- 17 September 2026
- 9:00am - 6:00pm
- Singapore
2026 CIO CONFERENCE AGENDA
09.00
Conference Chairperson’s Welcome Remarks
09.15
Panel Discussion: From IT Steward to Business Owner: Redefining the CIO’s Role in 2027
CIOs in Asia today are no longer judged solely on system uptime or cost savings—they are expected to co-own digital products, influence revenue streams, and drive mission-critical outcomes. This session explores how top-performing CIOs are stepping beyond traditional IT boundaries to lead cross-functional business initiatives, manage digital P&Ls, and build careers anchored in enterprise impact rather than internal IT metrics.
- Redefining success metrics – from IT KPIs to business outcomes
- CIOs as digital product owners
- Framing and testing organisational models to fit the business model
- Skills and mindset shift for the expanded role
- Career pathways – stepping out of an established comfort zone
Moderator:
11.45
Panel Discussion: Strategic Tech Rationalisation and Future-Ready Tech Stack Optimisation for 2027
In a landscape of tighter IT budgets, increasing tech sprawl, and rapid emerging technology disruption, CIOs must go beyond modernisation—they must rationalise and optimise IT portfolios with precision and strategic intent. This session explores how top Asian enterprises are auditing, consolidating, and evolving their technology stacks to drive business growth, reduce cost, and prepare for future innovations like AI, quantum computing, and automation.
- Auditing and rationalising application and vendor portfolios to remove redundancy while maintaining operational stability
- Balancing CapEx and OpEx decisions amid economic volatility and inflation pressures
- Uncovering inefficiencies and simplify complex, multi-vendor tech stacks with AI-driven automation and analytics
- Integrating legacy systems with emerging technologies for a scalable, resilient, and future-ready IT ecosystem
- Securing board and organisational buy-in for tough tech sunsetting decisions while safeguarding innovation budgets
Moderator:
14.10
Panel Discussion: Embedding AI-Driven Continuous Improvement in Business Operations
How can organisations move past initial AI adoption to establish AI-powered continuous improvement cycles that iteratively enhance processes, customer experience, and operational efficiency? We will examine best practices for creating sustainable AI value through feedback loops and overcoming organisational inertia, thereby delivering ongoing, measurable business impact beyond pilots and experiments.
- Designing AI feedback loops for continuous process improvement
- Overcoming organisational barriers to AI-driven change
- Integrating AI into business processes beyond pilots
- Measuring business impact and ROI of ongoing AI initiatives
- Leveraging AI for agile customer experience and operational efficiency
Moderator:
14.45
Fireside Chat: Digital Ethics and Responsible AI Governance for Asia
Digital ethics and responsible AI governance are critical for CIOs in Asia as they navigate a fast-evolving regulatory landscape. Emphasising fairness, transparency, and accountability, CIOs must align AI innovation with regional compliance and societal trust. Addressing bias, cross-border data sovereignty, and ethical impact is vital to sustain growth and foster stakeholder confidence. Ethical leadership in AI ensures technology drives inclusive, trustworthy progress amid Asia's diverse geopolitical challenges
- Navigating the complexities of digital transformation in Asia
- Balancing innovation with robust governance
- Digital ethics in practice
- The future of AI governance
- Demonstrating the ethical impact and compliance of AI initiatives to the board and stakeholders
Interviewer:
C-ENGAGE CONVENTION PLENARY
The CFO & CIO Alliance
15.40
Welcome Remarks
16:20
C-Suite Fireside Chat: Orchestrating Agility: From Insight to Autonomy
In today’s AI-driven economy, agility is no longer optional—it is the defining capability that separates leaders from laggards. As data complexity grows and the demand for evidence-based choices intensifies, C-suite decision-making is undergoing a profound transformation. The challenge is not simply adopting AI but orchestrating it across the enterprise to move from fragmented insights to autonomous decision-making.
- The path forward for C-Suites
- From AI adoption to enterprise orchestration
- Achieving operational agility at scale
- Enabling autonomous decision-making in the C-Suite
Interviewer:
16:45
C-Suite Panel Discussion: Monetising and Commercialising the Promises of AI
As companies move toward 2027, AI is shifting from being a technical experiment to a core C-suite priority. C-suites will need to approach AI investments with greater strategic alignment and coordination, ensuring that every initiative is guided by accountability, robust governance, and measurable business impact.
- Overcoming data fragmentation in AI projects
- Effective partnership models for scaling AI beyond pilots
- Governance frameworks in ASEAN: Balancing innovation with regulatory compliance
- Talent strategies to bridge the AI-fluency gap within the enterprise
- Best practice in structuring AI vendor contracts
Moderator:
17:50