CIO & CISO Think Tank

In a world obsessed with digital transformation, AI, and automation, it’s easy to forget the power of human connection. But the truth is—technology doesn’t lead, people do. As roles evolve and teams become more cross-functional, the ability to listen, influence, adapt, and collaborate has become just as critical as technical expertise.

Today’s CIOs, CISOs, and tech leaders are expected not only to drive innovation, but to communicate across departments, manage diverse teams, and navigate uncertainty with empathy and clarity. Emotional intelligence, storytelling, active listening, and resilience are no longer “nice to have”—they’re essential for anyone leading in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment.

Nowhere is this leadership shift more relevant than in California—particularly in Los Angeles, a city built on creativity, reinvention, and cultural diversity. Here, the ability to connect across perspectives isn’t just a professional skill—it’s a way of life. As tech and business worlds converge, LA’s unique blend of innovation and human-centered thinking offers the perfect backdrop to explore how soft skills are reshaping the future of leadership.

This session dives into why the most successful executives are blending EQ with IQ to inspire trust, build alignment, and drive lasting impact.

Join us as we demystify Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and its foundational components, which have significantly transformed the cybersecurity landscape since Gartner first introduced the concept nearly five years ago. Jeff will guide you through the evolution from traditional network security to SASE, offering a clear breakdown of key concepts such as Security Service Edge (SSE), single-vendor SASE, and Unified SASE. As SASE continues to reshape security strategies for enterprises globally, understanding these components is crucial for evaluating and selecting the right solution for your organization amidst the surrounding hype.

Discover practical ways to streamline your security strategy and enhance your defenses in today’s complex hybrid work environment. Learn how to leverage SASE to ensure consistent security across distributed locations, secure cloud applications, and robust protection of data in an increasingly dynamic cloud ecosystem. This keynote will equip you with the insights and strategies needed to adapt to modern security challenges and optimize your security posture effectively.

This session explores the pivotal role of CIOs in modernizing data to unlock its full value. In the contemporary digital landscape, data stands as a strategic asset, and CIOs are at the forefront of harnessing its potential. The abstract emphasizes the CIO's responsibility in implementing cutting-edge technologies and data management strategies that go beyond mere storage, enabling organizations to derive actionable insights. By adopting innovative approaches, such as advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and cloud solutions, CIOs can transform data into a valuable resource, driving efficiency, innovation, and informed decision-making across the enterprise. The discussion delves into the evolving responsibilities of CIOs in leading the charge towards data modernization, ensuring organizations remain competitive and agile in an increasingly data-centric world.

In the realm of building cyber resilience, organizations confront increased risk exposure amidst bold moves and evolving external challenges. Despite investments in technology and data, risk leaders, including CISOs, express difficulty in keeping pace with the persistent threat of cyber crises. However, in today's business landscape, discussions of digital transformation or reinvention are inseparable from considerations of cybersecurity. Looking ahead, stakeholders, from the board to frontline cybersecurity operations, pose critical questions about resiliency. This includes inquiries about the adequacy of efforts to safeguard the company and its customers in the face of cyber attacks. The focus shifts to identifying opportunities to minimize the impact on business and shareholder value through effective threat response. Embracing cybersecurity as a whole-of-business endeavor, organizations are urged to align themselves with business owners, adapting to changes in the cyber landscape and fortifying resilience against disruptions. Building confidence in the cybersecurity program becomes paramount in navigating the dynamic and challenging cyber landscape effectively.

Businesses and their leadership teams are increasingly being targeted – physically and digitally. Research from The Ponemon Institute shows that 42% of CISOs report attacks targeting executives' personal lives – a number that will only climb as cybercriminals evolve their attack methods.

Cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging executives’ personal digital presence as an entry point into corporate networks. Traditional cybersecurity focuses on corporate systems, leaving executives’ personal digital lives exposed – creating a significant risk vector for organizations.

This Fireside Chat between Richard and Chris is going to explore the ways that CISOs and CSOs can address this phenomenon to protect leadership, corporate assets, and brand reputation.

In an age where data flows freely and digital interactions shape every part of our lives, privacy can no longer be treated as a legal afterthought. It’s the foundation of trust—and trust is what keeps customers, partners, and employees coming back.

As expectations shift, forward-looking organizations are rethinking how they collect, manage, and communicate about data. It’s no longer just about compliance; it’s about clarity, intention, and respect. In California, where regulation meets vocal, tech-savvy users, the pressure to get it right is even greater.

This session explores how companies are moving from privacy as a checkbox to privacy as a principle—embedding transparency into user journeys, building data cultures rooted in responsibility, and turning ethics into a differentiator. Because in a world where everyone has data, only those who handle it with integrity will stand out.

AI isn’t just reshaping workflows—it’s redefining what it means to work. And in California, where innovation moves fast and talent is the greatest currency, the stakes are uniquely high. As automation spreads across industries—from tech and media to healthcare and logistics—leaders face a defining moment: will we empower people to work alongside AI, or allow AI to quietly redefine the rules?

With more than 40% of U.S. jobs expected to be impacted by AI and nearly half of today’s core skills projected to shift by 2027, the urgency is real. In Los Angeles—where creativity, reinvention, and cross-industry collaboration thrive—the question isn’t just how we adopt AI, but how we redesign work in a way that’s inclusive, responsible, and future-proof.

This session will explore how organizations are moving from fear to strategy, investing in reskilling, rethinking leadership, and creating a culture where technology amplifies human potential instead of replacing it. Because the future of work isn’t about replacement—it’s about reimagination.

CISOs are challenged to redefine their role not only as guardians of security but also as enablers of responsible and innovative data utilization. This directive emphasizes the importance of striking a balance between data protection and leveraging the full potential of organizational data assets. CISOs must collaborate with stakeholders to establish robust data governance frameworks, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations while facilitating the ethical and strategic use of data. By unlocking the value of data, CISOs contribute to the organization's competitiveness, innovation, and overall digital transformation. This session explores strategies for CISOs to harness the power of data responsibly, thereby positioning cybersecurity as an integral driver of business success in the data-driven era.

This panel discussion will take you on a journey through the forefront of technological innovation, featuring three visionary solutions poised to revolutionize the digital landscape. These pioneering solutions address pressing challenges faced by organizations worldwide, ranging from permissions management to troubleshooting live applications and system observability.

In today's dynamic digital landscape, managing permissions effectively poses a significant challenge for organizations. However, a pioneering solution emerges to address these pressing concerns by automating permissions management based on risk and usage patterns, ensuring alignment with business needs while minimizing security risks. Moreover, a revolutionary toolset empowers developers and SREs to troubleshoot live applications swiftly and efficiently, slashing mean time to resolution and delivering substantial cost savings. Dive deeper into how these groundbreaking approaches drive productivity gains and cost efficiencies for organizations worldwide.

We’ve entered an era where seeing is no longer believing. Deepfakes are becoming alarmingly convincing, AI-generated content floods our feeds, and data leaks are exposing sensitive information at a scale we’ve never seen before. While past cyber threats targeted systems, today’s threats target perception—and the consequences can be political, financial, and deeply personal.

In Los Angeles—a global hub for media, entertainment, and communications—the risks are amplified. What happens when misinformation undermines trust, or when synthetic videos cause real-world damage to brands, institutions, or public figures? This session will explore how organizations can recognize and respond to this new kind of threat, where technology, security, and reputation collide.

More than a warning, this is a call to action: to rethink our approach to digital trust, build resilience across departments, and prepare for a future where the battle isn’t just about data—but about truth itself.

In this strategic session designed for Chief Information Officers (CIOs), we delve into the transformative realm of "Innovate through Emerging Tech." As technology stewards, CIOs play a pivotal role in navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things. The session provides CIOs with actionable insights into leveraging these technologies to drive innovation within their organizations. Attendees will explore practical strategies for implementation, addressing potential challenges, and ensuring ethical considerations in adopting these disruptive technologies. Join us to empower your role as a technology leader and discover how CIOs can strategically leverage emerging tech to propel their organizations into the forefront of innovation.

Addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by CIOs in the contemporary technological landscape, the imperative to develop transformational leaders takes center stage. The heightened demand for innovation, enterprise-wide transformation, and evolving technology capabilities poses significant hurdles for CIOs, often leading to an overburdened IT department. To navigate this complexity, the focus shifts towards fostering digital transformation leaders, referred to as digital trailblazers. Gartner highlights leader and manager development as a top priority for HR in 2025, emphasizing the need for CIOs to collaborate with HR in tapping into training and development programs. By cultivating leaders skilled in transformation and change management, CIOs can enhance their department's capacity to oversee initiatives, standardize platforms, and deliver faster results, ultimately reducing friction to change within the organization. Looking ahead to 2025, this strategic approach becomes essential for CIOs seeking to strike the right balance in their digital transformation programs, avoiding the pitfalls of overpromising and under delivering.