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Belgium 01-10-2026 Squad Only Virtual english

Letting Teams Build Safely with Low-Code, No-Code, and AI Tools. ; How to enable business-led development while keeping security, architecture, and support under control.

Low-code, no-code, and AI tools are giving business teams more ability to build solutions themselves. The challenge is setting the right boundaries before fast local solutions become important operational assets. Three pressure points need attention. - Boundaries must be clear: teams need to know what they can build alone and what requires IT, security, or architecture review. - Supportability matters when a quick solution becomes business-critical. - Risk control remains necessary around data access, compliance, security, process dependency, and maintenance. The working question is simple: how do we enable business-led development while keeping security, ownership, and support under control? If you are trying to enable this safely, let’s compare approaches with others facing the same balance.

Belgium 06-10-2026 All Members Physical english

The Token Trap: Reclaiming Control of Enterprise AI

As enterprise AI transitions from experimental Proofs of Concept (POCs) into real implementations, digital leaders are encountering a shared challenge: consumption-based public cloud token billing models do not fit neatly into traditional IT budgeting. Daily token consumption can rise unexpectedly, pushing expenses through the roof while arbitrary caps quickly kill momentum for innovation. For many CIOs, this raises an open strategic question: How do we keep costs under control while further stimulating innovation? During this interactive CIONET roundtable, we will explore among peers how to navigate AI tokenomics. Rather than treating public cloud LLMs as the default path, we will investigate how different execution environments, ranging from hybrid cloud setups and targeted on-premise models to specialised edge hardware, can help balance cost with performance. This session is intentionally designed as an open peer-to-peer exchange; a space to compare notes, challenge current ways of working and architectural setups, and discuss practical approaches to building predictable, scalable AI models.

Belgium 08-10-2026 All Members Physical english

The Permanent (R)evolution

Every large organisation has been through a major transformation, and most through several. The word transformation is misleading because it suggests a beginning and an end. But organisations that do well are the ones that have given up on the idea of arriving and realise that constant change has become the new norm, and missing a single cycle leaves you permanently behind. This evening, two leaders will share how they think about this, coming from opposite directions. John Porter led Telenet through a sustained period of reinvention spanning the pandemic, a full reorganisation into tribes, M&A, and a shift to a performance driven culture. Along the way, the IT department was dissolved and technology was embedded inside autonomous tribes that run as small businesses. There is no CIO at Telenet. It is Telenet Group’s purpose to become a digital-first, customer-centric organisation. To deliver on this ambition, it has embarked on a transformation journey built on three pillars: (i) the implementation of a scaled-agile operating model (organisation), (ii) the acceleration of digitisation and automation underpinned by optimised IT systems, platforms, and strategic technology partnerships (digitisation), and (iii) a performance leadership culture focused on accountability, ownership, and a change mindset (culture). Kris Vervaet, on the other hand, has just become CIO at KBC, the bank whose mobile app has been ranked best in the world three times and whose AI assistant Kate now handles 70% of customer queries on its own. But Kris is no ordinary CIO: he ran DPG Media Belgium as CEO, and KBC went looking for someone who has led transformation rather than someone who manages technology. So while one organisation got rid of the CIO role, the other reinvented it, and both are thriving. The conversation will range across organisational and IT redesign, the rise of digital-first customer experience, the impact of AI on how every business is run, and the harder questions of culture, talent and leadership. The question for every leader in the room is what that tells you about your own role, your own operating model, and the pace at which you are prepared to keep evolving.

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Revolutionizing customer service: ERGO Insurance uses AI and Microsoft Azure to provide 24/7 personalized support

Providing top-tier customer service is a cornerstone of ERGO. To serve thousands of customers sustainably, ERGO Insurance used a Microsoft Azure-powered AI Virtual Agent (VA) developed by EBO. The solution revolutionized the company’s customer service by providing personalized, 24/7 assistance.

ERGO Insurance, a part of the ERGO Group, is committed to offer comprehensive insurance, pensions, and investment services. "Our goal is not just to offer top-tier insurance services, but also top-tier customer experience," begins Rea Theleriti, Chief Customer and Digital Transformation Officer at ERGO Insurance.

However, this goal came with a challenge: sustainably serving thousands of customers round-the-clock. To overcome this, ERGO Insurance wanted to revolutionize its approach, starting with its call centers. “Over the years, we have been focusing on instilling excellence in our intermediaries,” Theleriti explains. “More recently, we started looking into innovating the whole customer journey. We wanted to create an omnichannel experience for our customers, where they could use their preferred communication channels.”

Taking a step forward, ERGO Insurance cooperated with EBO, a Microsoft partner and leader in customer engagement automation, to implement, Χαρά (Joy), an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Virtual Agent (VA) built on Microsoft Azure.

Technology with a human touch

What makes the Virtual Agent particularly unique in the Greek insurance market is its outstanding recognition rate. Χαρά was built using Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning techniques, Azure Cognitive Services, and Azure Bot Services. EBO’s NLP experts worked with ERGO Insurance and Microsoft to build a VA that can have two-way human-like conversations with customers. The VA’s sentiment analysis can identify users’ emotions and adapt to the conversation accordingly. Finally, Χαρά’s machine learning capabilities keep its language library updated, enabling the VA to learn, adapt and handle more complex tasks.

With these features, the VA can handle both predefined and open-ended questions. “The Virtual Agent’s 95.5 percent recognition rate allows it to understand messages from customers and respond appropriately,” explains Konstantinos Chatzisymeon, Chief Information and Processes Transformation Officer at ERGO Insurance.

Combined with a conversational tone and the ability to communicate in 'Greeklish', a blend of Greek and Latin characters, users experience a more personal touch than with usual chatbots. "We aim to communicate with our customers in whichever way they prefer," explains Theleriti. “The more dialogues and services we offer, the more we can understand our customers. And though it may be a competitive advantage now, a Virtual Agent will become standard practice in the future.”

Simpler, more personalized interactions

One version of the Virtual Agent mainly addressed frequently asked questions (FAQ), enabling customers quick access to information regarding insurance coverage, emergency procedures, and more. While this helped with decreasing the workload for one-touch tickets, ERGO Greece wanted to create a more personalized experience. It integrated the VA directly into its core systems to offer more functions and perform a variety of operations.

The VA was then deployed to assist with policy renewals, enabling customers to verify their payment amounts and methods. Moreover, users could register for the customer portal via the VA. “It walks customers through registration with a dialog-driven process, which is more personal than filling in a standard form by yourself,” elaborates Theleriti. “This makes people feel more comfortable, and that encourages more sign ups.”

Happier, more engaged customers

Within four months of using Virtual Agent, ERGO Greece saw better customer experience. "Achieving 85 percent customer satisfaction rate for dialogues initiated through the VA is a great sign. It shows that our users are happy with these interactions," remarks Theleriti.

Providing 24/7 support has also had a positive impact on the company’s policy renewal process. Typically, once customers are sent a notification to renew their policy, they would have to find the notice and contact an agent or call center. Since the burden of the process lies on the customer, some may just forgo renewing their policies.

Now, the renewal process is simplified with the VA. Customers can request and access information easily even without specific policy details. They only need to provide their name and tax identification number or vehicle plate number. They can then make the payment online. “Customers sometimes renew their policy twice a year, so the easier we make it for them to make payments, the more value we are offering as a company. Having the VA significantly helps us manage the payment system, as we’re handling around 3,000 transactions per month,” describes Theleriti.

Effective human-AI partnership

While the VA can fully operate automatically, ERGO Insurance has full control over conversational workflows and can manage, build, or enhance conversation flows at any point in time. Should a customer conversation require human intervention, Χαρά automatically transfers the conversation seamlessly to a human agent. “In four months, 83 percent of chats were completely handled end-to-end by the VA. This has eased our agent workload and enabled us to focus on more complex business tasks,” says Theleriti.

Following the successful pilot phase, ERGO Insurance is set to implement further use cases of the VA. The company is hoping that it will become the starting point for many core processes, including renewals and claims. “The most crucial consideration is how we integrate technology into our customer journey. If it's supplementary, it won't create value, and people won't use it,” elaborates Chatzisymeon. “Our goal is to digitize and automate our processes to truly revolutionize the experience by making the interaction conversational via the VA.”

“EBO is proud to have collaborated with ERGO Insurance on its digital transformation journey,” shares Dr. Gege Gatt, CEO at EBO. “We are excited about the future potential of the VA to serve as the starting point for many of ERGO Insurance’s core processes. EBO remains committed to integrating technology seamlessly into the customer journey to create truly transformative experiences."

Reflecting on the journey so far, Theleriti notes, “I place great value on our partners, EBO and Microsoft, and our staff who implemented this solution. Transformation isn't solely driven by technology. How we use technology and what we choose to do with it is most critical in how we’ll transform customer experience in the future.”

Technologies

Cognitive Services (AI)

CIONET Business Circles

Cyber Circle

CIONET’s Cyber Circle: a new three-event programme exclusively focusing on the most urgent, complex, and high-impact challenges in cybersecurity today. Launched in 2026, this initiative brings together CISOs, CIOs, and senior IT executives with a strong interest in cybersecurity for three curated gatherings each year. As part of CIONET’s trusted executive community, the Cyber Circle provides a confidential, peer-driven environment to exchange insights, share real-world experiences, and address evolving cyber threats. Each session is designed to foster strategic dialogue, strengthen resilience, and elevate cybersecurity as a core driver of business value.

Telenet Business Leadership Circle

The Telenet Business Leadership Circle powered by CIONET, offers a platform where IT executives and thought leaders can meet to inspire each other and share best practices. We want to be a facilitator who helps you optimise the performance of your IT function and your business by embracing the endless opportunities that digital change brings.

Les Rencontres

Découvrez la dynamique du leadership numérique aux Rencontres de CIONET, le programme francophone exclusif de CIONET pour les leaders numériques en Belgique, rendu possible grâce au soutien et à l'engagement de nos partenaires de programme : Deloitte, Denodo et Red Hat. Rejoignez trois événements inspirants par an à Liège, Namur et en Brabant Wallon, où des CIOs et des experts numériques francophones de premier plan partagent leurs perspectives et expériences sur des thèmes d'affaires et de IT actuels. Laissez-vous inspirer et apprenez des meilleurs du secteur lors de sessions captivantes conçues spécialement pour soutenir et enrichir votre rôle en tant que CIO pair. Ne manquez pas cette opportunité de faire partie d'un réseau exceptionnel d'innovateurs numériques !

Female Leadership Circle

CIONET is committed to highlighting and celebrating female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, creating a leadership programme that empowers and elevates women within the tech industry. This initiative is dedicated to showcasing the achievements and successes of leading women, fostering an environment where female role models are recognised, and their contributions can ignite progress and inspire the next generation of women in IT. Our mission is to shine the spotlight a little brighter on female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, and to empower each other through this inner network community.