IN-PERSON

Southern California CIO Executive Summit

May 22, 2024 | Marriott Long Beach Downtown

May 22, 2024
Marriott Long Beach Downtown

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Southern California'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:

Using data-driven insights to compete in the race for swift AI adoption and automation capabilities

Measuring the success of outcomes to further illustrate IT as a business driver

Adapting to an ever-changing landscape of digital priorities

Southern California 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

Allen Fazio

Houlihan Lokey
Chief Information Officer

Kelly Hamilton

Sony Pictures Entertainment
CIO

Chad Hamilton

Fremantle
VP, Technology

Michael Keithley

United Talent Agency
CIO

Theresa Miller

Lionsgate Entertainment
CIO & EVP, IT

Greg Moore

KB Home
VP & CIO

Anthony Moses

Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation
Global Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer

Bryan Muehlberger

Vuori Clothing
Chief Information Officer

Thomas Phelps

Laserfiche
Executive Chair and Laserfiche 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 Southern California CIO community.

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Evanta's Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

Agenda


May 21, 2024

May 22, 2024

6:00pm - 8:30pm  Governing Body Welcome Reception

Governing Body Welcome Reception

Join us for food, drinks and networking the evening before the summit. This will be held at the newly renovated Marriott Long Beach Downtown with fun games like giant jenga and connect 4. 

7:45am - 8:30am  Registration & Breakfast

8:00am - 8:25am  Networking

Rising Together — Empowering Diversity in Technology

Rachel Yegiaian headshot

Rachel Yegiaian

CIO, Spectrolab Division

The Boeing Co

Women are vastly underrepresented in the technology field, yet their presence is crucial. Every single one of us has the ability to move this dial, to do our part to have impact in driving change. Together we can empower each other, our communities and create a better future for all of us. 

Grab your breakfast and join us for this intimate, informal space for women in leadership roles and their allies to freely discuss best practices, key challenges, and mission-critical priorities. Come prepared to share ideas and forge new connections that can help empower each other to make an impact in your organizations and communities. 

8:30am - 9:15am  Keynote

Leading Resilient Teams Through Unpredictable Adversity

Lisa Thompson headshot

Lisa Thompson

Author of "Finding Elevation: Fear and Courage on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain"

Guest Speaker

Lisa Thompson is a high-altitude mountaineer and former healthcare executive who beat cancer months before standing on the summit of Everest. Lisa later became the first all-American woman to summit K2, which is considered the deadliest mountain in the world. In her talks and book, “Finding Elevation,” Lisa shares the experience of climbing the toughest mountains in the world and the importance of teamwork, resilience and defining boundaries.

Join this keynote session to learn about the importance of:

  • Embracing change and overcoming challenges
  • Creating a supportive environment inside and outside the office
  • Defining clear roles and goals to build a strong, communicative team

9:15am - 9:40am  Networking Break

9:40am - 10:25am  Breakout Session

Not Your Grandfather’s Enterprise Architecture

Erik Bakstad headshot

Erik Bakstad

CEO and Co-Founder

Ardoq

CIOs need a new approach to their enterprise architecture strategy–one aimed at decreasing costs, increasing value, and reducing risk. With a forward-thinking approach to achieving concrete business outcomes, CIOs must reimagine their enterprise architecture as it holds the key to unlocking potential and staying ahead of the competition.
Join this insightful session to learn about:

  • Outlining clear business outcomes and value realization
  • Prioritizing incremental value over complicated frameworks and standards
  • Analyzing use case examples and real-world insights

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Staying Agile for an Unpredictable IT Future

Pete Peterson headshot

Pete Peterson

Chief Technology Officer

Riviera

Mary Ames headshot

Mary Ames

EVP, Chief Administrative Officer

Zenith National Insurance

Jim Green headshot

Jim Green

CIO

Los Angeles County Probation Department

The demand for digital solutions that create business value has never been higher, and CIOs are now expected to take the role of strategic business leaders. How can IT executives stay ahead in this rapidly evolving landscape?

Join this session to discuss:

  • Managing IT talent in an AI-driven world
  • Choosing a technology approach that maximizes agility
  • Driving business value through technology

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Lauren Hursley at Lauren.Hursley@evanta.com

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Are We Still Talking About the Cloud?

Grant Anderson headshot

Grant Anderson

EVP, CIO

Living Spaces

Michael Wang headshot

Michael Wang

Chief Information & Digital Officer

Epson America

Almost every organization uses cloud computing, but many do so without a documented strategy that answers what the organization does in the cloud and why. Without that, leaders can’t maximize the benefits of working in the cloud and find their costs skyrocketing out of control.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Aligning cloud objectives across the enterprise
  • Optimizing cloud scale and execution
  • Preparing the organization for what’s next

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Lauren Hursley at Lauren.Hursley@evanta.com

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Weaving Innovation Into the Core of Everything

Jason Grovert headshot

Jason Grovert

SVP, Technology Strategy, Office Division

Irvine Company

Alvin Joseph headshot

Alvin Joseph

Chief Information Officer & VP, Information Technology

Orora

The intersection of digital business and advanced technologies has inevitably brought life to continuous innovation. But when faced with economic instability and fiscal responsibility, how can CIOs maintain a constant innovative mindset and culture?

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Encouraging experimentation, ideation and failure in order to succeed
  • Cultivating an innovation-rich culture
  • Communicating and quantifying the value of innovation for long-term growth

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).
To reserve your seat, please contact: Lauren Hursley at Lauren.Hursley@evanta.com

10:25am - 11:05am  Networking Break

10:30am - 10:55am  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

11:05am - 11:50am  Breakout Session

GenAI Use Case — Efficiencies to Deliver ROI

Raj Kadam headshot

Raj Kadam

SVP Health Plan Operations & CIO

Liberty Dental Plan

CIOs play a pivotal role in leveraging AI to unlock new opportunities, enhance decision making and streamline processes. Raj Kadam, CIO at Liberty Dental Plan shares his journey on integrating AI tools to solve complex challenges, improve productivity and deliver massive ROI.

Join this session to hear about:

  • Overcoming implementation challenges 
  • Capturing use case ROI 
  • Building an ecosystem for future innovation

11:05am - 11:50am  Breakout Session

Mastering Influence & Collaboration Across the C-Suite

Raymond Lowe headshot

Raymond Lowe

Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer

AltaMed Health Services

To lead resilient organizations, CIOs must effectively communicate with various stakeholders across the c-suite —each with different priorities and communication styles. To build a strong foundation for successful IT strategy creation and execution, collaboration is critical. 

Join this interactive session to discuss 

  • Maximizing value from key stakeholder interaction 
  • Overcoming resistance by seeking to understand and acknowledge 
  • Individualizing your communication tactics based on your audience

11:05am - 11:50am  Executive Boardroom

The CIO Tech Stack — Embracing Cloud, Security & Innovation

Marvin Cruz headshot

Marvin Cruz

LA Metro Chief Technology Officer

CGI

Tatiana Sana headshot

Tatiana Sana

Chief Technology Officer

King's Hawaiian

IT leaders are being asked to do more with less, like adopting innovative tech like GenAI, reducing risks of cyber threats, lowering costs all while spending significant time just on IT maintenance. Balancing the maintenance of existing tech while finding time to invest in innovative work is a foundational priority for all CIOs, but what are best practices to navigate the complexities of an evolving tech landscape? This session empowers CIOs by exploring strategies for cloud-based transformation to achieve superior security, streamlined management, and user-centric, modern experiences.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Practical solutions for enhancing productivity
  • How to adopt AI-driven tools for a competitive edge
  • Cybersecurity considerations with modernization

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Lauren Hursley at Lauren.Hursley@evanta.com

11:50am - 12:35pm  Lunch Service

12:35pm - 1:10pm  Keynote

AI/ML and Zero Trust — Driving Business Success

Syam Nair headshot

Syam Nair

CTO

Zscaler

Michael Wang headshot

Michael Wang

Chief Information & Digital Officer

Epson America

As cyber threats become more sophisticated and pervasive, enterprises need to adopt an agile approach to network and security that promotes innovation and mitigates risk. AI/ML and zero trust are the key enablers of this transformation, offering visibility, control, and automation across users, workloads, IoT/OT devices, and business partners.

In this session, you will learn:

  • How AI will be used to fight AI and how generative AI will contribute to increased numbers of ransomware attacks
  • How the growth of zero trust segmentation will happen in parallel with the rise of firewall-free enterprises, and Zero Trust SD-WAN will begin to replace traditional SD-WAN
  • How AI/ML add defensive and analytics capabilities that drive IT and business success

1:10pm - 1:35pm  Break

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Breakout Session

Wildfire Mitigation — Technology as a Business Enabler

Todd Inlander headshot

Todd Inlander

Sr. Vice President & CIO

Southern California Edison Company

When the stakes are high, technology goes beyond supporting — it can determine the outcome of people’s lives and property. Southern California Edison is on a journey to develop and deliver new technology to drive operational improvements for wildfire prevention efforts. 

Join to hear about:

  • Assessing areas of opportunity within the operational landscape 
  • Overcoming challenges in a high-stress environment
  • Driving and measuring business value

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Executive Boardroom

Keeping Pace with Cyber Risk

Louise Brandy headshot

Louise Brandy

SVP, Chief Information Officer

Quidel Ortho

Rob Krumwiede headshot

Rob Krumwiede

Global CIO

The Car Group

As technology continues to evolve, cyber threats are right there matching that growth stride for stride. How are you developing your cybersecurity strategy to keep up with the risks posed by emerging technologies?

Join this session to discuss:

  • Mitigating risks and improving resiliency
  • Complying with regulatory requirements
  • Developing cybersecurity talent and skills

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Lauren Hursley at Lauren.Hursley@evanta.com

1:35pm - 2:20pm  Executive Boardroom

Perfect Timing — Investing in Emerging Technologies

Subba Kethu headshot

Subba Kethu

Director, Digital Technology (CIO)

Kia America

Abhishek Uppal headshot

Abhishek Uppal

VP, Global Technology & IT Operations (CTO)

Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.

As the GenAI hype continues, CIOs know they must be strategic in their investments — prioritizing prevalent and impactful use cases that deliver real value. The next question on the list? Determining when to invest.

Join your fellow CIOs to discuss:

  • Learning from over-enthusiasm and unrealistic projections of innovation
  • Anticipating sustainable growth over quick wins
  • Evaluating business impact and choosing when to invest

2:20pm - 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 Evanta’s 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

Embracing AI to Get the Talent You Need

Jose Ramirez headshot

Jose Ramirez

Director Analyst

Gartner

AI has joined the team, especially in IT, but what does this mean for the future workforce? CIOs must develop strategies to create a blended workforce that embraces AI and nontraditional talent sources instead of relying primarily on full-time employees. 

Join this session to learn about:

  • Equipping the organization with the capabilities needed to embrace AI
  • Exploring unconventional talent sources and solutions
  • Enabling human workers to work successfully with and alongside machines

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Executive Boardroom

Buy or Build? Investing Time and Resources in Applications

Anthony Moses headshot

Anthony Moses

Global Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer

Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation

John Rojas headshot

John Rojas

VP, Head of IT (CIO/CISO)

Air Lease Corporation

Gartner research shows a near split of CIOs opting to build an application in-house versus buying or partnering with a third-party. Regardless of the choice, IT executives must deliver programs that are relevant and both cost and time effective to manage.

In this boardroom, you will discuss:

  • Aligning application strategy to business objectives
  • Best uses of application development
  • Adaptability of applications and threat readiness

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Lauren Hursley at Lauren.Hursley@evanta.com

3:00pm - 3:45pm  Executive Boardroom

CIO Impact on Digital Business Strategy

Mary Joseph headshot

Mary Joseph

Divisional CIO, VP, Digital Leadership, Lifestyle Audio Division

Harman International Industries

Krishna Prasad headshot

Krishna Prasad

Chief Information Officer & Chief Strategy Officer

UST Global

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, technology is the driving factor of business strategy and organizational success. But for CIOs to deliver digital, the technology must have a meaningful impact. Otherwise, the dollars are not worth spending.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Correlating technology strategy with business objectives
  • Gaining enterprise-wide agreement on AI and tech investment goals
  • Driving successful technology adoption to maximize ROI

Executive boardrooms are intimate and interactive sessions designed to foster dynamic dialogue around a specific, strategic topic. These private, closed-door discussions encourage attendee participation and are limited to 15 attendees (seating priority is given to CIOs).

To reserve your seat, please contact: Lauren Hursley at Lauren.Hursley@evanta.com

3:45pm - 4:10pm  Break

4:10pm - 4:45pm  Keynote

Delivering an Analytics Strategy that Packs a Punch

Jose Ramirez headshot

Jose Ramirez

Director Analyst

Gartner

Suzie Bonner headshot

Suzie Bonner

SVP & CIO

Reliance, Inc.

Melanie Hildebrandt headshot

Melanie Hildebrandt

EVP & CIO

Endeavor

As CxOs seek to drive business value from data and analytics initiatives, they face both cultural and technical challenges. CIOs must partner with the business in creating a long-term analytics strategy that enables the organization to make data driven decisions.

Join this session to hear perspectives on:

  • Evolving data governance efforts to power accuracy in reporting and analytics
  • Overcoming technical obstacles and cost pressure to ensure analytics programs get prioritized
  • Building a business case to create a strategy that has measurable outcomes and results

4:45pm - 5:00pm  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

May 21, 2024

May 22, 2024

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


Evanta cares about the health and safety of our community. Please review the following recommendations prior to attending the gathering.

Location


Venue & Accommodation

Marriott Long Beach Downtown
MORE INFORMATION

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Marriott Long Beach Downtown at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 562-437-5900.

Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $269 USD (plus tax) is April 29, 2024.

Your Community Partners


Global Thought Leaders
Key Partner
Program Partners

Community Program Manager


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

Lauren Hursley

Senior Community Program Manager

503-575-8524

lauren.hursley@evanta.com