About

In the last 18 months, cyber breaches have cost British household brand names billions of pounds in lost revenue, market cap, and disrupted operations, and subsequently cost digital leaders their jobs.

Yet 2026 brings us to a time of unprecedented turbulence, with geopolitical turmoil and technological advances, so do British businesses have a plan in place to cope with what’s on the horizon?

For our fourth community discussion of the year, CIONET is hosting a conversation about how the CIO can keep the enterprise secure in this shifting landscape, whilst satisfying the board’s hunger to “do something with AI”.

What you will take away

Maintaining the case for security investment amongst the pressure for AI-driven growth.
How AI and shifting geopolitics are changing the nature of threats.
Keeping the team prepared and able to react to the latest attacks.
Leading a team through the toughest times in their work, when the pressure is real.
Insights on the latest regulatory developments and accountability for keeping the enterprise secure.

Join CIONET on 16 September for an evening chaired by Craig Walker, a frank discussion about what CIOs are facing in the current security climate.

Speakers and Panellists

Find out more about the speakers and our panellists

Craig Walker

Chairman | Moderator

CIONET UK

Craig graduated in the summer of 1981 from the University of Surrey with a BSc.

Hons in Chemical Engineering. He joined Shell as an IT programmer in London.

Over the next 17 years, his career in IT management progressed and saw him spend

10 years as an expatriate in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Colombia.

In 1998, he moved to KPMG as an Associates Partner to learn about other

industries, cultures, and ways of working. In 2005, after what he describes as the

best 6-year training course Shell let him go on, he returned in 2005 to Shell as CIO

for the African Downstream businesses based in Cape Town. After 3 years he

became Global CIO of Shell Trading and Shipping based in Houston, Texas and

then, in 2014, became Global CIO of Shell Downstream based in London.

He is a high energy leader who has spent most of his career leading large-scale

digital transformations. As Global CIO of Shell Downstream business, his team

delivered billions of dollars of savings and value, created new ways of working,

enabled faster business strategy realisation and ultimately reduced the IT budget by

45%, creating more reliable and secure solutions, and delivering the next generation

of transformative technology. While these global transformations were technology

driven, they were highly business focused. His success can be attributed to

recognising the complexities of large-scale change and including all the key

stakeholders in business and IT to ensure a level of buy-in and energy such that they

were able to fundamentally transform the businesses.

He retired from Shell in 2020, and joined Salesforce as an SVP, Strategic Advisor to

the office of the CEO, where he worked with c-suite to help them refine and deliver

their business strategy. He advised hundreds of customers, building strong

relationships and helping drive transformational change through bringing technology and people together.

He has now retired for a second time and is now busier than ever having teamed up

with five ex-KPMG colleagues, who have a lifetime of experience, knowledge and a

track record of success, to create Veles Consulting which has the tag line “Our

Experience, Your Success”. There are delivering a range of services including

Strategic Business Advice, NED/Virtual Board Services, Company Review,

Leadership Development and Transformational programmes. He is enjoying working again with old friends and colleagues.

He also chairs the Institute of Coding, which is dedicated to delivering free technical

skills learning to disadvantaged people in the UK, as well as participating on several

advisory and executive boards.

He has a passion for business, developing people, enjoying his family, travelling,

good food and wine, and life.

Joanne Elieli

Partner - Cyber Lead

Stephenson Harwood

Joanne is a partner in Stephenson Harwood's London office and the firm's cyber lead. She specialises in complex cyber, data and technology disputes and investigations, advising clients in the UK and internationally on cyber incidents, data breaches, cyber compliance and technology-related disputes.

Joanne provides strategic advice on cyber incidents, ransomware attacks, data breaches and crisis management. She regularly leads investigations, coordinates incident response, and advises on regulatory engagement. She also represents clients in follow-on litigation, including group and class actions arising from alleged breaches of data protection and cyber security laws.

Joanne has particular expertise in the protection and recovery of sensitive data, source code and confidential information, and in disputes involving computer misuse, insider threats, AI technologies and critical technology systems.

Explore the program

Program

Stephenson Harwood

           
          18:00 
        
                Welcome Reception
        
          18:30 
        
                Panel Discussion with distinguished leaders, with Q&A
        
          20:00 
        
                Networking & walking dinner
        
          21:30 
        
                Carriages