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Welcome to CIONET Belgium

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Upcoming Events

 
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Belgium 23-6-26 All Members Physical english

The Sovereignty Play : Sourcing for Autonomy, Resilience and Competitive Advantage

Sourcing for Autonomy, Resilience and Competitive Advantage. Global platforms offer incredible speed and innovation, but they also create deep dependencies that can expose your business to vendor lock-in, supply chain disruptions, and regulatory shifts. For today's CIO, the central challenge is no longer just about technology adoption; it's about building a digital foundation that is both agile and resilient. Strategic sourcing is the key. It has evolved from a procurement function into the primary tool for CIOs to navigate uncertainty, mitigate risk, and achieve digital autonomy. This session provides a practical playbook for using strategic sourcing to build a future-proof enterprise.

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Belgium 30-6-26 Public Physical french

L'IT Public au point de rupture

L'IT Public au point de rupture : Vers un modèle à l'usage ? Transformer l'inertie en agilité : le défi du service public. Le constat : L’ère de la possession touche à sa fin Le citoyen n'attend pas que vous gériez des serveurs ; il attend des services. Pourtant, le modèle IT public reste prisonnier du « faire » plutôt que du « résultat ». Entre des budgets CAPEX verrouillés sur 5 ans et des cycles de procurement qui naissent périmés, l'écart se creuse. Le dilemme est stratégique : Comment passer d'une infrastructure que l'on subit à une informatique pilotée par le résultat (Outcome-based IT) ? Est-il possible d'adopter la souplesse du Cloud sans abandonner les clés de notre souveraineté ? L'objet du débat : Le "As-a-Service" au-delà du concept Nous vous invitons à remettre en question les promesses des modèles orientés vers la consommation. L'objectif est de débattre, sans tabou, du potentiel réel de ces approches pour le secteur public : Inverser la responsabilité : Passer de l'achat de matériel à l'achat de niveaux de service (SLA). Est-ce le secret pour libérer vos équipes de la maintenance ? Aligner le coût sur l'usage : En finir avec le surprovisionnement pour ne payer que ce qui est réellement consommé. Agilité "Procurement-proof" : Comment le modèle à l'usage permet-il de scaler en quelques jours ce qui prenait des mois d'appels d'offres ? La souveraineté par le contrat : Le "As-a-Service" sur site est-il le compromis idéal entre contrôle privé et flexibilité publique ? Le Format : "Zero Slides, Full Insight" Pas de présentation ni de marketing, uniquement une confrontation de visions entre pairs : Cercle restreint : Décideurs du secteur public francophone. Règle de Chatham House : Ce qui se dit à table reste à table. Débat pur : Une discussion structurée autour de vos doutes et de vos ambitions numériques.

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Belgium 30-6-26 All Members Physical english

AI at Home

As AI becomes critical to business success, organisations in highly regulated sectors such as Financial Services, Critical Infrastructures and Defence, face strict data privacy, security, and compliance mandates that make public cloud AI a non-starter. This interactive session will explore the practical realities, both the benefits and limitations, of bringing enterprise-grade AI capabilities directly onto your own premises. Join CIONET, Kyndryl, and Dell Technologies for an exclusive, hands-on roundtable and live workshop on navigating the crucial intersection of artificial intelligence, data sovereignty, and autonomous operations. We will move beyond the theory by bringing the physical machine into the room for a live, air-gapped demonstration of cutting-edge workloads running entirely on-site. This interactive workshop will bring together Digital Leaders to: Demystify Sovereign AI at the C-Level: Review the strategic trade-offs, architecture, and compliance advantages of running localised AI models. See Zero-Leak Secure Code Review in Action: Watch a live demo of an on-premise LLM scanning software for vulnerabilities, ensuring your codebase never leaves your secure infrastructure. Experience On-Premise Agentic AI: Witness a local, autonomous monitoring agent, utilising advanced, Claude-level reasoning capabilities, managing critical IT Operations tasks completely offline. Collaborate on Best Practices: Engage with peers to discuss deployment timelines, security frameworks, and infrastructure requirements for true data control. Don't miss this opportunity to interact with live hardware, engage with industry peers, and gain actionable insights into unleashing the power of sovereign and agentic AI.  

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Upcoming TRIBE Events

 

CIONET Partner Updates

CIONET Partner Updates

Recent Cases

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United Arab Bank leverages Trend Micro Security’s Automated and Integrated Solutions

To safeguard its sensitive customer data and ensure operational resilience, United Arab Bank, a leading financial institution in the UAE, sought a robust security solution. Trend Micro's advanced protection, integrated approach, and automation capabilities proved to be the ideal fit.

OVERVIEW

United Arab Bank, P.J.S.C. (UAB) is among the longest-standing and most innovative banking and financial services firms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Based in Sharjah, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, United Arab Bank was incorporated in 1975. United Arab Bank operates seven corporate and retail branches throughout the country.

United Arab Bank’s offerings include corporate and retail banking, trade finance, and treasury services. The bank is seeing strong feedback on its “Sadara” premium banking service and Islamic banking services and aims to further grow its retail customer bank.

Over the past year, United Arab Bank has strengthened its core business and optimized costs to position for future growth.

 

United Arab Bank’s security transformation shows how banks can leverage Trend Micro’s security integration and automation to defend against cyber threats, enhance business processes, and keep customers’ trust.

Ayman AlQudsi

Chief Information Officer
United Arab Bank
 

 
 

CHALLENGES

Major challenges in the banking and finance sector include minimizing operational risk from internal processes and meeting strict government and industry compliance regulations. United Arab Bank’s legacy anti-malware software was not robust enough to monitor employee and customer behavior, or to prevent the wide range of increasingly complex cyberattacks. Managing encryption was also time consuming, with lost credentials taking eight hours on average.

Due to the evolving threat landscape, including banking malware, United Arab Bank conducted a survey of cybersecurity vendors and decided to upgrade its solutions with Trend Micro.

 

Trend Micro’s automated and integrated security solutions, and its strong research and development, are key for our competitiveness, our compliance, and staying ahead of the curve.

Mahmoud Yassin

Head of Information Security
United Arab Bank

 
 

WHY TREND

One of the main selling points has been Trend Micro’s research and development— especially Trend Micro Research security roundups and predictions reports. In addition, Trend Micro XGen™ security capabilities provide United Arab Bank with a layered security approach that can quickly protect, detect, and respond to new threats. In addition, UAB have improved visibility and streamlined investigation across their entire IT infrastructure by adding an endpoint detection and response layer on top of the same agent.

“Connectivity, smart devices, and e-commerce are all fueling the record number of threats in the Middle East’s banking sector,” says Ayman AlQudsi, Chief information Officer at United Arab Bank. “United Arab Bank’s security transformation shows how banks can leverage Trend Micro’s security integration and automation to defend against cyber threats, enhance business processes, and keep customers’ trust.”

 
 

SOLUTION

United Arab Bank has replaced its legacy anti-malware software with Trend Micro’s secure digital platform, which includes full network visibility and management of cyber threats, including advanced persistent threats (APTs). In particular, United Arab Bank has deployed Trend Micro solutions: Smart Protection Complete covers user protection including endpoint security and email to protect UAB’s internal email exchange as well, Deep Security software for workload runtime security, and EDR for real-time threat detection and response. United Arab Bank has also integrated Trend Micro solutions with the VMware NSX virtualization software.

 
 

RESULTS

United Arab Bank is already seeing impressive results—with virtual patching, malware protection, user behavior, and malicious activity monitoring applied for 500 users running 60 systems and apps across 1,000 servers. For example, United Arab Bank reduced time to manage encryption from eight hours to two hours, detects over 80% of cyber threats, and quickly and easily deploys security agents.

“In the face of rising cyber threats against banks in the region, United Arab Bank’s security transformation with Trend Micro assures our customers that they are banking on the most secure banking platform,” says Mahmoud Yassin, Head of Information Security at United Arab Bank.

 
 

WHAT'S NEXT

United Arab Bank is continuing to implement industry best practice and develop shared services and product offerings with its partner banks across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).  Central to United Arab Bank’s mission is to adopt an innovative banking approach that can continue to deliver a superior customer experience.

United Arab Bank is working closely with Trend Micro on next-generation solutions such as Trend Micro™ Intrusion Protection to protect the environment from known and undisclosed vulnerabilities, Trend Micro™ Deep Discovery™ Inspector to detect targeted attacks and ransomware anywhere in the network (including north-south and east-west network traffic) and detect zero-day exploits and malicious communications, as well as Trend Micro™ Deep Discovery™ Analyzer to extend the value of their Trend Micro solutions by using a centralized custom sandbox to send suspicious files for analysis and share that intelligence to achieve a connect threat defense strategy.

As both the UAE and United Arab Bank are set to mark their 50th anniversary Golden Jubilees in the 2020s, United Arab Bank is ideally-positioned to continue to play a leading role in securing the banking and financial services for customers in the UAE and the GCC for years to come.

“Trend Micro’s automated and integrated security solutions and its strong research and development are key for United Arab Bank’s competitiveness, our compliance, and staying ahead of the curve,” says Mahmoud Yassin, Head of Information Security at United Arab Bank

 
 

Partners

CIONET Circles

CIONET Business 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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Testimonials

Geert Goethals
Geert Goethals
CIO
Sibelga
Bahadir Samli
Bahadir Samli
CIO
ING Belgique
2-Feb-29-2024-11-35-00-9309-AM
Bart Kerkhofs
Director Digital Technology
Tata Steel Nederland
Untitled design (1)-Apr-01-2022-10-58-34-57-AM
Michał Paprocki
Group CIO
Euroclear
1-Feb-29-2024-11-34-59-8990-AM
Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer
Chief Information Officer
NATO
Untitled design-Nov-22-2023-08-42-05-3178-AM
Annick Faes
Vice President IT and CIO Medical Devices EMEA
Johnson & Johnson
Piet_De_Ceuleners
Piet De Ceuleners
Global IT Director
Melexis
Untitled design-7
Stef Schampaert
Country Managing Director BeLux
Red Hat
Kevin_Ledegen
Kevin Ledegen
Group IT director
SDWorx
Gunter-Van-Craen_Small
Gunter Van Craen
Chief Digital & Information Officer
Bekaert
Thomas Kessler
Thomas Kessler
Partner | CIO Programme Leader
Deloitte
Emmanuel Gob
Emmanuel Gob
CIO
DPD
pascal pauwels
Pascal Pauwels
CIO
Colruyt
Untitled design (4)-Dec-13-2023-10-53-15-5032-AM
Koen Segers
Managing Director Belgium and Luxembourg
Dell Technologies
benoit dewaele
Benoît Dewaele
Group IT Director
Vandemoortele
Dirk Deridder-1
Dirk Deridder
CTO - Technology Services & Practices
SMALS
Untitled design-Sep-18-2023-11-59-29-7866-AM
Koen Vandaele
CIO
Delen Private Bank
Untitled design (4)-Jun-12-2023-01-23-11-7540-PM
Liesbet D'hoker
Managing Director
Kyndryl BeLux
steven-vermeulen
Steven Vermeulen
CIO
Digitaal Vlaanderen
Jack Hamande
Jack Hamande
Director General Digital Transformation
Federale Overheidsdienst Beleid en Ondersteuning
Tom Tomczak
Tom Tomczak
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
NRB
an swalens
An Swalens
Head Of IT (CIO)
National Bank of Belgium
Untitled design (2)-Apr-01-2022-10-58-34-68-AM
Elke Laeremans
Chief Technology & Transformation Officer
Krëfel
CIONET Belgium - Advisory Board Member - Koen Van Loo
Koen Van Loo
CIO
Group S.
CIONET Belgium - Advisory Board Member - Steven De Haes
Steven De Haes
Dean
Antwerp Management School
Loic Wydouw BW
Loïc Wydouw
CIO
Carrefour
christel-plessers
Christel Plessers
Head of IT European Markets
Mercedes-Benz Europe
bauduin cor
Baudouin Corlùy
Chief Market Development Officer
LCL Data Centers
Steven Soers b&w
Steven Soers
VP Marketing
Telenet Business
CIONET-Belgium-Advisory-Board-Member-Carl-Tilkin-Franssens
Carl Tilkin-Franssens
Expert Consultant
BDO Belgium
Leen Van Rentergem (1)
Leen Van Rentergem
CIO
KU Leuven
bart van de walle b&w
Bart Van de Walle
CIO Belux
DHL
Jeroen Verbruggen
Jeroen Verbruggen
CIO
Proximus
An Swalens
An Swalens
CIO
National Bank of Belgium

Team

Luc Hendrikx
Luc Hendrikx
Partner - CEO
Inès De Bien
Inès De Bien
Partner - CCO
1-Feb-08-2022-10-22-08-68-AM
Daniel Eycken
Partner - COO
Hendrik Deckers
Hendrik Deckers
Partner - Founder
foto Herman
Herman Roelandts
Tribe Master
Joseph Antoun
Joseph Antoun
Senior Programme Director
1-Dec-16-2021-02-15-57-02-PM
Eman De Sutter
Programme Manager
4-Feb-08-2022-10-22-09-03-AM
Shelly Deracourt
Programme Manager
Untitled design (5)-Sep-01-2022-02-47-55-60-PM
Charlotte Coen
Partner Success Manager
Untitled design (1)-Nov-22-2023-08-56-42-6802-AM
Ivana Bradvica
Programme Manager
Vlera Berishaa (1)
Vlera Berisha
Community Manager
Stanislav Mosan
Stanislav Mosan
Financial Director

Contact us

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