
DACH CIO Community
Executive Summit
27 November 2024 | Hilton Frankfurt City Centre
27 November 2024
Hilton Frankfurt City Centre
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with DACH'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:
Delivering Secure Digital Innovation to Drive Value Across the Enterprise
The CIO as a Catalyst for Business Growth & Change Management
Leading the Organisation Through Advanced Technology Adoption
DACH 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

Harvey Ford
PartnerRe
CTO and L&H CIO

Jochen Göttelmann
Lufthansa
VP IT Lufthansa Airlines (CIO) & Lufthansa Group Operations IT

Michael Mueller-Wünsch
Otto Group
CIO

Ralf Werner
OGE
CIO & CDO
What to Expect
Agenda
08:00 - 09:00 Registration & Breakfast
09:00 - 09:45 Keynote
Digital Acceleration — A Journey of People, Technology and Data

Alessandro De Luca
Group CIO & Head of IT
Merck
In today’s dynamic business landscape, digital acceleration is a critical driver of success, enabling organisations to adapt, innovate and thrive. However, life cycles of technology are rapidly shortening, making it challenging for CIOs to keep ahead of the curve. Alessandro De Luca, Group CIO, Head of Information Technology of Merck Group, has embraced the power of data and technology to drive innovation and business enablement and believes that agile-minded people are the catalyst of their successful transformation.
Join Alessandro to understand:
- The benefits of a people-first approach to technology implementation
- Critical factors that enabled successful adoption and scalability of digital initiatives
- How to engage and leverage the rise of capabilities from new generations
09:45 - 10:00 Break
10:00 - 10:45 Breakout Session
A New Era of Computing — Embracing the Modern End-Point
Hosted by ChromeOS

Philippe Kauffmann
ChromeOS Enterprise Lead, DACH & France

Thomas Kleine-Möllhoff
CIO Gardena GmbH & VP GIS Husqvarna Group
Husqvarna

Esteban Remecz
CIO & VP, IT and Digital
Maxion Wheels
CIOs today face a technology paradox. Businesses depend on familiar, yet often outdated, legacy systems. At the same time, the need for modern, web-based solutions is undeniable. This creates a daunting challenge: bridging the gap between the familiar and the future. What are best practices to navigate the complexities of an evolving tech landscape?
Join this session to discuss:
- How CIOs can drive efficient endpoint security and management to drive productivity
- Strategies to lower costs and optimise the modern endpoint
- Contributing towards a sustainable future through IT and endpoint management
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
Strategic Cyber Transformation — Empowering Business Resilience and Cyber Awareness
Hosted by Netskope

Daniel Hartert
CxO Advisor
Netskope

Stefan Haverkock
Director IT & Digital
HOYER Group

Rolf Goeder
CIO
Kwizda Holding GmbH

Jochen Rensmann
SVP for IT Strategy, Sourcing & Transformation
Fresenius
Digital business transformation combined with the increasing threat of cyberattacks creates unprecedented security risks. CIOs must balance cybersecurity with the need to run the business, but what are the best ways to enable risk-based decisions across the organisation whilst protecting against security threats and other cybersecurity events?
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Implementing a robust and defensible cybersecurity program that enhances overall business value
- Ensuring your cybersecurity strategy supports business resilience and growth while reducing risk
- Effective partnership across the business to drive cyber awareness
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
Risk to the Nth-Party Degree
Hosted by RiskRecon, a Mastercard Company

Rigo Van den Broeck
EVP, Cyber Security Product Innovation
Mastercard

Jochen Göttelmann
VP IT Lufthansa Airlines (CIO) & Lufthansa Group Operations IT
Lufthansa

Dieter Voss
CIO Europe
Schneider Electric
Third party relationships are closest and may prove to be the most tangible risks to your business, yet the whole supply chain of your business partners still pose a substantial threat. Most organisations’ vendor relationship extend to the 8th party. CIOs need to understand this web of connectedness in order to better manage and communicate enterprise risk.
Join this session to discuss:
- Gaining visibility into risk across the whole supply chain
- Strategies for effective risk management and monitoring business partners
- Overcoming resource challenges to prioritise third party risk
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
Unlocking the Potential of AI — Overcoming Data Challenges in Enterprise Environments
Hosted by Fivetran

Alex Zschaler
RVP DACH & CEE
Fivetran

Thorsten Hallermeier
Chief Digital Officer
MHK Group AG

Andre Rothfuss
Vice President, IT Drivetrain & Morse Systems
BorgWarner
As enterprises adopt AI to enhance decision-making and innovation, the quality and accessibility of data have become vital for CIOs. This session aims to unpack this by equipping you with the knowledge and tools to enhance your organisation's AI readiness, driving transformative outcomes and competitive advantage. You’ll discuss the critical role of data integration and management in successful AI initiatives, using real-world case studies and interactive discussions.
Join this Boardroom to discuss:
- Use Cases from CIOs highlighting successful AI projects and lessons learned
- Strategies for aligning AI initiatives with business objectives and delivering tangible value
- Ensuring data access, quality, governance, and security in AI implementations
10:45 - 11:50 Networking Break
10:55 - 11:40 Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
11:50 - 12:35 Breakout Session
IT as a Business Driver — Driving a Digital Mindset With Better Employee Experiences
Hosted by Nexthink
Today’s CIOs face lofty expectations and a changing set of skills necessary to be successful. They are expected to build healthy team cultures remotely, drive the adoption of emerging technologies, align with corporate objectives and the list goes on. To meet this moment, how can CIOs support employees to better enable digital business in complex organisations?
Join this session to discuss:
- How CIOs should focus on delighting employees through superior IT and unrestrained productivity
- Proactively identifying employee experience issues before they become IT problems
- Effective automation to powerfully remediate problems in seconds
11:50 - 12:35 Breakout Session
Outpacing the Adversary — Securing AI Innovation Before It’s Too Late
Hosted by Palo Alto Networks

Jesper Olsen
Chief Security Officer (EMEA North)
Palo Alto Networks
In an era where threats evolve with unprecedented speed and sophistication, IT leaders must rise to the challenge. As attackers harness AI, the role of a CIO becomes pivotal in safeguarding their organisation without stifling innovation. Join this session to hear insights on how to balance these and keep on track to achieve enterprise priorities.
Specifically, you will discuss:
- Anticipating and counteract the demands of the new threat landscape
- Future-proofing your AI journey to embrace innovation and protect the organisation
- Driving cybersecurity consolidation with proven TCO benefits
11:50 - 12:35 Executive Boardroom
Securing the Business — Collaboration in the Digital Age
Hosted by Box

Samantha Wessels
SVP and President, EMEA
Box

Alexander Graf
Global CIO
Huber + Suhner

Harvey Ford
CTO and L&H CIO
PartnerRe
In today's digital business landscape, external collaboration is essential. However, the distribution of enterprise and customer information through multiple channels increases the attack surface and security risks. Nevertheless, by prioritising secure and protected collaboration with partners, clients and vendors, CIOs can foster effective partnerships, achieve innovation and drive competitive advantage.
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Implementing measures to protect confidentiality, integrity, availability and residency of shared data
- Educating stakeholders to ensure consistent adherence with policies and guidelines
- Streamlining workflows to enhance communication and productivity
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the DACH 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
Hilton Frankfurt City CentreHilton Frankfurt City Centre- Room Block Cancellation Policy:
Any cancellations made after the Cut Off (November 4, 2024) are subject to a cancellation fee of one (1) night room charge plus tax.
Parking
- There is Valet Parking availale at the Hilton Frankfurt. This is 5 EUR per hour, or 39 EUR per day.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Frankfurt City Centre at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 69-133800.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of €260 EUR (plus tax) is 4 November 2024.
Community Programme Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.