Biggest Moments from EMEA CIO Communities in 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, CIOs in Evanta’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) communities can reflect upon a fantastic year of new connections and learnings. This year brought many firsts, with the launch of two new communities in the Middle East and Italy, and we are proud to have hosted the first Middle East Executive Summit in Saudi Arabia and the inaugural Italy Inner Circle in Milan. In addition, the Nordic CIO community was excited to be back together in Copenhagen for their first in-person program since 2019.

Throughout the year, CIOs gathered at over 40 programs across the EMEA region, and three common themes guided the agendas – Amplifying Value Through Digital Ecosystems, Accelerating Growth with Agility and Innovation, and Authoring the Future through Culture, Influence & Technology. 

Here, we are sharing some of the top-rated content our CIO communities members were most excited about this year.
 

Highly-Rated Presentations

Keynote: Three Magic Ingredients of Transformation
In this keynote at the Middle East CIO Executive Summit, Mary Mesaglio, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner highlighted the three pillars your organisation must focus on to ensure your transformation is successful. She said, “Define the change you want to incorporate into your strategy, use principles rather than processes to guide your actions and focus on driving a cultural change to make your transformation stick.” 

Keynote: The Last Frontier – Global Digitalisation in the Construction Industry
In her opening keynote at the France CIO Executive Summit, Ursula Soritsch-Renier, Group Chief Digital & Information Officer, Saint Gobain shared how the Group embraced digitalisation to reshape the construction industry. From using materials with a lighter carbon footprint to embedding IT as a pillar in the wider Group’s strategy, there has been a fundamental shift in the Group’s way of working to incorporate digitalisation.

Keynote: Value vs. Risk – A Thoughtful Approach to Generative AI
For CIOs, there’s nothing new about managing internal expectations on hyped technologies, but recent advancements in AI have caused an increased and urgent demand for the evaluation and adoption of generative AI models. In this panel discussion, some of the most influential CIOs in the DACH region came together for this honest and engaging conversation to share the real impact AI is having on their organisations and what real-life application looks like in the present and future. The CIOs on stage were:

• Sandeep Sen, Global CIO, Linde Plc 
• Tobias Fausch, CIO, BayWa Deutschland 
• Gülnaz Önes, Global CIO, Mercedes-Benz Mobility 
• Andre Rothfuss, VP Information Technology, BorgWarner 
• Ralf Werner, CIO & CDO, OGE 

Breakout: Sustainability: What’s Stopping You?
There are many reasons for CIOs to be cautious about what’s ahead – but the sustainability agenda isn't one of them. During this workshop session at the UK & Ireland CIO Executive Summit in October, Darren Sharp, Group CIO, Tokio Marine Kiln shared thoughts and insights into why and how CIOs should lead the sustainability discussion in their organisations, as well as key actions that can be taken now to lead the agenda.

Breakout: Creating a Transformational Technology Community Through Business Engagement and Cultural Change
As part of an engaging and informative session at the UK & Ireland CIO Executive Summit, Mark Hall, Legal & General Group’s CTO shared some impactful examples of how CIOs should coordinate technology efforts across the organisation and the importance of engaging the Board of Technology through the power of influence. 

Breakout: Closing Digital Skills Gaps — Partnering with the Business for Digital Talent Exploration
Digital upskilling across the organisation consistently ranks in the top priorities for IT executives. At the Benelux CIO Executive Summit, Chris Franskin of Solvay shared how his organisation is building transparency between IT and business partners to drive forward digital businesses and how CIOs can leverage leadership and influence to ensure key talent is retained and upskilled across the business.
 

Most Popular Content

• Blog: 9 CIO Trends in 2023
  These are the top trends in CIOs’ mission critical priorities, business objectives, and planned spending for the year - based on results from our annual Leadership Perspective Survey.
• Blog: 3 Key Themes for CIOs in 2023
  At the start of 2023, we examined the three themes guiding the CIO agenda for the year.
• Infographic: 2023 CIO Leadership Perspectives
  This year, thousands of CIOs from the world’s leading organisations completed our annual Leadership Perspective Survey, sharing their mission critical priorities and investment areas for 2023 – view the findings here.
• Infographic: CIO Community Pulse on AI & Your Business  
  Generative AI is one of the hottest topics of the year, and we asked 350 CIOs about their current approach to AI and their thoughts about the opportunities and risks of recent technological advancements.
• Podcast: How to Integrate Technology Teams with Bernard Mikael of EY
  In this episode of the Next Big Question podcast, Bernard Mikael, Chief Information & Transformation Officer of EY and member of the France CIO Community discussed how to integrate technology across the enterprise and lessons learned for enacting digital transformation and organisational change.
• Governing Body Spotlight: Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer, CIO, NATO
  In this interview, Governing Body Member of the Benelux CIO Community, Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer shares his career journey, the impact of disruption on the role of CIO and advice for fellow technology leaders.

In the new year, CIOs in Evanta’s EMEA communities will continue to convene, build peer connections and address their mission critical priorities together. In 2024, we anticipate CIOs will be focusing on the following three themes:

• Shaping the Efficient Enterprise with AI & Automation
• Strengthening Partnerships for Wider Business Impact
• Illustrating IT’s Value through Business-first Initiatives

Stay up-to-date with your Evanta CIO community by applying to join your local community or finding an opportunity to connect with CIO peers on our calendar.