Developments in technology and social media have changed the way we innovate. But today’s startups have other advantages over their predecessors. Every dimension of startup life has changed in the last 10 years. Whether it’s raising money, developing a product or taking something to market, all of the business practices of current startups are fundamentally new. This has all added up to faster innovation. From Nairobi to Mountain View, startups have accelerated the pace of innovation. But the impact of this new flood of startups goes well beyond the founder’s garage. In fact all organizations are now operating in this environment of accelerated innovation, and they need to understand the strategies and tactics that today’s agile startups are using. Michael Tippett will share what he’s learned after 20 years in startups and what he thinks are the most important things organizational managers need to understand about what is shaping innovation today.

Over the last few years, the uncertain economy has dampened many organizations’ inclination toward investments in technology. A little over a year into her position at WestJet, Cheryl Smith knows that now is the time for her organization to differentiate itself to gain a competitive advantage. To Smith, one of the key capabilities to differentiate WestJet is IT excellence - what is her IT team doing to designate WestJet as a leader within the airline industry? Smith will talk about why CIOs can’t stay in their comfort zone to win the race.

Session discovery topics:

• Why now is the time to take risks
• Making IT excellence a key capability
• IT 101 — How you do it and why

Mobile technologies have taken over the enterprise and trying to control the ever-changing world of new devices and applications is impossible. Finding ways to support the diversification of devices and leverage applications as business tools is becoming an increasingly important item on a CIO’s to-do list. With BYOD becoming the single largest drain on IT resources, how can CIOs manage the rising tides of expectations? What do CIOs need to know about security and potential risks? What kind of IT organization is needed to support a self-serve, perpetual-information environment? Chris Covell joins this year’s agenda to discuss how his IT team at Best Buy tackles some of these questions.

Wireless technology is evolving from an employee-centric productivity tool to more of a strategic asset used to support business growth. Rich content like video, music and MMS’ are creating a magnitude of data. Effective organizations are using the resulting Big Data for strategic advantage, looking for opportunities to reach new demographics and recreate the customer experience. Rogers, to anticipate the increasing data usage, is looking to significantly invest in the next generation LTE network. Join Larry Baldachin as he discusses the future of wireless technology, Big Data and how organizations like Rogers will leverage them to redefine the mobility space.

As leaders of IT organizations, CIOs must have the skills to communicate effectively with other senior-level executives. When it comes to difficult conversations with the CFO, many technology leaders are challenged with avoiding tech jargon and speaking more in financial terms. Working with former Wall Street financiers, Dave Tyson, former CSO for the City of Vancouver, has developed a way to discuss security investments using ‘hedging’ strategies that speak to your CFO. Tyson will moderate this boardroom discussion, focusing on how CIOs can learn effective vernacular to use with CFOs.

Due to the format of the Executive Boardroom session, there are a limited number of seats available. Seating priority will be given to CIOs. To reserve your seat, please contact Scott Pond at 503-972-4451, or scott.pond@evanta.com. Sponsor participation is limited to Boardroom sponsor attendees only.

Today’s technology leader has become extremely adept at developing a technology roadmap on an increasingly smaller budget. Having strong relationships with partners that you can use to leverage technology is a key aspect of every business plan. Using a strategic partnership with TIBCO, Lynette Hughes has worked to improve operational excellence at BC Lottery. Through this partnership, Hughes has also found ways to generate revenue. Join this executive discussion to learn how Hughes has leveraged her partnerships to improve the way BC Lottery does business.

The University of British Columbia is consistently rated in the top 30 research universities worldwide. It’s Point Grey campus is a town in its own right, operating across several hundred buildings. Comprised of some 150 largely self-managing organizational units, the university’s IT governance history is filled with fragmentation and diversity to the point of dysfunction.

Appointed the new CIO in 2009, and tasked with correcting this historic challenge, Oliver quickly realized the consequences of the status quo for enterprise-wide priorities such as information security, cost control and people development. Three years into the job, Oliver will speak to the importance of relationship development in transforming an environment where it is said that the only thing that is mandated is that you cannot mandate anything.

The way we consume and command technology is changing, and today’s enterprise organizations are keeping up with these changes by continuing to adopt cloud and virtualization solutions. In this collaborative boardroom session, seating will be limited to 25 attendees who will discuss cloud’s impact on the role and structure of the IT organization. Moderator Kris Baritt will lead this discussion and address the new technology and business skill sets required for a cloud-enabled environment; evolving IT governance activities and resource management; and the organizational shift from a technology culture to a service culture.

Due to the format of the Executive Boardroom session, there are a limited number of seats available. Seating priority will be given to CIOs. To reserve your seat, please contact Scott Pond at 503-972-4451, or scott.pond@evanta.com. Sponsor participation is limited to Boardroom sponsor attendees only.

Driven by her business mandate to create a culture of innovation and drive collaboration, IBM CIO Jeanette Horan, is focused on three key elements of transformation: business, IT and work. She will present IBM’s internal transformation journey through the lens of the CIO, detailing how IBM has transformed to meet financial targets, gained efficiency through the virtualization and standardization of global infrastructure, and embraced cloud computing and business analytics. Horan will also explore how IT supports employees around the world in the age of social business.

Session discovery topics:

• Business transformation — establishing governance and integrating IT with the business
• IT transformation — enabling efficiency with technology
• Work transformation — fostering mobility and collaboration transformation

What does the future hold for CIOs? Will the rise of the knowledge worker and technologies such as cloud computing, mobility and the ‘App Store’ be the beginning of the end? Will IT roles evolve into business roles or be externalized as some believe? Should the CIO’s role expand to lead this integrated technology and business team or will the role become redundant and be reduced to road kill? What skillset must CIOs develop next to remain indispensable? Join Richard Hannah, Kathryn Henry, Cheryl Smith and David Trent in this panel discussion on how to redefine your IT organization and re-energize your role as CIO.

Session discovery topics:

• The technology organization of the future
• Transforming the role of the CIO
• Identifying opportunities for value creation

Ken Bainey, CIO for the Government of the Province of Alberta, Ministries of Infrastructure and Transportation, has developed a web-based dashboard to enable and support evidence-based decision making using predictive analytics. The governance model is based on the five major areas of the IT delivery life-cycle: governance; planning & administration; enterprise architecture and innovations; project portfolio management and applications; and service management. Bainey and his team defined a system based on predictive analytics to proactively manage, monitor and measure the major outcomes and deliverables for each area of the cycle. The result: outcome driven performance measures and accountability framework. Join Bainey to hear how his team has worked to create increased efficiencies and simplicity of communication between IT and the business.

You are invited to join CIO discussion leaders and moderator Frank Diana in this interactive executive boardroom. We will dive deeper into how mobile technologies are changing the rules of engagement, both internally and externally, and discuss how IT organizations can use mobile as an opportunity to engage with the business.

Session discovery topics:

• What is the right IT organizational structure for today’s self-serve environment?
• How do you support and leverage the diversification of devices?
• As mobile becomes the new face of engagement, how are systems and processes impacted?
• How do you balance the need for corporate computing with the power and flexibility of ‘APPS?’

Due to the format of the Executive Boardroom session, there are a limited number of seats available. Seating priority will be given to CIOs. To reserve your seat, please contact Scott Pond at 503-972-4451, or scott.pond@evanta.com. Sponsor participation is limited to Boardroom sponsor attendees only.

If there’s one thing that Lululemon Athletica should be well known for, besides being a successful yoga and sports lifestyle brand, it’s the leadership team’s passion for creating a culture focused on creativity, collaboration and innovation. This entrepreneurial spirit is the heart of Lululemon’s success, empowering employees to become invested components of the business. Founder Chip Wilson joins CIO Kathryn Henry to discuss Lululemon’s unique culture and how the leadership team is looking to technology to provide a strategic competitive advantage.

Session discovery topics:

• Lululemon - who the brand is
• How technology plays into the unique culture
• Where technology will take Lululemon next