CIO & CISO Think Tank

As organizations adopt multi-cloud strategies and hybrid work models, network complexity naturally is increasing. SD-WAN has revolutionized modern networking, and emerging technologies like SASE, GenAI, and Zero Trust are now expanding its possibilities for the future.

Greg Schwartzkopf, VP Systems Engineering, will break down why SD-WAN is still essential and how it fits into today’s rapidly shifting IT landscape. Learn from our industry expert about:

• The ongoing relevance of SD-WAN amid new technological advancements
• How SD-WAN is a cornerstone for SASE-driven security and networking
• Actionable insights to enhance your network’s performance and resiliency

Join us to gain the insights you need to make informed networking decisions.

Explore the transformative potential of Generative AI in this forward-looking session, where we will delve into how this cutting-edge technology is set to revolutionize business and technology landscapes. We will discuss emerging trends, anticipated advancements in the next 12-24 months, and their impact on various industries. Learn about practical applications of Generative AI, from enhancing customer experiences to driving innovation and operational efficiency. Our experts will also address the ethical considerations, regulatory challenges, and best practices for successful AI integration. Join us to gain insights into how Generative AI can unlock new opportunities and shape the future of your organization.

Sensitive data is everywhere—stored, shared, and duplicated across environments without clear ownership. Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) has emerged to help organizations regain control. In this roundtable, leaders from heavily regulated industries walk through their DSPM implementations: how they located hidden data, prioritized risks, and implemented policy-based protection at scale. Expect real-world lessons on mapping data flows, minimizing blast radius, and integrating data security into DevOps and compliance workflows. If you're struggling with data chaos, this session shows how to take charge.

Cybersecurity isn’t just a technical challenge—it’s a human one. With mounting pressure, 24/7 threats, and increasing accountability, today’s workforce is under immense stress. This leadership roundtable explores the intersection of mental wellness, organizational resilience, and insider risk. Topics include burnout detection, human error trends, building psychologically safe teams, and fostering a culture where security isn’t just enforced—but owned. Learn how executives are rethinking workforce sustainability in security, with practical strategies for retention, performance, and mental clarity at every level.

Agentic AI, autonomous systems that perceive, reason, and act with minimal human intervention is poised to redefine how work gets done. As these intelligent agents move beyond experimentation into enterprise-scale deployments, organizations must prepare to fundamentally rearchitect their digital environments.

This panel will explore how leaders can operationalize agentic AI to drive efficiency, creativity, and strategic advantage while preserving oversight, governance, and trust. Discussion topics will include designing workflows around autonomous decision-making, managing human-agent collaboration, and navigating emerging risks such as bias, security, and operational drift. Join us as we unpack what it truly means to lead in an era of intelligent, action-oriented AI and how to ensure these agents serve both your innovation goals and core business values.

In an era of escalating cyber threats, evolving attack surfaces, and accelerated digital transformation, traditional security models are no longer enough. This keynote will explore what it means to build cyber resilience in today’s complex environment—where speed, adaptability, and business alignment are paramount. From securing hybrid and multi-cloud environments to integrating AI-driven threat intelligence, we’ll examine how leaders can future-proof their security strategies while enabling innovation. Learn how to shift from reactive defense to proactive resilience, ensuring your organization can not only withstand but thrive amid disruption.

As agentic AI systems evolve from experimental tools to enterprise-grade digital workers—capable of making decisions, taking actions, and adapting in real time—they introduce a new paradigm of both possibility and risk. Unlike traditional automation, agentic AI operates with greater autonomy, raising urgent questions for security leaders: How do we ensure control? How do we manage risk when systems learn, act, and adapt independently?

This panel will explore the security implications of deploying agentic AI across business operations—from data privacy and decision integrity to real-time threat mitigation and adversarial AI risks. We'll dive into the intersection of governance, identity management, and AI observability, and how CISOs can build frameworks that safeguard both the systems and the outcomes.

In a world of rapid digital disruption, the most successful organizations are those where business strategy and IT execution move in lockstep. This panel brings together business and IT leaders to explore how to align long-term growth objectives with the right mix of emerging technologies—from AI and cloud platforms to data-driven decision-making and modern application architectures.

Panelists will discuss how to break down silos between departments, drive innovation through collaborative planning, and build agile digital infrastructures that scale with evolving business needs. Expect insights on joint KPIs, governance frameworks, and the cultural shifts required to turn IT from a support function into a strategic growth enabler.

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 the US particularly in Chicago, 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, Chicago’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.