In-Person

Phoenix CIO Community

Executive Summit

November 4, 2026 | Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel

November 4, 2026
Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Phoenix'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:

Lead Strategic Technology Alignment to Establish an AI Operating Model

Manage Costs Strategically to Maximize Business Value

Elevate Cybersecurity as a Core Driver of Business Value, Resilience and Growth

Phoenix 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

Gary Desai

Discount Tire
CIO

Ed Dzadovsky

Circle K
EVP, CTO

Raghu Santanam Ph.D.

Arizona State University
Sr Associate Dean, Information Systems - W. P. Carey School of Business

J.R. Sloan

State of Arizona
State 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 Phoenix 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

November 4, 2026

8:00am - 8:30am  Registration & Breakfast

8:30am - 9:15am  Gartner Keynote

Prepare Your Organization to Adapt Safely — Whatever Comes Next

Janelle Hill headshot

Janelle Hill

Distinguished VP Analyst

Gartner

CEOs and boards increasingly view digital and AI technologies as essential drivers of growth amid ongoing market volatility, geopolitical uncertainty and rising cyber risk. To help their organizations thrive in this environment, CIOs and CISOs must work in lockstep to modernize operating models, accelerate innovation and build resilience across the enterprise. Join this keynote to explore:

  • Maturing operating models to better enable business strategy
  • Building governance that enables secure, scalable digital delivery
  • Elevating the CIO and CISO as strategic business leaders and growth enablers

9:15am - 9:40am  Networking Break

9:40am - 10:25am  Breakout Session

GenAI— A Generational Paradigm Shift

Madhu Shashanka headshot

Madhu Shashanka

Cofounder, Chief Scientist and Co-CTO

Concentric AI

Generative AI has rapidly evolved from a curiosity into a core driver of enterprise productivity. But as employees embrace its ability to generate content, code, and insights on demand, a new reality is emerging: data security is now the defining challenge of AI adoption. Organizations that recognize this shift early and proactively adapt their data security strategies will be best positioned to innovate with confidence. 

Join this session to discover: 

  • What makes GenAI fundamentally different and its impact on business operations and risk  

  • Where unintended data exposure and downstream consequences can arise  

  • How to adopt AI responsibly without slowing innovation 

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Way Beyond IT — CIOs Leading the Digital and Operational Enterprise

Andrew Barnauskas headshot

Andrew Barnauskas

Executive VP & Chief Information Officer

Banner

The CIO role has expanded far beyond traditional IT. Today's technology leaders are expected to help drive growth, strengthen cyber and data security, enable AI adoption, modernize operations and ensure technology investments deliver measurable business outcomes. As IT and OT continue to converge, CIOs are increasingly responsible for connecting the digital and physical sides of the enterprise to improve efficiency, resilience and competitive advantage.

Join this boardroom session to discuss:

  • Leading beyond IT to drive enterprise growth
  • Bridging the gap between digital and operations systems
  • Turning emerging technologies into measurable business value

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

Explore Evolving Your D&A Operating Model with Cyera

Join this session to explore one of the community's top priorities this year: Evolving Your D&A Operating Model. Gain insights into key challenges, emerging approaches, and practical applications to help you navigate what's next.

11:10am - 11:55am  Executive Boardroom

Strengthening Global AI Security and Governance

 CISOs and CIOs must secure the enterprise as generative AI adoption grows, ensuring governance, compliance, and visibility. Employees using browser-based AI tools expose organizations to risks like data leakage, security breaches, and regulatory issues. Responsible AI adoption requires balancing innovation and control. Threats from “Shadow AI” and cross-border data flows highlight the need for strong policies that protect the enterprise and enable secure, productive AI use. By advancing security posture and robust policies, organizations can confidently manage AI-driven transformation.

Join this session to discover:

· Mitigating risks from unauthorized AI tools
· Implementing global security policies
· Safeguarding data with secure AI adoption

11:55am - 12:30pm  Lunch Service

12:30pm - 1:05pm  Keynote

Frontier AI Models — When Attack Speed Outpaces Operations

Shelly Sahani headshot

Shelly Sahani

VP Product Technology Partnerships

Tanium

AI can now find and exploit a vulnerability in minutes — faster than any patch cycle or IT team can respond. For CIOs, this is a business risk, not just a security issue: the gap between attack speed and response speed can now disrupt operations. This is where autonomous remediation comes into play.
Join this session to learn:

  • Why the gap between attack speed and IT response is now a business risk
  • How automatic remediation cuts risk without more headcount or work
  • What this shift means for how you prioritize risk, budget and technology

1:05pm - 1:30pm  Break

1:30pm - 2:15pm  Breakout Session

A Practical Framework for AI-Ready Enterprise Data

Sriraj Rajaram headshot

Sriraj Rajaram

Director, Product Management

Reltio

AI has plenty of intelligence. What it lacks is enterprise context. To act with precision, AI must understand how a business operates.

Join this session to discover:

  • Transforming fragmented data with a real-time System of Context
  • Scaling AI with greater accuracy, accountability and business impact
  • Aligning data strategy with enterprise AI initiatives

1:30pm - 2:15pm  Executive Boardroom

Traditional ERP is Dead — What's Next?

Rod Masney headshot

Rod Masney

Regional CTO, North America

Rimini Street

Gary Desai headshot

Gary Desai

CIO

Discount Tire

Agentic AI is transforming work and prompting leaders to rethink traditional suites and modernization strategies. This boardroom will examine how agentic AI is unbundling ERP responsibilities, reshaping process orchestration and enabling smarter service layers.

Join fellow CIOs to explore:

  • The rise of service layers, workflow engines and AI agents
  • What’s replacing monolithic ERP models
  • Key assumptions to challenge when evaluating vendor roadmaps

1:30pm - 2:15pm  Executive Boardroom

Discuss Operationalizing AI with Your Peers

Join this interactive discussion with fellow CISOs on operationalizing AI to exchange perspectives, explore common challenges, and uncover practical ideas and strategies you can apply within your organization.

2:15pm - 3:00pm  Networking Break

2:25pm - 2:50pm  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.

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Breakout Session

Motivating the Elephant — Leading Change That Lasts

Kim Jones headshot

Kim Jones

CISO

Western Union

CIOs and CISOs are facing expanding responsibilities as organizations adopt AI, address cyber threats and modernize operations. Today’s leaders must not only manage a rapidly shifting risk landscape but also deliver meaningful strategic business value.

Join this interactive session to explore:

  • Balancing growth, innovation, risk, and resilience in a complex environment
  • Strengthening the CIO/CISO partnership to drive enterprise-wide impact
  • Making faster, more informed decisions amid uncertainty and continuous change


3:00pm - 3:45pm  Gartner Boardroom

How High-Performing Executives Turn Uncertainty Into Action

John Baker headshot

John Baker

VP, Executive Partner

Gartner

In a world shaped by ongoing disruption, successful leaders stand out by making confident decisions even in the absence of perfect information. To be effective through change, leaders must establish decision frameworks, align stakeholders on clear priorities and foster environments that enable swift and effective action.

Join this boardroom session to explore:

  • Making faster, better decisions under uncertainty
  • Aligning stakeholders around competing priorities
  • Driving action during times of change

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Executive Boardroom

From Data to Decisions

Elizabeth Neeley headshot

Elizabeth Neeley

CIO

Arizona Department of Education

CIOs striving for more data-driven decisions often face resource constraints and the need for organizational alignment. Success requires a strategic, business-focused approach that prioritizes data and analytics investments and engages stakeholders across the enterprise.

Join this boardroom session to explore:

  • Actionable strategies for prioritizing D&A investments that deliver measurable business impact
  • Engaging stakeholders organization-wide to build a resilient, outcome-focused D&A strategy
  • Evolving data governance to power accuracy in reporting and analytics


3:45pm - 4:00pm  Networking Break

4:00pm - 4:35pm  Keynote

Navigating the New Frontier — Leading in the Age of AI

Robert Wahl headshot

Robert Wahl

CISO

Circle K

Bianca Lochner headshot

Bianca Lochner

CIO

City of Scottsdale

Xochitl Monteon headshot

Xochitl Monteon

SVP, CISO

Aristocrat Gaming

AI has allowed leaders across both the public and private sectors to pursue automation and data-driven innovation at a rapid pace. At the City of Scottsdale, advancements in AI are transforming operations, driving service excellence, and reshaping organizational strategy. With no one-size-fits-all solution, strong leadership and cross-sector collaboration are essential.

Join this keynote session to hear more on:

  • Leading effective governance and oversight of agentic AI
  • Empowering teams through democratized AI skills and access
  • Inspiring innovation while building public trust and organizational excellence


4:35pm - 4:45pm  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

November 4, 2026

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming in-person gathering

Gartner cares about the health and safety of our community. If you are feeling unwell, please refrain from attending the conference. At this time, Gartner does not have any health-related requirements in place for attendance. Should this change, we will follow up with updated guidance.

Location

More Information

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 1 (888) 236-2427. Please mention Phoenix Executive Summit to ensure the appropriate room rate.

Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $339 USD (plus tax) is October 12, 2026.

Your Community Sponsors

Global Thought Leaders

CIO Thought Leader

CISO Thought Leaders

Key Sponsors

Program Sponsors

Community Program Manager

For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.

Aldana Almuna

Community Program Manager

281-896-5819

aldana.almuna@gartner.com