Agenda

Our agenda is designed to inspire, challenge, and connect. From keynote sessions with industry leaders to interactive workshops and networking opportunities, each part of the event is built to spark ideas and provide practical insights. Explore the schedule and start planning your experience.

2:30 pm

IDC Advisory Workshop

Speaker

Marc Dowd

Vice President, Executive Advisory, IDC

4:30 pm

Group Innovation Challenge

6:30 pm

Welcome Dinner and Networking

7:00 am

Xercise Club & Breakfast

8:45 am

IDC Greetings and Welcome

Speaker

Thomas Meyer

General Manager and Group Vice President, EMEA Research, IDC

9:00 am

From CIO to Digital Business Leader: Redefining the CIO role in a digital-first enterprise.

Speaker

Philip Carter

Group Vice President, Worldwide Thought Leadership Research, IDC

9:25 am

Getting to successfull Agentic AI implementation

9:45 am

Networking Break

10:20 am

Modernizing Infrastructure for a Smarter Digital Future

10:35 am

Beyond Productivity: Reinventing the Business Model

10:50 am

Governance First: Derisking Tech Strategy Building resilient and compliant digital foundations.

11:05 am

Group Innovation Challenge

11:20 am

Coffee and Networking, One-to-one meetings

11:50 am

The Rise of the Digital Native C-Suite, How next-gen leaders are reshaping enterprise leadership.

12:10 pm

Geo-Politics & AI: The New Security Landscape Navigating global tensions and tech sovereignty.

12:30 pm

Preparations for utilizing the potential of Quantum

1:00 pm

Networking Lunch

2:00 pm

Workshop Round 1 (Parallel Sessions)

The Transformation of Work Redefining roles, workflows, and the workplace.

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm

The Transformation of Work Redefining roles, workflows, and the workplace.

How to embrace and prepare for the Quantum era

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm

How to embrace and prepare for the Quantum era

Compliance and governance strategies

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm

Compliance and governance strategies

Ecosystem integration – when the customer is a machine

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm

Ecosystem integration – when the customer is a machine

2:45 pm

Change break

3:00 pm

Workshop Round 2 (Parallel Sessions)

Agentic AI at scale

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm

Agentic AI at scale

Strategic scenario planning in an unpredictable world

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm

Strategic scenario planning in an unpredictable world

Organizational setup in a world where tech is everywhere

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm

Organizational setup in a world where tech is everywhere

Architecting infrastructure for the ultimate digital experience

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm

Architecting infrastructure for the ultimate digital experience

3:45 pm

Coffeebreak and Networking, One-to-one meetings

4:15 pm

Group Innovation Challenge

5:00 pm

Networking and Refreshment Break; One-to-One Meetings

6:30 pm

Welcome Reception

7:00 pm

Gala Dinner and Games

7:00 am

Xcercise Club and Breakfast

8:45 am

Opening Remarks and Welcome Day 2

9:00 am

Strategy in Action: Turning Vision into Impact Bridging the gap between planning and execution.

9:15 am

GTT customer testimonial

9:30 am

A New Era of Growth: Navigating the Next Frontier Strategies for scaling in a dynamic global economy.

9:45 am

The People Factor: Empowering Talent for Transformation Culture, skills, and leadership in the age of AI.

10:00 am

Coffeebreak and Networking, One-to-One Meetings

10:30 am

Roundtable Discussions (Parallel Sessions)

A – The customer is a machine

10:30 am – 11:30 am

A – The customer is a machine

B – Investing for future savings

10:30 am – 11:30 am

B – Investing for future savings

C – ESG support strategies

10:30 am – 11:30 am

C – ESG support strategies

D – Cloud strategies in an unpredictable world

10:30 am – 11:30 am

D – Cloud strategies in an unpredictable world

E – Strategies for minimizing future Tech dept negative impact

10:30 am – 11:30 am

E – Strategies for minimizing future Tech dept negative impact

F – Building a resilient digital organization

10:30 am – 11:30 am

F – Building a resilient digital organization

G – Agentic AI at scale

10:30 am – 11:30 am

G – Agentic AI at scale

H – AI implementation with impact

10:30 am – 11:30 am

H – AI implementation with impact

I – Skills and organizational planning

10:30 am – 11:30 am

I – Skills and organizational planning

11:30 am

Change Break

11:50 am

Orchestrating Investments for Strategic Impact Aligning capital with innovation and outcomes.

12:05 pm

Partnering for Success: Ecosystems that Deliver Collaborative models for sustainable growth.

12:20 pm

Agentic AI and the future of infrastructure

Keynote

Day 3

12:30 pm

IDC Closing: Innovate, Modernize, Orchestrate: Preparing for the Age of Agents

12:45 pm

Feedback Session and Closing

1:00 pm

Networking Lunch

Not the right event for you?

Don’t worry! There are plenty of other events to choose from. Simply sign up for event invitations and we’ll send you a notification whenever we add a new event that matches your interests.

European CIO Xchange

The CIO's New Mandate – Empowering People, Driving Value, Leading with Resilience

18 Oct – 20 Oct 2026 Barcelona, Spain

Today’s CIO plays a central role in business strategy and enterprise leadership. No longer focused solely on IT operations, CIOs are driving digital transformation, aligning technology investments with business goals, and building resilient, adaptive organizations in the face of constant disruption. As AI and automation move from experimentation to enterprise adoption, CIOs face a dual challenge: unlocking new business value while ensuring strong governance, security, and risk management. With Agentic AI rapidly reshaping operating models, CIOs must balance innovation with transparency, ethical oversight, and operational control. This new mandate requires rethinking talent, collaboration, and technology governance — enabling CIOs to lead responsible AI adoption, deliver measurable outcomes, and strengthen organizational trust and resilience.

Overview

Technology leadership is central to enabling innovation, governance, and growth as AI accelerates digital transformation. Today’s CIO must integrate AI and emerging technologies responsibly, harness data for actionable insights, and support data-driven and agentic AI initiatives across the enterprise—while balancing strategy, risk, communication, and people as part of the C-suite.

Join fellow CIOs, technology leaders, partners, and IDC analysts to exchange best practices, build meaningful connections, and collaborate on leading successful transformation in the age of AI agents.

Speakers

Thomas Meyer

General Manager and Group Vice President, EMEA Research

IDC

Read Bio

Jennifer Thomson

Associate Vice President Global Services Insights

IDC

Read Bio

Neil Ward-Dutton

VP Global Enterprise AI and Agentic AI Strategies

IDC

Read Bio LinkedIn

Carla Arend

Associate Vice President, Research, Cloud in Europe

IDC

Read Bio

Andrea Siviero

Senior Research Director, AI-fueled Business Strategies

IDC

Read Bio

Giulia Carosella

Research Manager, Digital Transformation, IDC Europe

Read Bio

Louise McKeever

CIO

Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Ireland

Read Bio

Ibrahima Ndiaye

CTO

RATP Group

Read Bio

Luise Bang

Chairperson of the Board

Abena

Read Bio

Thomas Meyer

IDC

General Manager and Group Vice President, EMEA Research

Thomas Meyer joined IDC in January 1999 and is currently responsible for managing IDC’s IT Research in Europe. This includes coverage of software, services and hardware markets focused on topics such as datacenter transformation, cloud computing, virtualization, business continuity, sustainability and print services. Additionally Meyer also manages IDC Europe’s cross-domain Practices which provide insight and advisory on 3rd Platform industry transformation such Internet of Things, Cloud, Mobility, Big Data and Customer Experience IT to ICT vendors and end users.

Meyer frequently speaks at IDC, industry, customer and CIO events such as CeBIT, IDC’s EMEA CIO Summit Series, IDC’s Virtualization and Cloud Conferences and the Mobile Commerce Conference. He often contributes to articles in publications across Europe, including the Wall Street Journal, Die Zeit, Focus, Le Monde Informatique, and IT Week, and has also appeared on the BBC World Business Report and Breakfast Business Update.

Before joining IDC, Thomas Meyer worked as an IT media analyst. He holds degrees from the University of London in economics and German and an MA with a focus on European management concepts.

Event Sessions

Day 2 8:45 am

IDC Greetings and Welcome

Andrea Siviero

IDC

Senior Research Director, AI-fueled Business Strategies

Andrea Siviero leads IDC’s European Digital Business and Future of Work Research group. The group provides market research insights to foster a purposeful and fair adoption of technologies supporting digital societies, businesses and workforce and empower tech providers in strategic decision making, planning and go-to-market activities. Siviero also co-leads the IDC Worldwide MacroTech Research program, focused on the intertwined connection between the Economical and Digital worlds – analyzing the impact key MacroEconomic factors have on the digital landscape and viceversa, how technologies are impacting economies around the world.

Siviero advises IT players on building a forward-looking digital business and workforce strategy, while providing an in-depth view on future of work technology adoption, key digital use cases, macroeconomic digital impact, and digital regulations and emerging technology, via qualitative subscriptions and custom consulting projects. He has extensive experience with large strategy and go-to-market projects with IT providers. He is a member of IDC’s global Tech Storytellers taskforce and he is passionate about public speaking and customer engagement opportunities.

He joined IDC’s European team in 2014 and has become a recognized independent analyst across Europe and beyond in the vertical markets and digital business space. He is based in Italy and he holds a joint PhD in mathematics between the Université Bordeaux I (France) and the Universiteit Leiden (the Netherlands). During his PhD, he covered scientific research, academic teaching, and vocational training. He is a native Italian speaker and he is fluent in English and French.

What our attendees say

Industry leaders and global influencers shared their experiences on overcoming challenges and seizing new opportunities. Their insights provided practical perspectives and valuable lessons that continue to inspire and guide our community.

Transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. The CIO Xchange brings together technology leaders who are redefining how innovation, data, and people connect to drive business value

Nikolaj Friis Kroyer, Hartmann Packaging

Must attend event of the year for CIOs

Francisco Pastor, JCDecaux

A memorable event with an organisation that highlights the important topics for a
CIO while also providing space for informal peer-to-peer exchanges throughout the
day. I appreciated both the formal and informal discussions which bring great ideas
and useful practical solutions

Stephan Mariotto, Fidal

Best IDC conference I have attended to date. All speakers and all sessions were
great. I sometimes find the fireside chat format a little dull and contrived but all the
sessions here works really well.

Mark Dooley, RSS Global

Extremely valuable experience to participate in the IDC CIO Xchange. Great
sessions, variety of form and interaction with peers and partners

Carina Harders, Lantmännen Unibake

Everything was perfectly organized, right audience and content

Antonio Arranz, LVMH

2025 Video Highlights

Our Partners

Want to become a partner? Contact Us!

Venue

Eurostars Sitges, Barcelona

Av. Camí de Miralpeix, 12, 08870

Sitges, Barcelona, Spain

show on map

Knowledge Hub

EMEA Enterprise Networking: Strategies for 2025 and Beyond

Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures, and energy cost volatility, the outlook for networking investments in EMEA is positive. ok for networking investments in EMEA is positive.

Key Takeaways: IDC European CIO Xchange 2025

The enterprise technology landscape is undergoing a pivotal transformation, moving from the chaotic “GenAI Scramble” of 2024, characterized by widespread proof-of-concept (POC) projects, to a more deliberate “AI Pivot” focused on achieving scale and measurable business value in 2025. Discussion at the CIO Xchange reveals a consensus that success in this new era hinges on a disciplined fusion of strategy, foundational readiness, and robust governance.

The Agentic Business Future: Driving Resilience, Sovereignty, & Innovation

In this year’s session — The Agentic Business Future — we’ll explore how organizations can harness AI, automation, and sovereignty to drive resilience, innovation, and growth in an increasingly complex environment. But success in this future depends on more than technology: it requires foundational readiness, robust governance, and a human-centered approach.

Watch the recording

Contact Us

Gian Carlo De La Paz

Senior Event Manager, IDC Xchange

Read bio connect

Kikki Godskesen

Event Sponsorship Sales Europe, IDC

Read bio

Not the right event for you?

Don’t worry! There are plenty of other events to choose from. Simply sign up for event invitations and we’ll send you a notification whenever we add a new event that matches your interests.

Partenaires

Partners

Nos partenaires du CIO Summit représentent certaines des entreprises les plus innovantes et influentes de l’industrie technologique.

Devenir partenaire

Nos partenaires

Ils seront présents pour répondre à vos questions, partager leur expertise et vous apporter des solutions concrètes à vos défis les plus urgents.

Platinum Partner

Learn More

Learn More

Platinum Light Partner

Learn More

Learn More

Learn More

Gold Partner

Learn More

Learn More

Learn More

Expo Partner

Learn More

Restez à l'écoute pour découvrir les dernières nouvelles concernant cet événement.

Why attend

Why attend?

CIOs and technology leaders revealed how they turned disruption into opportunity – showcasing real-world strategies for modernizing, securing, and scaling with confidence.

What Will You Gain?

The IDC CIO Summit is where technology meets transformation. Designed for forward-thinking CIOs, this premier event delivers actionable insight, peer connection, and expert guidance to help you lead with confidence in an AI-first, rapidly evolving digital economy. It’s more than a conference – it’s a strategic forum to sharpen your edge, align IT with business outcomes, and explore how resilient, intelligent architectures can power sustainable innovation. Step into the next chapter of digital leadership with the research, tools, and community that will help you navigate what’s next.

Strategic Leadership Insights

Discover how today’s CIOs are stepping up as enterprise strategists – shaping boardroom agendas and driving business value. As IT evolves from a support function to a source of competitive advantage, this session offers essential insight into the leadership mindset, influence, and alignment required to navigate complex change with confidence.

Balancing Act

Learn how today’s CIOs are blending deep technical expertise with strategic business insight to lead transformation from the front. This session explores how to translate tech fluency into enterprise impact – aligning innovation with measurable outcomes, influencing stakeholders, and building trust across the C-suite.

Pragmatic IT Strategies

Get clear on when to build, when to buy – and how to make the right call for long-term agility and value. This session dives into practical decision frameworks that help CIOs balance cost, complexity, and innovation, turning IT strategy into a catalyst for smarter, faster business outcomes.

Resource Optimization

Discover how leading CIOs are making every euro count – streamlining IT spend, reallocating resources, and unlocking capacity for innovation. This session shares actionable strategies to reduce waste, optimize budgets, and reinvest in digital initiatives without disrupting core operations.

Leveraging Emerging Technologies

Explore how CIOs are turning emerging tech into real enterprise advantage. From AI to machine learning and beyond, this session highlights how to move from experimentation to execution – using innovation to accelerate growth, sharpen competitiveness, and lead with confidence.

AI and GenAI from hype to impact

Cut through the noise and unlock real results. This session explores how CIOs are scaling AI and GenAI beyond pilots – embedding intelligence into operations, driving measurable outcomes, and turning innovation into enterprise value.

Expert Strategies and Real-World Applications

Gain trusted insight from those leading the way. This session brings together industry experts and seasoned CIOs to share proven strategies, emerging trends, and practical lessons from the field – all to help you lead with clarity, accelerate transformation, and deliver real business results.

Why Attend

As CIOs evolve into enterprise change-makers, this summit delivers the insight, connection, and clarity needed to lead with confidence in an AI-first world. Here’s what you’ll walk away with:

Strategic Leadership for the AI Era: Discover how CIOs are shaping enterprise strategy – turning AI, innovation, and transformation into competitive advantage.
Innovation That Delivers: Learn to align emerging tech with real business outcomes, ensuring every initiative drives impact, not just experimentation.
Cloud, Data & Cybersecurity Priorities: Get practical guidance on building secure, scalable, and compliant IT foundations – from modern data architectures to cyber resilience.
Smarter Resource Strategies: See how top CIOs are optimizing spend, managing vendor complexity, and unlocking budget for innovation that moves the needle.
Proven Lessons from the Field: Hear firsthand how peers are leading successful transformations – building agile teams, overcoming obstacles, and creating measurable value.

Join a dynamic community of technology leaders, gain peer-tested frameworks, and future-proof your strategy for what’s next.

Key Topics

CIO as a Strategic Leader

Balancing Technical Expertise and Business Acumen

Pragmatism and Boldness in IT Strategy

Resource Management and IT Budgeting

Emerging Technologies and Innovation

Knowledge Hub

The Dynamic Role of the EMEA CIO: Steering the Digital Ship

In the digital business and AI-everywhere era, technology is now a strategic enabler that permeates every aspect of business operations. According to IDC’s Worldwide CEO Survey (February 2024, n = 67), 48% of CEOs in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) now report regularly to the board on the status of digital initiatives, highlighting the strategic nature of digital technologies among businesses.

Learn More

5 Lessons to Shape Your AI Digital Future: Learning from the Past

A little over a year ago, a new phase of the digital business era began with OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT. The generative AI (GenAI) boom is expected to roundly influence what comes next: AI Everywhere. AI is expected to become a driving force of our digital future, impacting individual lives, consumers, citizens, workers, businesses, and society.

Henry Ford said, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” What should we learn from the past to determine the way forward?

Learn More

A Tech Marketer’s Guide in the Age of GenAI – Crafting Unique Narratives

In today’s digital landscape, where AI can churn out content in seconds, marketers face a unique challenge: How can we create narratives that stand out? Let’s explore strategies for crafting compelling and differentiated stories in the era of generative AI (GenAI).

Learn More

Not the right event for you?

Don’t worry! We organize a variety of events designed to inspire original ideas, share the latest industry insights, and connect professionals like you. Simply sign up for event invitations, and we’ll notify you whenever a new event matches your interests.

Resilient Security: Evolving Strategies for 2024

IDC Security Forum

IDC Security Forum

Continuous risk assessment for secure applications and software supply chains

According to IDC’s Worldwide Security Spending Guide, total European spending will grow by 10.6% in 2023. Spending in the region will continue to see almost double-digit growth over the forecast period, with total spending reaching $71 billion in 2026.

Overview

IT security continues to be the top risk and compliance investment area for European organizations.

Protection of IT assets, whether data, applications, network or device, is a fundamental requirement, usually made compulsory by an enterprise’s technology or legal department. Failure to protect these assets can result in disastrous, highly publicized breaches that can cause customers, partners, and stakeholders to lose trust in an organization — and for an organization to lose competitive advantage and profits. European companies are rethinking their cyber resilience and proactively ensuring their organization maintains good cyber hygiene.

Why Attend

If you want to

Know the latest insights and top trends that are driving change in the security space
Learn how vendor technologies continue to develop to provide protection against the latest threats
Get actionable guidance for managing and communicating IT and risk management
Find out how CISOs can work with the CXO leadership team and board of directors to mitigate threats and keep the organization safe

Expert Perspectives

Hear directly from industry experts as they share their perspectives on the technologies and strategies redefining the future. Gain valuable knowledge and practical takeaways to help you navigate tomorrow’s business landscape.

Keynote

9:45 am

IDC Opening Keynote: Operationalizing Security, Risk and Compliance for Digital Business

Mark Child | IDC Europe

Associate Research Director, Security

Read Bio

8:45 am

Registration & welcome coffee

VIEW AGENDA VIEW ALL SPEAKERS

Guest speakers

DI Dr. Sebastian Schrittwieser

Mitglied der Forschungsgruppe Security and Privacy (SEC), Fakultät für Informatik

Universität Wien

Read bio

Reinhold Wochner

Präsident des CISO Business Clubs

Read bio

Speakers

Jacqueline Knollmayr

Moderatorin

Read bio

Jacqueline Knollmayr

Moderatorin

“Positiv – Laut – Charmant – Echt : Anders” mit diesen Schlagworten macht die Moderatorin, Jungschauspielerin und Sprecherin Jacqueline Knollmayr auf sich aufmerksam. Nachdem sie 2010 die Schauspielschule Elfriede Ott mit dem Staatlichen Diplom abgeschlossen hat, war sie hauptsächlich in der kreativen Branche tätig. Der Kinofilm “Friday Night Horror”, ein Werbespot für Servus TV, ein selbst geschriebenes Kabarett, sowie diverse Theater- und Kurzfilmproduktionen entstanden damals.
Ehe sie dann 2013 die Moderation für sich entdeckte. Kurzerhand absolvierte sie neben ihrem Lehramtsstudium Französisch und Psychologie & Philosophie ein Moderationstraining bei Belinda Veber vom Moderatorenpool. Seitdem moderierte Jacqueline Knollmayr bereits für den Österreichischen Integrationsfond, den ÖAS-Kongress, die UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, die Wiener Ärztekammer, den “Ich helfe laufend”-Charityrun, das Let’s CEE Film Festival, den Junge Kunst Parcour, uvm. ….

http://www.jacquelineknollmayr.com/

Event Sessions

One Day Event 9:30 am

Welcome and introduction to the topic

Mark Child

Associate Research Director, Security

IDC Europe

Read bio

Felix Seilern

Cyber Security Consultant

T-Systems

Read bio

DI Dr. Sebastian Schrittwieser

Mitglied der Forschungsgruppe Security and Privacy (SEC), Fakultät für Informatik

Universität Wien

Read bio

Reinhold Wochner

Präsident des CISO Business Clubs

Read bio

VIEW AGENDA VIEW ALL SPEAKERS

Attendee Impressions

Excellent event with interesting content and, above all, abundant opportunities for networking and peers. It is hugely valuable to understand both shared and distinct challenges across borders and sectors.

VIP attendee, CISO Xchange 2024

A well-organised event, featuring relevant content and a balanced mix of strategic and operational insights. My thanks to the organisers for the opportunity to engage and exchange ideas. I return to the office with new ideas, valuable insights, and the confirmation that collaboration among professionals is key to tackling the challenges of an increasingly complex digital world.

CIO & CISO, Security Summit Italy 2024

The event was a remarkable convergence of industry leaders and innovators. The sessions were highly informative, and the networking opportunities were invaluable. Attending was a transformative experience, offering deep insights and fostering strategic connections that will shape our future initiatives.

IT Director, CIO Xchange 2024

The Summit highlighted the importance of human skills such as storytelling, change management, persuasion, critical thinking, continuous learning, persistence and tech enthusiasm. All of these as a key to achieving a digitally savvy business. Moreover, I had the opportunity to network with industry leaders, exchange insights, and forge valuable relationships, enhancing their digital journey with actionable learning from the event. Great organisation and workshop sessions.

Head of IT, CIO Summit Poland 2024

Partner

VIEW ALL PARTNERS

Knowledge Hub

Identity Security 2024: Mapping the Threats and Goals

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Name Here

| Company

Position, Job Role

Learn More

Ransomware in EMEA – The Threats and Defenses

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Name Here

| Company

Position, Job Role

Learn More

The Critical Role of Governments in EU Cyber-Resilience

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Name Here

| Company

Position, Job Role

Learn More

2023 CISO Xchange highlight video

Venue

SO/ Vienna

Praterstraße 1, 1020 Wien

show on map Hotel

Terms and Conditions

The IDC Security Forum is aimed at IT and departmental employees from IT user companies in Austria.

IT user companies, for the purposes of these terms and conditions, are all organizations that do not provide consulting services themselves and/or do not develop, manufacture, or distribute IT and communication (ITK) products or services.

Employees of outsourced IT companies exclusively working for the parent company and not engaged in third-party business are also eligible to participate. Employees of IT provider companies generally have access to our events only through sponsorship.

IT provider companies, for the purposes of these terms and conditions, include hardware, software, services, and telecommunications companies, as well as consulting firms and ITK service providers.

IDC expressly reserves the right to reject registrations from individuals who do not belong to the above-mentioned target group, even if the invitation was issued by one of our partners, mistakenly by IDC itself, or through participation in an online survey.

After your registration via the online registration form and successful verification by IDC, you will receive a binding registration confirmation by email.

Not the right event for you?

IDC Utilities Xchange 2026

Powering Progress Together

More than a theme—it’s a call to action.

The energy transition is no longer a distant goal; it’s a journey well underway. The train has left the station, and there’s no turning back. Why should there be? A cleaner, safer, and more sustainable world awaits future generations.

Yet, we live in a time of profound uncertainty. Geopolitical tensions, inflation, rising costs, cyber threats, and supply chain disruptions have intensified the challenge of ensuring a fair and affordable transition. The recent blackouts across the Iberian Peninsula in early 2025, however, underscored the urgency of accelerating grid modernization.

European utilities—many with global footprints, including in the U.S.—must rise above the noise. Disruptions to planning and investment cannot be allowed to derail progress. The path forward demands next-level collaboration among all stakeholders: utilities, regulators, policymakers, technology leaders, hyperscalers, and customers of every size. Now is the time for utilities to lead with purpose—by investing in equitable workforce development through trade schools, apprenticeships, and inclusive training programs.

Breakthroughs in technology over the past year, including in GenAI, have empowered leading utilities to leap ahead in their reinvention —enhancing resilience, efficiency, and stakeholder value. Together, we must harness this momentum to build an energy future that is inclusive, innovative, and unstoppable.

Speakers

Roberta Bigliani

Group Vice President, Global Lead for Energy & Retail Insights and Industry Hub

IDC

Read Bio

Gaia Gallotti

Head of IDC Energy Insights Europe

IDC

Read Bio

Jean-Francois Segalotto

Senior Associate Advisor

IDC

Read Bio

John Villali

Senior Research Director

IDC

Read Bio

Fabrizio Degni

AI Ethics and Governance Researcher, Presidente Italiano del Global Council for Responsible AI, Direttore in ENIA del Dipartimento di Innovazione e Trasformazione Digitale

WeBuild

Read Bio

Markus Riner

Head of Digitalization

Association of Swiss Electricity Companies

Read Bio

Kristofer Fröjd

Senior Advisor

Decade Energy

Read Bio

John Diklev

Founder and CEO

Flower

Read Bio

Deepa Shaji Kumar

Asset Technology Policy and Standards | PhD | CEng

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

Read Bio

Michael Viberg Pedersen

Vice President, Head of Market Development

European Energy

Read Bio

Héctor Morán

Head of Information Systems, Business Processes, CX

Madrileña Red de Gas

Read Bio

Yann Fromont

Industrial Affairs & Standardisation VP

Schneider Electric

Read Bio

Louis Hennequin

Sales Director for Europe

Schneider Electric

Read Bio

Ted Nielsen

Chief Product Officer

Bidgely

Read Bio

Nipun Jain

VP EMEA & APAC

Bidgely

Read Bio

Ian Dennis

Director of Operational Performance

Cadent Gas

Read Bio

Andrew Huckerby

Head of Gas Emergency Management, COO – Operational Performance

Cadent Gas

Read Bio

Paolo Bergamo

CEO

OverIT

Read Bio

Mar Jorba

Product Manager

MECOMS at Ferranti

Read Bio

Paul Bacon

Vice President, Sales

Gentrack

Read Bio

Fabrizio Degni

WeBuild

AI Ethics and Governance Researcher, Presidente Italiano del Global Council for Responsible AI, Direttore in ENIA del Dipartimento di Innovazione e Trasformazione Digitale

Fabrizio Degni is a distinguished AI Ethics and Governance researcher, technology evangelist, and President of the Italy Chapter for the Global Council for Responsible AI. Guided by his philosophy “Ask not if it can be done, nor how, but only if it should be done,” he is deeply committed to exploring technological frontiers while ensuring AI serves humanity’s common benefit through ethical, transparent, and accountable innovation.

Recent Recognition & Leadership: Degni was honored with the “Premio per l’Impegno Etico nella Cultura Algoritmica” (Award for Ethical Commitment in Algorithmic Culture) at the inaugural AI Awards Italy 2025, hosted by ENTE NAZIONALE per l’INTELLIGENZA ARTIFICIALE – E.N.I.A.® in Milano. This prestigious recognition celebrates his commitment to education and critical reflection on algorithms, ethics, and AI governance. As President of the Italy Chapter for the Global Council for Responsible AI, he leads a growing community of 500+ members across 71 nations dedicated to shaping responsible AI through ethics, transparency, and accountability principles.

Professional Expertise: As Chief of Artificial Intelligence, Degni’s research focuses on sociotechnical risks introduced by emerging AI technologies, particularly AI agents and autonomous systems. His analysis of AI agent systems in IBM’s 2025 AI Ethics Report highlighted critical challenges of opacity, complexity, and non-reversibility in autonomous systems, contributing to frameworks for evolved governance models and ethical oversight.

Certifications & Credentials: Degni holds the AI CERTs™: AI+ Executive Certification (scored 90/100, May 2025) and specialized certifications from Stanford University (“AI Awakening: Economic and Society Implications”), edX (“AI Ethics for Professionals”), Copenhagen Business School, Microsoft, and Politecnico di Milano. His advanced credentials include ISO 42001:2023 AI System Management / ISO 9001 certifications and designation as a Certified AI Ethics & Governance Professional (CAEGP).

Thought Leadership: A frequent speaker and panel participant, Degni recently contributed to the “Alfabetizzazione e Innovazione” (Digital Literacy and Innovation) panel, discussing human and digital memory alongside leading experts. His work encompasses value alignment, bias mitigation, transparency, and actionable governance frameworks for AI implementation across multiple sectors.

Markus Riner

Association of Swiss Electricity Companies

Head of Digitalization

As Head of Digitalization & IT at the Swiss Electricity Industry Association (VSE/AES), Markus is a seasoned executive with a strong track record in leadership, management, and digital transformation. With extensive experience as a CIO and CDO in various industries, Markus brings a deep understanding of business strategy and IT strategy to the table.

Markus has a proven ability to develop and implement comprehensive digital business strategies and ecosystems. He is well-versed in agile methods and structures, strategic marketing, product management, and business development. Markus has led digital transformations and large-scale projects in international multicultural environments, developing data-driven business models to enhance competitiveness.

Markus’s expertise extends beyond digital transformation. He has led boards, steering groups, and task forces to orchestrate cultural change and develop winning digital experiences. He is also highly skilled in creating data strategies, governance models, and managing cyber security and risk & compliance (GRC).

Before joining VSE/AES, Markus served as an interim CIO/CDO and senior advisor for digital innovation and transformation in various organizations. Notably, he was the Global Head of IT and Digital Services for a global water system and e-mobility manufacturer, where he developed a digitalization strategy and roadmap, focusing on building a modern digital platform that includes e-commerce, IoT, connected vehicles, cloud services, big data analytics services, RPA, Industry 4.0 and ERP on SAP HANA for the shopfloor and corporate services.

Markus’s experience as the CIO at the Electricity Works of the Canton of Zurich (EKZ Group) has been instrumental in developing IT into a respected and valued business partner. He developed a customer-centric digital strategy that led to a high increase in EBIT contribution through annual operating cost reductions every year while improving business process efficiency and revenues through continuous digitalization and automation investments.

Markus holds an IT Degree, a degree in Business Engineering, and an Executive MBA in International Management from the University of Applied Sciences in Bern. He is knowledgeable in M&A due diligence and post-merger integration projects and holds a Strategic Marketing Certificate from the University of Cambridge. Markus has also completed the Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme at Said Business School, University of Oxford.