
Houston CIO Community
Executive Summit
December 2, 2025 | Hyatt Regency Houston West
December 2, 2025
Hyatt Regency Houston West
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Houston'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:
Harnessing Data and Analytics to Drive Strategic Business Outcomes
Leveraging Emerging Technology for Competitive Advantage and Growth
Collaboration across the C-Suite to Enable Technology Innovation and Efficiency
Houston 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

David Cain
CVR Energy
VP & CIO

Vagesh Dave
McDermott International
Global VP/ CIO

Kara Pelecky
American Bureau of Shipping
SVP, CIO

Michael Thompson
Gulfport Energy Corporation
VP & CIO

John Varkey
Waste Management
SVP, CIO
What to Expect
Agenda
Breakout Session
Reducing Application Delivery Tech Debt from the Inside Out
With high volumes of sensitive data now flowing through web browsers, three in five organizations say data leakage is likely given current IT and security infrastructures. Stop playing catch-up. Discover new approaches to enterprise operations to reduce risk while simplifying operations.
Join this session to discover:
- How disparate IT and security solutions create technical debt
- What challenges impact internal and end user stakeholders
- How simplifying IT can strengthen security, and boost productivity
Keynote Session
Securing Data Flow in the AI-Quantum Era
Sensitive data movement can be risky but restricting it outright can create operational and security challenges. In an era of agentic AI, generative AI, and emerging quantum computing, organizations need security frameworks that protect data while ensuring agility. This session explores how modern security platforms enable secure data flow, adapt to diverse use cases and prepare for the post-quantum encryption (PQE) shift.
Join this keynote to learn:
- How to choose the right secure access method for each use case
- Why security must be adaptive to risk, user behavior and AI-driven interactions
- How to prepare for post-quantum encryption and its enterprise security impact
Executive Boardroom Session
The Future of ERP – Shifting the IT Operating Model
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
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Houston 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
Hyatt Regency Houston WestCommunity Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.