
Seattle CIO Community
Inner Circle
September 24, 2025 | Ascend Prime
September 24, 2025
Ascend Prime
Collaborate with your peers
Join Seattle's top CIOs for an intimate networking dinner and facilitated discussion on key business challenges. Enjoy a relaxed evening of dinner and drinks with your peers to share best practices, make new connections and build professional relationships.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CIOs today:
Creating user-friendly platforms that inspire the co-leadership of digital initiatives
Overcoming interdepartmental challenges to derive value from technology and security investments
Seattle CIO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the discussion topics and agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CIOs, For CIOs®.
Governing Body Co-Chairs

Lutz Beck
Daimler Truck North America
CIO

Charu Jain
Alaska Airlines
SVP Merchandising & Innovation

Laurent Rotival
Cambia Health Solutions
EVP & CIO
Agenda
September 24, 2025
4:30pm - 5:30pm Executive Networking Reception
5:30pm - 6:30pm Discussion Topics
Strategic Leadership – Maximizing Digital Investments Amid Unprecedented Advancements
Hosted by Google Cloud

Ram Katuri
Sr. Principal, Value Creation
Google Cloud
Rapid innovation and widespread AI implementation in the past 18 months is presenting unmapped opportunities and hitherto unseen challenges for organizations across industry and geography. Determining digital priorities to drive the business forward is complex, and the pressure on technology leaders to maximize their digital investments is higher than ever.
Gartner's 2025 survey of CIOs and executive leaders outside of IT reveals that so-called "digital vanguards" drive growth by co-owning digital initiatives to deliver better outcomes across the organization. This approach maximizes the value of digital investments, gives direction to digital priorities and enhances organizational effectiveness. Security leaders play a pivotal role in balancing and communicating risk associated with the digital initiatives to enable the business.
Join this conversation to discuss strategic approaches for leveraging partnerships to ensure the best ROI on technology and security investments.
- Do you consider yourself a “digital vanguard?” How can CIOs and CISOs create inclusive, user-friendly platforms that encourage IT and non-IT collaboration for secure solutions?
- What challenges do you face in getting the rest of the organization to understand the technology roadmap, especially when it comes to setting realistic expectations around AI use cases?
- How do you envision capturing the maximum value from your AI strategy? What role will other stakeholders play in making sure you are successful?
- How are you approaching developing business and IT skills, ensuring accurate tech skills forecasting?
- Based on tonight’s conversation, how well equipped do you feel your department and you, as a leader, are to act on these insights?
6:30pm - 7:00pm Networking Break
7:00pm - 8:00pm Summary Discussion & Dinner
8:00pm - 9:00pm Social Hour
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Seattle CIO Community Inner Circle.
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
Ascend PrimeMore Information
Parking
Complimentary parking underground in Lincoln Square South Garage.
- Parking - From NE 4th St, turn on 105th Ave NE to enter Lincoln Square South garage. Keep parking ticket with you so it can be validated.
- First Elevator - Take the elevator from the parking garage to the 2nd floor. Walk past Nordstrom Rack and Dote through Lincoln South Food Hall.
- Second Elevator - Once at the end of the food hall and at the elevator bank, press Floor "31" to go to Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi.
- Guests will check-in with front desk on 31st floor and be directed the Vertigo Suite
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.