CIO Summit & Awards Canada
The Rise of Agentic Systems
Modernize. Secure. Innovate. Lead with the power of Agentic-AI
The IDC Canada CIO Summit is the premier event for senior Canadian technology and business executives shaping enterprise strategy and digital leadership. Designed for CIOs, CTOs, and senior IT and transformation leaders across Canada, this one-day summit delivers high-impact insights and actionable strategies in modernization, resilience, risk, AI-driven innovation, and measurable business value in a time of rapid change.
Canadian CIOs face a complex mandate: modernizing legacy systems, reducing technical debt, embedding cybersecurity and compliance, and readying the workforce for AI-enabled and autonomous operations.
Meanwhile, Canadian organizations are moving beyond experimentation (in 2025, 79% of Canadian organizations have either introduced GenAI in production or plan to in the next 12 months). Agentic AI is on the horizon. These autonomous systems, capable of decision-making, task execution, and self-learning, are reshaping the innovation landscape. As Canadian organizations intensify AI deployment, CIOs must lead the governance, policy, and architectural shifts that ensure safe, scalable AI adoption.
IDC’s analysts and industry experts will support you in building adaptive technology foundations, reducing technical debt, and operationalizing AI (including Agentic AI) responsibly and at scale, all while aligning digital strategy with business outcomes. Through keynotes, panels, and collaborative discussions, this summit equips Canadian CIOs with the frameworks, benchmarks, and leadership tools to navigate disruption, govern AI adoption, and lead sustainable enterprise transformation.
Expert Perspectives
Hear from global thought leaders, visionary CIOs, and celebrity speakers redefining technology, leadership, and innovation across the region.
IDC Keynote: Scaling AI for the Agentic Future: Closing the Enterprise Gaps
Enterprises have moved past AI pilots, but scaling agentic AI across the business exposes gaps in governance, talent, data readiness, and infrastructure. This keynote draws on IDC research to show where organizations are stalling and what the leaders are doing differently. CIOs and CTOs will leave with a practical framework for closing those gaps and a clearer view of what it takes to move autonomous, adaptive workflows from experiment to enterprise-wide value.
Bob Parker | IDC
Senior Vice President, Enterprise Applications, Data Intelligence, Services, and Industry Research
Bob Parker
Bob Parker is a Senior Vice President responsible for several areas of research at IDC. Bob leads the global industry research teams which includes coverage of healthcare, government, retail, energy, manufacturing, and financial services as well as a cross industry group looking at emerging topics such as blockchain and robotics. Additionally, Bob leads our teams in the enterprise applications space, services, and the IDC coverage of data intelligence which includes coverage of artificial intelligence.
Bob has been conducting industry research for over twenty years including five years at AMR Research before joining IDC. Prior to entering the research field, Bob spent over fifteen years in various Information Technology and Operational management roles in the manufacturing industry including serving as the Chief Information Officer at Eastern Technologies, a defense contractor.
Event Sessions
Day 0 4:05 pm
IDC Q&A Panel: AI & Data in 2030 – What Leaders Must Prepare For
AI and data will fundamentally redefine competitive dynamics, business models, and workforce expectations. Leaders must anticipate disruptive technological shifts, invest in adaptive strategies, and cultivate organizational resilience to harness the full potential of an AI-driven future.
Day 0 9:50 am
IDC Keynote: Scaling AI for the Agentic Future: Closing the Enterprise Gaps
Enterprises have moved past AI pilots, but scaling agentic AI across the business exposes gaps in governance, talent, data readiness, and infrastructure. This keynote draws on IDC research to show where organizations are stalling and what the leaders are doing differently. CIOs and CTOs will leave with a practical framework for closing those gaps and a clearer view of what it takes to move autonomous, adaptive workflows from experiment to enterprise-wide value.
Venue
Address: 75 Lower Simcoe St, Toronto, ON M5J 3A6
Located near the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, CN Tower, and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.
Delta Hotels Toronto
Nearby Transportation
- Bus Station
Union Station Bus Terminal (GO bus)
- Subway Station
Union Station
- Train Station
UP Express Station in Union Station to Pearson Airport