce

Kelly Hill
Keyera Corp
Vice President, Information Technology

Jason Hinchliff
Cenovus Energy Inc.
CDIO, Vice President Data & IT

Catherine Mendonsa
Finning
CISO, Director Information Systems Security & Enterprise Architecture
What to Expect
Agenda
7:45am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
Leading Resilient Teams Through Unpredictable Adversity

Lisa Thompson
Author of "Finding Elevation: Fear and Courage on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain"
Guest Speaker
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 to learn about the importance of:
- 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
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Uncovering and Navigating Today's Top Security Concerns
Hosted by Palo Alto Networks

Art Ehuan
VP, Cyber Risk and Resilience Management
Palo Alto Networks
Your mission is to keep your organization resilient against rising threats and build a strong security culture. However, staying ahead of sophisticated threat actors and reducing your organization's risk is a challenge. Understanding the current threat landscape and your attack surface is crucial to preparing for today's most significant risks.
Join this session to discuss:
- Unit42's first-hand incident response case experience and threat intelligence
- Ransomware and other prevalent attack trends, methods, and techniques that allow attackers to damage and exploit your organization
- Communicating risk with leadership, the board, and regulators
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Optimize Application Rationalization to Reduce Cost
Hosted by Rimini Street

Eric Helmer
SVP & Chief Technology Officer
Rimini Street

Lindsay Peterson
Director, Global IT Infrastructure and Security
Enerflex
CIOs are balancing an ever-increasing number of service providers which requires a strong vendor and application rationalization integrated into strategic decision-making. In order to allocate more funds towards innovation and differentiation initiatives, mission-critical systems need to be optimized, cost effective, and flexible.
Join this session to discuss:
- Incorporate effective contract management
- Strategies to avoid vendor lock-in
- Financially optimizing the vendor portfolio
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Organizational Risk Mitigation — Protecting Humans from Themselves
Hosted by Proofpoint

Brian Reed
Senior Director, Cybersecurity Strategy
Proofpoint

Graham Churcher
Director, Cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
ENMAX Corporation

Kevin Mckay
IT Security Manager
City of Edmonton

Lindsay Bilkoski
Director Risk Services & Chief Compliance Officer
Connect First Credit Union
Sometimes it's hard to see a future beyond ransomware, BEC and data loss. But how do we not only ensure our cyber defense teams and the workforce they protect stay afloat in the current risk landscape, while simultaneously building toward future consolidation and risk mitigation scenarios?
Join this session to discuss:
- Developing a human risk framework
- Moving human-centric security controls from reactive and manual to proactive and automated
- Leveraging AI to protect humans from themselves
10:25am - 11:05am Networking Break
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
Preparing for Battle — Getting Ahead of Security Challenges of Tomorrow
Hosted by Google Cloud

David Porter
Head of Customer Value & Transformation Advisory
Google Cloud
When it comes to GenAI and nascent technologies being rapidly adopted, CIOs and CISOs must be proactive and thorough in their planning efforts and essentially attempt to predict the future. Today, we know data, access control, and IP must be protected while delighting users amid a changing threat landscape. But what does tomorrow bring?
Join this session to explore:
- How to take advantage of the AI opportunity while also developing a foundationally secure enterprise
- Ways to ensure your data, policies, and practices are clean and secure to minimize the risk of AI usage
- Developing guidelines and policies for enabling business leaders, employees, and customers to realize the AI opportunity
11:05am - 11:50am Executive Boardroom
Navigating Cybersecurity's New Frontiers — Strategies for Resilience and Risk Mitigation
Hosted by Fortinet

Peter Smetny
Regional Vice President, Systems Engineering
Fortinet

Winn Tran
VP, IT
EECOL Electric
Howard Plato
Manager, Information Systems
Strathcona Resources
In 2024, CISOs face a cybersecurity landscape characterized by evolving challenges and transformative opportunities. Whether balancing the risks and rewards of innovation, investing in proactive threat prevention, automation and AI, or adopting nimble security models that reduce attack surfaces – the right cybersecurity strategies can enhance resilience and help mitigate risks amid rapid change.
Join this session to learn:
- Crafting cybersecurity strategies for resilience
- Mitigating cybersecurity risks in a shifting landscape
- Optimizing team talent and resources to maximize protection
11:05am - 11:50am Executive Boardroom
Data IS Your Business
Hosted by Rubrik

Eric Chang
CTO
Rubrik

Catherine Mendonsa
CISO, Director Information Systems Security & Enterprise Architecture
Finning

Peter Collins
Director, Information Technology
MEG Energy Corp.
In these times of rapid technological advancement, data stands as the cornerstone of innovation. Executives are focusing even more on data and AI to push digital business initiatives forward.
Gather with your C-level peers to:
- Determine who in your organization owns the data
- Optimize data to be AI ready
- Discuss how automation and agility can be accomplished through tooling or processes
11:50am - 12:35pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Calgary 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
BMO Centre at Stampede ParkParking
For parking and directions, please click here.
*Lot 10 & 11 at $18/car
Hotels Nearby
Hotel Arts
119 12 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0G8
Distance from Venue - 0.4 miles
Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel
110 9 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5A6
Distance from Venue - 0.6 miles
Evanta does not have any affiliation with the suggested hotels listed. The list above is solely for informational purposes.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.