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.

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.

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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Discovering Nordzucker: The Beginning Of An Exciting Partnership With Stefanini

Recognizing the need for a fresh approach to fuel innovation and efficiency, Nordzucker partnered with Stefanini to reimagine their IT landscape. After nearly two decades of working within the ITIL framework without achieving desired performance metrics, the company embraced a bold "greenfield" strategy.

A Rich History Spanning Over 185 Years

Nordzucker is a name that resonates with history and progress. With roots dating back over 185 years, this international sugar company has grown from its humble beginnings in a single German sugar factory to become a significant player across Europe and Australia. Today, it boasts 21 sugar factories staffed by around 3,900 employees, collectively producing more than 200 products.

The Path to Progress: Nordzucker’s Inspiring Transformation Journey

In the dynamic world of business, transformation is more than a necessity—it’s an opportunity to redefine what’s possible. For Nordzucker, one of Europe’s leading sugar producers, the turning point sparked a bold quest for improvement. That’s where we, Stefanini, came in—a global technology solutions provider ready to take on the challenge, whose collaborative spirit and expertise aligned seamlessly with Nordzucker’s goals.

Redesigning Processes: A Fresh Start with Greenfield Thinking

Nordzucker relied on the ITIL framework to manage their IT operations. However, performance reviews revealed that their systems and processes needed a reinvention, not just an update. Adopting a greenfield approach, the team started with a clean slate—rethinking their process. It was about fostering collaboration and co-creation between the two teams.

Oana Chetves, Business Development Manager at Stefanini, reflected on this pivotal phase: “I remember that throughout all the meetings we highly appreciated the transparency from all the Nordzucker team which helped us put together the proper solutioning in place.”

Tackling Challenges: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

Nordzucker faced operational challenges as low resolution rates at the first support level led to increased workloads, backlogs, and longer ticket resolution times—a frustrating experience for end-users. Nordzucker implemented ServiceNow as their new IT Service Management (ITSM) tool. This strategic decision enabled them to establish a 24/7 team for comprehensive incident management. They also introduced SophieX, an advanced voice translation service available in multiple languages, including Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Polish, and Slovak.

This innovative solution made support more accessible, bridging language gaps and elevating user satisfaction.

Building Strong Partnerships: Trust as the Cornerstone

What stood out was not just Stefanini’s technical expertise but also their speed, responsiveness, and preparedness during global engagements. Michael Riepshoff, Head of IT Operations at Nordzucker, shared his appreciation: “We were looking for someone to guide us on this journey, with broad experience, that has the ability to co-innovate with us. The speed delivered in getting back to our requests and also the level of preparedness for all the colleagues in Stefanini that were involved was quite outstanding. “

This partnership was built on mutual trust and a shared commitment to excellence. By aligning their visions and focusing on seamless execution, Nordzucker and Stefanini created a foundation for sustainable growth and long-term success.

Looking Ahead: Writing the Next Chapter

With these transformative steps, Nordzucker has not only streamlined their operations but also taken steps into enhancing the experience for their end-users. As they continue on this path, the future holds endless possibilities for growth and innovation.

Together with Stefanini, Nordzucker is embracing challenges with confidence, turning them into opportunities to innovate and excel. This journey is far from over. As they carve out new milestones and redefine success, Nordzucker’s transformation story stands as a testament to the power of vision, partnership, and resilience.

Technologies

ServiceNow IT Service Management

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.