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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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Taking the pain out of purchasing a home

NatWest Group takes on digital transformation to make home buying easier

For many, owning a home is a dream come true. A bank-issued mortgage is usually an essential ingredient in realizing that dream.

But as regulations, products and processes evolve, issuing and obtaining a mortgage can be complicated. Banks are tasked with being able to access and apply accurate policy information to each customer’s unique needs in real time, throughout the home buying process.

Together with IBM®, NatWest Group is solving that problem with a plan for digital mortgage support.

The Shift: How Royal Bank of Scotland (now NatWest Group) and IBM made home buying easier

VIDEO

Increased customer loyalty

Since implementing the digital mortgage support tool, NatWest has seen a 20% improvement in customer loyalty

Time savings

Call duration has decreased by 10% due to the digital mortgage support tool

" In the mortgage industry, change is constant. Regulation changes, products change, processes change. It’s imperative that the customer has the support and the information they need to allow them to focus on their home buying journey. ”

MaryAnn FlemingHead of Homebuying ServicesNatWest Group

A smart platform that gets smarter every day

IBM Consulting™ and NatWest have co-created an AI-powered, cloud-based platform that empowers mortgage call center employees with real-time digital mortgage support for home buyers.

The platform, built with IBM watsonx Assistant technology on IBM Cloud®, is called “Marge”—and is a valuable new asset to NatWest’s digital transformation.

Marge is intentionally personified as a member of the NatWest team and has her own evolving personality. Marge was built directly on the cloud, embedded in NatWest’s existing data structures, and has access to new data added every minute through content updates and customer interactions. For NatWest mortgage call center employees, she is one single point of access for digital mortgage support for their cognitive enterprise.

Team of coworkers talking and smiling around a computer

Our colleagues have a level of confidence that they never had before, which, in turn, gives customers confidence in the decisions that they’re making for their future. ”

MaryAnn FlemingHead of Homebuying ServicesNatWest Group

Humans + technology = happy customers

While on the phone with a customer, NatWest employees get quick digital mortgage support from Marge by typing keywords into a console. With cognitive enterprise technology at their fingertips, they are able to support new and existing home buying customers.

Since implementing the digital mortgage support tool, NatWest has seen a 20% improvement in customer Net Promoter Score (NPS)—a key customer loyalty metric—and a 10% decrease in call duration.

As Marge evolves, NatWest employees will be empowered to do great work during the digital transformation and the bank will continue on its journey to becoming a Cognitive Enterprise (PDF), IBM’s vision for the next-gen business model.

Technologies

IBM Cloud: AI IBM Watsonx Assistant

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.