futureit – Lorenz Baermann

Learn from IT Thought Leaders at FutureIT D.C.

Posted on 05/05/2023 Posted in Digital transformation, General topics Tagged with d.c., futureit, general, leaders,, learn, thought, topics

The mouthwatering aromas and Instagram-worthy food coming from Chef Edward Lee’s kitchens are a far cry from the virtual worlds of IT professionals. And yet both can be high-stress work environments where smart systems and teamwork lead to the best outcomes.

Lee has thought a lot about what a modern workplace should look like, and he’s innovating new ways of doing business. He will bring his story and lessons about leadership and disruption to the FutureIT Washington, D.C., conference taking place May 11 at Convene.

Designed for IT professionals in the Capitol-area community, the event promises to help attendees master the complexity of digital innovation.

The daylong event kicks off with a workshop on persuasive communication. Led by Larry Bonfante, a senior consultant at Ouellette & Associates and former CIO of the United States Tennis Association, and Dan Roberts, host of the Tech Whispers podcast, the interactive session will coach attendees on gaming out a strategy for success when navigating tough conversations with colleagues, vendors, board members, and other stakeholders.

Forward-thinking businesses are realizing the role of the CIO in using technology to achieve business outcomes – especially in today’s uncertain economic times. Niki Allen, chief information technology and operations officer and vice president of infrastructure and operations, for Boeing Information Technology & Data Analytics, and Rona Bunn, CIO of NACD will offer practical strategies to lead the digital journey and avoid burnout, as well as answer audience questions in an open discussion.

Another reality redefining the workplace is hybrid work. Compucom’s Troy Baldwin, product management director, will share tips for improving employee experience and building “remote right” strategies that connect digital workforces across the world.

Addressing security needs in the age of ransomware, Evan Wolff, a partner at the law firm Crowell & Moring, will talk about the legalities of responding to data breaches.

As companies move into cloud maturity, mastering cloud governance will become a vital skill. Robert Ford, vice president, enterprise strategy, at CoreStack will discuss how to unlock greater cloud value.

Find out how to use generative AI to enhance customer experience at a presentation from Marci Maddox, research vice president for IDC’s Persuasive Content and Digital Experience Management Software Program.

With data and analytics forming the cornerstone of digital innovation, learn how to build a data-driven culture with Karla Gill, CTO of Momentous Capital.

Finally, Matt Deneroff, branch director at the executive recruiting firm Robert Half, will give an overview of the IT executive job market as well as identify the skills that are emerging as must-have among successful candidates.

Throughout the day, attendees will have opportunities to learn about new solutions from technology partners and to network with peers.

There will be lively discussion groups with experts on topics such as zero trust, next-gen cloud strategies, and emerging technologies.

Attendees will also have the chance to participate in a guided networking session as more casual networking breaks. The day will wrap with a networking reception.

Don’t miss out – register now!

Change Management, Cloud Computing, Data and Information Security, Data Breach, IT Leadership, IT Strategy

FutureIT Toronto – Where IDC Analysts and Canadian Tech Leaders Meet

Posted on 04/05/2023 Posted in Digital transformation, General topics Tagged with analysts, canadian, CLM, futureit, general, idc, leaders,, meet, tech, topics, toronto

At FutureIT | Toronto, you’ll walk away with insights and tactics that will help your organization no matter where you are in your digital journey. Get ready to ask questions to our experts, participate in discussion groups and learn about modernizing your digital enterprise with cloud, AI and security.

Lights. Camera. Action!

CIO and IDC present a brand-new conference to hit Toronto’s downtown tech leadership scene. On Tuesday May 9th FutureIT | Toronto will bring local tech leaders, IDC Analysts, and industry experts from the GTA together for an unforgettable day of learning and networking at Vantage Venues in the Financial District at University and King St. West. With its tagline, “Building the Digital Enterprise with Cloud, AI and Security” you can be sure the conversations are going to yield some very strong outcomes. All mainstage sessions will be professionally recorded and re-broadcast on Thursday May 11th at the FutureIT | Canada virtual event for those who are unable to attend in person. Details on how to register are found below.

On May 9th the day opens with a powerful keynote presentation by the Chief Research Officer at IDC, Meredith Whalen. To put this into perspective, Meredith is the head of IDC Research globally. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. She truly has her pulse on everything imaginable. With her new presentation titled, “Scaling the digital enterprise with Cloud, AI and Security” Meredith Whalen will explore three pivots technology leaders will be making with respect to technology investment, labor optimization, and building trusted technology ecosystems to run their digital business at scale.

There are lots of opportunities to connect and network during the event. Attendees get a chance to meet each other on a more personal level during the guided networking session involving a variety of interactive elements to facilitate immediate connections. During the extended networking luncheon, not only will there be a delicious hot buffet to enjoy but you can also get a refreshed profile photo to use on LinkedIn, or your other online profiles, at the professional headshot studio run by Event Imaging.

After lunch we hear from Matt Everson on the popular topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) while he shares, “How to Modernize your Digital Business with AI”. He will discuss how to assess an organization’s readiness for AI, develop an AI strategy that aligns with business objectives and the skills required to implement AI in a way that ensures responsible use. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to leverage AI to modernize their digital business and create new opportunities for growth.

Speaking of growth, it’s not always about growing the business. This event has some incredible leaders slated to speak and share their stories about leadership in the C-suite with the aim to help personal growth. We discuss the concept of 360 Leadership and how to lead with strategy, vision, and purpose. Sara Fenwick, VP Technology at Ren’s Pets and Liese Coroy, CIO (Sr. Director BTS) at Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee will sit down with CIO Editor, Lee Rennick in a candid discussion where they will discuss implementing new technology initiatives, managing budgets and board expectations, and what happens when things don’t go as planned.

Another highly anticipated panel discussion will occur between George Y. Al Koura, CISO at Ruby Life Ltd. and IDC Canada’s Yogesh Shivhare, Research Manager, Cybersecurity. In their session they discuss the role of the modern CISO as a trusted business influencer and head coach. With George’s background in high performance sports and leadership paired with IDC’s Framework of Trust these two discuss striking the balance between strategic leadership, department and team management and the role as a thought leader-stakeholder for security issues accross the entire enterprise. Digital trust is important for Canadian organizations and this session will discuss how you can build it using IDC’s Framework of Trust to be an effective business influencer as the head coach of your organization.

We also have session discussing cloud workloads and the state of cloud native security presented by subject matter experts from Bell and PaloAlto Networks.

The captivating closing keynote, highlighting the days’ key takeaways, is presented by IDC Analyst and Research Vice President, Software and Cloud Services, Megha Kumar. Digital transformation is moving the needle toward digital business, where the next challenge will be driving revenue and scaling operations without a commensurate increase in costs. No matter where you are on your digital journey, cloud, AI and security are integral to modernizing your systems and creating the essential customer and employee focused organization needed to keep up.

The event concludes with a fun and social networking reception where attendees can make those final connections and strengthen their professional network even more.

If you’re not from the GTA and already thinking, wow, this would be incredible to attend, if only I wasn’t from a different part of the country?! Well don’t worry, our professional video team is onsite recording the mainstage content which will be featured in a Canada-wide virtual version of this event broadcasting on Thursday May 11th titled, FutureIT | Canada – Building the Digital Enterprise with Cloud, AI and Security. The virtual event also features an informative and engaging networking event where you’ll want those cameras on! (Only if you’re comfortable with that of course – observing is just as valuable.) The networking event allows you to meet other attendees and ask questions to some of our featured speakers.

FutureIT | Toronto will deliver a day packed with insightful speakers, valuable case studies, and enticing sessions on cloud, AI and security from Canadian CIOs, industry experts and leading IDC analysts.

The deadline to register for the in-person experience at FutureIT | Toronto is on Friday May 5th.

For FutureIT Canada, the virtual event on May 11th registration is open. If you are unable to make it during the live broadcast on the 11th you are encouraged to register anyways so you get access to the content on re-play between May 12th – 25th, 2023 in our secure virtual environment.

So, what are you waiting for? Register today!

Events, IT Leadership, Technology Industry

IT Leadership – and Networking – Take Center Stage at FutureIT Event Series

Posted on 14/04/2023 Posted in Digital transformation, General topics Tagged with center, CLM, event?, futureit, general, leadership, networking, series, stage, take, topics

The room was abuzz. People were standing, talking intensely, mingling, and meeting new people. This was our first in-person conference in 2023, and it was going exactly as planned: Participants were engaged and networking. In all of our surveys, networking is always one of the top two reasons attendees come to our events (the other is the content), but often we don’t see them doing it. So we’d put a structured networking exercise on the agenda, introduced the session, and presented some sample questions they could use as conversation starters. Voila – off they went. Later, our survey results indicated it was a highlight of the event.

Welcome to FutureIT, our new event brand debuting in five cities in 2023. We’ve focused on leveraging what’s special and important about meeting in person again, with keen attention paid to creating the best – and a memorable — attendee experience. A fresh take on content, networking and experiences means it’s not your father’s IT event – as one attendee enthusiastically told us.

That’s right. Our focus covers three areas: leadership, technology and personal development. The program starts with a workshop to heed the call of deeper learning, networking and personal growth; features an inspirational, non-endemic keynote, followed by interviews with and panels of exceptional CIOs; and includes not just the aforementioned structured networking but active discussion groups led by our sponsors.

The program also features content aimed at attendees’ careers, by looking at the latest job requirements for senior IT and security executives. This session includes information that will help managers recruit for open positions – a big pain point across so many and IT security teams – as well.

As such, the agenda checks all the boxes regarding what recruiters and our research indicate are the most crucial skills for success in today’s volatile business environment. Sound exciting? We have programs coming up in Washington, D.C.; Toronto; Chicago; New York; and Southern California. Join us.

Digital Transformation, Events, IT Leadership

Learn from IT Innovators at CIO’s FutureIT Dallas

Posted on 09/03/2023 Posted in Digital transformation, General topics Tagged with cios, dallas, futureit, general, innovators, learn, topics

Leading a technically complex initiative can feel like you’re climbing Mount Everest. Find out what it’s actually like to scale the world’s tallest peak – and how it really does relate to your digital journey – from extreme adventurer Jamie Clark.

Clark will join prominent IT leaders from around the region at CIO’s FutureIT Dallas conference, taking place March 29 at the Tower Club of Dallas.

Designed for professionals in the Dallas-Fort Worth IT community, the event promises to help attendees master the complexity of digital innovation.

Forward-thinking businesses are realizing the role of the CIO in using technology to achieve business outcomes – especially in today’s uncertain economic times. Textron Vice President and CIO Kimberly Mackenroth, and Madhuri Andrews, former chief digital and information officer at Jacobs, will offer practical strategies to lead the digital journey and avoid burnout.

Immediately following their discussion, the conversation will open to the audience for a talkback session in which attendees can offer their insights and work through challenges at their organizations.

Another reality redefining the workplace is hybrid work environments. Compucom’s Troy Baldwin, product management director, will share tips for improving employee experience and building “remote right” strategies that connect digital workforces across the world.

Tackling one of today’s hottest IT trends – AI – is Don Goin, executive vice president and CIO of Texas Capital Bank. Goin will discuss how to realize the biggest gains using AI and how to move from pilot programs to true integration.

A common thread through all digital initiative is security. Tony Lauro, director of security technology and strategy at Akamai, will share the latest threat intelligence and how to protect against vulnerabilities introduced by the cloud and a distributed workforce.

Find out what’s next in future of enterprise automation with IDC’s Ritu Jyoti, group vice president of the worldwide artificial intelligence and automation research practice and global AI research lead.

With data and analytics forming the cornerstone of digital innovation, learn how to build a data-driven culture with Tony Caesar, Ericsson’s head of IT, North America, in conversation with U.S. Silica Vice President and CIO Ken Piddington.

Thomas Vick, regional director at the executive recruiting firm Robert Half, will give an overview of the IT executive job market as well as identify the skills that are emerging as must-have among successful candidates.