Charlotte CIO Community
Executive Summit
May 7, 2026 | The Westin Charlotte
May 7, 2026
The Westin Charlotte
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Charlotte'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:
Driving Data-Driven Insights and Cost Optimization for Growth
Strengthening Cybersecurity and Risk Management for Enterprise Trust
Driving AI Innovation with Secure, Scalable Enterprise Solutions
Charlotte 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
John Armbrecht
Pike Corporation
CIO
Colin Boatwright
MARKEN
CIO
Steve Cayea
T.Y. Lin International
CIO
What to Expect
Interactive Sessions
Hear from CIO practitioners and thought leaders on how they're solving critical challenges impacting your role today in Keynote sessions, and join smaller, interactive discussions with your peers in Breakout and Boardroom sessions.
Community Networking
Make new connections and catch up with old friends in casual conversations during dedicated time for networking designed to better acquaint you with your Charlotte CIO community.
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
Agenda
8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
5 Techniques to Enable Innovation for Growth in the AI Age
Tsuneo Fujiwara
Distinguished VP Analyst
Gartner
Many organizations pour resources into technology, yet few achieve the outcomes they expect. In a landscape full of noise and constant change, leaders need clarity more than catchphrases. Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Tsuneo Fujiwara will share five practical strategies leaders can use to focus on what genuinely advances the business.
In this keynote, you’ll explore how to:
- Identify the opportunities that truly move the business forward
- Build leadership behaviors that strengthen trust and influence
- Clear organizational barriers that slow progress and hinder innovation
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Centralization — Unifying Systems for Resilience and Control
Ethan Steiger
CISO
YUM! Brands
Technology silos slow innovation and increase risk, particularly in global operations. A centralized approach brings consistency, strengthens security, and streamlines processes across the enterprise. For leaders, it’s not just about the systems themselves—it’s about aligning people and processes to build resilience, enhance governance, and foster collaboration.
In this session, hear real‑world lessons learned on how to:
- Reduce risk and complexity through system consolidation
- Drive governance and compliance with centralized controls
- Accelerate innovation by eliminating silos and enabling cross‑functional collaboration
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Driving Innovation with Unified Governance and Security
Hosted by Island
As browser-based and unapproved tools reshape the future of work, CIOs and CISOs must enable innovation while maintaining governance, security, and compliance. The rise of “Shadow AI” demands unified strategies and collaboration to ensure visibility, control, and agility, keeping organizations resilient and adaptable.
Join this session to discuss:
- Operational, risk, and compliance impacts
- Unified policies for responsible enablement
- Collaboration for visibility, control, and agility
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Strategic Resources Fueling Security and IT Success
Ronnie Bryant
SVP & CIO
Charlotte Hornets
Security and IT teams are continually expected to deliver impactful results within fixed budgets and headcount. How can CISOs and CIOs ensure their organizations maintain a resilient security posture and meet strategic objectives by leveraging the resources already at hand?
Join this session to explore:
- Innovative strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of existing security resources
- Leadership approaches for motivating teams and strengthening security culture
- Methods to communicate and demonstrate the business value of security investments
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 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
Breakout Session presented by Cyera
Hosted by Cyera
Details coming soon.
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Executive Boardroom hosted by Google Cloud Security
Hosted by Google Cloud Security
Details coming soon.
11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Charlotte 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
The Westin CharlotteHotel Parking Information:
Day self-park: $30
Day valet: $40
Overnight self-park: $38
Overnight valet: $50
A block of rooms has been reserved at the The Westin Charlotte at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 1-866-837-4148 . Please mention Charlotte Executive Summit to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $304 USD (plus tax) is April 13, 2026.
Your Community Sponsors
Global Thought Leaders
CISO Thought Leader
Key Sponsors
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.
