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Belgium 27-8-26 AB Members Physical english

Summer Festival: Advisory Board

CIO agendas are crowded: cost pressure, cyber, regulation, talent, data, AI, vendor dependency, business expectations. Most organisations are trying to do too much at once, and the “must-do” work often blocks the strategic work. CIONET only creates value if its agenda matches what CIOs truly need, in the right format, at the right time. The challenge Pick the few priorities that matter most for 2027, then translate them into a clear CIONET agenda. Outcome we leave with A ranked CIO agenda for 2027, and a directly aligned CIONET programme outline (themes, formats, cadence), with a shortlist of speaker and case targets.

Belgium 27-8-26 Country Members Physical english

Summerfest: From Story to Habit

How to align people, shift routines, and prove value Technology transformations often fail not because the tools don’t work, but because people don’t change their work habits. Boards want proof of value, executives want business outcomes, IT wants clarity, and employees want ease. Between these expectations, the CIO’s role is no longer just to deliver platforms; it is to tell the story that motivates people and turn that story into daily habits. This session will explore: The narrative: how to craft a simple, repeatable story that explains the “why” behind change for every stakeholder. From story to routine: practical ways to embed new behaviours through manager rituals, team incentives, and visible leadership. Reskilling and new expectations: preparing teams for evolving roles, from cross-department collaboration to AI-enhanced workflows. Measuring what matters: showing progress in speed, quality, and resilience — not just in licences bought or trainings completed. The aim is to equip CIOs with a leadership toolkit: a story that unites, habits that endure, and proof that convinces even the toughest boardroom.

Belgium 8-9-26 Invitation Only Virtual english

What an AI Architect Actually Does in Practice; Skills, responsibilities, interfaces, and career moves behind one of the most misunderstood emerging roles.

The AI architect role is becoming more visible, and the scope varies across organisations. The challenge is defining what the role owns, where it sits, and how it works with existing architecture, data, security, risk, and business teams. Three pressure points need clarity. - Role definition matters because the position can span solution architecture, data architecture, governance, integration, security, vendor selection, and business process design. - Interfaces matter because the role must connect teams while respecting existing responsibilities. - Skills matter because technical depth needs to be combined with judgement around controls, delivery choices, and operational boundaries. The working question is simple: how do we define the AI architect role so it becomes useful, credible, and connected to delivery? If this role is emerging in your organisation, let’s compare how others are defining it and where they are placing it.

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Zurich Builds Omnichannel Agent Experience and Increase Policy Sales

Using OutSystems, Zurich Insurance Group created a digital platform (online portal + iOS and Android app for tablets and smartphones) for agents, replacing a system that agents found difficult to use. Agents get more done, thanks to the portal’s streamlined functions, sharp new designs, the new app, and its mobile notifications.

"It’s not just about speed – it’s a matter of quality. We’ve had limited resources to do this, but it’s more important to have a quality product than to have a so-so product that the agents won’t use at all." Marco NavegaProgram Director at Zurich Insurance Group

Challenge

User Experience Challenges Agent Engagement

Zurich Insurance Group is a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. With about 53,000 employees, it provides a wide range of property and casualty and life insurance products and services in more than 210 countries and territories. Zurich’s customers include individuals, small businesses, and mid-sized and large companies, as well as multinational corporations.

"Zurich’s senior management wanted a digital platform because the reconfigured quoting tool’s website along with the screen scraping solution for policy administration, claims handling, and receipt collection was difficult to use. The initial plan was to buy a software product, but the team opted to try OutSystems instead. When the first releases went live, the trust for OutSystems quickly followed." - Marco NavegaProgram Director at Zurich Insurance Group

In Portugal, the company partners with more than 1,000 agents to offer policies to individuals and small-to-medium enterprise customers. For years, agents had online access to Zurich’s business information and processes. The goal was to eliminate paperwork so they could get more done. But the system, which was a screen scraping solution for the back-end AS/400 system, had had its time.

Because the system was initially built for internal use only, it did not provide the best user experience for agents and had a difficult learning curve, especially for a web-based population. Also, information was scattered throughout the solution and the user interface was outdated, given today’s design user expectations. As a result of all these factors, recruiting new agents was an uphill battle.

“We thought it was important to have a user-friendly solution, and the current solution at the time wasn’t doing the job,” said Marco Navega, Program Director at Zurich. “We were using old technology to convert black and green screens to create a web-like feeling. It was easy and fast to do so, but it was tough to bring new agents in to use the platform. We needed something new.”

Why Zurich chose OutSystems:

Increase professional developer productivity
Speed-up development and improve agility
Deliver omnichannel CX solutions

Solution

A Dedicated Agent Portal, Accessible on Any Device

Zurich decided to create a comprehensive omnichannel agent experience, starting with a dedicated online portal, an app for tablets, and an app for smartphones, that would be easier and more fun for agents to use while handling all their business. One of the objectives was to have it up and running quickly. Using conventional development methods would have taken well over a year.

So, Zurich opted for something different. The IT team had used OutSystems before, so they knew it would save development time and deliver a modern user experience. Buy-in on the platform from the business side took more time since they had different plans.

“The business was open to change. They felt it was needed, but in the beginning, there was hesitation, as they were planning to buy a software product instead,” Navega said. “But, when the first releases went live, the trust quickly followed.”

"If you don’t have buy-in from the top, you won’t have the business resources available to do these kinds of projects. Because they’re not just IT projects, they’re business projects." Marco NavegaProgram Director at Zurich Insurance Group

Results

Happier Agents Increase Policy Business

In just 4 months, the new portal made its debut. After that, the team rolled out a new release each month.

Agents immediately took to the new platform and reacted positively to a long list of new features. For example, a quick search gets them a 360-degree view of customer activity. They can log in to the app using a fingerprint reader. And, they get mobile notifications on the fly.

“The feedback has been great, and we’re seeing a real increase in users. More agents work directly with us because of the new platform. The old platform was very difficult to use, and it was difficult to bring new agents in. Now, they’re excited to use our application.” - Marco NavegaProgram Director at Zurich Insurance Group

Senior management is also pleased with the speed of the rollout and the quality of the releases. “Overall, the business side is very happy with the results,” Navega said. “It’s not just about speed – it’s a matter of quality. We’ve had limited resources to do this, but it’s more important to have a quality product than to have a so-so product that the agents won’t use at all.”

The platform includes:

First notification of loss
A management dashboard
Universal search
A 360-degree view of customers, policies, claims, and receipts
20 non-life quoting tools
Workflow authorization process for out-of-autonomy quotes
iOS and Android app for tablets and smartphones with all functionalities
Ability to edit customer data
Receipt collection
Social Security file management for workers’ compensation policies

Navega said the most important lesson he learned about following an agile methodology in a traditional environment is to get support from the top.

“You need to have buy-in from senior managers. Only then can you negotiate with the line managers about the availability and commitment of their resources to the project. If you don’t have buy-in from the top, you won’t have the business resources available to do these kinds of projects,” he said. “Because they’re not just IT projects, they’re business projects.”

Results:

The new digital platform has contributed to a sharp increase in policy business
Agents find new systems easier to use
Zurich able to build new system in 12 weeks
Functions can be easily updated with weekly changes

Technologies

Outsystems

Partners

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.