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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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Crafting bespoke content experiences for every customer

“Centralizing data on top of Databricks has enabled us to realize about $6 million in infrastructure cost savings, and ensures compelling and personalized experiences for our consumers.” – Nana Yaw Essuman, Vice President of Data Solutions Engineering at Condé Nast

As a global media conglomerate housing over 37 distinct brands, Condé Nast faced the challenge of delivering targeted consumer experiences across their brands amidst fragmented data silos. To overcome this hurdle and remain competitive, they turned to Databricks — significantly accelerating time-to-insights and decision-making. Moreover, the ability to report consistently on a global scale improved data accuracy and operational efficiency. With Databricks, Condé Nast not only optimized its infrastructure to the tune of $6 million in cost savings, but also achieved greater agility in delivering personalized content experiences to a diverse audience, enhancing consumer engagement and loyalty.

Navigating data silos in the age of personalization

As the media industry evolves, so do consumer expectations. Condé Nast — a powerhouse in the world of media and entertainment with global brands like Vogue, The New Yorker, and GQ — realized the importance of delivering tailored content and experiences to its audience. However, their existing data infrastructure was fragmented, hindering their ability to analyze data efficiently, make informed decisions, and provide personalized content at scale. To remain competitive and relevant in a dynamic media landscape, they needed a solution to centralize their data and accelerate their data-driven capabilities. Condé Nast recognized that centralizing data was the key to unlocking a new level of personalization and efficiency. “We struggled to find ways to break out of our data silos across the organization,” said Nana Yaw Essuman, Senior director of data engineering at Condé Nast.

Data Intelligence Platform ushers new solutions that delight customers

Condé Nast chose the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to better execute their vision of providing a unified view of their consumers. "The ability to leverage the exact same data that has been collected through our data pipelines allows for more consistent reporting in a global fashion,” said Essuman. The lakehouse architecture offered more than just the democratization of data. It has empowered their data team with a comprehensive suite of tools, including Unity Catalog and Databricks SQL, which enables them to securely govern data access and streamline analysis and decision-making processes across the organization, empowering their teams to move faster and smarter. With this newfound agility, Essuman’s team is able to respond more quickly to ever-evolving market trends and deliver content experiences that resonate with their diverse global audience.

Personalized content delivery at scale

Since adopting the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, Condé Nast has harnessed the full potential of their data for analytics and AI while reducing annual infrastructure costs by approximately $6 million. This not only bolstered their financial health but also empowered them to reallocate resources for crafting personalized consumer experiences globally. Essuman concluded, "Databricks helps us understand the customer from a single view so we can provide the most compelling consumer experience." With a unified data view and robust analytics and AI tools at their disposal, Condé Nast's data team can now easily create personalized content experiences that enhance consumer offerings, fostering higher engagement and loyalty.

Technologies

Databricks Data Intelligence Platform

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.