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CIONET - What's next

Connecting ambitious digital leaders and businesses around the globe.

Catch up on the upcoming CIONET Events

             
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Germany Sep 29, 2025 Country Members Virtual german

Online: AI & DATA Knowledge Transfer - Briefing 19

Unsere Wissensaustausch-Briefings "AI & Data Knowledge Transfer" zielen darauf ab, CIDOs und Senior Digital Leaders mit praktischen Anwendungen und umsetzbaren Erkenntnissen von Fachexperten zu vermitteln, die den Weg für transformative digitale Reisen ebnen.

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Germany Sep 30, 2025 Country Members Physical german

München: Unstrukturierte Daten – Das verborgene Kapital in deinem Unternehmen

Von der Theorie in die Praxis: Erst Business, dann Bier.Unstrukturierte Daten sind das verborgene Kapital vieler Unternehmen – und zugleich eine der größten Herausforderungen moderner IT. Gemeinsam mit CIOs, CDOs und CTOs der CIONET-Community sprechen wir zuerst bei WeWork München über Strategien, Technologien und echte Use Cases, um dieses Potenzial zu heben. Danach geht's weiter auf die Wiesn – für den offenen Austausch in bayerischer Atmosphäre.  

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UK Sep 30, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english

How CIOs drive game-changing results at scale?

This exclusive Jefferson dinner, hosted by Mendix and CIONET, brings together a hand-picked group of senior executives and digital leaders from across the UK financial sector.

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Netherlands Sep 30, 2025 Invitation Only Physical dutch

Vision Dinner From the Network to the Data

Alleen op uitnodiging. Mastering Digital Sovereignty Control, trust and resilience in an era of geopolitical and regulatory shifts. From the Network to the Data.

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Belgium Oct 1, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english

Telenet Business Leadership Circle - Legacy & Lifecycle Management

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, organisations face a critical challenge: how to modernise their legacy systems while managing costs, maintaining security, and ensuring operational continuity. This exclusive round table discussion brings together CIOs, CTOs, and Digital Leaders to explore best practices for legacy and lifecycle management. Key topics include extending the lifespan of existing systems, mitigating cyber security risks, optimising costs, and integrating legacy platforms with modern technologies. We’ll also delve into sustainability, workforce challenges, and future-proofing IT infrastructures to navigate technological obsolescence.

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Germany Oct 7, 2025 Country Members Virtual german

Online: KI-CHECK: Wo steht dein Unternehmen?

Alle nutzen KI, aber keiner weiß wie effektiv! Im Jahr 2025 sind wir als IT-EntscheiderInnen gefordert die Wünsche der Fachbereiche an Künstliche Intelligenz zu managen. Welche KI dient als Copilot für unsere Mitarbeitenden, inwieweit hat diese Zugang zu Firmenwissen und könnten wir heute bereits sinnvoll einen KI Agenten in die IT Systemlandschaft einbinden? Unser Business Partner Scheer PAS spricht als Anbieter einer Process iPaaS Plattform mit hunderten Unternehmen jedes Jahr über IT-Integration. In dieser Online-Session besprechen wir erste Reifegradmodelle zu KI, wo der deutsche Mittelstand sich befindet und wie wir die nächste Innovationsstufe erreichen. Wir teilen praktische Erfahrungen aus dem Marktumfeld und planen unsere nächsten Schritte in der Adaption von KI.

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Recent Cases

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Signed just hours after sending.

The Otto Group brings digital collaboration to a new level with Adobe Acrobat.

Objectives

  • Faster procurement processes to create an agile business environment
  • Increased capacity for key strategic purchasing
  • The same legal value as handwritten signatures
  • Low training costs and high acceptance among employees

 

Results

  • Signature processes completed in a just few hours make ad-hoc procurement easier
  • Saving time enables more effective purchasing consultancy for business-critical projects
  • Standard compliant and secure signatures meet the strictest compliance requirements
  • Users love the intuitive experience and minimal support required

 

The path to a digital future

The Otto Group is on a clear course to a digital future. The retail and service group has successfully developed from a traditional mail order company to one of the largest online retailers in the world. The Otto Group aims to consistently expand and grow its role as a digital leader across multiple specialisms — as an e-commerce marketplace, electronic payment specialist and app developer for positive customer experiences. To achieve this, the Group is investing heavily in the digital transformation of its internal processes. As well as the OTTO headquarters, Group companies such as myToys, ECE, WITT and Bonprix are simplifying their signature processes by using time-saving e-signatures through Adobe Acrobat Sign.

The paper hurdle for agile working

Time is important to Lukas Lübberstedt. As a strategic purchaser in the Otto (GmbH & Co KG) Corporate Procurement department, he procures digital tools to support in-house software with the company’s rapid transformation from a mail order business into a digital marketplace. “As a tech company, we develop on the basis of agility. The sprint working style means that the company needs to be able to achieve rapid procurement as well. Our aim for the purchasing department is to optimize our processes and, if possible, to speed them up with new solutions — in this case, with Acrobat Sign,” explains Lübberstedt, who is responsible for introducing the electronic signature tool at OTTO.

Handwritten signatures on supplier contracts have long been slowing the strategic purchasing team down. Sending contracts over long distances in the mail and then through multiple levels of hierarchy can take up to several weeks — which isn’t compatible with a modern growth strategy. When the eIDAS Regulation defined legal standards for electronic signatures in 2019, OTTO finally had the all-clear to gradually replace handwritten signatures.

As well as its ease of use and high compatibility with the existing IT landscape, Acrobat Sign was a solution that was able to meet the Group’s compliance requirements.

“Acrobat Sign is very intuitive and easy to use. You don’t need to be an IT expert to get started, which immediately convinced almost everyone that it’s ‘cooler’ to sign documents electronically rather than by hand.” Lukas Lübberstedt - Strategic Purchasing Manager IT, Otto (GmbH & Co KG)

Scaling with speed

Acrobat Sign was introduced at the Otto Group in March 2020. Originally planned as a pilot project for the procurement department at the Group’s headquarters, it was immediately obvious how scalable the solution was. When the pandemic placed new demands on digital collaboration, large parts of the OTTO campus in Hamburg quickly said “Goodbye pen and paper, hello e-signatures.” Many other locations quickly moved to adopt Acrobat Sign as well.

Services and goods purchasing, finance and event organization: By the end of 2021, 30 of the Group’s departments and companies across Germany, Austria and Switzerland were on board, with around 500 documents signed using Acrobat Sign. And these numbers are only rising.

When onboarding lots of new users over a short period, Lukas Lübberstedt can count on the Adobe solution: “Acrobat Sign is very intuitive and easy to use. You don’t need to be an IT expert to get started, which immediately convinced almost everyone that it’s ‘cooler’ to sign documents electronically rather than by hand.” says the purchasing expert.

Even the Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) was accepted right from the start. Because of the identity verification, it takes more steps to set up. However, as the most secure type of e-signature, the QES allows the Otto Group to sign off on employee transfers and financial matters with Acrobat Sign.

“In purchasing, we can focus more on the truly important tasks thanks to the time saved through using Acrobat Sign, meaning that we can contribute even more to the company’s success.” Lukas Lübberstedt - Strategic Purchasing Manager IT, Otto (GmbH & Co KG)

Greater performance in digital competition

With Acrobat Sign, the Otto Group has significantly accelerated its procurement processes. “Acrobat Sign has reduced weeks into mere hours. It no longer matters where the authorized signatories are. If it’s needed quickly, a signature can still be formally equivalent when the signatory is out of office,” explains Lukas Lübberstedt.

When purchasing professionals don’t have to chase after signatures, it’s easier for them to execute short-term procurement orders themselves at the Otto Group’s high growth rate. More time also means more valuable capacity for the purchasing department to offer strategic consultancy. The right selection of tools is important for achieving the best possible performance, making it a key competitive factor.

“In purchasing, we can focus more on the truly important tasks thanks to the time saved through using Acrobat Sign, meaning that we can contribute even more to the company’s success,” explains Lukas Lübberstedt.

Next objective: digital workflows

To convince users, Lukas Lübberstedt plans to use Acrobat Sign as a foundation for building a digital future for OTTO purchasing. This means that use will be expanded to include international Group contracts. Integrating digital workflows into office solutions will also become more important in the future. The Otto Group has already successfully tested initiating signature processes directly from Microsoft Teams, for example, thanks to Acrobat Sign interface.

Technologies

Adobe Acrobat Sign

Checkout our CIONET COOKBOOK

cookbook

Embark on a culinary journey through the ever-evolving world of digital leadership with our third edition of the CIONET Cookbook: Recipes for Digital Success. Unveiling the intricate trilemma faced by today’s Master Chefs, our trailblazing European CIOs address a challenge at the nexus of customer interests, digital transformation strategies, and IT modernisation. Their secret? Synchronising the gearing between customer, business, and technology to create a frictionless movement through the digital landscape.

The CIONET Cookbook uses the analogy of a five-star restaurant to explain the importance of optimally integrated technology, with the CIO as Master Chef. In order to provide the best service to its customers, a top restaurant must have the right atmosphere, an inviting menu, a well-equipped kitchen, talented and committed front-of-house and kitchen staff and smooth-running processes that ensure an enjoyable experience for diners.

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Tom Tanghe - General Manager ITC EMEA at Daikin Europe - Reinventing the CIO Role

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CIOFEST 2025 - From Order Taker to Proactive Disruptor

CIONET Reports

 
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A research proposal_AI and the Human Experience

As AI transitions from a specialised tool to an all-pervasive force, understanding its profound implications for our human lives is no longer merely academic but an urgent imperative for social well-being and strategic preparedness.

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Cybersecurity in critical infrastructure

Geopolitical tensions have dominated the headlines for over two years now. In this context, the cyber threat landscape is also evolving rapidly. The protection and security of critical infrastructure – both physical and digital – is becoming increasingly important.

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Get your copy

HDS - From Hype to Reality Navigating the Challenges of GenAI

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Anna Kopp (1)

Anna Kopp

Head of IT Germany and Regional Office Lead Munich, Microsoft

“The CIONET App allows us to learn from eachother and and find the courage to be authentic by hearing stories from others! Thanks to Tobias and the whole team for bringing us together:-) ”
Mauricio Amaro

Mauricio Amaro

IT Director, IT Thinker

“The main things that I would like to get from our community of Digital Leaders are: networking, share experiences, share best practices and successful cases, and comments and recommendations about providers.”
Vijay Anand

Vijay Anand

Vice president IT & Compliance, VisionaryRCM (A Carlyle Grp Company)

“The CIONET app provides a really cool platform to network and share insights.”

About CIONET

CIONET’s mission is to help IT executives become more at ease and above all more successful in their jobs. So they can do more than just keep up with change but ultimately define it. CIONET opens up a whole new universe of opportunities in IT management.

With the largest membership of corporate digital leaders across Europe, Latin America, US and Australia, CIONET has the expertise and pioneering vision to solve or address any IT management challenge.

Why join CIONET?

From our local and global events, from our publications and research to our executive education programmes, everything we do is aimed at making sure digital leaders maximise their potential.

Connect

with digital leaders who share your interests, who face the same challenges, who care about the same topics.

Share

stories, experiences, and ideas around our shared mission.

Learn

from our exclusive events, publications and research.

Find

inspiration, thought-provoking conversations, expert perspectives and exclusive first-hand content each and every day

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and make better, more well-informed decisions on how to lead your digital business.

Maximise

your potential. Realise your ambitions.

About CIONET

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We'd love to welcome you as the newest member of our CIONET community where Digital Leaders unite. 

You can either send us a registered handwritten letter explaining why you'd like to become a member or you can simply talk to us right here!

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