
UK & Ireland CIO Community
Executive Summit
16 October 2024 | Convene 155 Bishopsgate, London
16 October 2024
Convene 155 Bishopsgate, London
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with UK & Ireland'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:
Leading the Organisation Through Advanced Technology Adoption
Embracing Adaptive Leadership to Forge Business Partnerships and Navigate Uncertain Futures
Delivering Digital Innovation to Drive Value Across the Enterprise
UK & Ireland 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

Claire Dickson
Haleon
CDTO

David Germain
QBE Insurance Group Ltd
Group CIO

Javed Iqbal
BAT
CDIO

Kate Platonova
Shell
SVP & CIO, Downstream & Renewables
What to Expect
Agenda
08:00 - 09:00 Registration & Breakfast
09:00 - 09:45 Keynote
Sustainability & Digital Acceleration — A Journey of People, Data and Technology

Kirsty Bennett
CIO
Bentley
In today’s dynamic business landscape, digital acceleration is a critical driver of success, enabling organisations to adapt, innovate and thrive. From helping production lines run efficiently and looking after the wellbeing of people, to learning more about customers, digital is central to every part of Bentley Motors. However, lifecycles of technology are rapidly shortening, making it challenging for CIOs to keep ahead of the curve, and ensure IT becomes a positive enabler for sustainability. Join Kirsty Bennett, CIO, Bentley Motors, as she shares her insights into:
- Bentley’s digital journey, and how IT is becoming an enabler for positive change through the ‘Beyond100’ strategy
- The critical factors that enabled successful adoption and scalability of digital initiatives
- How to engage and leverage the rise of capabilities from new generations
09:45 - 10:00 Break
10:00 - 10:45 Breakout Session
Outpacing the Adversary — Securing AI Innovation Before It’s Too Late
Hosted by Palo Alto Networks

Haider Pasha
Chief Security Officer, EMEA & LATAM
Palo Alto Networks
In an era where threats evolve with unprecedented speed and sophistication, IT & Security leaders must rise to the challenge. As attackers harness AI, the role of CIOs becomes pivotal in safeguarding their organisation without stifling innovation. Haider Pasha, Chief Security Officer, EMEA & LATAM at Palo Alto Networks will share insights on how to balance these two priorities and keep on track to achieve enterprise priorities.
In this session, you will learn how to:
- Anticipate and counteract the demands of the new threat landscape
- Future- proof your AI journey to embrace innovation and protect the organisation
- Drive cybersecurity consolidation with proven TCO benefits
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
A New Era of Computing — Embracing Security, Sustainability and the Modern End-Point
Hosted by ChromeOS

Jenny Wood
Group CIO
Skipton Building Society

Matt Stevens
Chrome Enterprise Lead, UK and Benelux
Google Chrome Enterprise

Claire Whitmore
Head of Digital Technology
E.ON UK
CIOs today face a technology paradox. Businesses depend on familiar, yet often outdated, legacy systems. At the same time, the need for modern, web-based solutions is undeniable. This creates a daunting challenge: bridging the gap between the familiar and the future. What are best practices to navigate the complexities of an evolving tech landscape? Join this boardroom to discuss:
- How CIOs can drive efficient endpoint security and management to drive productivity
- Strategies to lower costs and optimise the modern endpoint
- Contributing towards a sustainable future through IT and endpoint management
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
Resilient IT — The Key Driver Setting You Apart from the Competition
Hosted by Appian

Antony Hausdoerfer
Group CIO
The AA

Chris Howes
Group Chief Digital & Information Officer
DEFRA

Barrie Green
Regional Vice President, UK&I Broad Markets
Appian
Recent IT outages have demonstrated why building resilience into your IT strategy is vital to improving reliability across the business. As a CIO, how do you create a culture of collaboration, automation, metrics and sharing that cascades throughout the organisation to enable business continuity, mitigating operational risks. Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Ensuring robust workflows are in place to drive business continuity and auditable business processes
- Driving next-gen process excellence to enhance operational efficiency and risk management
- How CIOs can improve reliability and tolerability, across the organisation to combat business continuity risks
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
Next Generation CIO Programme — Laying the Groundwork for Becoming a CIO

Tina Parfitt
International Partner, EMEA Technology and Data Solutions
Cushman & Wakefield

Ankur Anand
Group CIO
Nash Squared
The success of the modern enterprise increasingly hinges upon all things digital. This heralds the continued evolution of the CIO role, whose scope has needed to develop to be a representative that can successfully spearhead the digital enterprise. As such, the skills and traits of the prospective CIO have also shifted dramatically – and continue to do so.
The question for any aspiring CIO, then, should be which attributes are currently sought after, and what are the realities of the role?
Join this session to gain insights on:
- The level of commitment expected of a CIO and how this might differ across organisations of varying sizes and sectors
- How to understand and overcome hurdles and blockers while transitioning into the CIO role
- How to sustain a healthy work-life balance
10:45 - 11:50 Networking Break
10:55 - 11:40 Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
11:50 - 12:35 Breakout Session
Acting Differently for AI Success — Smarter Strategies for Adoption
Hosted by Amdaris, an Insight company

Mihai Cernei
CTO
Amdaris

Craig Spurdle
Director Wholesale IT & Automation (Europe)
PHOENIX Group

Daniel Watkins
Chief Technology & Innovation Officer
JCDecaux

Lex Aling
CIO
Johnson Matthey

Phil Hawkshaw
CTO EMEA
Amdaris
According to Gartner, Generative AI is now the most frequently deployed AI solution in organisations. Yet the biggest barrier to adoption continues to be estimating and demonstrating business value. How, then, should CIOs alleviate some of these key challenges that allow them to scale their AI deployments efficiently and safely. Join this session to discuss:
- How to better estimate and demonstrate the value of AI projects
- What mature organisations do differently for AI success
- Smart investment on upskilling and change management across the organisation
11:50 - 12:35 Breakout Session
Transforming Application and Service Delivery for the Modern IT Environment
Hosted by Island

Scott Montgomery
VP, Strategic Initiatives
Island
Delivering business critical applications safely is a delicate balancing act. The user experience is frequently compromised as application, infrastructure, and security teams negotiate the adoption of new services. Unfortunate trade-offs are sometimes necessary to address operational needs for the sake of maintaining security, but these trade-offs can make certain use cases unfeasible or diminish their value to the organisation.
In this session, we will discuss:
- Revolutionising workspaces by balancing productivity, security, availability, and user experience
- How quickly new technologies like the enterprise browser can be adopted to provide a competitive advantage
- Strategies for reducing the effort required to deliver applications and enhance organisational operations
11:50 - 12:35 Executive Boardroom
Solving the Digital Skills Gap for New Ways of Working
Hosted by Multiverse

Annie Smith
Head of Generation Information Systems
EDF Energy

Ian Jackson
CIO
Dstl

Simon Carmichael
Enterprise Regional Director
Multiverse
Skill and talent shortages are a consistent roadblock for CIOs — a trend that will only continue as technology continues to evolve at pace. In order to stay competitive in a changing technology landscape and position the organisation for future success, CIOs need a proactive plan.
Join this session to discuss:
- Evaluating the skills needed to successfully execute on digital initiatives
- Assessing current capabilities to build effective development strategies
- Creating a thriving culture of IT/Business alignment for continuous upskilling at scale
11:50 - 12:35 Executive Boardroom
Elevating Innovation — The Power of Product-Aligned Strategies
Hosted by HCLTech

Charlotte Baldwin
Global Chief Digital & Information Officer
Costa Coffee

Stuart McDowell
CIO, UK
Société Générale

Shobhit Kumar
Senior Vice President & Europe Head - Consumer, Retail, Travel & Logistics
HCL Technologies
Rapidly emerging technologies and evolving consumer preferences mean that traditional approaches of driving growth through IT must change. Product-aligned strategies mark a shift away from traditional approach but, as a CIO, this presents operational challenges that sit squarely with you, and other business leaders, to ensure that new delivery and operating models are structured to maximise business impact and efficiency. How can CIOs leverage product aligned strategies to foster innovation and drive sustainable growth?
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Identifying and prioritising technology development in alignment with business objectives
- Aligning funding with the organisation's priorities
- Emphasising outcomes rather than focus on projects and tasks
11:50 - 12:50 Executive Boardroom
Next Generation CIO Programme — The Game Changing Aspiring CIO — How to Lead with Impact

Georgina Pawley
CEO & Founder - Life Body Health
Guest Speaker
As CIOs face ever-expanding responsibilities in their roles, they must remain effective in dealing with uncertainty and change. How can aspiring CIOs make sure they are leading and communicating with impact to drive forward successful digital business initiatives and position themselves as true business partners? Join Georgina Pawley, CEO & Founder, Life Body Health, as she takes you through an innovative measurement framework to better understand how your personal leadership qualities can have the most impact within your organisation. Specifically, this session will drive insights into:
- A better understanding of your individual leadership tendencies to maximise your impact in the organisation
- How CIOs can drive better collaboration and communication across their teams
- Developing your skills in areas where you are naturally motivated to contribute
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the UK & Ireland 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
Convene 155 Bishopsgate, LondonHotels Nearby
45 Curtain Rd
Shoreditch
London EC2A 3PT
0.4 Miles
12-20 Osborn Street
London E1 6TE
0.6 Miles
Andaz, London Liverpool Street
40 Liverpool St
London EC2M 7QN
0.1 Miles
Evanta does not have any affiliation with the suggested hotels listed. The list above is solely for informational purposes.
Community Programme Manager
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