Our communications are more fractured and fragmented than they have ever been. All of us, along with our clients, colleagues partners are inundated with information that must be parsed, categorized and acted upon in order to accomplish our most critical goals. The more information we accumulate and manage, the more critical communication becomes. Using a series of powerful stories, anecdotes, visual examples and his story tools, Craig Wortmann describes unique challenges we face trying to communicate effectively and demonstrates how leaders create strong connections with people and with the organization’s strategy. He discusses the importance of capturing and telling the right kinds of stories and why stories are the most effective method for enhancing performance.

CIOs face a breadth of challenges and triumphs throughout their careers. Randy Krotowski has a wealth of experience and lessons learned from his journey as the CIO at multiple global enterprises. In this session, he will offer his advice to the future CIO about the essential skills needed to effectively lead an organization and become an influential member of the executive team.

Solid leadership is integral to success in today’s competitive work environment. Rick Roy, SVP and CIO at CUNA Mutual Group, leads this interactive session to examine what it takes to thrive as a leader. Roy will challenge attendees to look at what individuals can do to enhance their interpersonal effectiveness, as well as generate high levels of engagement among those who work with them. He will also address challenges specific to a CIO and offer operating principles essential to modern IT leaders.

Rapid changes in customer needs, technological advances and broadened geographic reach rewards those who can demonstrate agility in performing their role. This session explores barriers to greater agility and introduces a framework that will enhance leadership styles.

In a fast-paced business environment, applying advanced technology leadership is key to success. Suren Gupta, EVP of technology and operations at Allstate Insurance, will discuss the factors that make for an effective and successful collaboration between the CEO and CIO in large and complex organizations. He will explore key constituents’ expectations for the IT departments of the future, including examples of how IT and the CIO fit into the growth strategies for Allstate, and where IT is adding strategic value.

Over the last five years Schneider National has embarked on a holistic transformation, positioning the company to achieve greater operating efficiency and effectiveness, customer service, global growth and high performance culture. Judy Lemke, EVP and CIO, is leading teams that touch and effect every aspect of the Schneider organization — jobs, processes, software, technology and culture. In this discussion, Lemke will talk about her approach, successes and failures, and key lessons learned.

In this engaging discussion, Allison Esenkova, partner at Sense Corp, will discuss the key IT trends shaping business today. Esenkova will share how CIOs are prioritizing their projects and describe how technology is positively impacting organizations. From this overview, she will discuss future technology trends and reveal the three areas which Sense Corp believes will have the most impact on IT and business.

In this session, we will explore strategies for fostering creativity in your organization with specifi c emphasis on the role of creative thinking in negotiations. You will learn how to design a business environment that removes barriers to creative solutions, how to identify these solutions and how to promote them. Using a negotiation simulation, you will further receive insights into your own skills in reaching creative negotiation agreements.

Why is it that some managers are completely comfortable when thinking about strategy, while others silently squirm whenever mention is made of that curiously vague topic? How do you think about strategy? Perhaps a better question is, do you think about strategy? Turns out, it matters quite a bit. This session will bring you a fresh and unexpected look at how you can use strategy in your organization to better understand and develop your business.

Incorporating participant input from the information technology trends discussion on day two, Wes Carberry, partner and technology market segment lead at Sense Corp, will facilitate small group discussions. Participants will engage in real-world brainstorming and problem solving on prioritized industry trends. Carberry will share both strategic thinking and tactical approaches for moving organizations forward in the three areas which Sense Corp believes will have the most impact on IT and business.

The process of enacting real organizational change requires careful consideration and delicate precision in execution. Preston Simons, VP, IT and CIO of Abbott Laboratories shares experiences around the company’s separation and discusses tools to be the most effective leader in the face of change. Preston will outline his process for leading global teams through times of transformation, including organizational readiness and active benchmarking.

Mike Blake discusses the challenges facing CIOs as they make decisions that profoundly impact the business and how the ability to keep pace with the convergence of business and technology will determine the legacy of the CIO. Under Blake’s leadership, the technology organization at Hyatt has evolved into a business asset designed to accelerate strategic opportunities. Blake shares how CIOs can work to identify and respond to the rapid changes in internal and external business drivers, including mobility and shifting security demands.