null

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.

Please Log In with your CIONET account first

Business critical online events - delivered seamlessly

Our specialist Virtual Events team supported BT’s Investor Relations team to deliver quarterly briefings online.

Overview
The BT Investor Relations (IR) team reports our quarterly results to the wider market, including to investors and analysts. It has to include speakers like our CEO and CFO.

Before the pandemic, this was always a face-to-face event.

When we couldn't deliver the event in person anymore, our Virtual Events team stepped in and seamlessly moved the event online.

The challenge
The IR team had to carefully manage the event because it’s so high profile and any issues with the delivery could have a huge impact on the company’s reputation.

The stakes were so high with this event. The flexibility, expertise and support we had from the Virtual Events team gave us peace of mind that the tech would just work.”

Jessica BradfordBT Investor Relations team
Jessica was concerned that her team didn’t have the technical skills to deliver the event online, nor the capacity based on how busy the team is when the results are released.

As a result, the IR team asked the Virtual Events specialists to support them with their online event.

The virtual event needed video collaboration capabilities so that the presenters could interact with the people viewing the event. The attendees needed to see the slides and the presenters at the same time, the ability to submit anonymous questions, and be able to speak to the presenters for the Q&A session.

The solution
They considered all three available platforms – Microsoft Teams Live Events, Zoom Webinar and Webex Webinar – and decided that Webex Webinar was the best option because it met the requirements of the session.

Our Virtual Events team worked closely with the IR team from planning and scheduling through to the post event wrap-up, allowing the IR team to focus on the content and delivery, as opposed to the tech and the admin.”

Victoria PalinProduct Manager, Virtual Events, BT
A rehearsal is a crucial part of the service our Virtual Events specialists provide. It helps them test the tech and iron out any issues pre-event, it helps the presenters to understand what to expect on the day, taking away some of the worry, and it offers the chance to perfect the delivery of the content.

On the day of the event, the Virtual Events producers introduced the event and handed over to the IR team. They moderated the questions coming into the Q&A and reacted to direction from the IR team, who’d suggest which questions to reply to and where to guide the conversation. They also closed the event professionally, telling the attendees the next steps.

After the session, the Virtual Events producers gave the IR team a full post-event report. This covered things like attendance insights, a summary of the questions asked throughout the event, and any drop out rates.

The outcome
The IR team were very happy that their quarterly results were delivered successfully to about 800 people online without any issues.

Jessica from the IR team believes that the smooth delivery would not have been possible without the expertise of the Virtual Events team.

Quarterly results are so vital to our organisation. The thought of their live delivery going wrong is quite scary.”

Jessica BradfordBT Investor Relations team

Technologies

Cisco Webex

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.