2026 UK & Ireland CIO Community Inner Circle

CIOUK & Ireland CIO CommunityUK & Ireland CIO Programs

Collaborate with your peers

Join UK & Ireland'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:

Assuming leadership of cross-functional AI adoption

Achieving operational resilience through strategic agility and risk management

Uncovering real value from technology investments

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Debra Bailey

OSB Group
Group CIO

Agenda

4 March 2026

16:30 - 17:30 Executive Networking Reception

17:30 - 18:30 Discussion Topics

Pivoting Under Pressure – Strategic Shifts for Organisational Agility

Amit Mehrotra

Vice President, Head of UK & Ireland region

Tata Communications

Barry Nee

CIO

Practice Plus Group

Rachel Dickson

Group CIO & CISO

Lancashire Insurance

James Eaton

CTO

M&G Plc

Linz Phillips

Group CIO

Croda

Jeremy Axe

CTO

DS Smith

Russ Smith

VP, Technology

AstraZeneca

Eugenia Planas

CIO

Bank of England

CIO success in the months ahead will depend on strategic pivots rather than static plans, as economic and geopolitical turbulence persists and AI becomes a cornerstone of IT strategies. Despite these complexities, IT budgets are expected to grow only marginally in 2026. CIOs will face sustained pressures to improve employee productivity and translate those gains into measurable financial impact.

To succeed, CIOs must know how—and when—to decisively terminate underperforming projects, weigh global versus local vendor trade-offs, and mitigate risk in a complex regulatory environment.

How can CIOs ensure AI investments deliver measurable financial impact—not just efficiency gains?
What proven approaches convert employee productivity gains into measurable business value?
What strategies enable CIOs to continuously reprioritize IT initiatives amid ongoing disruption?
How should sourcing strategies adapt to new digital sovereignty laws and geopolitical risks?

18:30 - 19:00 Networking Break

19:00 - 20:30 Summary Discussion & Dinner

20:30 - 21:30 Social Hour

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Each application is carefully vetted to ensure members meet established criteria, preserving the quality of the network and enabling meaningful, peer‑level discussions among leaders from the world’s leading organizations.

Once you submit your application, a Community Program Manager will schedule a conversation to understand your priorities and interests and complete onboarding, including access to year‑round community events.

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Community Member Criteria

To maintain the highest standard of peer‑level connections and discussions, members must meet the following criteria:

• Enterprise-wide C-Level or

• Business unit or regional C-Level responsible for:

- Private sector: $500M+ in revenue

- Public sector: 1,000+ employees

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Location

Venue

Jumeirah Carlton Tower

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Community Programme Manager

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

Heather Mitchell

Community Programme Manager

heather.mitchell@gartner.com