Agenda
CIO Excellence Awards & Symposium
Tue, Nov 24
Registration & Networking
IDC Welcome Address
The Evolving Role of the CIO: From IT Leader to Business Strategist
The CIO is evolving from an IT operator into a strategic business leader — using technologies like AI, cloud, and analytics to drive growth, collaborate across the C-suite, and lead organizational change.
Eren Eser | IDC
Associate Research Director, Türkiye
Eren Eser
Eren is a seasoned analyst with 20+ years of experience in the ICT sector. He directs all IDC ICT research and consulting engagements in Türkiye, and all sustainability research and consulting projects across the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa (META).
Based in Istanbul, Eren has been involved in projects ranging from market forecasts to strategic consulting engagements on market entry, competitive analysis, go-to-market strategies, technology marketing, and end-user studies. Eren’s vast experience in the IT services, cloud, software, and telecommunications domains helps IDC clients understand the impact of technology-enabled, sustainable transformation processes in the context of sustainable digital business strategies, operations, products, and services. In addition to his research and consulting activities, Eren is a speaker at industry events.
Prior to joining IDC in 2017, Eren spent more than a decade in IT industry roles spanning portfolio management, channel and business development, pricing, and software development at companies including Turk Telekom and TAI.
Eren earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering and an MBA focused on technology road mapping for strategy and innovation, both from Middle East Technical University. He received a master of science in information systems, with a thesis on modeling mobile telecommunications services, from Middle East Technical University. During his academic endeavors, he studied for one semester at the University of Copenhagen, and for one semester at Harvard University. He is pursuing a marketing PhD focused on sustainability.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 09:05
The Evolving Role of the CIO: From IT Leader to Business Strategist
The CIO is evolving from an IT operator into a strategic business leader — using technologies like AI, cloud, and analytics to drive growth, collaborate across the C-suite, and lead organizational change.
The New AI Value Playbook: Making AI Business Value Visible and Measurable
Proving the business value of AI has become the defining challenge of the enterprise AI era. Traditional ROI models, built for predictable IT investments, fall short when applied to AI initiatives that reshape workflows, accelerate decisions, and create entirely new revenue streams. IDC predicts that by 2027, 55% of G1000 CIOs will be tasked with creating enterprise AI value playbooks featuring expanded ROI frameworks that capture efficiency, growth, and innovation impact. This panel brings together senior CIOs to unpack what those playbooks look like in practice, how to instrument AI investments, communicate value to the board, and translate model performance into tangible business outcomes.
Mert Oruz
CIO, Arkas Holding
Gökhan Gökçay
CIO, Akbank
Önder Kaplancık
CIO, Zorlu Holding
Şerafettin Özer
CDO, LCWaikiki
Modernizing Digital Infrastructure for the AI Economy
The Cloud-Data Convergence: Powering Türkiye’s Intelligent Infrastructure
Why Data and App Modernization Can’t Wait
AI and Automation: Transforming Security Operations
Scaling AI from Pilot to Enterprise-Wide Deployment
Tea/Coffee & Networking Break
Platinum Partners Track Sessions
Track A
11:25 – 11:35
Aligning IT with Business Outcomes
11:35 – 23:45
Measuring Digital Success
11:45 – 11:55
The Human Side of AI and Data
11:55 – 12:25
Change Management in the AI Era: People, Processes, and Business Transformation
Engin Kavas
CTO, Aydem Enerji
Köksal Küçükada
CIO, Sanko Holding
Altuğ Soydan
IT & Digital Transformation Director, OTOKAR
Zeynep Yasemin Tekşen Altaş
IT Group Manager, Kuveyt Türk Katılım Bankası
Track B
11:25 – 11:35
AI-Driven Productivity and Automation
11:35 – 11:45
Driving Business Value with AI & Data
11:45 – 11:55
Sustainability and the CIO Mandate
11:55 – 00:25
Co-Creating the Future Workforce: Aligning Technology, Skills, and Culture for an AI-Driven Enterprise
Beste Müminoğlu Güren
Head of IT Emerging Markets & Türkiye, BSH Elektrikli Ev Aletleri
Darço Akkaranfil
CIO, Burgan Bank
Mahmut Şenaltun
Head of Vehicle Software&System&Energy Engineering Department, Renault Technologies Türkiye
Sami Saraç
CTO, Eksim Holding
Networking Lunch
Gold Partners Track Sessions
Track A
14:05 – 14:15
Intelligent Automation and Productivity
14:15 – 14:25
Building a Resilient, Productive, and Future-Ready Workforce
14:25 – 14:35
The Rise of Agentic Workforces: How Autonomous Systems Will Reshape Productivity
14:35 – 14:45
Human + AI: The New Productivity Equation
14:45 – 15:15
The Transformation Gap: Why AI Success Requires more than Adoption
Ethem Topgül
IT Director, Alarko Carrier Sanayi
Track B
14:05 – 14:15
Resilience by Design
14:15 – 14:25
Operational Technology (OT) Security for Critical Infrastructure
14:25 – 14:35
Data Privacy and Protection: Navigating New Regulations
14:35 – 14:45
Managed Detection and Response (MDR): The Digital Control Plane
14:45 – 15:15
The CIO–CDO–CAIO Power Trio: Aligning Data, Digital, and AI Strategies
Kaan Konak
CIO, Aksigorta
Emre Deniz
Head of IT, Çalık Holding