Toronto CIO Community
Executive Summit

 As high volumes of sensitive data flow through web browsers, three in five organizations believe their current IT and security infrastructure makes the risk of data leakage likely or highly likely. This reflects the growing complexities of keeping data secure while dealing with legacy systems, inefficient application delivery methods, and outdated security controls. What is a modern approach to enterprise operations that simplifies IT while strengthening security?

Attendees will discover:

• Why disparate IT and security solutions accumulate technical debt and bog down operations
• How to articulate the business impacts of technology operations and security challenges beyond IT
• New approaches to enterprise application delivery that enhance end-user productivity

AI continues to be the most transformative megatrend, reshaping industries and redefining business strategies. As CIOs move from proof of concepts in 2024 to demonstrating tangible ROI and business value in 2025, understanding the implications for their organizations is crucial. What do CIOs need to consider as they transition from experimentation to value generation, emphasizing strategic integration and stakeholder alignment?

Join this session to discuss:

• Moving from Proof of Concepts to delivering measurable value
• Adopting an AI-First mindset on your digital strategy
• Navigating the complexities of organizational dynamics, stakeholder expectations, governance and knowledge management to achieve desired business outcomes

CIOs can enhance organizational success by strategically allocating IT resources to innovative, value-generating opportunities, rather than relying on traditional cost-cutting measures. This proactive approach aligns IT investments with business objectives, fostering long-term value creation.

Join your peers to discuss:

• Implementing cultural changes around cost management
• Anticipating the long-term implications of short-term cost cuts
• Engaging business stakeholders in cost management decisions

Gartner research predicts by 2028 there will be at least a 25% decline of women in IT leadership roles. How can we work to reverse this decline and create a supportive community in Toronto that equips women for senior roles, amplifies their visibility and mitigates bias?

Join this session of your peers to discuss:

• Building an equitable talent pipeline
• Addressing the real reasons women choose to leave the technology field
• Maintaining the spirit of DEI programs without official "branding"

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.

As the role of the CIO expands, the potential for collaboration and knowledge sharing increases. This cross-industry exchange is key to driving IT innovation and operational excellence.

Join this interactive session to dive into hot topics and:

• Engage with like-minded CIO peers on shared priorities
• Validate strategies and uncover new ways of thinking
• Hear proven best practices across industries

Technology is increasingly intertwined with organizational performance, making it more important than ever for CIOs to define and demonstrate IT’s activities in terms of business outcomes.

Join this boardroom session to discuss:

• Aligning IT strategy with business goals and objectives
• Positioning technology as a business value driver, not a cost center
• Measuring and communicating value to stakeholders

The accelerated pace of innovation in technology has emphasized cyber risk as a critical business risk across industries. CIOs must enable growth through technology, while ensuring a strong security posture.

Join this session to discuss:

• Measuring and defining the organization's cyber-risk appetite
• Ensuring business resilience through strategic IT infrastructure planning
• Communicating risk posture in common terms to key stakeholders

As advanced AI blurs the lines between the real and simulated, CIOs need to determine how to capture the upside and pre-empt emerging threats. Intelligent simulation and synthetic data are becoming powerful tools for optimizing product portfolios and supply chains, evaluating competitive scenarios or stress-testing business continuity plans. While synthetic data unlocks unprecedented potential in intelligent simulation and data privacy, these same tools fuel sophisticated disinformation campaigns, generate novel attack vectors and erode trust at scale.

Join this keynote to explore:

• How interconnected forces are reshaping the enterprise, highlighting strategic opportunities, risks and actions
• A clear understanding of how intelligent simulation and synthetic data move beyond modeling to become active components of enterprise resilience and strategic decision support
• Practical approaches to implementing pre-emptive security strategies that proactively address risks arising from AI-driven disinformation and related threats

Finish the day sharing lessons learned with your peers over light fare and drinks at this closing reception hosted by your governing body members.