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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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Keeping De Beers’ most remote mines and plants connected

Connecting remote locations to make mining safer for the world's largest diamond producer.

Overview
How do you keep some of the most remote working locations in the world connected? That’s the question James Ross of De Beers answers every day. He’s tasked with keeping the mining company’s 28 locations linked up, to keep workers safe and in contact with their friends and families. 
But James’ challenges don’t stop there. He also needs to make sure every connection is strong and robust enough to handle huge amounts of vital business data. And it all has to stay secure. At all times. That’s where we come in.

The challenge
De Beers delivers over a third of the world’s diamonds. And with no signs of demand slowing down, they need the right technology to keep their operations safe, secure and well connected. Even as they move further afield. Tom Ormsby, Head of Corporate Affairs in Canada, explains: “We already mine in the Arctic, under the ocean, and on land. As existing resources dwindle, we’ll explore ever more remote territories.” 

Employees in the company’s northern Canada mines work fortnightly shifts on and off in a sub-Arctic wilderness. They fly in and fly out, while heavy equipment and stores travel on ice roads for the few weeks of the year that’s possible.

With more than 20,000 employees in 28 locations around the world, many like those in Canada, the entire business relies on sharing information and delay-free decision-making.

When our people are hundreds of kilometres from regular comms infrastructures, they need ways to contact family and access corporate systems.”

James RossHead of Information Management for Canada and the United States, De Beers.


The solution
When De Beers was acquired by Anglo American, it moved over to a shared BT IP Connect Global managed network. This connects all 28 De Beers locations and means employees at Canada’s most remote mines can talk to their families on FaceTime or Skype. Satellite or microwave links provide access to the backbone for the short hop to our Internet Connect Global. 

That speedy and resilient wide area network (WAN) is perfect for long-distance collaboration. Today, everyone in the company uses our MeetMe and Cisco WebEx for audio and web conferences. With a video connection to back them,  they can remotely advise mine workers on how to repair faulty equipment, for example. De Beer’s HR team in Canada have also started using WebEx to pre-screen job candidates remotely before inviting them to attend interviews. 

Executives can use Cisco TelePresence immersive video conferencing suites at five operational hubs in Africa, Canada, and the UK to hold meetings without travelling. “It takes the better part of two calendar days to travel from North America to southern Africa by plane, and often one can’t afford to give up that time,” Tom Says. 

Everyone, from accounts to exploration teams, is more productive. It’s common for people to attend two or three conferences a day. “TelePresence sharpens decision-making by giving executives a sustainable alternative to time consuming long-distance travel,” adds Tom. 

Across the global WAN, our Connect Intelligence optimises bandwidth, avoiding things like repetitive transfers of large email attachments, for example. Meanwhile, our IP Connect Global network automatically prioritises time sensitive traffic, like voice, video and critical application data.

BT has been a longstanding partner of De Beers. It’s one of the only global vendors with the reach to support us in the regions in which we operate."

James RossHead of Information Management, Canada and the United States, De Beers Group.

Optimized global network assures miners’ safety and sparkling performance for De Beers , the world’s largest diamond producer.


The result 
The next step is to integrate the De Beers and Anglo American voice platforms, which both run on Cisco technology. Then, all voice traffic will move to the global WAN, removing the cost of international calls and making it even easier for the whole business to work together. 

“The whole company will have a single dial plan so we can make voice or video calls desk-to-desk anywhere in the world,” says James. “Instead of sending emails, that will help create a common culture.” Cisco Unified Communications Manager servers in the cloud will also pave the way for features like presence and instant messaging. 

As well as voice and video traffic, the global WAN carries huge volumes of financial, environmental, and geospatial data from business applications, CCTV systems, and radar data collection points. 

With cyber-attacks on the increase, De Beers closely guards commercial and personal information and its intellectual property. “BT and Cisco play a major role in our cyber-security in the sense that they’ve helped us build our networks with an eye to possible threats,” says James. 

And the story doesn’t end there. As De Beers pushes the boundaries with automation, it needs technology to evolve at the same pace. James concludes: “What we envision in our partnership with BT is to enable the mines to operate more effectively, with lower costs, and without having to put human lives at risk.”

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.

CIONET TV

 
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Kalman Tiboldi - CTO & Founder at GemOne-TVH - Simplify or Die: Why Complexity Is the Real IT Challenge

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Isabelle Droll - CIO for Airline, Corporate, Hotels & Resorts and Sustainability at TUI - Data, Diversity, and Destinations

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Sharon Prior - CIO in transition - How Great Tech Leadership Begins with Business Thinking

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José Antonio López, Group CIO at TOUS - Jewels, Data & AI: Inside the Digital Transformation of TOUS

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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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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

Join CIONET

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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Would you like to know more about CIONET, membership or partnership opportunities? Do you have feedback or any other question? Send us a message!