Executive Breakfast
Scale AI Without Losing Control
November 19, 2026 at 8:00 am | Toronto
AI is moving faster than the controls around it. According to IDC research, 97% of IT leaders surveyed are allocating budget to digital and AI sovereignty in 2026, and about 85% say it is an important topic in C-suite conversations.
Organizations are already responding. IDC finds that about 91% have defined AI governance principles, policies and roles, yet only 12% are measuring and optimizing value. Agentic AI adds urgency: 24% use it today and 58% plan to within 12 months.
Moving fast and keeping control are often framed as a trade-off. The real question for executives is where greater control, resilience and choice create business value, and what it takes to get there.
Join IDC’s Tony Olvet and IBM Canada CTO Jessica Rockwood in Toronto on 19 November 2026 for a candid breakfast roundtable. Compare your approach with peers and leave with a sharper view of the decisions ahead.
97%
of IT leaders surveyed (director level and above) are allocating budget to digital and AI sovereignty in 2026, making control and choice a funded priority.
IDC forecasts active AI agents in Canada rising from 0.76M in 2025 to 68.3M in 2030, a 146% compound annual growth rate. Each agent is another system acting on organizational data, so oversight, accountability and control will matter as much as capability.
Treat the scale with care: 2025 is a very small base, and 2026-2030 figures are forecasts, not actuals. The signal is direction and pace, not precision.
Source: IDC Worldwide Agentic AI Adoption Guide, 2025 edition #1 (Library 376, Dataset 1113); Canada, active agents in millions. 2025 is historical; 2026 and later are forecast
Discussion Themes
Four Conversations on Scaling AI With Control, Resilience and Choice
Scaling AI Without Losing Control
AI is moving from pilots into everyday operations, and agents are multiplying. How leaders decide where to move fast, where to hold back, and who makes the call when speed and control pull in different directions.
Control of Data and Models
Protecting IP and sensitive data is the top reason leaders cite for investing in digital and AI sovereignty (54%). Where data lives, who can reach it, and how much ownership of AI training data really matters.
Governance That Keeps Pace
Most organizations have AI governance on paper (about 91%), but only 12% are measuring the value. What makes governance practical as AI scales, and who is accountable when something goes wrong.
Resilience, Dependencies and Choice
Every AI strategy rests on providers, platforms and regions. How leaders think about concentration risk, lock-in and the freedom to switch, without slowing the business down.
What To Expect
An executive breakfast led by a skilled moderator
An intimate gathering of senior IT leaders from diverse industries, grappling with similar issues
A secure, private conversation open only to a carefully vetted group
Your hosts
Jessica Rockwood
CTO
IBM Canada
Read bio
Jessica Rockwood
Jessica Rockwood is Chief Technology Officer for IBM Canada. With more than 25 years of experience spanning product development, client engineering, technical sales, and technology leadership, she works with organizations across Canada to unlock value from AI, hybrid cloud, data, automation, and emerging technologies. Prior to becoming CTO, Jessica served as Vice President of Technical Sales for IBM Technology’s US Industry business, leading teams that supported complex enterprise transformations across manufacturing, telecommunications, retail, travel and transportation, and technology clients. She is passionate about innovation, talent development, and helping organizations translate technology investments into measurable business outcomes.
Agenda
IDC Executive Breakfast in partnership with IBM, Toronto
Thu, Nov 19
Networking Reception
A private reception bringing together senior executives and industry analysts to connect, exchange perspectives, and set context for the morning’s discussion.
Breakfast & Discussion
A moderated, off‑the‑record discussion over breakfast focused on real‑world execution challenges, emerging industry priorities, and their implications for enterprise leaders.
Event Concludes
The morning concludes with brief closing remarks and informal follow‑up conversations, reinforcing key takeaways and ongoing peer engagement.
Partner
Sponsored By
IBM
IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,800 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. For more information, visit https://www.ibm.com/au-en
Venue
Delta Hotels Toronto – Rosedale Room
75 Lower Simcoe St,