2026 Chicago CDAO Community Inner Circle

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Collaborate with your peers

Join Chicago's top CDAOs for an intimate networking dinner and facilitated discussion on key business challenges. Enjoy a relaxed evening of dinner and drinks with your peers to share best practices, make new connections and build professional relationships.

Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CDAOs today:

Establishing the CDAO as an influential and strategic leader

Understanding how to articulate the value and quantify impact of D&A and AI investments

Becoming a visionary driver of business outcomes

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Agenda

March 12, 2026

4:30pm - 5:30pm Executive Networking Reception

5:30pm - 6:30pm Discussion Topics

The Strategic CDAO — Leading with Vision, Influence and Impact

CDAOs today face increasingly complex challenges both inside and outside their organizations. Externally, they contend with market disruptions, technological advancements, and evolving regulatory environments. Internally, they are establishing themselves as strategic leaders, driving business results, and quantifying returns on data and analytics investments.

Join this session to explore how CDAOs can balance these demands and position themselves as key figures in guiding organizations toward sustained growth and competitive advantage.

Have you successfully linked AI success to foundational investments in data and analytics?
How can organizations effectively measure and communicate the business impact and ROI of their data, analytics, and AI projects? What strategies help articulate and quantify the value of these investments?
What is your collaboration like with other C-suite and senior executives?
How do you focus on the non-technical skills required for your role, such as vision, empathy, and influence?
What strategies do you use to balance D&A and AI innovation and growth with constraints like compliance, ethics and cost?
How have you articulated the value proposition of data initiatives to secure sustained funding and alignment with senior leadership?

6:30pm - 7:00pm Networking Break

7:00pm - 8:00pm Summary Discussion & Dinner

8:00pm - 9:00pm Social Hour

Apply to Participate

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Apply to participate in the Chicago CDAO Community Inner Circle.

Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.

Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.

Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.

Community Member Criteria

To ensure peer connections and conversations at the highest level, members must meet the following criteria:

- C-level or senior most executive for respective function

- Organization revenue of $500M+

Exceptions are considered.

I meet the criteria above

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Location

Venue

The Metropolitan

More Information

Parking: Valet arranged and available at venue.

Community Program Manager

For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.

Christopher Cresci

Senior Community Program Manager

2816369329

christopher.cresci@gartner.com