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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.

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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.

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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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CIONET Partner Updates

CIONET Partner Updates

Recent Cases

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Unichem Laboratories breaks down silos, bolsters cybersecurity with Trend Micro

Breaks down silos, bolsters cybersecurity with Trend Micro

OVERVIEW

Based in Mumbai, Unichem Laboratories operates across two core verticals: active pharmaceutical ingredients and final tablet production.

The 75-year-old pharmaceutical leader has six manufacturing plants, with the USA being their primary market contributing a significant revenue share.

With advanced facilities, Unichem discovers and develops pharmaceuticals while ensuring accessibility, affordability, quality, and patient-focused values. Beneath this thriving commerce lies a wealth of sensitive data, making cybersecurity a top priority, particularly protecting critical patented drug information. Given modern cybersecurity threats and regulatory controls, Unichem reached out to Trend to bolster their endpoint and cloud workload security—underpinning their business operations, manufacturing, and supporting their users.

 
 
 CHALLENGES

In December 2019, Unichem faced significant cybersecurity challenges which affected their systems and IT network, highlighting the need for a robust defense strategy against targeted attacks.

Furthermore, CERT-IN guidelines introduced additional compliance requirements for the organization, highlighting the importance of strengthening their cybersecurity framework.

Unichem Laboratories needed a dedicated cybersecurity team in place, as they experienced siloed visibility across their IT infrastructure that caused security gaps and complicated workflows. The increasing complexity of threats and a sprawling attack surface worsened the situation.

 

We evaluated multiple vendors, but Trend Micro won us over with their industry-leading platform story, exceptional after-sales support, and commendable response time during critical situations.

M. Kumaresan

CIO, Unichem Laboratories

 
 

WHY TREND

Unichem’s partnership with Trend provides them with a security solution as well as a dependable ally. 

Trend delivers complete and holistic solutions powered by cybersecurity platform approach and complete after-sales service.

“We evaluated multiple vendors, but Trend Micro won us over with their industry-leading platform story, exceptional after-sales support, and commendable response time during critical situations,” says M. Kumaresan, CIO of Unichem Laboratories. “They also placed great emphasis on empowering our team with the necessary product knowledge prior to the implementation.”

Trend Vision One™, with XDR capabilities, offered broader visibility across Unichem’s IT infrastructure, enabling threat hunting, detection, investigation, and response, all from a cybersecurity platform.

 
 

SOLUTION

Unichem initially implemented Trend Micro Apex One™ to safeguard their endpoints. 

Following CERT-IN’s guidelines, they recognized the increasing need for comprehensive security, enhanced visibility, and reduced response time across their IT infrastructure. Unichem further enhanced their defenses by deploying Trend Vision One to fortify their endpoints and cloud workloads, reducing the risks that come with siloed solutions and lack of integration.

With Trend Vision One, Unichem gained central visibility and control to prioritize cyber risks and bolster their defense posture. The platform offered features such as root cause analysis of incidents, advanced correlation, and automated workflows. These addresses resource constraints, resulting in a zero-threat approach to security and smoother business operations—while also helping Unichem meet compliance requirements.

 
 

Not only has Trend Micro’s security solutions helped us ensure business continuity, but they have also significantly enhanced our threat hunting capabilities.

M. Kumaresan

CIO, Unichem Laboratories

 
 

RESULTS

The journey from EDR to XDR proved fruitful, providing a centralized dashboard and comprehensive threat intelligence analysis for better visibility, thereby reducing mean time to respond (MTTR) and mean time to defend (MTTD).

“Not only has Trend Micro’s security solutions helped us ensure business continuity, but they have also significantly enhanced our threat hunting capabilities,” says Kumaresan.

Equipped with advanced security measures, including enhanced response and detection capabilities, Unichem is well-prepared to navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape and a widening attack surface.

 
 
Unichem

 

WHAT'S NEXT

Unichem is optimistic about their continued partnership with Trend. 

In addition to the industry-leading platform, the customer service and support they’ve received have allowed them to maintain business continuity while keeping their focus on core operations.

Having been without a security operations team, discussions on SOC as a Service and Network APT with Trend has given Unichem a clear direction for their future cybersecurity strategy.

 
 

Partners

CIONET Circles

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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.

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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.

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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 !

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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.

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