2026 Edition
CIO Summit Poland 2026 brought together IT leaders, business executives, and IDC experts to explore the strategic role of CIOs in driving organizational growth. Discussions focused on practical AI applications, the rise of agentic systems, IT modernization, cyber resilience, and technological sovereignty. Presentations, case studies, and panel discussions connected technology leaders’ perspectives with boardroom expectations, emphasizing the measurable business value of IT investments.
Photogallery
Partners
HCL Software
HCLSoftware is a global provider of enterprise software solutions that help organizations accelerate digital transformation, improve customer and employee experiences, and securely manage complex IT environments. With a portfolio spanning digital experience, data and analytics, cybersecurity, and intelligent automation, HCLSoftware supports thousands of enterprises worldwide in modernizing their operations and driving business innovation. Its solutions enable organizations to deliver personalized digital experiences, strengthen security and compliance, leverage data for smarter decision-making, and automate mission-critical processes across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Cloudera
Cloudera is the only true hybrid platform for data, analytics, and AI. With 100x more data under management than other cloud-only vendors, Cloudera empowers global enterprises to transform data of all types, on any public or private cloud, into valuable, trusted insights. Its open data lakehouse delivers scalable and secure data management with portable cloud-native analytics, enabling customers to bring GenAI models to their data while maintaining privacy and ensuring responsible, reliable AI deployments.
Ping Identity & IT Smart Systems
Ping makes it possible to trust every digital moment. Our enterprise-grade identity platform secures customers, employees, partners, and non-human identities at scale across cloud, hybrid, and on-prem. From passwordless to AI-ready, we help you fight fraud, simplify access, and accelerate growth. With us, trust is built in.
Learn more at www.pingidentity.com.
About IT Smart Systems:
Founded in 2002, IT Smart Systems specializes in Omnichannel Digital Identity, with deep expertise in designing and implementing scalable IAM architectures. With 18+ years of experience, the company supports organizations in finance, retail, and telecommunications in building secure, high-performance identity ecosystems using technologies from Ping Identity.
ITSS delivers end-to-end identity solutions across EMEA, MENA, and the US, covering architecture design, platform implementation, system integration, and managed services. The company is a trusted delivery partner for Ping Identity in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region. ITSS was recognized as Ping Identity’s EMEA Partner of the Year in 2024.
vSoft
For 30 years, VSoft has been supporting companies in their digital transformation by delivering modern IT solutions that streamline daily operations and accelerate business growth. One of its key offerings is VSoft archITekt — an advanced enterprise-grade low-code platform designed to evolve alongside the needs of an organization. Unlike simple tools, archITekt enables users to address increasingly complex business challenges as their capabilities grow.
The platform allows for rapid application development, process automation, and deep system integration — without the need to build code from scratch. It is a solution for organizations that require full sovereignty over their data and processes. archITekt serves as a solid foundation for mission-critical systems and specialized industry solutions, going far beyond simple forms or document workflows. It is an ideal choice for companies seeking unlimited scalability, regardless of the sector in which they operate.
Coursera
Coursera was launched in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. Today, it is one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with 197 million registered learners as of December 31, 2025. Coursera partners with over 375 leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, and degrees. Coursera’s platform innovations — including generative AI-powered features like Coach, Role Play, and Course Builder, and role-based solutions like Skills Tracks — enable instructors, partners, and companies to deliver scalable, personalized, and verified learning. Institutions worldwide rely on Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, students, and citizens in high-demand fields such as GenAI, data science, technology, and business, while learners globally turn to Coursera to master the skills they need to advance their careers. Coursera is a Delaware public benefit corporation and a B Corp.
Workday
Workday is the enterprise AI platform for managing people, money, and agents. Workday unifies HR and Finance on one intelligent platform with AI at the core to empower people at every level with the clarity, confidence, and insights they need to adapt quickly, make better decisions, and deliver outcomes that matter. Workday is used by more than 11,000 organizations around the world and across industries – from medium-sized businesses to more than 65% of the Fortune 500. For more information about Workday, visit https://www.workday.com/en-sg/homepage.html.
Oobeya
Oobeya helps engineering leaders gain real-time visibility, governance, and control across the entire software delivery lifecycle — especially in the age of AI-assisted development. By connecting to SCM, CI/CD, project management, testing, and observability tools, Oobeya surfaces actionable insights into delivery performance, code quality, developer productivity, and AI coding impact. Whether code is written by your team or by AI assistants, Oobeya ensures every change is tracked, measured, and governed. Built for data-driven engineering organizations, Oobeya is trusted by engineering teams across industries including finance, telecom, retail, and technology — helping them ship better software, faster and with confidence.
Speakers
Rafał Zbiróg
Group CIO
Inter Cars
Read Bio
Tomasz Bednarczuk
CIO
Kaczmarski Group
Read Bio
Alicja Rybczyńska
Chief Information Officer
Veolia Poland
Read Bio
Robert Tomaka
CIO
Diagnostyka
Read Bio
Paweł Grabowski
Head of Digital B2B
Żabka Group
Read Bio
Robert Cegliński
Vice President of the Management Board, Chief Risk Officer
PayPo
Read Bio
Aneta Gawrońska
Chief Financial Director
Medicover Sport
Read Bio
Paweł Majek
Product Director, Poland Go To Market
Visa
Read Bio
Radosław Maćkiewicz
Director Centre for Information Technology
Centralny Ośrodek Informatyki
Read Bio
Wiesław Wilk
CEO
Polska Chmura
Read Bio
Dariusz Korzun
Director, Applied AI, Global Cloud Solution Architecture
PepsiCo
Read Bio
Małgorzata McCarthy
Technology Product Leader – Analytics, AI & Data
ManpowerGroup
Read Bio
Tomasz Kędziora
Dyrektor Departamentu Cyberbezpieczeństwa, CISO
P4
Read Bio
Marek Ługowski
Head of Infrastructure
Swiss Krono Group
Read Bio
Grzegorz Zalewski
CEO
Aplikacje Krytyczne
Read Bio
Lucyna Michniewicz-Ślaska
CIO
VOX Group
Read Bio
Marcin Mazurek
Co-Founder
Bitropy
Read Bio
Rafał Zbiróg
Engineer, Manager and CIO with over 25 years of experience at the intersection of technology and business (Telco, eCommerce, Retail, Energy). An advocate of the pragmatic use of IT solutions across all areas of an organization and at every level – from strategic to operational. Focused on generating real business value through technology, achieving competitive advantage, improving organizational efficiency, catalyzing innovation, and enabling the development of better products and services, while ensuring effective technology implementations and addressing technology and security risks.
Currently serves as Group CIO at Inter Cars, with overall responsibility for technology across more than 20 countries in which the company operates.
Graduate of Warsaw University of Technology (Software Engineering) and SGH Warsaw School of Economics (Finance and Banking).
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:50 am
CIO’s Challenges in 2026 + Q&A
The role of the CIO has never been more strategic and never more demanding.
Transforming IT into a true business partner, leveraging AI as a source of real competitive advantage, building cyber-resilience as an operational foundation, and scaling innovation securely across complex organizations, these are the challenges technology leaders face every day.
CIOs from different industries come together for an honest conversation about what truly defines effective technology leadership in 2026.
Tomasz Bednarczuk
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:50 am
CIO’s Challenges in 2026 + Q&A
The role of the CIO has never been more strategic and never more demanding.
Transforming IT into a true business partner, leveraging AI as a source of real competitive advantage, building cyber-resilience as an operational foundation, and scaling innovation securely across complex organizations, these are the challenges technology leaders face every day.
CIOs from different industries come together for an honest conversation about what truly defines effective technology leadership in 2026.
Alicja Rybczyńska
Chief Information Officer at Veolia Polska Group (CIO). On a day-to-day basis, she is responsible for IT system
management in 9 Group subsidiaries and coordination of the work of a team of over 100 people. He is also in
charge of IT architecture and project management, cyber security and quality and continuous improvement of
business processes related to the digitisation of the Veolia Group in Poland. As part of her work at Veolia Group,
she was responsible for the implementation of Agile, cloud solutions (AWS, GCP), SATAWAD and standardisation
of business processes using the ARIS tool. Prior to joining Veolia, she was associated with Dalkia Group and
Enea Centrum Sp. z o.o. – there she served as ICT Director and CIO.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:50 am
CIO’s Challenges in 2026 + Q&A
The role of the CIO has never been more strategic and never more demanding.
Transforming IT into a true business partner, leveraging AI as a source of real competitive advantage, building cyber-resilience as an operational foundation, and scaling innovation securely across complex organizations, these are the challenges technology leaders face every day.
CIOs from different industries come together for an honest conversation about what truly defines effective technology leadership in 2026.
Robert Tomaka
Robert Tomaka serves as IT Director at one of the largest medical laboratory networks in Poland. He specializes in digital transformation, building scalable system architectures, and implementing modern IT solutions in the healthcare sector. He successfully combines technological expertise with a strategic approach, delivering projects in process automation, as well as ERP, LIMS, RIS, and customer-centric solutions.
For years, he has focused on building high-performing IT teams and fostering a culture of innovation. He is an advocate of skill-based management, modern talent management, and designing competency development paths. He actively participates in industry initiatives and shares his experience as a speaker and panelist.
Paweł Grabowski
Paweł Grabowski is an experienced manager with over 15 years of experience across various industries, ranging from technology to consulting.
Since 2021, he has been shaping the future of autonomous retail as part of the Żabka Nano project. In June 2021, together with his team, he launched the first fully autonomous store in Poznań, marking a milestone in the development of modern retail solutions powered by artificial intelligence.
His work has contributed to the digital transformation of companies within the Group as well as the implementation of innovative technologies that open new opportunities for growth.
Currently, he serves as Head of Digital B2B at Żabka Future, where the team under his leadership develops businesses that increase the value of the Żabka Group and builds strategic partnerships with other organizations.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 12:35 pm
AI in Żabka’s communication – case study
A case study demonstrating how AI can support and enhance communication across the Żabka Group’s channel ecosystem.
We will explore how AI contributes to faster processes and improved business efficiency from the perspectives of operations, marketing, sales, and Żabka ADS.
One Day Event 1:15 pm
AI Reality Check + Q&A
Every company is “doing something with AI” but what has it actually delivered?
Practitioners from retail, fintech, media, and industry take stock of three years of experimentation: what has proven to be a central element of the CIO’s strategy, what real AI management looks like – from governance and risk assessment to measuring ROI, and why moving from pilot projects to full-scale deployment has turned out to be more difficult than anyone expected.
A conversation about what has actually been done, not what should have been done.
Robert Cegliński
Age 43. Languages: Polish (native), English (C2), Ukrainian (C1),
German (A2), Russian (A2).
Graduate of the Faculty of Physics (Computer Science) and the
Faculty of Economics (Finance and Banking) at the University of
Warsaw. Completed postgraduate studies in Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) Computer Systems at Kozminski University.
Participated in various training programs such as Management of
Risk (M_o_R®), Financial Analysis and Modeling, and Sandler Sales
Techniques.
An experienced manager with a 20-year business career, previously
associated with Raiffeisen Bank Polska, DZ Bank Polska and PKO
Bank Polski, responsible for corporate and project financing.
Working with PayPo since its incorporation, initially as CFO and CRO, currently serving as Vice President
responsible for Risk, Compliance, Legal, AML and international expansion. Originator of the Finance, HR,
Management Office, Audit/Internal Control, Cyber Security, Risk and Compliance departments at PayPo.
Author of the behavioral scoring system and antifraud mechanism used in PayPo’s online financing.
Father of two, husband to a loving wife. Enthusiast of movies and books.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 9:45 am
Board Perspective: What Does the Business Expect from CIOs This Year? + Q&A
This time, the CIO does not take the floor — the CIO becomes the subject of the discussion.
On stage, CFOs, COOs, CROs and CEOs will share their perspectives. They work with technology leaders every day and have well-formed and not always comfortable opinions. What does the board really expect from the CIO in the era of AI? How do they assess the CIO’s role in shaping key business decisions? When does a CIO become a true strategic partner, and when do they remain a highly capable executor of others’ plans?
This panel offers a rare opportunity to hear a perspective that usually remains behind closed boardroom doors – candid, thought-provoking, and relevant for both technology and business leaders.
Aneta Gawrońska
Chief Financial Officer of international Capital Groups with 25 years of experience in management and strategy.
Recipient of the CFO of the Year 2025 award granted by the Financial Directors Club DIALOG.
An experienced board member specializing in complex financial transactions, including M&A, restructuring processes, transfer pricing policy, due diligence, IFRS implementation, and company valuation.
Achievements include 22 successful acquisitions, 13 mergers, 3 restructurings, company liquidations, and other comprehensive financial projects.
Holder of the international CIMA qualification and INSEAD. Graduate of the Poznań University of Economics and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.
Member of the Association of Independent Supervisory Board Members.
Currently a board member of all companies in the Sport and Fitness division of the Medicover Group (over 20 entities in the division’s portfolio).
Previously a board member of companies within international capital groups such as Martin Bauer, Contrain, Marmite SA, and Phytopharm SA.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 9:45 am
Board Perspective: What Does the Business Expect from CIOs This Year? + Q&A
This time, the CIO does not take the floor — the CIO becomes the subject of the discussion.
On stage, CFOs, COOs, CROs and CEOs will share their perspectives. They work with technology leaders every day and have well-formed and not always comfortable opinions. What does the board really expect from the CIO in the era of AI? How do they assess the CIO’s role in shaping key business decisions? When does a CIO become a true strategic partner, and when do they remain a highly capable executor of others’ plans?
This panel offers a rare opportunity to hear a perspective that usually remains behind closed boardroom doors – candid, thought-provoking, and relevant for both technology and business leaders.
Paweł Majek
Paweł has been working at Visa since October 2019, where he is responsible for developing and offering products on the Polish market, as well as collaborating with card issuers to implement innovative solutions for customers.
He has been involved in the banking sector for many years, holding significant roles at institutions such as Citibank, BGŻ (now BNP Paribas), BPS, and Bank of Ireland in Dublin. His experience in banking has equipped him with the skills necessary to effectively manage and drive innovation.
During his career at Visa, he has played a key role in product teams, demonstrating a strong customer-centric approach and a clear solution-oriented mindset.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 1:15 pm
AI Reality Check + Q&A
Every company is “doing something with AI” but what has it actually delivered?
Practitioners from retail, fintech, media, and industry take stock of three years of experimentation: what has proven to be a central element of the CIO’s strategy, what real AI management looks like – from governance and risk assessment to measuring ROI, and why moving from pilot projects to full-scale deployment has turned out to be more difficult than anyone expected.
A conversation about what has actually been done, not what should have been done.
Radosław Maćkiewicz
Radosław Maćkiewicz has been the Director of the Centre for Informatics Technology since December 2023. He is an experienced manager in the new technology industry, particularly in cloud computing,
cybersecurity and IT service management. For many years, he worked for global IT solution providers, including Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, and is an academic lecturer on new technologies, entrepreneurship and practical management
psychology. A graduate of the Warsaw University of Technology, he holds an MBA from the Warsaw University of Technology Business School, jointly with London Business School, HEC Paris and NHH Norwegian School of Economics.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 3:10 pm
Technological sovereignty – strategy or necessity? + Q&A
Dependence on foreign technology providers is no longer solely an economic issue. In the face of rising geopolitical tensions and cyber threats, it has become a matter of national security. Poland and Europe now face a fundamental question: is building their own technological capabilities, sovereign computing infrastructure, and independent AI models a realistic strategy, or merely a political declaration?
Wiesław Wilk
Event Sessions
One Day Event 3:10 pm
Technological sovereignty – strategy or necessity? + Q&A
Dependence on foreign technology providers is no longer solely an economic issue. In the face of rising geopolitical tensions and cyber threats, it has become a matter of national security. Poland and Europe now face a fundamental question: is building their own technological capabilities, sovereign computing infrastructure, and independent AI models a realistic strategy, or merely a political declaration?
Dariusz Korzun
I am a technology executive with over 25 years of experience. I lead digital transformation projects that drive real business results. My background includes cloud computing, data engineering, and artificial intelligence, with a focus on developing new Generative AI and Agentic AI solutions. At PepsiCo, I shape the strategic vision for enterprise AI platforms to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and support revenue growth. I work with executive leaders to make sure technology projects align with company goals, and I lead technical teams around the world. I am dedicated to responsible AI, cybersecurity, ethical governance, and data privacy.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 12:20 pm
Stochastic Mind: Evaluating Response Stability in Large Language Models
As organizations deploy language models in production environments, accuracy metrics alone are no longer sufficient. Equally important is the consistency of model behavior across different tasks. During this session, I will present the first results of a large-scale study on the consistency of language models, offering new insights into their application in agent-based systems. Conducted repeatedly under varying configurations, the study reveals not only what models get right, but also how reliable they are in practice—and where their consistency breaks down under real-world conditions. Attendees will gain a new perspective on selecting and evaluating language models, as well as a shared framework for discussing consistency as a key quality criterion in agent-based systems.
One Day Event 1:15 pm
AI Reality Check + Q&A
Every company is “doing something with AI” but what has it actually delivered?
Practitioners from retail, fintech, media, and industry take stock of three years of experimentation: what has proven to be a central element of the CIO’s strategy, what real AI management looks like – from governance and risk assessment to measuring ROI, and why moving from pilot projects to full-scale deployment has turned out to be more difficult than anyone expected.
A conversation about what has actually been done, not what should have been done.
Małgorzata McCarthy
Małgorzata McCarthy leads the enterprise-wide data, analytics and AI transformation at ManpowerGroup, building modern data platforms and AI capabilities from the ground up in a human-centric global organisation. With extensive international experience across life sciences, professional services and consulting, she has scaled data organisations and delivered platforms powering commercial decisions and client products. Previously Senior Director at JLL and BI & MDM Manager at Zoetis, Małgorzata brings hands-on technical leadership and strategic vision to enterprise AI challenges.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 1:15 pm
AI Reality Check + Q&A
Every company is “doing something with AI” but what has it actually delivered?
Practitioners from retail, fintech, media, and industry take stock of three years of experimentation: what has proven to be a central element of the CIO’s strategy, what real AI management looks like – from governance and risk assessment to measuring ROI, and why moving from pilot projects to full-scale deployment has turned out to be more difficult than anyone expected.
A conversation about what has actually been done, not what should have been done.
Tomasz Kędziora
Graduate of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology at the Warsaw University of Technology and the Advanced Management Program at IESE Business School – University of Navarra. Since the beginning of his career, he has been involved in the development of the telecommunications sector in Poland. He gained professional experience by preparing, implementing, and overseeing projects in the areas of billing systems architecture, intelligent networks, and the transformation of IT infrastructure and services. As a CISO, he is responsible for information security management, particularly in the areas of cyber threats, business continuity, risk management, implementation of security measures, and incident response processes. For many years he has been working at P4 sp. z o.o. (Play), where he currently leads the Cybersecurity Department.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 4:15 pm
Secure by Design – when security, infrastructure, and business speak with one voice + Q&A
Cybersecurity is no longer the sole domain of the IT department. Today it is a strategic foundation of the entire business, challenged by AI, regulation, and the growing complexity of hybrid environments. Panel participants will address key questions around resilience architecture, risk management, and building a culture of security in organizations that aim to treat cybersecurity not as a cost, but as a real competitive advantage.
Marek Ługowski
Marek Ługowski is the Head of IT Infrastructure at SWISS KRONO Group, responsible for the development and maintenance of the global IT infrastructure within the Group IT structure. He specializes in infrastructure security, system resilience, and the standardization of IT environments in a distributed, international organization. He combines a strategic approach with practical operational experience, supporting IT transformation and the development of mature security processes in both industrial and corporate environments.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 4:15 pm
Secure by Design – when security, infrastructure, and business speak with one voice + Q&A
Cybersecurity is no longer the sole domain of the IT department. Today it is a strategic foundation of the entire business, challenged by AI, regulation, and the growing complexity of hybrid environments. Panel participants will address key questions around resilience architecture, risk management, and building a culture of security in organizations that aim to treat cybersecurity not as a cost, but as a real competitive advantage.
Grzegorz Zalewski
Grzegorz Zalewski graduated from the Białystok University of Technology with a degree in Automation and Robotics (Information Systems), and completed an MBA at the University of Finance and Management in Warsaw. He also holds a diploma from the Polish Ministry of Treasury, awarded after passing the state examination for candidates to supervisory boards of state-owned companies.
He specializes in implementing IT solutions that support business transformation, with a strong focus on building value-driven strategies while maintaining a high level of information security. He brings extensive expertise in project and budget management, as well as in building and developing high-performing teams.
Between 2003 and 2010, he was responsible for interbank settlements, leading the implementation of the Euro Elixir system, which enabled pan-European euro transactions. He also oversaw the development of products dedicated to the public sector at Krajowa Izba Rozliczeniowa S.A.
Since 2010, he has been professionally associated with the PZU Group, where he has been responsible for IT architecture and overseeing its implementation across various solutions. He defines standards for project execution and processes related to the development of business applications.
Since October 2024, he has served as Director of the IT Systems Development Division at the IT Center of the Ministry of Finance.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 3:10 pm
Technological sovereignty – strategy or necessity? + Q&A
Dependence on foreign technology providers is no longer solely an economic issue. In the face of rising geopolitical tensions and cyber threats, it has become a matter of national security. Poland and Europe now face a fundamental question: is building their own technological capabilities, sovereign computing infrastructure, and independent AI models a realistic strategy, or merely a political declaration?
Lucyna Michniewicz-Ślaska
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:50 am
CIO’s Challenges in 2026 + Q&A
The role of the CIO has never been more strategic and never more demanding.
Transforming IT into a true business partner, leveraging AI as a source of real competitive advantage, building cyber-resilience as an operational foundation, and scaling innovation securely across complex organizations, these are the challenges technology leaders face every day.
CIOs from different industries come together for an honest conversation about what truly defines effective technology leadership in 2026.
Marcin Mazurek
Marcin Mazurek is the co-founder of Bitropy, an enterprise AI governance platform that gives organizations security, observability, and operational control over AI agents and LLM deployments at scale.
Before founding Bitropy, Marcin served as Chief Product and Technology Officer and Board Member at Autopay, one of Poland’s leading fintech companies, where he shaped the company’s technology and product strategy and supported its international expansion. Earlier, he spent 18 years at Allegro as Vice President of Technology and a member of the Tech Executive Team, where he built and led the Technical Platform and Operations organization — establishing the technological foundations, governance structures, and engineering culture behind one of Europe’s largest e-commerce platforms.
Throughout his career, Marcin has been an active contributor to Poland’s technology community, leading initiatives focused on knowledge sharing and cross-industry collaboration.
Marcin’s commitment to strategic leadership is further demonstrated by his completion of executive management programs at Stanford University and INSEAD, which have equipped him with advanced skills in leadership and organizational management.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 3:55 pm
The Missing Layer Between AI Agents and Your Enterprise – Governance, Security & Operational Control in the Age of AI
Employees and AI agents are connecting to enterprise systems faster than security and governance teams can keep up. This session explores the emerging control gap, where agents access sensitive data, trigger actions, and consume resources without centralized oversight. Drawing from real enterprise experiences, we’ll walk through a practical architecture for a secure gateway layer that gives CIOs visibility, policy enforcement, and cost control across all AI tool usage – without slowing down innovation.