New York continues to shape global marketing through its unique convergence of media, culture, capital, and creative talent. This session explores why NYC remains a strategic center of influence and how CMOs—regardless of location—can leverage its ecosystem, mindset, and networks to stay ahead in an increasingly fragmented attention economy.
The Future of CMO
CMO Think Tank
October 8, 2026 - Dallas, TX
Visionaries
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October 8, 2026
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Agenda
All times Central Time
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Morning Networking
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Morning Networking
9:30 AM - 9:40 AM
Opening Remarks
9:30 AM - 9:40 AM
Opening Remarks
9:40 AM - 10:05 AM
Vision Voices Keynote
The New York Effect: Why the Global Marketing Agenda Is Still Written in NYC
10:10 AM - 10:35 AM
Keynote
Data Revolution Leadership: CIOs at the Helm of Modernization for Strategic Value
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.
10:10 AM - 10:35 AM
Keynote
From Brand Awareness to Brand Authority
In saturated markets, visibility is no longer enough. Brands win by becoming trusted authorities. This session explores how CMOs move beyond awareness to build credibility, relevance, and influence through consistent positioning, thought leadership, and values-driven strategy. The discussion focuses on why brand authority has become one of the most defensible assets in modern marketing.
10:35 AM - 10:55 AM
Coffee Break
10:35 AM - 10:55 AM
Coffee Break
10:55 AM - 11:40 AM
Panel
Elevating Agility: The Strategic Imperative for CIOs in Prioritizing Cloud Engineering
In this session, we delve into the imperative for CIOs to prioritize cloud engineering in the contemporary digital landscape. As organizations increasingly rely on cloud computing for operational efficiency and innovation, CIOs play a central role in shaping robust strategies. The session emphasizes the strategic importance of cloud engineering in optimizing infrastructure, ensuring scalability, and fostering agile application development. Attendees will explore practical approaches to resource management, automation, and aligning cloud initiatives with overarching business goals. The discussion navigates the evolving realm of cloud technologies, highlighting how CIOs can strategically prioritize cloud engineering to drive competitiveness and resilience in the dynamic digital ecosystem.
10:55 AM - 11:40 AM
Panel
The CMO as Chief Narrative Architect
Organizations rarely fail due to lack of strategy—they fail when their story fragments. In moments of transformation, uncertainty, or disruption, narrative coherence becomes a strategic asset. This session positions the CMO as the executive responsible for designing, aligning, and safeguarding the organization’s narrative across customers, employees, investors, and partners. The discussion explores how narrative functions as a leadership system that drives alignment, trust, and execution.
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Vision Voices
Unleashing Innovation: CIOs Driving New Business Models through Scalable GenAI
In this dynamic session, we explore the symbiotic relationship between business evolution and the strategic role of Chief Information Officers. Focused on scaling generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) for new business models, the discussion delves into how CIOs can harness the transformative power of AI to drive innovation and reshape business paradigms. Participants will gain insights into practical approaches for integrating scalable GenAI solutions, exploring its potential to revolutionize operational efficiency, customer engagement, and overall competitiveness. The session places a spotlight on the pivotal role of CIOs in navigating the intersection of technology and business strategy, showcasing how they can spearhead initiatives that propel organizations into the next frontier of success.
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM
Vision Voices
Proving ROI When the Metrics No Longer Tell the Story
For years, marketing performance has been evaluated through metrics that reward immediacy rather than impact. Clicks, impressions, and short-term attribution models offer apparent clarity, yet increasingly fail to explain how brands actually create value, influence behavior, and drive durable growth. As markets become more saturated and customer trust harder to earn, CMOs are being challenged to justify strategic investments with tools designed for a reality that no longer exists.
This session explores how leading CMOs are redefining ROI in an environment where brand strength, reputation, customer lifetime value, and experience play a decisive role in financial performance. The discussion examines alternative measurement frameworks that move beyond isolated KPIs to connect marketing activity with revenue quality, growth sustainability, and long-term enterprise value. Participants will explore how to balance quantitative rigor with strategic judgment, integrating data, insight, and narrative to tell a more truthful story of marketing impact.
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Lunch & Networking
12:30 PM - 12:45 PM
Lunch & Disruptor Showcase
Innovation Unleashed: Navigating the Future through IT Evolution with CIOs at the Helm
In this session, embark on a transformative exploration of the evolving landscape of IT operations. Delving into the strategic imperative for Chief Information Officers to reshape and modernize their IT operating models, the discussion unfolds the critical role technology plays in driving business success. Participants will gain practical insights into the adaptive strategies CIOs can employ to enhance organizational agility, foster innovation, and align IT with overarching business goals. Join us for a dynamic conversation that unveils the power of evolving IT operating models, empowering organizations to thrive in the ever-evolving digital age.
12:50 PM - 1:35 PM
Vision Voices
Revolutionizing Tomorrow: A Deep Dive into Innovation through Emerging Technologies
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.
1:15 PM - 1:45 PM
Fireside Chat
Marketing as a Growth Engine: Aligning Brand, Demand, and Revenue
As pressure mounts to demonstrate measurable impact, CMOs are increasingly responsible for aligning brand strategy with revenue outcomes. This session explores how marketing leaders connect brand, demand generation, and growth strategy without sacrificing long-term positioning. The conversation focuses on marketing’s role as a core growth engine and its partnership with sales, finance, and executive leadership.
1:40 PM - 2:15 PM
Disruptor
Fostering Digital Trailblazers: A Strategic Imperative for CIOs in 2024
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 2024, 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 2024, 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.
1:50 PM - 2:15 PM
Disruptor
Marketing Leadership in an Era of Permanent Uncertainty
Volatility is no longer the exception—it is the operating environment. This session examines how CMOs lead through constant disruption, balancing short-term pressures with long-term brand integrity. Topics include decision-making under ambiguity, adaptive strategy design, and how marketing leaders anchor organizations through purpose, narrative, and clarity when certainty disappears.
2:20 PM - 2:35 PM
Vision Voices
The Future of Digital Strategy in a Rapidly Evolving Landscape
The future of digital strategy in a rapidly evolving landscape is poised to be both dynamic and transformative. As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, organizations must adapt their digital strategies to stay competitive and relevant. Data-driven decision-making, AI and machine learning integration, and a seamless user experience will be at the forefront. With the growing importance of sustainability and ethical considerations, digital strategies will also need to incorporate responsible practices. Furthermore, the rise of new platforms and communication channels, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, will require businesses to be agile and innovative in their approach. Success in this evolving landscape will depend on a proactive and flexible approach to digital strategy, ensuring that organizations can not only keep up with change but also lead in shaping the digital future.
2:20 PM - 2:55 PM
Vision Voices
The Future of Digital Strategy in a Rapidly Evolving Landscape
The future of digital strategy in a rapidly evolving landscape is poised to be both dynamic and transformative. As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, organizations must adapt their digital strategies to stay competitive and relevant. Data-driven decision-making, AI and machine learning integration, and a seamless user experience will be at the forefront. With the growing importance of sustainability and ethical considerations, digital strategies will also need to incorporate responsible practices. Furthermore, the rise of new platforms and communication channels, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, will require businesses to be agile and innovative in their approach. Success in this evolving landscape will depend on a proactive and flexible approach to digital strategy, ensuring that organizations can not only keep up with change but also lead in shaping the digital future.
2:35 PM - 2:55 PM
Networking Break
2:55 PM - 3:10 PM
Networking Break
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Disruptor
AI Did Not Kill Creativity. It Exposed Weak Strategy
Generative AI has dramatically lowered the cost and time required to produce content, flooding markets with volume but not necessarily with meaning. In this environment, creativity has not disappeared. It has been stress tested. The real differentiator is no longer execution speed, but strategic clarity. Without strong foundations, AI amplifies inconsistency, weak positioning, and shallow narratives.
This session reframes AI not as a threat to creativity, but as a strategic mirror that exposes the strength or fragility of a brand’s thinking. The discussion examines how clear brand architecture, disciplined narrative frameworks, and human judgment determine whether AI becomes a force multiplier or a reputational risk. Participants will explore where automation creates efficiency and where human insight remains irreplaceable.
The conversation also addresses leadership in an AI accelerated world. How CMOs set guardrails, govern creative use cases, and elevate standards rather than chase volume. How creativity shifts from production to direction, from output to intent. And why the future of marketing leadership depends less on mastering tools and more on mastering strategy, taste, and decision making.
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Vision Voices
Modern Pioneers: Navigating Digital Transformation in 2024
CIOs play a crucial role in driving their organization's digital transformation efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies, and CIOs must continue to lead the way to stay competitive and meet the evolving needs of customers and employees. This requires a deep understanding of the organization's goals, processes, and IT infrastructure, as well as collaboration with other business leaders. By successfully leading digital transformation, CIOs can position their company for long-term success in a digital world.
3:35 PM - 4:10 PM
Vision Voices
Strategic Shifts: Reimagining Engineering Talent Deployment and Management in the Age of GenAI
Unlock insights into the evolving landscape of talent deployment and retention as board expectations drive CIOs to rethink traditional IT talent models. Explore the impact of GenAI on coding processes and the software engineering lifecycle, and discover strategies for optimizing talent allocation and headcounts. Gain actionable insights into defining new roles, cultivating essential skills, and charting GenAI-centric career paths to align with organizational goals and stay ahead in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
3:35 PM - 4:20 PM
Panel
Reimagining the Marketing Operating Model in the Age of GenAI
As GenAI reshapes how marketing work gets done, CMOs are rethinking talent models, team structures, and workflows. This fireside chat explores how leaders are redesigning marketing organizations to scale intelligently—balancing automation with human judgment, creativity, and accountability.
4:10 PM - 4:20 PM
Closing Remarks & Raffle Giveaway
4:20 PM - 5:30 PM
Cocktail Networking
4:20 PM - 4:30 PM
Closing Remarks & Raffle Giveaway
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Cocktail Networking
