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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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Cancer Research UK discovers maximum protection with Trend Micro

Discovers maximum protection with Trend Micro

OVERVIEW

Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research, and has been at the heart of the progress that has seen survival rates in the UK double in the last 40 years. The charity has more than 3,900 employees, funds more than 4,000 scientists, doctors, and nurses across the UK, and works with more than 40,000 volunteers.

CHALLENGES

With more than 2,000 active users to manage across physical machines, VMware virtual desktops, and mobile devices, Cancer Research UK’s client technology manager, Martin Quinn, has his hands full.

Quinn was looking for a new supplier to come in and offer exceptional threat protection, and to help with installation and ongoing management where needed.

Like most organizations, Cancer Research UK is faced with a growing volume of threats ranging from traditional viruses and worms to more sophisticated targeted attacks, and everything in between. When applied to virtual environments, traditional security tools can often cause more problems than they solve by draining resources and consuming too much processing power. For Cancer Research UK, it was vital to find a provider that could offer security platforms designed specifically with virtual and physical environments in mind.

WHY TREND

After an initial meeting at VMworld and a subsequent three- to four-month trial, Quinn opted for the Trend Micro™ Deep Security™ solution to provide industry-leading protection for Cancer Research UK’s virtual desktop infrastructure. Another trial followed for the charity’s physical machines, after which Quinn chose Trend Micro™ Smart Protection for Endpoints.

Trend Micro has been a longtime partner of VMware and that was evident during Deep Security’s seamless integration into Cancer Research UK’s VDI infrastructure. The platform offers a comprehensive range of protection for virtual environments. What’s more, it has been designed to be virtual-ready—offering virtual patching and protection against instant-on gaps with no performance hit.

On the physical side, Trend Micro Smart Protection for Endpoints infrastructure offers a comprehensive breadth of security including vulnerability shielding, anti-malware and protection against spyware, targeted attacks, and ransomware, as well as data-loss prevention. There are flexible deployment options and centralized management, and it also works across mobile devices, removable media, and file servers.

RESULTS

Quinn is delighted with Deep Security’s performance, which keeps mission-critical systems safe, secure, and compliant with no service disruptions.

Quinn is also keen to highlight the instant-on security capabilities that ensure no virtual machine is ever unprotected, even if it has been lying dormant for some time. He is has found Trend Micro’s Support to also be a key differentiator for Cancer Research UK.

Recognising the importance of the customer relationship, Trend Micro was also flexible on licensing—allowing Cancer Research UK to trade in some VDI licensing for Smart Protection for Endpoints.

"What I really valued from a pre-sales point of view was that there was a lot of advice and support, getting us booked onto courses and giving us a more hands–on experience in a training environment with someone who knew the product inside out. That left us reassured that we could implement it and it wouldn’t cause us any problems down the line."

Martin Quinn - Client Technology Manager

WHAT'S NEXT

As for the future, Quinn already has an eye on a full protection suite from Trend Micro to complement the charity’s initial investments. “It’s been a great experience for us,” he said.

"Trend Micro is my strategic choice for threat protection for all of our client environments and I look forward to our continued partnership"

Martin Quinn - Client Technology Manager

Technologies

Trend Micro™ Deep Security™ Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Complete

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.