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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 Nov 17, 2025 Country Members Virtual english

Online: Why AI Projects Fail before they Start

Many AI initiatives stumble at the very beginning—often because the data foundation isn’t ready. Success requires balancing proven systems with new technologies and finding ways to apply AI across hybrid environments. In this session, speakers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland will share their perspectives on how CIOs can turn these challenges into real progress.

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Belgium Nov 18, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english

Telenet Business Leadership Circle - Scalable IT Operating Models

As businesses navigate increasing demands for agility and digital transformation, aligning IT strategies with business goals is essential for success. This roundtable will bring together CIOs, CTOs, and Digital Leaders to explore how to develop and manage IT Operating Models that effectively support business objectives. The discussion will focus on the key components of an IT Operating Model, including people, processes, technology, and governance, and the importance of agility in today’s fast-paced environment.

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UK Nov 19, 2025 Country Members Physical english

CIONET UK Business Community Program: Safe and secure – building trust with business partners

Join us for the final community event of 2025 on 19th November in London. Join us for our community event on 21st May in London. Sponsored by Business Partners Cognizant, Orange Business, Entelect, Strategy, Stefanini & Thoughtworks.

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Belgium Nov 20, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english

From Data to Decisions to Value : Turning information overload into real outcomes

Every organisation sits on a mountain of data, builds new platforms, and experiments with AI. Yet the key question remains: how much of this activity creates value that leaders can see and measure? Data in isolation delivers little; without clear decisions, it clutters rather than clarifies. The task is shifting from stockpiling information to making better, faster decisions that scale across every channel and moment that matters.  How to close the gap between data investments and business outcomes? Which decisions should be centralised, and which remain distributed? What role should AI and automation play in orchestrating relevance?

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Germany Nov 20, 2025 Country Members Physical english

Munich: Mastering Digital Sovereignty

CIONET, BT und Cisco laden am 20. November 2025 ab 18 Uhr zu einem vertraulichen Dinner mit ausgewählten CIOs und IT-Verantwortlichen aus Enterprise- und Großunternehmen nach München ein – Teil einer länderübergreifenden CIO-Gesprächsreihe in Europas wichtigsten Märkten. Im Zentrum der Diskussion steht eine der drängendsten Fragen unserer Zeit: Wie können Unternehmen digitale Souveränität angesichts geopolitischer Risiken, wachsender Regulierung und technologischer Abhängigkeiten konkret umsetzen?

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Spain Nov 20, 2025 Country Members Physical spanish

Premios CIONET Vocento 2025

Gala de entrega de los Premios CIONET Vocento 2025. Reconoceremos a las Compañías Líderes en Excelencia Tecnológica en Proyectos y a los Líderes Digitales del Año 2025.

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Recent Cases

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Belfius - Transforming a digital workplace to increase customer trust

Discover how Belfius, one of Belgium's leading banks, partnered with Kyndryl to enhance their regulatory readiness in anticipation of the 2025 DORA deadline. By redefining their target operating model and conducting a comprehensive skills audit, Belfius successfully regained control over their IT infrastructure, increased flexibility, and ensured full transparency in their operations. This customer story highlights the practical steps taken by Belfius to strengthen their IT controls and achieve compliance, offering valuable insights for IT leaders navigating similar regulatory challenges.

Business opportunity

As one of Belgium's leading banks and insurance companies, with a history of 150 years, Belfius serves 3.8 million customers, with over 12 thousand in the public sector. The company is embedded in all segments of the Belgian economy and society. Its brand values focus on caring for Belgian society by earning and maintaining the trust of every customer.

With the rise of hybrid work, Belfius recognized their need to transform their digital workplace environment. They needed to develop a secure, mobile, flexible and personalized solution that would enhance employee experience and enable Belfius to better serve their customers. 

 

Technical challenge

Belfius’ original digital workplace was implemented on premises at a time when dedicated telecom bandwidth was essential to guarantee consistent network performance for banking employees, so they could reliably and securely serve customers, especially in hundreds of Belfius branches. As internet bandwidth expanded, Belfius customers enjoyed fast mobile banking, but the bank’s employee-assisted services, based on a centralized application model, were sometimes hampered by unpredictable disconnections. At the same time, the centralized model faced challenges in keeping up with available technology upgrades and innovations. To address this, Belfius aimed to align its digital workplace with today’s requirements and expectations.

 

Our solution

Together, Belfius and Kyndryl created a modernization strategy with a phased approach to minimize overall disruption to the business. This strategy supports Belfius in achieving their business goals by enabling faster delivery of new applications and smoother interactions with colleagues and customers.

In the first phase, Belfius designed and rolled out a new corporate device program that includes:

  • Direct access to Microsoft Office 365 applications, rather than virtualized access, enabling 12,000 Belfius employees to securely and agilely collaborate across departments to efficiently deliver banking and insurance services.
  • Automated cloud-based software updates to increase productivity by proactively reducing technical issues, ensuring the devices are always running at the latest security levels.

 

The power of partnership

Belfius’ digital workplace transformation is built on leading Microsoft technologies:

  • Microsoft Office 365 (including Teams) unifies workplace collaboration on a single platform.
  • Microsoft Intune proactively manages software updates across the Belfius device fleet from a landing zone in Microsoft Azure.
  • Microsoft Defender implements zero trust security that uses AI to monitor and protect the fleet from threats.

 

What progress looks like

Belfius has gained increased productivity and engagement with reduced risk as a result of these first phase achievements:

  • Belfius employees are able to work anywhere anytime and frictionlessly collaborate with applications on new devices.
  • The Digital Experience Management (DEM) environment monitors user experience.
  • Fleet-wide zero trust security protects sensitive data both in flight and at rest.

Currently, Belfius is refactoring virtualized applications to directly run on Microsoft Windows 11. This extends the benefits of the new digital workplace to Belfius employees regardless of where they are working.

“One of my favorite features of the Digital Experience Management is that corrective actions are taken even before the users notice a problem.” 

Bart Vercammen

Head of Digital Workplace Services, Belfius

Technologies

Microsoft Office 365

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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Rajat Dhawan - Group Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Soho House - How Data & AI Enhance Member Experiences

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Hanna Huber - CTO at Flix Tech - Transforming Technology at Flix

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Giuseppe Ficara - The Untold Story of Amplifon's Data & AI Transformation

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Jesús Oliva, Head of Data & AI at Moeve - From Data Challenges to AI Leadership

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Radosław Maćkiewicz - CEO at COI - Empowering Citizens Through Digital Innovation

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

CIONET Reports

 
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How CIOs drive game changing results at scale?

The role of the CIO has evolved from managing systems to shaping outcomes: growth, resilience, and competitive edge are now won or lost in the technology arena. Today ’ s CIOs must balance stability with innovation, control costs while attracting scarce talent, and modernise legacy infrastructure while adopting emerging technologies.

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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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Discover the CIONET app

Staying ahead of trends and connecting with other CIOs was never easier.

In our new app, our members connect with other digital leaders from around the world to find better solutions to their challenges.

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Experience inspiring and thought-provoking content and conversations you can’t find anywhere else

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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

Grow

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!

Contact us

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