2026 Edition
The Rise of Agentic Systems
As organizations accelerate digital investment, CIOs face a complex set of challenges: modernizing legacy systems, addressing rising technical debt, embedding cybersecurity, ensuring regulatory compliance, and preparing their workforce for technology-driven change.
Shivika Singh
Jonathon Valentine
Nic Granger
Rajesh Jethwa
Ekua Cant
Giorgia Prestento
Hasani Jess
Lauren Dally
Lauren is a forward-thinking strategist with a deep passion for cultivating client-centric IT capabilities and launching innovative digital products. With a proven track record spanning over a decade, she has consistently achieved strategic objectives by leading cross-functional teams in diverse sectors, including finance, insurance, healthcare, and corporate wellness.
Lauren thrives in fast-paced, complex environments and excel in senior and executive-level managerial roles, specializing in key IT-related functions such as Product Management, IT Delivery, Programme Management, and Project Management. She has a successful history of implementing Agile methodologies, including SAFe and ‘Tribe’ models, within various organizations, earning recognition as an Agile Champion.
Her leadership experience extends to managing teams of varying sizes, from small groups to large teams of 250 members, to effectively deliver products and projects across the entire IT development lifecycle. She is passionate about driving positive change, optimizing processes, and achieving excellence in client-centric solutions.
Her commitment to excellence has earned several notable awards and recognitions, including the esteemed Next CIO 2023 Award.
Chris Leong
Event Sessions
One Day Event 4:15 pm
Closing Panel: Agentic AI: Strategic Opportunities and Operational Challenges for CIOs
Agentic AI – systems capable of autonomous decision-making is no longer a distant concept: it’s becoming a critical tool for enterprise innovation. But with strategic opportunity comes operational complexity. How can CIOs harness these technologies to drive efficiency, insight, and competitive advantage while managing risk, compliance, and ethical considerations?
Join this panel to discuss the real-world implications of agentic AI in the enterprise. IDC states that only 13% of proofs-of-concept (PoCs) make it to production, which highlights the execution gap CIOs must close. This panel will explore how to evaluate AI adoption, integrate autonomous systems into existing operations, and ensure responsible use, all while maintaining control and delivering measurable business impact whilst practical insights into how CIOs are balancing innovation with accountability in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Basit Tanveer
Event Sessions
One Day Event 4:15 pm
Closing Panel: Agentic AI: Strategic Opportunities and Operational Challenges for CIOs
Agentic AI – systems capable of autonomous decision-making is no longer a distant concept: it’s becoming a critical tool for enterprise innovation. But with strategic opportunity comes operational complexity. How can CIOs harness these technologies to drive efficiency, insight, and competitive advantage while managing risk, compliance, and ethical considerations?
Join this panel to discuss the real-world implications of agentic AI in the enterprise. IDC states that only 13% of proofs-of-concept (PoCs) make it to production, which highlights the execution gap CIOs must close. This panel will explore how to evaluate AI adoption, integrate autonomous systems into existing operations, and ensure responsible use, all while maintaining control and delivering measurable business impact whilst practical insights into how CIOs are balancing innovation with accountability in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Alpesh Doshi
Event Sessions
One Day Event 4:15 pm
Closing Panel: Agentic AI: Strategic Opportunities and Operational Challenges for CIOs
Agentic AI – systems capable of autonomous decision-making is no longer a distant concept: it’s becoming a critical tool for enterprise innovation. But with strategic opportunity comes operational complexity. How can CIOs harness these technologies to drive efficiency, insight, and competitive advantage while managing risk, compliance, and ethical considerations?
Join this panel to discuss the real-world implications of agentic AI in the enterprise. IDC states that only 13% of proofs-of-concept (PoCs) make it to production, which highlights the execution gap CIOs must close. This panel will explore how to evaluate AI adoption, integrate autonomous systems into existing operations, and ensure responsible use, all while maintaining control and delivering measurable business impact whilst practical insights into how CIOs are balancing innovation with accountability in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Aaron Kalvani
Aaron Kalvani serves as an Independent Global AI Strategist and Advisor on Multilateral AI Governance for the United Nations.
He guides how data and advanced AI are introduced into large-scale intergovernmental and institutional systems, with a focus on building trusted data foundations, regulatory integrity, and long-term structural resilience.
Through partnerships with international organisations, governments and cross-border initiatives, he shapes governance frameworks and institutional architectures that turn policy into practice, supporting responsible use of AI across borders, sectors, and public missions.
Silky Vaidya
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:40 am
Opening Panel Discussion: From Cyber Risk to Digital Trust: The CIO’s Role in Security, Sovereignty and Strategic Control
As organisations become increasingly data-driven and cloud-dependent, CIOs sit at the centre of a growing web of cyber risk, regulatory pressure and strategic accountability. Moving beyond traditional security models, this panel explores how CIOs are redefining digital trust not just through technology, but through governance, supplier choices and control over critical data and systems.
The discussion will examine the CIO’s role in navigating digital sovereignty, managing third-party and geopolitical risk, and balancing innovation with resilience. Listen to CIOs sharing practical insights on the decisions they are making today to protect their organisations, maintain autonomy, and build trust with boards, regulators and customers in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
Amy Jones
Amy Jones is Chief Transformation Officer at Emerald Publishing, where she brings people, process and technology together to accelerate real world impact. In 2025, Amy was named to the CIO 100 UK list and received the Visionary Leadership in Technology award, recognising her people first approach to purposeful transformation. At Emerald, her remit spans delivery excellence, IT operations and modern engineering. Amy focuses on building resilient platforms, clearer ways of working and a culture where change sticks—so teams can move faster with confidence. A committed advocate for women in tech, she mentors emerging leaders and is hands on about making inclusion practical, not performative. She’s also a proponent of ethical AI, championing transparent governance, human in the loop design and tools that augment judgement while protecting trust.
Manuj Sarpal
Manoj Kumar
Gokul Ramasubramanian
Bukky Yusuf
Bukky Yusuf is a senior leader, leadership coach and author, working with educators on a national and international basis. She has undertaken several leadership roles within mainstream and special school settings.
Beyond the classroom, Bukky is a Trustee and an Ed Tech Thought Leader with a variety of experiences that includes serving as an Advisory Council member for Good Future Foundation. In 2019, she was appointed by the Department of Education as co-chair for the EdTech Leadership Group to support the Government’s EdTech strategy.
Bukky has been awarded fellowship status within the industry in particular the Chartered College of Teaching (FCCT) and the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) for her work in education.
Lydia Nicola
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:40 am
Opening Panel Discussion: From Cyber Risk to Digital Trust: The CIO’s Role in Security, Sovereignty and Strategic Control
As organisations become increasingly data-driven and cloud-dependent, CIOs sit at the centre of a growing web of cyber risk, regulatory pressure and strategic accountability. Moving beyond traditional security models, this panel explores how CIOs are redefining digital trust not just through technology, but through governance, supplier choices and control over critical data and systems.
The discussion will examine the CIO’s role in navigating digital sovereignty, managing third-party and geopolitical risk, and balancing innovation with resilience. Listen to CIOs sharing practical insights on the decisions they are making today to protect their organisations, maintain autonomy, and build trust with boards, regulators and customers in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
Carl Davis
Carl Davis is CTO of Keensight Capital’s Performance Team, partnering with portfolio companies on tech value creation and AI across cybersecurity, post-merger integration, software architecture, cloud strategy, and scaling engineering organisations. He was recognised in the CIO 100 UK in 2025 and 2022.
Sharon Parmar
Alex Butler
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:40 am
Opening Panel Discussion: From Cyber Risk to Digital Trust: The CIO’s Role in Security, Sovereignty and Strategic Control
As organisations become increasingly data-driven and cloud-dependent, CIOs sit at the centre of a growing web of cyber risk, regulatory pressure and strategic accountability. Moving beyond traditional security models, this panel explores how CIOs are redefining digital trust not just through technology, but through governance, supplier choices and control over critical data and systems.
The discussion will examine the CIO’s role in navigating digital sovereignty, managing third-party and geopolitical risk, and balancing innovation with resilience. Listen to CIOs sharing practical insights on the decisions they are making today to protect their organisations, maintain autonomy, and build trust with boards, regulators and customers in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
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